Learning and development - East Dorset District Council

Induction

All new staff will attend an induction course within four months of joining the council. This ensures that they are familiar with our services and policies, and understand the basic responsibilities of their role.

In the first 12 weeks all new staff, with their manager or supervisor, also work through an induction checklist.

Appraisals

All staff should have a yearly ‘Performance and Development Review’ with their line manager. This will address their current performance, and identify any training needs that are necessary to fulfil either their current role or any foreseeable future role. Where requested the Personnel Department will assist in securing provision of suitable development opportunities.

Investors in people

The organisation is committed to meeting the requirements of the National Standards for Effective Investment In People.

East Dorset District Council is committed to providing a designated and adequate training budget to support training and development programmes.

Work related training

Each employee has a responsibility for their own development and should take steps to actively manage their own ongoing learning. This will include attending training that is reasonable and necessary to enable them to carry out their duties and also to identify areas they would like to learn more about.

Work related training opportunities include:

• Work shadowing
• Mentoring
• Non-qualification training – events and conferences
• In-house courses
• Vocational training
• Management and supervisory skills development programmes

Training agreements

Because of the significant investment made by the council, staff appointed into a trainee post, or those staff undertaking developmental courses will be required to sign a training agreement that commits them to repay a proportion of the training costs incurred if they leave within a certain period.