Training in Windsor and Maidenhead

The links below will provide information regarding the Borough’s most recently commissioned learning and development programmes:

Local authorities are being tasked with making a significant reduction in their spend over the next few years, as a result there may be a negative impact on the provision of funded training for social care providers. E-learning is an inexpensive and flexible alternative which will help maintain your staffs’ statutory training requirements and aid their continued professional development. Log on to Care is a website that hosts a wide range of e-courses that many users are already finding both useful and interesting. The courses are free of charge to you, as they are funded by local authorities. We urge you to make use of this resource now, to enable you to proactively manage the reduction in other funded alternatives. Were Log on to Care not well-used, local authorities will cease to fund them in the future, which could reduce the training provision further and not enable you to provide staff with a ‘blended’ approach to learning and development. Log on to Care also hosts a wealth of other useful information, such as funding, legal updates and sector-specific news. This site can be viewed at www.logontocare.org.uk

The aim of the Social Care Training Team is to:

“Enable the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead to give children, young people and adults the best possible life chances, opportunities and choice by developing the workforce”.

Therefore in order to deliver safe and effective social care that reflects the needs of Windsor, Ascot and Maidenhead’s diverse community it is recognised by that training, learning and development is a vital component.

The Adult and Children’s Social Care Training Policy and Procedure will seek to:

· Define the structures and infrastructures required to facilitate and deliver training, learning and development opportunities so as to improve service delivery, reduce risks to people who use services and staff and have a positive impact on recruitment and retention.

· Establish robust, systematic and quality assured, risk-assessed processes to underpin provision related to training, learning and development.

· Acknowledge and respond to local and national drivers guiding social care education and training.
Support role development in line with the Borough’s Children’s Workforce Development Strategy and Adult Workforce Development Strategy.

· Promote and engage in partnerships that will enhance learning experiences and maximise opportunities for shared learning.

· Ensure that the principles of equality and diversity are integral to all forms of learning.

· Develop leaders and mangers capable of embedding learning and development into practice in order the meet the demands and modernisation of adult and children’s services.

Develop alternatives to traditional ‘classroom’ training in order that ‘blended’ learning experiences reflect individual learning styles and needs.

The Training Policy and Procedure document can be accessed by clicking here

Prior to applying for the Borough’s training, learning and development programmes staff should:

Ensure the course content meets their identified needs.
Discuss the proposed application with their Line Manager and seek their authorisation.
Complete and return a Resources Unit Training Application Form. which can be accessed using the link below:

Workforce Development Grant Singular Training Application Form.pdf

All training, learning and development events commissioned by the Social Care Training Team will be closed to applicants 4 weeks before it is due to take place and a confirmation letter of attendance and joining instructions will be issued at least two weeks before this date.

If an event is over subscribed applicants will be selected using the following criteria:

· The applicant’s reason for applying

· The applicant’s job role/job accountabilities

· The service need

· The applicant’s development need

· Balance of the delegate group.

All unsuccessful applicants will be informed in writing.

Cancellation Policy/Charges for Non-Attendance

Cancellation 14 days before the event takes place will not be charged.
Cancellation less than 14 days before will not be charged if a replacement member of staff is authorised to attend, both by their Line Manager and the Training Team.
Cancellation on the day of the event will not be charged if non attendance is due to sick leave or an unavoidable emergency, providing that the Training Team are contacted prior to the course start time day by telephone or e-mail.
Non-attendance will be charged at the rate of £75.00 per day. This charge will also apply to those learners who arrive 30 minutes late for the commencement of an event or who leave before the programme is completed, where prior arrangement for this has not been made.

The Social Care Training Team will only cancel a training, learning or development event if there are insufficient attendees to make it cost effective or an unforeseen emergency occurs. In these instances notification will be given at the earliest opportunity and staff will be invited to attend the next available programme.

Useful Training, Learning and Development Website Links

The following links are for websites, which will offer further information and research in respect of health and social care:

· Research in Practice for Children - www.rip.org.uk <http://www.rip.org.uk>

· Research in Practice for Adults - www.ripfa.org.uk <http://www.ripfa.org.uk>

· Social Care Institute of Excellence - www.scie.org.uk <http://www.scie.org.uk>

· Children’s Workforce Development Council - www.cwdc.org.uk <http://www.cwdc.org.uk>

· Skills for Care - www.skillsforcare.org.uk <http://www.skillsforcare.org.uk>

· General Social Council - www.gscc.org.uk <http://www.gscc.org.uk>

. The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead http://www.rbwm.gov.uk

Page last edited: 02 September 2010