Staff Learning and Development Statement
Learning and Development
Training needs are identified through the Performance and Development Reviews process for individuals and through an assessment of the organisational needs of the Library Service to ensure the provision of a high quality service. Training and development opportunities are provided through a variety of methods including training courses, attendance at conferences/seminars, guided reading, job rotation, membership of working groups, mentoring, NVQs and courses leading to qualifications, open learning, project work, secondments and shadowing.
Finding the capacity to support staff learning and development opportunities while maintaining the staffing levels required for the public service is an ongoing challenge. This has resulted in the innovative development of work based training modules supported remotely via ICT.
- Equalities and Customer Care in response to the Race Equality
Plan and results of user surveys and to improve performance against the standards
- Reader Development a recognition of the importance of staff's abilities and confidence in helping readers
On-going Training
In addition to the main programmes, the following key areas of staff training and development are in progress in support of service development. Outcomes will be a confident and knowledgeable workforce with the skills to work with a wide variety of service users.
- Looked After Children
- Child safety including internet
- Hearing Impaired children
- Managing behaviour
- Stories from the Web
- Childrens course
- Summer activities
- Reader development
- To equip public library staff with the skills, knowledge and confidence to use ICT effectively in their day-to-day work and to use new technology to support the users of public libraries in the acquisition, development and use of ICT skills
- Assisting users
- Web content
- Learning packages
- Black families
- Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual people
- ESOL students
- Refugees and Asylum Seekers
- People with Disabilities
- People with Dual Heritage
Information, Advice and Guidance Standard (Matrix) to support staff offering information, advice and guidance on education, training and work opportunities
General, Supervisory and Management Skills including Change Management, Risk Assessment, Health and Safety, Recruitment and Selection, and Career and Personal Development
Specialist updates and Professional issues to maintain professional skills, knowledge and awareness
Career development for staff from the black and minority ethnic communities
Birmingham Libraries' actions on recruitment, retention and career development for staff from the black and minority ethnic communities are included in the Divisions Race Equality Action plan. Resources for training
The City Councils standard is that 1.5% of payroll costs should be spent on training. Training provided in-house is not costed separately for each Division and no specific figures can be provided.
Library staff take good advantage of the variety of training courses available e.g. supervisory training, equalities training, recruitment and selection training and take up a reasonable number of the training places available. In addition, the corporate training budget funds expenditure on continuing professional development and Post Entry Training to gain formal library or management qualifications. Training activities organised by library staff or opportunities such as secondments, job rotation etc. are not costed separately.