Training policy statement

Urgently required: Building Surveyors Sheffield South Yorkshire – Clerk of Wor ks Manchester, Sheffield

1. INTRODUCTION

Arcus Consulting LLP is committed to providing continuous training and development to improve the skills and competence of its entire workforce in the focused delivery of services to our clients.

The aims of training are to ensure that all employees are given the necessary help to develop the knowledge, skills and attitude that they require to carry out their jobs efficiently and to provide every opportunity for career development.

2. RESPONSIBILITIES

To maintain the structures and mechanisms for identifying training needs and for monitoring the effectiveness of our training policy and programmes, Arcus has appointed Andrew Greenwood as Partner responsible for training.

Line Managers are responsible for the continual monitoring of staff training and development throughout the year and to provide the necessary assistance and encouragement to ensure that the Practice’s objectives are being met, procedures are being followed and that staff fulfillment needs are being achieved.

An internal review of the company training policy and procedures will be carried out every 12 months by Andrew Greenwood and the organisation’s Managing Partner, Clive Sellers.

3. INDUCTION TRAINING

Induction training will be given to all new employees, to familiarise them with the organisation’s structures and procedures and to illustrate their role within it.

During the early weeks of employment, all employees will receive thorough training in the procedures and policies of our organisation which will include training in Health and Safety to ensure the protection of the individual and to meet the needs of the company and statutory requirements.

Any gaps in the basic skills of the employee to undertake their full duties will be identified during the induction process and relevant training will be given where applicable.

A record of training will be established for each individual employee and held centrally on the personnel file. This will be continual updated throughout the lifecycle of their employment to provide an auditable trail of their training and development.

4. TRAINING ASSESSMENTS

All staff, including new personnel, will have their skills continually assessed by their Line Manager as identified below:

At the induction stage - any immediate training needs identified by the Line Manager will be organised during the first three months of employment, wherever possible.
At appraisal stage - it is the Practice’s policy to undertake an annual staff formal appraisal to review performance over the previous twelve months, to identify ways of maximising strengths and improving areas of weakness in the context of achieving the Practice’s aims and objectives. These formal reviews are the main vehicle of reviewing and identifying training needs to improve job performance.
At the time of an employee being promoted – covering skills required to equip new managers with the necessary skills to manage staff.
Specific requirements of a project – projects may have unique training requirements that are most appropriately satisfied at project level to ensure the successful delivery of schemes.
Training needs as required as a result of corporate change - which will affect everyone within the organisation
Training related to professional development - All professional staff are required to comply with the rules of their professional bodies in respect of continuing professional development.

5. TRAINING PROCESSES

The Partner in charge of training will have overall responsibility for analysing training needs identified by the processes above and will discuss with the appropriate Line Manager and employee the most appropriate and cost effective way of addressing these.

These training needs may be resolved in a number of ways.

Sending an individual on a course
On the job training
Working alongside other members of staff • Using in-house/external expertise to run workshops The range of training programmes currently offered by Arcus consists of the following;
Management Training
Induction Training
Graduate Training
Technical/Professional Staff Training
General Training

All booking for corporate training will be dealt with by Central Administration to ensure that training is recorded, budgeted and evaluated.

6. CONTINUAL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT (CPD)

The Practice holds three internal CPD seminars per year for all technical staff. Each office also hold regular lunch time CPD workshops where manufacturers and other specialists are invited along to talk about specific products, systems and legislation.

As well as internal events Arcus also support staff on attendance of approved external CPD events, if the seminars etc., relate to their identified training needs.

A condition of attending any professional development course or event is that the member of staff will be required to produce a summarised report to disseminate the key points learned. This knowledge transfer will be required to take place via the most appropriate form of communication, as agreed with the Training Partner, e.g., during either CPD workshops or monthly meetings or alternatively circulated via email.

7. APC STRUCTURED TRAINING PROGRAMME

The Partnership has established an APC Structured Training Framework to set out clearly the training and experience that shall be provided in respect of candidates’ training towards corporate membership of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).

The framework forms an integral part of the Practice’s training policy to provide a plan within which each candidates’ experience and training can be programmed, structured and monitored and thereby aid and enable them to work towards corporate membership.

8. GRADUATE TRAINING POLICIES

The Practice normally recruits from a number of cognate degree holders each year, each graduate is assigned to a senior qualified member of staff who will act as their mentor for their period of training.

The Practice takes a positive view of graduate training and is keen to ensure that graduates receive an adequate depth and breadth of experience and develop the necessary professional dependence to satisfy professional qualification requirements. The Line Manager will monitor the graduate’s development, and on a monthly basis review progress and priorities with the candidate, or in accordance with the guidance notes issued by the professional bodies.

Graduates are expected to fully comply with the rules of the professional bodies and be proactive in their approach to their own training and development. Whilst every assistance and opportunity will be given, the candidate’s progression will depend to a large extent on their own motivation and initiative.

Subject to confirmation by the candidate’s Line Manager that they have reached the required competent standard, the Practice will allow paid leave for a day of their final examination and professional interviews.

9. NON TECHNICAL STAFF TRAINING POLICIES

Non-technical staff, where applicable, are encouraged to benefit from attaining National Vocational Qualifications (NVQ) in business and administration. These competence based programmes, which are designed to reflect business theory and practice, enable our staff to formally assess and recognise their own knowledge and understanding and in doing so further improve their abilities to contribution more effectively to business activity.

10. EQUAL OPPORTUNITY

In addition to our Equality and Diversity Policy our Training Policy reinforces the view that managers should not discriminate in the provision of training, promotion or career development.

The Partners of Arcus will ensure that disadvantaged groups are afforded, through training, equal opportunities to career development. This will include the application of appropriate retraining, redeployment and retention policies.

All Line Managers will be trained in the equal opportunities aspects of employee recruitment, training and development

11. EVALUATION

As part of the organisations continuing commitment to training and development, employees are asked to provide feedback on the value and effectiveness of the training and learning they undertake.

This information enables us to ensure that the training methods, programmes and organisations being used for training are meeting both the organisation’s and the trainees’ needs and that value for money is being realised.

12. TRAINING BUDGETS

Apart from the normal on the job instruction, the Practice supports a wide range of training/development methods from self directed study, Internal & External Seminars, External Part Time Courses.

Each office operates a training budget, to support the offices training programme and the expenditure of monies on training materials.

*The average spend per year on “off project” training across the practice is approximately 2% of our annual turnover.

It is the responsibility of the Partners of Arcus to ensure adequate resources and facilities are provided to ensure the commitments described above can be met.

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