How to get started with planning learning and development this year

As the new year begins, we look at how you can get started with planning learning and development for your team this year.

Providing regular learning and development for your staff is important to ensure they have the relevant skills, knowledge, and confidence to do their jobs well.

Investing in learning and development also helps to increase job satisfaction and motivation and makes staff feel valued. Our data shows that regular training can result in reduced turnover of staff.

So how can you get started with planning out learning and development opportunities for your team this year?

Think about different learning and development options

There are so many different ways that learning and development can take place – both on-the-job and off-the-job. On-the-job training can include work shadowing other colleagues, having colleagues coach other members of the team in certain areas, and job rotating to allow staff to gain experience across different roles.

Apprenticeships are also a good way for existing staff to learn new skills and potentially develop into new roles.

Off-the-job training options are incredibly varied and can range from reading resources to attending training sessions, workshops, and seminars to utilising online options such as eLearning modules and webinars.

Training can be delivered in-house by your team or by specialist training providers.

Have a look at our different ways of developing your staff and our list of endorsed learning providers to explore more training options for your team this year.

Analyse your organisation

When it comes to planning out learning and development for your staff, completing a strengths, opportunities, aspirations, results (SOAR) analysis of your organisation is a useful first step. This looks at your organisation’s strengths and vision for the future, and allows you to identify skills gaps so you can see where you and your team need to develop to meet your future goals.

Use our template to conduct a SOAR analysis.

Create a learning plan for each team member

It’s also important to work closely with each member of your team to create their own individual learning plan, which will look at their personal learning needs to meet their own goals.

You can discuss this with each member of your team at their one-to-one supervisions, and use our template to help you create their individual learning plan.

Create your organisational learning plan

Using the information from your SOAR analysis and your team’s individual learning plan you can create an organisational learning plan which maps out the outcomes you want to achieve, the actions that need to be taken and who is responsible.

Use our template to create your learning plan.

Consider your budget and look into funding

While learning and development doesn’t always need to be expensive, there is investment required – whether it’s the cost of booking a learning provider; developing your internal training; or the time and resource costs associated with workers being away from their usual day job.

Luckily, there’s funding available which can support with learning and development.

The Workforce Development Fund (WDF) provides money for social care employers to provide continuing professional development options for their team, and is open now for applications.

Find out more about (WDF) and have a look at other options for support with funding.

Find more support and inspiration for learning and development with our #KeepLearning spotlight.

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