Training Booking

Policy for AM Staff Only

This policy applies to AM Staff. Supplier staff training is coordinated independently.

Training Booking

Each team member will have 13 days training per year. This equates to approximately 5% of your time.

3 of these days are fixed and planned by the department leads. This may be used for collaborative training, such as hackathons, reading weeks etc.

The remaining 10 days should be booked by team members. As with annual leave, they should book them with suitable advanced notice wherever possible and they will require approval from their manager.

When booking training, a plan must be submitted (this could be at any point in advance of the booked days), this should include the training objectives and any planned outcomes. This must be accompanied by performance and personal development objectives in Clear Review.

Flow

graph LR

A(Plan)-->B
B(Book)-->C
C(Communicate)-->D
D(Training Time)-->E
E(Review & Share)

Step	Detail
Plan	- Determine training objectives and create high level plan, working with line manager - Document in ClearReview
Book	- Book time to perform training, including specific outcomes of that time - Line manager reviews and authorises
Communicate	- Communicate planned absence to team, and block out in Outlook calendar as Out Of Office
Training Time	- Carefully plan how you will spend your time. - Notify the department and your team at the start of the sprint in which the training time falls. - Set your status to unavailable/out of office.
Review & Share	- Provide an update to your manager about the outcome of your training. - Document outcomes in clear review - Plan and book any valuable knowledge sharing with the wider team

Notes

• Team members are encouraged to train collaboratively. Days may be booked off by multiple team members simultaneously, with shared or linked objectives. However, consideration for impact on planned work should be given.
• Time spent learning “on the job” e.g. during the course of preparing or implementing solutions, is not included.
• Where a specific subject for upcoming work requires learning, it will be up to the team, the individuals, and their managers to collaboratively determine whether it is best to create an “investigation” backlog item, or book in some time for focussed training.
• Training time can be booked in half-day increments.
• Team members are expected to use all of their training time during the course of the year.
• Managers will need to monitor team members’ booked days and ensure they are used, and that the outcomes have been met. They will need to follow up on the objectives set out.
• Although training objectives must be set in advance, they may change as you learn more. Team members are encouraged to regularly review their objectives and update them as required, with their line manager’s input.
• Where there is a clear case for it, and at the discretion of the relevant department head, additional training days will be granted. The primary objective is to ensure training is done, not to restrict it, however we must be cautious to ensure fairness, and that there isn’t a negative impact to the business.
• The 10 bookable days is pro-rated. Part time staff will therefore receive the fixed 3 days, plus a proportion of the remaining 10. (e.g. 3 days a week = 6 days training).
• As with other planned absences, it is the responsibility of the team member requesting training time to ensure that their planned work is coordinated around their absence from the team. They must communicate the planned absence and ensure that it does not conflict with other team absences.
• If there is unplanned absence or unplanned urgent work during your planned training you may be asked to reschedule it and you must ensure you are available in case this situation arises.

How to Book

Warning

A training booking should only be made after a training objective has been set, and you have checked that the dates you wish to use do not conflict with other planned absences, work deadlines, or critical team events.

Booking is performed via the HR system much like annual leave:

1. Start an absence request
2. Select the type of "Other"
3. Select reason "Training"
4. Enter the start and end dates (end date is the first day back in work)
5. Enter a comment that describes the training you intend to perform, so that you line manager can easily identify the training objectives which should already be outlined.
6. Submit your request. Your line manager will be automatically be notified.