QUALIFICATIONS WALES PEOPLE STRATEGY - 2018 to 2021 - FEBRUARY 2018
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
QUALIFICATIONS WALES
PEOPLE STRATEGY – 2018 to 2021
FEBRUARY 2018
CONTENTS
Contents
Overview 3
Context 4
Our areas of focus 5
Building our
capability 8
Wellbeing 11
A bilingual
organisation 13
Culture and values 14
Our challenges 17
Our measures 23
Overview
Our employees, our people, have been at the This plan seeks to encompass our approach
core of the business since the establishment to workforce planning and learning and
of our organisation in September 2015. This development over the next three years. We
strategy outlines our approach to building, have identified five areas of focus and four
developing and enhancing our organisational challenges that we anticipate facing during
capability to deliver our principal aims and this timeframe.
strategic priorities.
3
CONTENTS
Context
Qualifications Wales has been established We strive to be an employer of choice. We
for two and a half years. The structure that are a public-sector body but seek to compete
was designed and developed prior to our with the wider market, demonstrating the
establishment in September 2015 is largely benefits we offer such as flexible working
unchanged and we do not anticipate any and an attractive reward package comprising
significant change to this over the next three of competitive public sector pay, access
years. We invested in higher band posts early to the Civil Service Pension Scheme and a
on with the aim of building a knowledge generous annual leave allowance. Our office
based organisation with the ambition space reflects the organisation’s spirit and
4 to be an organisation that invests in its values, having created a bright, collaborative,
employees at all levels. A large proportion engaging working environment we are proud
of our organisation has been recruited from to share this with visitors and potential
professions, e.g. educationalists, teaching, employees on our online recruitment pages.
policy, researchers, HR, Finance, Procurement We are focused on creating an inclusive
and IT. We sought to build a culture that was organisation and are ambitious and we will
familial, with values developed around our support our employees so that they are able
commitment to deliver, respect for each other to deliver.
and an ability to work together and with
our partners/stakeholders. This is our first
people strategy.
CONTENTSOur areas of focus
Shaping the
workforce
A bilingual
Wellbeing 5
organisation
Building
Culture our
and values capability/
skills
CONTENTSShaping the workforce
Our Corporate Capability Strategic plan We sought to build flexibility into the
identifies ‘enabling our regulatory work’ and organisation at the outset and within
‘Maintaining and using professional skills’ Development and Commissioning, Recognition
as areas of focus and these are critical when and Approval, Monitoring and Compliance and
considering how we manage and shape our General and Vocational Qualifications teams
workforce over the next three years. we identified ‘deployment’ roles which would
enable us to move Qualifications Assistants,
Our primary aim is to fulfil, maintain and Officers and Managers between teams based
manage the agreed structure, ensuring that on employees’ existing skills and business
6 the employees in post are engaged in the work need but also longer-term succession planning
they do, that our performance management which can be individual or business led. This
supports their development and that they model has been built into our performance
receive the training required for them to management process and we will engage
fulfil their role and to develop as potential with employees and managers annually on
successors. We want to ensure that our preferences and consider these alongside
managers are effective and able to manage our business planning activity. Employee
workload and engage their teams to deliver development sits at the heart of this model
our operational priorities. and the intention is to enable employees
with career goals in the regulation of
qualifications to experience all aspects of
the qualifications cycle.
CONTENTSBusiness
Need
Within the organisation we have priorities. To deliver we will
teams that require professional utilise flexible contracts
skills, for example Finance, Deployment where appropriate, e.g. fixed
Procurement, Statistics and term, secondment, interns
Research. We will support and apprenticeships based
employees in their continuous on the role, the need and
professional development Manager Individual the appropriateness of the
through the achievement of Identified Development contract type.
appropriate qualifications (PMR) (PMR)
and the maintenance of that Our Strategic Equality Plan 7
professional knowledge through training and outlines our objectives at establishment
development. We will also be active in local and in terms of our workforce focussed on
professional groups and work with Welsh ensuring our recruitment processes did
Government, Civil Service bodies and Welsh not create barriers for applicants and the
Government Sponsored Bodies to share skills provision of our initial Equality and Diversity
and expertise, to work collaboratively and to training for our employees and Board. We
build relationships that enable an interchange will continue to review our approach and
of employees through secondment agreements work with representative groups to consider
when they support employee development. how we can best engage and attract skilled
applicants from diverse backgrounds
Our agreed structure comprises 83 FTE posts recognising that a range of experience
which are permanent roles, and whilst we will build strength and insight into our
don’t envisage significant growth over the core business and that an inclusive
next three years we know there are challenges organisation is ultimately a strong one.
on the horizon, e.g. curriculum reform which Our equality objectives will be refreshed
require flexibility to respond to changing in autumn 2018.
CONTENTSBuilding our capability
We will invest in our employees through our Areas of focus for all employees will include:
approach to learning and development to build ▶ Leadership and management
and enhance our capability. We will respond
to individual development needs as identified ▶ Regulatory skills
by the employee or the manager alongside ▶ Project management
corporately driven learning needs identified ▶ Audit and complaint handling skills
by the organisation. We will measure the
impact and value of training and development ▶ Welsh language skills
opportunities for individuals and the ▶ Digital capability
8 organisation. We will also invest in the skills ▶ Writing skills/tone of voice
of our Board members; our approach will be
outlined in our Corporate Governance Strategy.
CONTENTSWe are also committed to supporting the We recognise that some employees will
professional development and the ongoing choose to specialise in regulation and
CPD for those within designated professions assessment and will consider requests for
by funding professional membership fees further and higher education where personal
(where the membership is a requirement development supports building the knowledge
for the role held) and supporting ongoing base within the organisation.
continuous professional development through
attendance at peer networks and training. In line with our commitment to partnership
working we will support our Union Committee
Our intention at the outset was to build an members in training to help them fulfil 9
organisation where all employees understood their role.
the business. This commenced during the
initial phase of induction with training for
all employees (regardless of function) on
assessment and regulation. We will continue
with this model as the organisation grows
through formal training which will be open to
all and internal peer led sessions which will
provide insight into the work of the different
teams and directorates.
CONTENTS10
Wellbeing
We recognise that supporting our employees’ Wellbeing is not just about supporting
physical and emotional wellbeing is employees who are absent due to sickness
central to them feeling engaged with the back into work, but also about preventing
organisation and being able to deliver at work absences by promoting healthy and positive
is fundamental to their ability to maintain a lifestyles. We have contractual arrangements
work-life balance. in place for Occupational Health services
to support us in doing this and have also
We have considered employee wellbeing delivered one-to-one lifestyle sessions to
during policy development, seeking to ensure identify where employees can make personal
that policies are inclusive. We have sought choices to make health improvements. 11
to go above the statutory minimum in terms
of entitlements and to provide flexibility to Employees also have access to free eye tests
take account of individual circumstances and and an Employee Assistance Programme which
situations. For example, our approach to our provides confidential, independent advice on
family friendly policies (maternity, paternity, a wide range of issues via an initial telephone
shared parental leave, special leave) but also service as well as online provision.
the policies that cover situations where things
go wrong, e.g. discipline and grievance. We are committed to learning and
development on issues that relate to wellbeing
such as Mental Health awareness, Resilience,
Emotional Intelligence and Equality and
Diversity. Training of this type is important
for self-awareness but also in supporting each
other and recognising when colleagues may be
experiencing challenges and need support.
CONTENTSWe will also take time to support smaller Our IT provides employees with choice and
initiatives in and around the workplace such gives them control of how and where they
as running clubs and walking groups and work, either in the office or at home. We are
volunteering and charity based activities. supportive of employee requests to work from
home where it fits with business and employee
We have established a Wellbeing and Inclusion needs. Our office environment provides space
group that considers how we can build upon for employees to choose where they work and
where we are now and continuously improve. encourages interaction through communal
We will work towards achieving a minimum space for lunch. We recognise that a flexible
of the bronze Corporate Health Standard and approach makes our people happy and enables
12
reflect on how we can maintain our inclusive them to be the best that they can be.
culture, valuing diversity and the insight
that different backgrounds and experiences Through these actions we are creating a
can bring. supportive culture that nurtures our people,
ensures that they are informed about life
and work challenges, promotes an open
culture/space to talk and by doing so ensures
that our people are productive and that our
absence rates consistently fall below the
public-sector average.
CONTENTSA bilingual organisation
Whilst the Welsh Language Standards are ▶ We encourage and support those who want to
not yet applicable to our organisation we will learn and improve their Welsh language skills;
continue to work towards preparing for their
application, promoting and embedding the ▶ Learning Welsh is encouraged and offered
Welsh language. to all;
The Welsh language is part of our culture and
is spoken by a number across the office, with
▶ Our approach to learning will respond to
individual need and consider personal
fluent speakers supporting and helping others
interest balanced with the need to develop
to develop skills.
language skills based on specific roles and 13
business needs.
We strive to provide a HR service that is
responsive to Welsh speakers, providing access
to policies and the related processes bilingually.
CONTENTSCulture and values
collaborative
We involved our employees in shaping We have responded to feedback and have re-
and establishing our culture and values in focussed and re-worded our values in a way
the initial induction phase in September that resonates better with employees. Our
2015. Our values were embedded within values are:
our performance management process to
encourage modelling of the associated Collaborative in the way that we work
behaviours. We set out to create a culture that Thoughtful in the approaches we take
thoughtful
was a fit for our small organisation, familial
in nature, flexible in approach and without Positive in our outlook
14 hierarchy in terms of how we live in our office Learning from experience and others
space – the ‘sweep the sheds’ approach. Our
office environment was designed to encourage Our Board are committed to these values
collaboration and integration with colleagues and live them through their work and their
across teams and Directorates and our IT engagement with our employees. We also
positive
supports this too. engage with the Board on issues relating
to people, e.g. our policies, wellbeing and
development and they have had the opportunity
to be part of the shaping of this strategy.
learning
CONTENTSWe have re-launched these with a colourful We engage with all employees more generally
and engaging campaign, we will establish via monthly Town Hall gatherings which
a framework of behaviours that underpin enable colleagues to update on work or share
our values and these will be built into our information and successes with peers. These
performance management system and our sessions also invite colleagues to share their
recruitment process. views and ask questions. We encourage
employee consultation and collaboration
As an employer, we are committed to working across teams by holding internal ‘Lite-bites’
in partnership with our employees. During our on key pieces of work which are open to all to
September 2015 induction phase, employees attend regardless of role and Board de-brief 15
voted to be represented by a Trade Union sessions which keep all informed. We measure
and we have worked with them to help them our employee engagement using an annual
establish their own branch. We hold quarterly people survey and act at a corporate and
Partnership Forums during which the CEO, directorate level sharing actions and impact
Executive Director of Finance and Corporate through our internal communications channels
Services and the Head of HR and Chair and and at our annual employee development day.
Secretary of the branch meet and consider
matters relevant to employees. We have a
Partnership Agreement that outlines how both
parties will engage and work together.
CONTENTS16
Our challenges
Resilience Regulatory
As a small organisation with an agreed We will use our deployment model as the basis
structure of fewer than 100 posts, our for building resilience with the regulatory
resilience can be challenged in terms of aspects of our business. This model will
knowledge as well as resources. Periods of ensure that we develop the skills of the
absence or employee turnover can have an employees to enable us to allocate people to
immediate impact, and redeploying within the planned priorities while responding to new
organisation can result in reduced resources demands. 17
in other areas. Whilst we aim to be flexible to
respond to changing needs, the knowledge We recognise that curriculum reform will bring
based aspect of the large proportion of our challenges. Short-medium term resourcing
roles means that recruitment can take time to changes may be required and we will need to
get right and that the market may not always respond to quickly and seek to build flexibility
be able to deliver the people we need when we into our structure to deliver, this may involve
need them. This is particularly the case when fixed term appointments, further secondments
we draw from the teaching profession and and temporary contracts.
notice periods are based around term times.
We will use our performance management
process and outcomes to inform succession
planning alongside business planning and
bi-annual engagement with Executive and
Associate Directors regarding their teams.
CONTENTSCorporate Services/ secondments in this directorate and there are
relationships in place with other bodies, for
Policy and Research example engagement with Welsh Government
in the context of the Government Statistical
Within Corporate Services, we have recruited and Research professions to share best
professional ability at all levels and our skills practice and knowledge.
and knowledge base is strong; the challenge
lies within the structure where the head of
18
the team is a couple of bands higher than the Diversity
colleague(s), which does not allow for easy
succession planning.
Our organisation has good gender balance
We will continue to build relationships with across roles and a good age distribution;
similar bodies and explore opportunities for however, we recognise that there are other
secondments outwards and inwards to enable challenges to ensuring that our organisation
our employees to build their skills outside the is truly inclusive. We understand that our role
organisation whilst enabling the movement as a public-sector regulator may be a barrier
back in to offer a long-term career path where to applicants from minority groups. We will
possible. work with bodies representing these groups
In Policy and Research the position is similar: to ensure that we minimise any physical
employees have been appointed based on or perceived barriers to applications for
their skills and with a view to developing employment or engagement with us through
knowledge of our regulatory role and the our stakeholder activity. We will provide
education sector. There are clearer succession training for staff on equality issues.
routes in both teams, but we anticipate using
CONTENTSMaturity Regulatory/
Policy and Research
As an organisation that has been in
existence for two years, we can no longer
Our redeployment model is in place to build
be considered ‘new’, but aspects of our
resilience and capability but it will also be
organisation do not have the maturity of an
a challenge to ensure that we do not de-
established organisation. Most roles within
stabilise effective teams but that conversely
the organisation have now settled into the
concerns about this do not hold us back from
structure, but we also need to ensure that we 19
building the broader knowledge base of
build flexibility into our policies to enable us
some colleagues. We need to ensure balance
to effectively manage change that could affect
between allowing employees to specialise and
structure or roles and work in partnership
managing expectations regarding long-term
with our Union to manage these changes
career development.
appropriately and without negative impact
on employees. We will measure the maturity of the
organisation and the workforce through public
confidence in our ability to deliver and the
impact of our published work.
CONTENTSCorporate Services Financial
During the first two years, the Finance and Successfully managing the organisational
Corporate Services Directorate have focused structure and turnover will be a challenge
on building and establishing the policies and when budgets are set annually. Whilst we
processes that the organisation needs to have a reasonable indication of our funding
function effectively and appropriately. The and model to maximise spend of the pay
development of individual teams’ maturity budget, turnover and absences can have a
20 is measured within the organisation’s greater impact in a small organisation. When
operational plan. we commit to exploring flexible contract
options (fixed term contracts, secondments),
The ‘newness’ of the organisation can bring these need to be balanced with permanent
benefits, in that our ‘way of doing things’ is appointments to avoid succession difficulties
not too ingrained and our people are generally in the future. We also need to balance the
flexible and open to change when it is cost elements of secondments, given that
recognised that our internal processes can be they attract VAT as an additional cost and
adapted to be more effective. balance that with managing public money
appropriately and in the most effective way.
We have learnt that our sectoral approach
to reviewing vocational qualifications has
the potential to identify work beyond the
initial scope which can have an impact on
our resources. We will manage this through
business planning and reviews of our
operational plan.
CONTENTSOur approach to pay seeks to recognise We will commit to an annual survey of our
the importance of managing pay fairly employees’ views and will undertake exit
and consistently in a way that motivates interviews with employees who decide to
employees to make a positive contribution, leave our organisation to evaluate where we
and is affordable. The decisions we take can make positive changes and demonstrate a
regarding pay are crucial to maintaining commitment to continuous improvement.
equality across the organisation.
We will work in partnership with our Union to
maximise our employee engagement and work
together to manage change successfully and
21
Sustaining engagement resolve employee concerns effectively.
In Corporate Services, we will also seek
At establishment in 2015, engagement was to evaluate the service we provide to the
high, and our people were highly motivated organisation through feedback from peers.
and excited by the challenge of being part
of a new organisation and passionate about We will look outwards and benchmark with
making it work. One year later we measured similar organisations (public sector and
our employee engagement in our first annual regulators) to make sure we learn from others
People Survey and achieved an engagement and are competitive in terms of what we offer
indicator of 76%, which was amongst the and that our organisation is recognised as an
highest within the public sector in Wales. employer of choice.
CONTENTS22
Our measures
We will measure the success and impact of our to the results annually by engaging with our
People Strategy by: employees and seeking to make improvements
where needed.
Recruitment – We will measure the impact
of our recruitment processes in terms of our Learning and development – Our people
ability to attract applicants from a diverse survey will be one measure of the impact of
range of backgrounds with the appropriate our L&D, but we will also seek to measure
skills and track the progression of our impact post training ensuring that employees
employees and the effectiveness of our use the investment made, but also to ensure
succession planning. We will consider how that the suppliers we use are relevant and 23
our organisation is perceived externally and deliver to meet our organisational need.
the impact of our online presence in attracting
future employees, using soft measures as well Operational priorities – We will measure the
as data. impact of the strategy in terms of the ability
and flexibility of our workforce to deliver
Exit interviews – When our employees choose our annual business plans and achieve the
to leave us, our aim is that they do so having operational priorities.
had a positive experience, and that they have
developed during their time with us, and that Accreditation – We will measure the impact
Qualifications Wales added value to their of specific pieces of work via external
career path. accreditations and awards such as the
Corporate Health Standard.
People Survey – We will strive to maintain
or improve our initial engagement index of Organisational key performance indicators –
76% and build upon the positive outcomes e.g. tracking absence, vacancy rate, Internal
from our first two surveys. We will respond churn – positive and negative.
CONTENTSQ2 Building,
Pencarn Lane,
Imperial Park,
Newport NP10 8AR
01633 373 222
© 2018 Qualifications Wales
CONTENTSYou can also read
