Assessment Report Investors in People Assessment Report for Stockton Riverside College Undertaken by Sheila Warren On behalf of Investors in People North of England Project Number: 14-0291 Date: 2-4 June 2014 Commercial in Confidence
Introduction This Report captures the findings of Stockton Riverside College s Investors in People Assessment. The assessment took place shortly after an Ofsted Inspection: and although the outcome was not in the public domain at the time of the assessment, leaders, managers and staff were very pleased with the positive feedback they had received. The college has experienced significant change since the 2011 IIP assessment. Changes in relation to leadership have had a particular impact. Governance has been reviewed: new appointments have been made to the Governing Body and extensive Governor development has taken place. There have been major changes in executive leadership, starting with the appointment of the current Principal, who joined the college in February 2013. Further appointments were made to other senior leadership positions. The impact of these appointments on the ambition, culture and practices of the college has been immense. There is now a very robust approach to performance management, which is driving up standards. Leaders expect managers to give staff the freedom to operate within clear parameters, and staff are responding to having increased ownership and accountability of their work. There is a strong sense of improved teamwork and confidence throughout the college. In common with the wider FE sector, the college continues to experience constant change in relation to funding regimes, curriculum changes and student demand. Change is increasingly seen as the norm, with staff understanding the need for restructuring and reshaping of provision. APPROACH TO ASSESSMENT The key objective of this assessment is to explore the college s current position in relation to the Investors in People Standard. The assessment also provides an opportunity to identify people management and development practices which suggest that the college is operating at a level beyond the Standard. Areas which emerged are captured in the report under the appropriate headings. Evidence was gathered over a three day period, 2 nd to 4 th June 2014, through individual face-to-face interviews with employees based at the Teesdale campus and at Bede 6 th Form College. In total, 35 people contributed to this Assessment. The sample size meets the requirements which are laid down by the UK Commission for Employment and Skills, which is responsible for developing and maintaining the integrity of the Investors in People Standard and Framework. Thanks are due to everyone who participated in this Assessment: the honesty and goodwill of all interviewees was very much appreciated. 4
Key Findings Indicator One: Business Strategy The strategic direction of the college was reviewed by the Governors in 2013. They recognised that, if the college was to prosper and grow in the future, transformational change was required. Extensive consultation took place with a range of stakeholders, and a Development Plan was approved in October 2013. A cluster of Strategic Priorities were identified and these will be reviewed on an annual basis. The development of highly skilled, flexible staff is identified as a Strategic Priority. In practice, this means ensuring that the staff infrastructure is fit for purpose; embedding rigorous and robust performance management systems, and developing an enterprising culture. Staff who were interviewed during this Investors in People assessment have a good understanding of the strategic priorities and the implications for their own roles and contribution. This understanding has been achieved through vastly improved visibility of senior leaders, who engage with staff honestly. The high expectations of senior leaders are made crystal clear and this has had a motivational impact on staff. Expectations are really clear and there are clear lines of accountability. Comments around working harder, achieving more and being confident about the future were common themes throughout this assessment. Whilst change has been, and continues to be, significant, it is achieved with people, rather than being done to them. Change has been fast-paced, totally necessary, and a breath of fresh air. People have a very good understanding of day-to-day matters, especially relating to the needs of the students and the commercial realities of life in the FE sector. This is achieved through effective management, good employment relationships and, especially, ownership of the job. Communication has improved significantly since the 2011 assessment. Approaches include termly presentations by the Principal, regular meetings between the Principal and all departments, away days and team meetings. There are a number of people management and development practices which suggest that the college is working at higher levels of the Investors in People framework. These include use of KPIs relating to areas such as retention and achievement; commitment to corporate social responsibility, for example in relation to economic growth; substantial involvement of stakeholders in business planning. 5
Indicator Two: Learning and Development Strategy As noted above, the development of highly skilled, flexible staff is identified as a strategic priority. Although the college has previously invested in staff development, the emphasis has been on supporting the achievement of qualifications and addressing training needs in departments, for example relating to improving ICT skills and updates on curriculum and qualifications. The college has repositioned staff learning and development as a strategic activity which underpins performance improvement. The Performance Appraisal and Development Scheme provides the link between college, team and individual objectives and is the basis of identifying collective and individual learning and development needs. The focus on improving teaching and learning (the first strategic priority) has had significant implications for staff development and there is a strong consensus that CPD has improved. CPD is now much more focused and worthwhile. When you go, you leave thinking you have learnt something. The CPD days are really, really good, for example the sessions on questioning and challenging students. The college operates a Graded Lesson Observation Programme. An individual whose teaching is graded at less than Good is offered a package of support to drive improvement. The college has invested in a team of Learning Coaches, who work on a one-to-one basis with individuals who have been identified as needing additional support. Appointment as a Learning Coach is developmental for the coaches themselves, who are able to come together as a team and to share practice and experiences. There is an increased focus on sharing knowledge, learning, experience and resources across the college. The recent Learning Fair provides a good example of people being encouraged to share with their colleagues, which also helps to build relationships and to generate ideas. Opportunities to share learning and resources have been welcomed by staff. It is a lot more focused and structured. There is a lot more sharing of good practice. There are a number of people management and development practices which suggest that the college is working at higher levels of the Investors in People framework. These include building capacity through the learning and development strategy; involving people in making decisions about their own learning; use of innovative approaches to support learning and encouraging a culture of continuous learning. Indicator Three: People Management Strategy 6
Equality of opportunity for learning and development support is well established at Stockton Riverside College. All people have clear objectives and are able to identify training and development needs. The college has recently improved its approach to developing support staff, who play an increasingly important role in ensuring a positive experience for students. Support staff have been encouraged to take an active part in developing others, for example by becoming involved in sharing practice at the Learning Fair, and through helping teaching staff to improve their ICT skills (such as use of Prezi). The college employs a large number of part time and hourly paid employees, who are able to access learning and development opportunities. Managers are encouraged to identify hourly paid staff who have the potential to move to contracted roles, and there are several examples of people making that transition. There are many opportunities for people to contribute ideas that will improve their own, and other people s performance. This is an area that has improved considerably since the last assessment, as a result of increased ownership and confidence throughout the college. People now believe that they have a voice and that they are listened to. Now if we have an idea, we have the opportunity to follow it through. There are a number of people management and development practices which suggest that the college is working at higher levels of the Investors in People framework. These include using fair, efficient and effective recruitment processes; evidence that the organisational structure makes the most of people s talents; equality and diversity embedded in the workplace; commitment to achieving an appropriate work-life balance; and encouragement to give and receive constructive feedback. The latter represents a significant improvement in the culture of the college and reflects senior leaders commitment to honesty and transparency. Indicator Four: Leadership and Management Strategy As noted earlier, there have been major changes to the leadership and management population of the college. The composition of the Governing Body has changed, and there has been a considerable investment of time and resources in governor development. A key ingredient of the college s culture is accountability, and this is reflected in the college s approach to leadership and management. Managers are expected to be accountable for their own performance, and senior leaders made it clear that their own role is to coach and manage performance, rather than to tell managers what to do. 7
Some managers have left the college and the current management population have a clear understanding of what is expected of them. The management culture is a potent mix of performance management and empowerment, which drives improvement and is motivational. There are various approaches to leadership and management development, which include financial support to achieve higher level qualifications including MBA and M Ed. The college has arranged management development programmes in the past, including CMI Level 5. The HR Director has more recently delivered six bite-size sessions covering key people management topics such as absence management. It gave you the confidence to challenge behaviour, rather than burying your head in the sand. Senior leaders have recently created the framework for a future management development programme, which is likely to commence next year. The most powerful elements of management development currently are coaching and networking. Many managers explained how they were being developed and encouraged by senior leaders. There are also many examples of managers being encouraged to visit other colleges to explore their practices. There are a number of people management and development practices which suggest that the college is working at higher levels of the Investors in People framework. These include managers receiving feedback on their performance; managers being helped to develop capabilities and, most important of all, the creation of an environment where everyone is encouraged to develop leadership capabilities. Indicator Five: Management Effectiveness Almost everyone put the major changes in the college down to the influence and impact of senior leaders. They are very visible and engaged: helpful and inspirational. There is substantially more visibility and I have a genuine belief that they are listening and will take action. It s a strong and purposeful SLT now. People also spoke positively about their immediate manager and gave good examples of how they have been encouraged to improve their performance, generate new ideas and contribute to effective team working. I have a very proactive and visible manager. She wouldn t ask you to do something that she wouldn t do herself. I can t say enough good things about her. Managers themselves were able to give many examples of how they had personally supported team members, for example by empowering them to take the lead in their own area of work or to develop new 8
ideas that would attract and retain students. Managers have a good insight into the strengths and development needs of their team members and are able to create opportunities that match up with individuals skills and interests. I have spent a lot of time looking at the skill set of the staff. A manager explained how they had kept people fresh and challenged by changing around some responsibilities in the team: this approach had also supported the learning journey of a new team member who was relatively inexperienced in the world of work. There are a number of people management and development practices which suggest that the college is working at higher levels of the Investors in People framework. These include trust and confidence in senior leaders (considerably improved since the last assessment); use of coaching as a key developmental tool; increased opportunities to share knowledge within and across teams; a culture of openness and trust and people being helped to develop their careers. Indicator Six: Recognition and Reward Day-to-day informal recognition has improved since the last assessment and people are able to give examples of how they have been praised or thanked for doing a good job. Senior leaders have introduced a Golden Pen award, which involves the presentation of an inscribed pen to mark an Outstanding observation. I feel I am acknowledged a lot more now and you see the managers out and about a lot more often. You feel appreciated and that you are part of the college. I was just a number but now I am valued. There is an increased sense of belonging to the college, which links to the clarity of strategic direction. People know where the college is going and they want to be part of it. This was especially noticeable at Bede, where people are very confident about their future and recognise the advantages of being part of Stockton Riverside College. There is much more integration between the two sites, for example in relation to support staff involvement, and senior leaders have ensured that they are highly visible at Bede. Integration has developed a lot. It has always been a good place to work but there had been a lot of uncertainty: this has now improved significantly. People believe that they make a difference to Stockton Riverside College. Many people see this in terms of the support and encouragement that they give to the students, which motivates many to go the extra mile. People are increasingly aware of the difference that they make to wider issues, for example through building the reputation of the college or through their involvement with local businesses. There are opportunities to recognise and celebrate achievement: the recent Ofsted Inspection is a good example. There are more opportunities for socialising, which encourages team spirit and builds relationships. The college has established a Staff Association to enable it to develop this area further. 9
Although the college (and sector) operates under tight financial constraints, there are other opportunities for reward, such as access to sports facilities and the introduction of a discount scheme, thoughtfully named Thank You, which enables employees to make financial savings on goods and services. Indicator Seven: Involvement and Empowerment Ownership and accountability are at the heart of the college s ethos. The approach is few rules but clear boundaries. We are all involved in moving the college forward. I feel listened to and respected. I have the chance to do my job. It s all about being responsible and accountable. I have a lot of autonomy in terms of decision-making. There are opportunities to get involved in making improvements which apply across the college: as an example, a staff group was set up to look at different approaches to planning and devised a template which was then adopted for use across the board. People welcome being involved in decision-making at team level. An interviewee explained that previously they wouldn t have been involved in making a decision about which awarding body to work with but this was now a decision for the team: Daunting but nice. Another interviewee discussed the impact of having further opportunities to generate and discuss ideas within the team: We now feel much more confident that we can bring up ideas: this has motivated staff to go the extra mile. There are a number of people practices which suggest that the college is working at higher levels of the Investors in People framework. These include effective sharing of knowledge and information; people being committed to the success of the college; high levels of trust; commitment to continuous improvement and a sense of ownership and pride in working for the college. Indicator Eight: Learning and Development in Action There are numerous formal and informal approaches to learning and development including: o Studying for a higher level qualifications such as MBA and M Ed o Networking: including visits to other colleges and national conferences o Involvement in regional, sub-regional and sector groups o Role related training such as PTLLS, Assessor and IV qualifications o Skills based training such as beauty therapies; ICT o Working with consultants and nationally-recognised experts 10
o Involvement in new areas of work o Coaching o Observation o New experiences: such as involvement with Ofsted o Learning from colleagues o Reflective learning with colleagues o Access to research reports o Sharing thoughts and ideas through Facebook groups People acknowledge that their colleagues have valuable skills and experience that can be shared for the benefit of all. There are many examples of people supporting the learning and development of their colleagues, including leading CPD sessions, sharing resources at the Learning Fair, observing and being observed, helping people with ICT tools and supporting an apprentice. People take formal and informal roles in supporting the development of others: an example of this was a Behaviour Matters session, which was led by members of the education team and also involved input from people who had experienced difficulties with a particular cohort who were willing to share their experiences. The sessions were held during the day and in the evening, which gave options for attendance: especially helpful to hourly paid staff. There are a number of people practices which suggest that the college is working at higher levels of the Investors in People framework. These include effective use of informal learning, which positions learning as an everyday activity; people being given the opportunity to achieve their full potential; and support to personal development. Indicator Nine: Performance Measurement The college invests significant resources in employee learning and development, and it is intended to increase this investment. The college has a dedicated Teaching and Learning Manager and a team of Learning Coaches, who receive an honorarium for their duties. There are various approaches to evaluating the impact of learning and development, including: Post activity evaluation Outcomes of observations Review of progress following support from Learning Coaches Learning Walks Self-Assessment 11
Feedback from students, through focus groups and student surveys Feedback from staff, through team meetings and staff surveys People understand the impact of learning and development on their own performance. A manager explained how they had benefitted from coaching from a senior manager: It has been challenging and supportive: it has helped me raise my game. Another manager explained the impact of a formal qualification-based course that they had completed: It has helped me to do what we have done with the team. The rigorous Business Planning and Performance Management process provides an opportunity to evaluate the performance of managers, who are held to account for the performance of their area. Managers enjoy the freedom and flexibility of managing their own budgets and the review meetings are held to monitor progress and to ensure that agreed income targets are being met. Managers contribution to the process has improved. The quality that comes from the other side of the table has improved dramatically. People demonstrate high levels of awareness of performance and are keen to talk about success rates of all types. They are especially keen to discuss areas where the college s performance is the best in the Tees Valley. This reflects the growing confidence of people in the college s performance and future prospects. There are a number of people practices which suggest that the college is working at higher levels of the Investors in People framework. These include impact of investment on key performance indicators and examples of improvement in team performance. Indicator Ten: Continuous Improvement There is no doubt that significant improvements have been made to the way that people are managed and developed at Stockton Riverside College. Improvements were noted across the full range of Investors in People indicators. The college is an entirely different place. I believe in this place. There are a number of people practices which suggest that the college is working at higher levels of the Investors in People framework. These include use of self-review techniques; use of a range of measures to monitor and understand people s views; use of internal and external benchmarking and ability to demonstrate improvement in people s views of how they are managed and developed. 12
Looking Ahead Evidence emerged throughout the assessment which suggests that the college s people management and development practices go beyond the requirements of the Investors in People Standard. There are no mandatory areas for improvement to address. The college may wish to seek additional recognition in future through the achievement of Silver or Gold accreditation. I estimate that you would, if assessed against the wider Framework now, achieve Silver and be well on the way to Gold. The college s leaders are considering a Vision for the future. The following points are not presented as recommendations, but are posed as questions to aid discussion: Positioning Values at the Heart of the College: how can the college s values be further developed as a key feature of the employment relationship? Development of New Approaches to Learning for Staff: how can the college encourage the evolution of innovative approaches to learning and development, for example by reflecting the emergence of mobile learning and self-managed learning? Embedding of Coaching into the Culture: how can the excellent work which has been done by the Learning Coaches can be embedded into management roles? Changing Face of Leadership: what will be the key attributes of leadership that will enable the 2020 Vision to be achieved? Talent Management: how will the future leaders of the college can be identified and nurtured? Generation Y: As members of Generation Y are already moving into management roles, what will the implications be for management development? Return on Investment: what is the wider social and economic impact of investing in your people? Great Place to Work: how can high levels of employee satisfaction be sustained? 13
Confirmation of Accreditation The college is continually improving its people management and development practices and it is great to see the positive changes and increased confidence across the whole of the organisation. I am pleased to confirm therefore that all indicators of the Standard are MET and that STOCKTON RIVERSIDE COLLEGE continues to be accredited as an Investor in People. Many congratulations on this achievement. 14
Investors in People Indicators Met Evidence Requirement Indicators 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 15
Closing Comments I welcome your feedback on this Assessment and you will be sent a Client Feedback Questionnaire to complete on line. I would very much appreciate it if you would complete this after the Feedback and Continuous Improvement Meeting has taken place. This will be within three months of the on-site dates. I d also like to draw your attention to Investors in People Interactive, a free on line support tool which is designed to guide you through development activities and help you to build on the benefits of using Investors in People as an organisational development tool. You can also access a wide range of downloads, good practice tips and other resources to inspire and inform you as you progress on your Investors in People journey at www.investorsinpeople.co.uk I d like to advise you that idg offers an integrated advice and assessment support service, workshops and other events to promote continuous improvement and working with The Standard. We also work with a highly experienced team of consultants to offer an extensive range of tailored business support and organisational development solutions to help improve business performance. We would be pleased to discuss any potential requirements with you with no obligation: please speak to me in the first instance. I will keep in touch with you on an annual basis and would remind you that there will be a further visit in 18 months time: in December 2015. We can discuss your objectives for that visit nearer the time. Delivered by idg, the licensed delivery partner for the North of England T: 0844 406 8008 E: iip@i-dg.co.uk W: iipnorth.investorsinpeople.co.uk P: Suite 3A, The Exchange, Station Parade, Harrogate, HG1 1TS idg is the trading name of Improvement Development Growth Limited Registered in England. Company Registration No. 04141322 Registered Office: Lee House, 90 Great Bridgewater Street, Manchester, M1 5JW 16