Just Wondering

[Guest]

HI

 

This is probably in the wrong place, its kind of a training question, but not.... lol

 

i want to go on a first aid course, it runs on a thurs 6-9 for three weeks, i have been told i can go on it for free (as part of funding in Cheshire area) but my nursery will not pay me for it, nor give me time back for doing it.

 

If i did it in the working day (i can't however as there is not one in the working day), but if i did do it in the working day then i would get time back or get paid for it... so what's the difference with me doing it in my own time.

 

Am i wrong to assume i may have got paid for it (or at least time back).

 

and the other thing is in the main my boss is very reluctnat to send us o training courses, basically cos it levaes us short staffed if one is away on a course.... however my nursery has an investor in people award, apparently for the training they do..... doesn't add up, as im being told no one ever gets sent on training course.

I obvioulsy woiuld like to go on as many courses as possible in order to advance my skills but im hitting a wall at work, and my manager seems to convinently 'forget' to give me the book with all the traing events in.

 

hmmmm,

 

Dawn

[hali]

im afraid my staff do not get paid for any courses taken in thier own time, they do them as part of thier contract and to better themselves in thier job the same as any i go on any and i dont get paid..... we have our IIP and i would be very surprised how your setting got thiers if they do not allow staff to go on training. Bad mangement!!!!

[Running Bunny]

When I was in nursery, I experienced the same as Hali - we were never paid or given time back.

 

My manager was very proactive in accessing training for us and would pay (if it wasn't funded) but in our contracts, we had to pay the cost back if we left within 3 months. She recognised the value of the training to the setting, but also appreciated that we would take the knowledge with us and put it on our CVs.

 

Every setting would be different and you need to look at terms and conditions of your contract...

[nicki-k]

We are fortunate to be paid for any training we do. Most of the courses we attend are Kent County Council Early Years courses and they pay supply cover. Staff are a lot more eager to continue extending their knowledge if they are paid for it .

[Guest]

Running bunny is quite right regards contract terms. However, keep in mind that some LA's put provision for staff training as part of the educational grant funding. For example in kent we can use part of the funding for up to 5 training days per each member of staff per year. I personally do inservice training at which I pay a daily rate (6hrs attended) of £35 per staff, irrelevant of what pay scale each individual is on.

 

Also some courses set up by our cluster group has funding attached for supply cover.

 

Basically, I think in law if a company requires a member of staff to attend training then the time should be recompensed, irrispective of when the training is attended ( some companies even pay travel costs).

 

If it is not required, say for example in the case of your 1st aid course, if there are already enough staff qualified in 1st aid to be available every session, then your company may not feel the need for this.

 

Best practice, a company should have an annual training budget and plan, most often informed by appraisals, this would identify required training for the company needs and required training for individuals professional development.

 

So there are 2 types of requirements, Certificate ( specific skills) or Qualification

 

1/ The company has a lack of enough "certificated" staff in terms of 1st aid, child protection senco etc, and therefore should pay for current staff to attain these under the National Standards mandatory requirements to have people trained in such subjects.

 

2/ The company has to have 50% suitably "qualified" staff on ratio. If a person is employed as unqualified then when a position for qualified comes along, it should be advertised for a qualified person, therefore the company doesn't have a responsibility to train staff up to a qualified level. This puts the onus on the individual to gain qualifications to have a better chance of promotion. However, the majority of companies value their unqualified staff enough to support them in gaining a qualification, either through paying for the course, paying time at training sessions or both these, subsidising the costs or loaning the cost to be paid back. They do not however have an obligation to do this.

 

Your company may have a training plan and others are in line to do training before you, ie: someone may have been waiting a year to access a child protection course ( they are very difficult to get on to in kent), as you have only been at your setting for 7 weeks, maybe you should ask to be put on the training plan for.........

 

If they have not got a training plan, this would be a good opportunity for you to offer to set one up, talking to all the staff about what training they want ( or need such as positive behaviour management )and ask the boss what training the company needs. I'm sure the boss would be pleased to have this task done for her.

 

I currently have two 1st aiders attend every session, however a new member of staff just started and a course is available in June, There is no cost, and she is welcome to attend it ( on saturdays) however she knows she won't be paid because I do not require another 1st aider at the moment, in this case it's just basically a matter of timing. ( last 2 staff who attended were paid for their time because I needed them to have it)

 

Peggy

[Guest]

Peggy,

 

is there anything that you don't know???

[Guest]

Peggy,

 

is there anything that you don't know???    

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Oh shucks

 

Please don't quote me on the legal stuff, so no, I don't know, you know, just think I might know.

 

Peggy