Well trained and well-motivated staff are the bedrock of a successful care home. Growing the skills and knowledge of your team enables you to deliver better care. And staff who believe that their development needs are a priority are more motivated, productive and committed. They become better ambassadors for your organisation and are more likely to stay.

Personal development plans give shape, focus and direction to the training each individual receives. They can see how everything fits with their own ambitions, whether that’s promotion or specialising in a particular aspect of care. They represent the difference between an organisation that offers training ‘when they have to’ and one that is genuinely committed to the development of each individual.

Good for Business

Personal development plans offer significant benefits to your business. They lead to lower staff turnover, greater stability and the reassurance for residents of seeing care workers who are happy to stay with your organisation.

The plans are a vital link between organisational objectives and the people who will deliver them. They are a tool for delivering better standards of care, maintaining compliance, and ultimately becoming an outstanding provider.

Personal development is something that CQC expects to see happening, as shown in the Health & Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulation 18:

Regulation 18 Staffing

(1) Sufficient numbers of suitably qualified, competent, skilled and experienced persons must be deployed in order to meet the requirements of this Part.

(2) Persons employed by the service provider in the provision of a regulated activity must –

(a) Receive such appropriate support, training, professional development, supervision and appraisal as is necessary to enable them to carry out the duties they are employed to perform,

(b) Be enabled where appropriate to obtain further qualifications appropriate to the work they perform, and

(c) Where such persons are health care professionals, social workers or other professionals registered with a health care or social care regulator, be enabled to provide evidence to the regulator in question demonstrating, where it is possible to do so, that they continue to meet the professional standards which are a condition of their ability to practise or a requirement of their role.

Personal development plans, are all about organising and directing your training – keeping on top of new requirements and best practice. This coordinated and forward looking approach gives opportunities for cost efficiencies through better planning. Feel free to download a Personal Development Plan from our Resource Library.

You can manage your training budget more efficiently and take the time to identify the most appropriate courses and training methods for each person and your care home. You’ll also be able to track a clear link between organisational and personal development, and achieve a better return on your investment.

Here at Redcrier, we understand how difficult it can be to juggle many different aspects of running a care home business, which is why we provide a comprehensive collection of courses delivered in flexible methods or as a blended approach. Find out more about how a personal approach to development planning can deliver outstanding results, call us on 01823 332200 or visit our course list.