Factors to consider when selecting and commissioning activities for keeping knowledge and practice up to date

For this assessment criterion, you will be required to explain the range of factors that impact the selection and commissioning activities for personal and professional development within the work setting.

Activities for personal and professional development within the workplace can include formal training, apprenticeships, coaching/mentoring, supervision and research. Professional development is important because it ensures that your organisation adheres to legislation, regulation and best practice as well as improving service delivery and maintaining staff morale. When selecting and commissioning such activities, several factors must be considered.

Firstly the cost of the training should be identified and budgeted for. There may be several different agencies that can provide the training and you should carefully assess the cost of the provision with the quality that they provide – remember, the cheapest may not be the most cost-effective if the quality is poor. You may also consider how these costs compare to delivering training in-house.

The availability of staff will also be a factor, ensuring that they are able to maintain a good work-life balance and there are sufficient staffing resources available to cover their regular duties whilst they attend training.

The way that training is delivered should also be considered. Whereas knowledge and theory can be learned and assessed at home via e-learning, practical skills must be performed and observed, so face-to-face training would be required. For example, there are several training organisations that claim to offer full Care Certificate training via the Internet, however, they sometimes neglect to say that they can only assess the knowledge elements and that the practical elements must be assessed separately.