Adult support and protection learning and development: national framework

Section 4: Designing, delivering and evaluating learning

This section provides guidance to support learning and development practitioners to plan, deliver and, importantly, evaluate their learning events, exploring ways to support the workforce to develop the competencies, knowledge and skills required. This includes identifying learning needs and ensuring access to learning and development. Note: There are some suggested training resources included via the link in the Appendices Section.

Identifying and analysing learning needs

It is important that workforce learning and development needs are identified, and relevant learning is provided in order that staff can effectively fulfil their roles and responsibilities. In Adult Support and Protection terms, this should be in alignment with the minimum key learning for each workforce identified in Section 3 above.

Periodically, this may mean undertaking a learning needs analysis to check levels of understanding and confidence across all four or five (where Council Officers are part of the workforce) workforce groups, in order that staff can carry out their role and duty of care. Equally, a learning needs analysis may identify gaps in knowledge or skills. To enable this, the maintenance of an up-to-date list of Council Officers within a partnership is important. Senior managers within the council should be aware of the relevant training undertaken by their Council Officers in order to assure themselves that learning and development needs are met; and to identify any gaps in learning and/or necessary learning opportunities available.

A learning needs analysis should identify any gaps between existing competencies, knowledge and skills in this area of practice. It should also help single agencies, APC partnerships, managers, and learning and development providers to examine the key learning requirements and address gaps. It may also help workers to identify relevant training completed or yet to be undertaken, in line with their own Continuing Professional Development or Post Registration Training and Learning processes and similar processes for other professional groups and registration requirements.

Planning and preparing a learning session/programme

All groups attending learning events will be made up of people who learn in a different way. Adults generally learn better when they can see a reason or relevance to why they are required to undertake particular learning. Before beginning to design, deliver and develop training, learning and development needs to be mindful of accommodating the different ways in which adults learn.

Context and inclusion

Learning and development practitioners will be aware that, aside from different learning styles, participants may require reasonable adjustments. Delivery of learning events should encompass a wide range of learning needs, to maximise participation and engagement. This will include, for example, consideration of visual/audio support, description of any graphics used, consideration of the use of colour for any practitioners/learners who are dyslexic or colour-blind and support for staff who use English as a second language. There will be other examples of learning needs in the workforce and learning and development teams will require systems that can identify and accommodate these as far as is possible. It is also worth noting how learning and development teams become aware of any such learning needs and the responsibility of the learner to raise any needs they have with their learning and development team. Different approaches may be required depending on whether the training is to be delivered on an in-person or online basis.

The role of ‘lived experience’ in learning and development

Reflective practice and listening to people who have been involved with services can teach us a lot. Within learning events, highlighting the experiences of those who have been involved with our systems and services is a powerful reminder to practitioners to be mindful of this and will enhance participants’ understanding of best and effective ways of working with adults at risk of harm.

Including and involving people with lived experiences in the design and delivery of training, should be done ethically, using a trauma-informed approach, with some benefit to the person sharing their personal experiences, views and thoughts about practice improvement. The ALLIANCE Report on Engaging people with lived experience.

This is a reminder to learning and development practitioners about self-care. The content of learning may touch on sensitive matters which remind both participants and facilitators of difficult experiences in their own lives. Being trauma-informed, facilitators will want to make sure both they and their participants are aware of how to access support to process their emotions, in the event of difficulties arising.

The format for delivery of learning and development is often a question of what the topic of learning is, who is learning, and the required levels of knowledge or skills being demonstrated. Within Adult Support and Protection, multi-agency learning and development has a key role in building a common understanding and fostering positive working relationships between practitioners and agencies - as outlined within the legislation. This multi-agency perspective is vital to transfer into effective Adult Support and Protection practice. Shared learning makes a positive contribution to shared practice, supporting the sound professional judgement essential to assessment of support required, risk and protection.

Practical tips for planning, delivering, and evaluation of learning and development should include:

• trauma-informed practice is a key baseline for all learning, meaning good self-care for participants should be considered
• know the “who, what, where, when and why” this event is being offered – know your materials, anticipate issues arising
• ensure your technical equipment is working and that you have access to necessary internet connections

Some learning may need skills practice, which is often best done in an in-person format. When the main presentation is information-giving, this may equally be done online or digitally. In recent times, learning and development has (by design and often through necessity) made good use of technology, delivering digital courses that offer flexibility. While all types of delivery have advantages, some may also have limitations, and it is the skill of the learning and development practitioner to determine the most effective approach to take.

There are many options for delivery of learning that can be used flexibly. Pre- or post-reading may be used to accompany learning events. More experienced practitioners may be valuable in supporting new or less experienced colleagues, for instance in coaching or mentoring roles. This supports the skills of both practitioners involved - building skills and confidence for the experienced worker that can support their future career development, while building relational support for the less experienced worker, who benefits from a colleague’s more extensive work experience.

In addition to more formal learning events, learning and development teams may also want to consider the use of these approaches:

• e-learning modules (with or without pre-reading being sent out before)
• 7-minute briefings or practice briefing notes (PDFs or delivered)
• practice development sessions (lead by peers or frontline staff)
• reflective logs or discussion groups
• topic-based network lunches
• coaching and mentoring
• shadowing colleagues in different services
• blogs and podcasts
• weekly/monthly digital learning and development bulletins
• cascaded learning events and training-for-trainers events
• digital and technology-based tools e.g. virtual goggles, Sway, Articulate Rise
• Action Learning Sets
• Communities of Practice (local or across geographical areas)

Evaluating the impact of learning on practice

The goal of all training, learning and development activity is to support learners to improve their knowledge, understanding and competence in carrying out their role – and, ultimately, in Adult Support and Protection terms, to improve the safety of Adults at Risk of Harm. Best learning and development practice is that all learning activities should be evaluated, to establish how well they achieve this goal.

Adult Protection Committees (or Public Protection Committees) have a responsibility to ensure effective workforce development and may therefore wish to have an oversight of local evaluation activity. Individual agencies and workers have a role in making sure evaluation takes place and should see participating in evaluation activity as an important part of their contribution to service improvement.

Effective evaluation of learning and development can take time and resources. To make best use of these, it is useful to consider the following points when designing evaluations:

• Who is the evaluation for and what do they want to know?
• What kind of information is being sought?
• How is the information going to be gathered, analysed and used going forward?
• How do I ensure the information acquired is accurate and meaningful?

An evaluation model can provide a useful framework for designing effective evaluations.

The local Adult Protection Committee (or Public Protection Committee) should develop a framework of Quality Indicators to measure how well they are achieving the aims of this National Adult Support and Protection Learning and Development Framework for staff in all Workforce Levels. This will take into account the Care Inspectorate Quality Improvement Framework (QIF) The Care Inspectorate QIF - Indicator: 4.4 Partnership’s capacity to do ASP work - included training and organisational development - in relation to ‘What good looks like’ for ASP Training:

• Training for staff who do adult support and protection work is frequent. Managers ensure there is sufficient comprehensive, up-to-date high-quality training for all staff who do adult support and protection work – from Council Officers to awareness-raising for staff who have limited involvement in adult support and protection. It aligns with national policy. Training is multi-agency with regular training opportunities available for staff.
• We have an up-to-date multi-agency training framework for adult support and protection.
• Managers ensure adult protection training is planned, delivered, and evaluated efficiently and effectively.
• We review training methods, such as online courses and face-to-face courses, for efficacy (alongside reviewing the effectiveness of training generally). We regularly survey and consult our staff about their adult protection training needs and their views about training. We regularly measure the impact of training.

Role of supervision in learning and development

It is important to acknowledge that formal learning and development in relation to Adult Support and Protection practice can be supported by learning from activities such as direct observation, action and reflection within supportive and reflective practice. This will happen both formally and informally, within a regular and reliable supervision system, supporting practitioners to think about how to engage and work effectively with colleagues, as well as with Adults at Risk of Harm.

Work-based learning

Reflective discussion, critical reflection and/or peer and manager support leads to the cascade of learning and development. Routine and formal supervision cuts across and supports all work-based learning. Supervision can also add to the evaluation of learning events through reflective analysis of learning and its application to practice. Assessing for meaningful, beneficial and sustainable application to practice is the primary task in evaluation of any learning sessions related to knowledge, understanding and skills for practice.

Access to Adult Support and Protection learning and development

All local authorities will have a multi-agency Adult Support and Protection (or public protection) learning and development calendar of learning opportunities. This is usually made available to all relevant agencies within the local authority (including partnership agencies, third sector agencies and some independent agencies) and to workers with different roles. Single agency learning and development can also form part of the overall picture of Adult Support and Protection learning and development, particularly where there are specialist areas of knowledge required.

Register of Council Officers

Councils should ensure that they maintain an up-to-date register of staff members who are eligible to act in the role of the ASP Council Officer.

Leadership and management oversight

In order for local areas to successfully implement and sustain the level of Adult Support and Protection learning and development appropriate in their locality, local leaders and managers need to support it. It may therefore be very helpful to include information and data relating to meeting local ASP L&D needs in reports both to the Adult Protection Committee and the Chief Officers Group. This will ensure they remain sighted on progress and alert to any potential challenges.

Summary

Best practice is more achievable if we ensure that all involved in Adult Support and Protection have access to high quality advice, support, supervision and education. This means learning and development needs must be identified, learning provision evaluated, and skills developed in order to provide an effective service. This ensures that the workforce is valued with procedures in place to promote good standards of practice. It also requires that those providing supervision are themselves supported and enabled to ensure that good and effective supervision can take place.