SVQs are national qualifications that recognise the workplace skills and experience staff have and provide the organisation with evidence which shows staff work to best practice National Occupational Standards. They are an assessment of competence not a training course, although training can be highlighted as a development need when assessing SVQs.
Who can do them?
NHSGGC has its own approved SVQ Centre which supports staff throughout the organisation to undertake vocational qualifications.
Priority will be given to requests from managers for staff to undertake SVQs when a service need has been identified as follows:
Links to Service Needs, Redesign or Workforce Plans
Identified at PDP Review
Other e.g. (Role Development).
Why should staff do SVQs?
They provide staff with a recognised national qualification
They demonstrate that staff work to national standards
They can improve confidence and performance at work
They can provide a new insight to the job role
They are a useful developmental tool and can provide strong evidence at KSF Review meetings
They can provide staff with appropriate competences for future service delivery and for career progression.
What qualifications are on offer?
At present the SVQ Centre is approved to offer the following SVQs:
Business & Administration – Level 2 – 4
Healthcare Support (Clinical and Non Clinical) – Levels 2 – 3
No. Staff are assessed at their workplace using a variety of methods e.g. observation, reflection, professional discussion, current work products and questioning to underpin knowledge and understanding. They will be assessed on the skills they use every day in their job.
Don’t worry if staff have never studied for anything before or have difficulty writing reports etc. We will help them gather the evidence they need in different ways and can discuss providing support prior to starting a vocational qualification, which can tackle lack of confidence and other concerns which staff and managers may identify.
Who assesses staff?
Staff will generally be assessed by either a peripatetic assessor attached to the SVQ central team, a workplace assessor linked to their local area, an assessor from another workplace or from an outside training provider. There may be development opportunities for staff to train as workplace assessors in some areas.
How long will it take?
Time to complete a qualification is flexible. Everyone works through SVQs at a different pace. However we would expect candidates to finish within 9 -12 months depending on the award and level of qualification being undertaken.
What support is available?
An assessor and internal verifier will both be available for support.
The SVQ Team can be contacted directly for information, advice or guidance in relation to SVQs.
In discussion with managers, staff require support with allocation of time to carry out SVQ assignments and assessments. Underpinning Knowledge and Understanding is an important part of any qualification and links will be made with the relevant education staff to offer support to candidates.
How much does it cost?
The NHSGGC SVQ Centre has limited capacity to assess a small number of qualifications annually which would be corporately funded. Other delivery options are available. Contact the Qualifications Team to discuss funding implications.
I’m interested, what do I do now?
As a manager
Contact us to discuss which SVQs may be appropriate for your staff and any funding implications. A service level agreement may require to be set up.
As a prospective candidate
Contact us for an application form and to discuss which SVQs may be appropriate for you. If undertaking the SVQ is not already highlighted on your PDP, please speak to your manager as you need their support before applying.
The TURAS Learn platform has a range of resources available. These are designed as easy to use reference guides to KSF and the PDP & Review process.
Two key video resources from this are below. One is for staff on what to expect and how to prepare for annual review meeting and the other one for reviewers on how to prepare for and conduct a review meeting.
PDPR Reviewer Video
PDPR Reviewee Video
The KSF Personal Development Planning and Review Process is an integral part of the wide range of organisational and operational support mechanisms in place for staff throughout their career with NHSGGC.
Induction
On commencing with NHSGGC, when changing roles or when returning from an extended period of absence, staff should receive an effective induction to support them in their role. This will enable a Personal Development Plan to be developed to support their initial learning and application in practice and it forms a foundation for the ongoing KSF Personal Development Planning and Review process.Induction Portal
Staff Support and Wellbeing
The KSF PDP & Review discussions can also link to the ongoing wellbeing discussions with staff. These well-being check-in’s often focus on how things are going (what is going well/what is been difficult and any supports required moving forward) and as such clearly fit in with the 3 key discussion questions that should frame the KSF PDP & Review. See the Staff Support and Wellbeing pages on HRConnect for further info on staff supports.
Career Development
The ongoing KSF PDP & Review discussions can also be an opportunity to discuss staffs wider career development and to include planning around this. The Career and Development Planning Framework pages are designed to offer a wide range of information to help plan development activities for staffs current post and prepare for future roles as part of a career pathway.
Learning, Education and Training Service
The Learning, Education and Training Service offers a range of development opportunities for all staff from entry into post and throughout the span of their career. From formal qualifications to learning pathways, we will provide you with practical solutions tailored to your needs. This might be by gaining a work based qualification, attending a classroom session (where appropriate) or via digital learning.
The Learning, Education and Training Catalogue outlines information on the wide range of tutor led and e-Learning courses that are available. Access to digital learning is flexible and resources can be accessed from mobile devices, work or home PCs at any time. You can also get support for learning through the NHSGGC Staff Bursary Scheme.
Organisational Development
The Organisational Development Pages also provide information on a range of interventions tools and resources to support ongoing development and learning including leadership development.
Professional Development
Individual professions will also have a range of resources available to support staffs ongoing professional learning and development.
Core Skills Training gives NHSGGC staff the chance to brush up on core writing, reading, number and computing skills used every day. The service is free and confidential. You can get help one-to-one or in a group. You may be referred by your line manager.
Benefits of workplace learning; everyone benefits from more confident and capable staff!
Improves staff performance, morale, adjustment to change and redeployment
Everyone has access to a PDP. Staff are more motivated, confident, more capable
The NHS is more productive, more efficient, less wasteful and safer due to more accurate communication, paperwork, calculations
Quality assurance and performance, improved client relations, staff retention
NHSGGC Core Skills Support – Numeracy and Literacy
Examples of skills staff have chosen to work on:
Reading:
Notes, letters, forms, memos, emails, newspaper and magazine articles, books
Work instructions, policies, invoices and orders, job training information
Payslip, timesheets, rotas, charts, tables, directions and timetables
Spelling and Writing
Writing notes, letters, emails, spelling, punctuation, grammar, using tenses
Taking phone messages, organising your ideas, proof reading, filling in forms, charts, rotas, timesheets
Accident reports, updating files & records, support workers competency portfolio
Numbers and Calculations
IV drug calculations, clinical and non-clinical calculations
+ ÷ − x % decimal points, fractions
Understanding and checking your payslip
Using the 12 and 24 hour clocks, calculating time
Measuring, filling in charts and tables
Money; paying by cash and checking your change
Understanding and paying bills, writing cheques
Understanding timetables for public transport and planning journeys
Fluid balance charts, height and weight conversions
Apart from the bespoke sessions with staff, working on general writing, reading and number skills, Core Skills training supports staff who need help to complete NHS training and study programmes, staff who have been redeployed and staff who are struggling to cope with dyslexia. We have helped Support staff with the written work required for their competency portfolio, working with them to improve spelling and grammar, essay writing and basic computing skills. Core Skills tutors also work alongside clinical staff who run the IV Therapy Education Programme. We help nurses to feel confident about calculations and number work before they sit the formal IV calculations assessment.
We have successfully trained staff in the basics of using a computer and the Internet; skills which have given staff the confidence to go on and tackle other NHS study programmes and on a day-to-day basis have helped staff become more effective at work, at home and in the community.
What are the HCSW Induction Standards and Code of Conduct
All new team members or internal staff transfers, working in a Healthcare Support Worker (HCSW) role, are expected to meet the NHS Scotland Healthcare Support Worker Mandatory Induction Standards and HCSW Code of Conduct after 3 months in post (or part-time equivalent up to a maximum of six months).
Together, the induction standards and code of conduct focus on the promotion of patient safety and protection of the public with the aim of ensuring that all HCSWs know what is expected from them early in their employment and that they are able to deliver their role in a competent and professional manner.
The standards reflect many of the areas which a new member of staff can be expected to learn about during an induction period, which will include both corporate and on-the-job induction. They cover vital aspects in both clinical and non-clinical healthcare support worker roles, in relation to protecting the public.
They focus on the basic knowledge and skills required for a new member of staff to work safely and contribute to the delivery of high-quality patient care and services. By working through the standards, new healthcare support workers will actively engage in learning and development in key areas, for example health and safety and confidentiality, which will continue through the NHS Knowledge and Skills Framework.
HCSW Induction Standards Workbook
The newHCSW Workbook offers you guidance on how to use your workbook and suggests examples of evidence that will show how you have met the required standards.
Where do I get the evidence to complete my HCSW Workbook?
If this is your first post with NHSGGC, your manager will have already received an email from us explaining the induction process and they will be supporting your through all the steps of the induction process. At this stage you will have covered some of the knowledge and tasks that will help you to complete your workbook and your manager will support you through each part of the workbook until you have completed it.
If you are an existing team member and you have recently been successful in gaining another post in the NHS (e.g. promotion/ transfer), the evidence for completing the HCSW Workbook will come from your previous experience and any training that you have undertaken. There may be some questions in the HCSW Workbook that may require you to update your knowledge. You can do this by either completing the appropriate e-module/training or by visiting Step 2 of the induction portal which will contain all the necessary resources/policies which you need to be aware of. Step 2 of the portal is constantly updated to include up to date information on key changes in the organisation.
How do I update and complete my HCSW workbook?
There is an electronic version of the workbook which will allow you to type directly into it and save it as an electronic file on your personal drive or you may use a paper version which can be printed out and completed on paper. Which ever format you use you will refer to the evidence you have gathered and how this support the parts of the workbook.
The completed workbook must be signed off by your designated reviewer and kept on file. The reviewer may be your line manager, KSF reviewer or another member of staff who has been delegated this task by your departmental manager. Once you have met all of the induction standards and committed to the Code of Conduct, your manager/reviewer will send email confirmation to the HCSW Project Officer. This part of your induction journey will then be complete.
Don’t forget, your workbook provides a great place to store all the activities you have undertaken in your first weeks in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde. You may choose to come back to your workbook at a later date when you are preparing for your first annual personal development planning and review meeting. This meeting is with your manager/ reviewer and will reflect on your first year in post, identify what you have achieved in your role so far and plan for your next year looking at your objectives and personal development plan. The workbook may help you to look back at the initial tasks and training you undertook as your started out in your new role.
HCSW Code of Conduct
As a Health Care Support Worker, you know from your HCSW Induction Standards workbook that you play a vital role in:
Helping the NHS deliver its services
Protecting patients and the public from harm
Valuing all aspects of equality and diversity.
What you do has a big impact on the quality of healthcare for people who use our services. The NHS Scotland Health Care Support Worker Code of Conduct is necessary because the work you do as a member of the healthcare team is very important. The Code is a list of statements that set the standard for how you should work on a day-to-day basis.
The Code is here to help you, your employer and the patients and the public you work with. It is based on the basic principle of protecting the public, and mirrors what is required of all the ‘regulated’ healthcare professionals you may work alongside.
To sign up to the Code of Conduct, please complete the ELearning module GGC:057 on LearnPro.
Once you have signed up to the Code your manager/reviewer will discuss this with you and check your understanding. This will form part of the completion of your workbook.
If you do not have access to a computer , a hard copy can be downloaded. Click here to access the full version of the NHS Scotland Health Care Support Worker Code of Conduct.
Guidance and Information for managers/reviewers
A range of support material is available to support managers (reviewers) through the mandatory induction standards and in understanding and committing to the Code of Conduct. These have been developed by NHS Education for Scotland in partnership with all NHS boards.
A summary of the key documents and a link are provided below:
The framework for learning and review
The Framework for Learning and Review has been developed to promote a consistent approach to supporting new healthcare support workers meet the standards. This framework document alongside the newHCSW Workbook and Reviewer Guidance are the core documents which should be used by reviewers and new healthcare support workers to guide and record achievement of meeting the Induction Standards. It provides an explanation of the criteria within each standard, outlines how staff demonstrate meeting the standard, where the required knowledge may come from and an indication of the evidence required.
Guidance for reviewers
The Guidance for Reviewers document explains the background to the Mandatory Induction Standards and sets out the role of the reviewer in more detail. Reviewers play a vital role in making sure that new staff members know what is expected of them in the first three months of employment. Reviewers should introduce the Induction Standards as part the overall induction activity and explain how the evidence that the Standards have been met will fit into the KSF development review process.
Working in a virtual environment, such as MS Teams, presents challenges and opportunities. If you are thinking about using a virtual environment for education and training (along with other methods) then these resources will help:
Where do I start with MS Teams?
There is no substitute to hands-on experience, so do your best to get familiar and confident with using MS Teams. Initially this will be in virtual meetings and individual chats. You will probably start to share documents on screen and share files, create teams and channels.
Your first resource is the ‘Help’ feature built in to MS Teams. It provides a range of short videos demonstrating the main features of the platform. This Microsoft support site also provides a wide range of videos detailing various Teams functions.
NHSGGC e-Health run regular virtual training sessions.
This ‘Getting started with Teams’ guide produced by NES introduces MS Teams in the context of Office 365 and signposts a range of very useful hints and tips around the general use of the platform.
NES has also provided these guides and resources, focusing on the use of MS Teams for training purposes, which includes an introduction to MS Teams, a guide to transferring face to face training online as well as dates of facilitation training sessions.
Guidance on facilitating virtual events
The following resources provide valuable guidance, hints and tips on running virtual events:
Facilitating Virtually by Ken Blanchard provides a detailed and extensive guide to delivering a virtual session.
Guidance and instruction
In addition to the MS Teams introduction and the basic principles set out above the following provides detailed guidance and instruction on how to use some of the key functions of MS Teams. The key is preparation, practice and knowing what you want to do and why. Provide clear instructions to delegates and take time to practice so that you are comfortable with the process.
Please note:
MS Teams is updated regularly by Microsoft. This means that some functions may change over time.
Slightly different versions of MS Teams have been made available so people may not have straightforward access to some of the features outlined below.
Arranging a Session
The development of comprehensive joining instructions is essential to ensure meeting material is provided in good time and to encourage delegates to check that they will be able to access the platform. This should include information about recording of the session (if required).
This series of short instructional videos takes you through the basics of using teams including, an introduction to teams and channels, setting up a session (using a channel), working with files, starting chats and calls, managing meetings.
Etiquette and Housekeeping
Encourage delegates to call in at least five minutes before the session. You should be there at least 15 minutes before to check everything is in place and to welcome the delegates. If it is a large scale event, and you cannot personally welcome everyone, then sharing a welcome slide with some course information can reassure delegates that they have called in to the correct session.
This sample housekeeping document can be used (and amended) to reflect session-specific requirements and includes guidance on the using mute, hand raising and chat functions.
A breakout rooms feature has recently been added to MS Teams.
This is a live recording of an actual breakout room training session (around 55 mins). This means that you will experience the session just as the original delegates did and it contains a lot of valuable information. There is a section of silence (between 17 and 23 mins approx) as all the teams are in there breakout rooms. When the audio is picked up again further guidance and hints and tips are detailed.
Please note that this video will not play in Internet Explorer.
These shorter videos cover the same material but they merely introduce the feature and offer brief demonstrations.
We strongly advise that before using breakout rooms you should test and rehearse your session so that you are comfortable using the feature. This will also ensure you have a clear purpose for using breakout rooms in your session.
Information Governance
MS Teams is now widely in use across the Board for meetings and communication between services and other users. It is important that all staff adhere to Information Governance and Data Protection obligations when using Teams.
This essential NHSGGC Training and Guide offers, how you can get started with creating your own web pages or YouTube videos.
You can also contact the Learning and Education Service for initial advice and guidance.
Remember, if you are thinking about creating resources, you will need to consider:
What is their purpose?
How will they fit with other interventions?
Existing Resources
A huge amount of really valuable material already exists and it is always worth doing a little research before thinking about developing new resources. Here are a few that you should know about:
Turas Learn; offers a wide range of resources covering clinical and non-clinical roles.
The Knowledge Network; huge amount of information with access to numerous libraries and databases. (In some cases you may require and Athens account. You can register here if you do not have an account).
The Learning and e-Support team supports, develops and delivers relevant on line and computer based learning opportunities for all staff employed in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.
Our purpose is to widen access to learning content for staff either through signposting staff to current on line content on our digital learning management system, LearnPro, or by working with internal subject matter experts to create customised courses which will support work based learning.
Online learning topic areas include Statutory and Mandatory courses, Personal and Management Development courses and courses which provide support for the Core KSF Dimensions, Induction and ECDL training and testing.
Contact Information
Please use the HR Self-Service Portal for your request and ensure that you add the link to your Favourites for easy access.
Telephone: 0141 278 2700 Option 3
Forgotten passwords and log in details reset
If someone has forgotten their password for TURAS Appraisal or Learn Pro and need it reset, then they can do this quickly and easily themselves, without any need to contact the L&E support team, simply follow the steps below:
Learnpro
Click on the Forgotten password link
2- A box will appear below the forgotton password link for an email address to be added and send button clicked
3- A reset link will be emailed to email added above for the password to be reset
TURAS Appraisal
Click on the ‘Forgot your password?’ link.
2- Add email address and click ‘Send verification code’
3- A code will then be emailed to the address you gave. Please leave the TURAS page opened until the code arrives, then copy and past it into the ‘Verification code’ section and click ‘Verify code’ and then ‘Continue’.
4- This then allows the password to be reset
Another route which includes work experience are programmes that will support the development of pathways into employment for 16-24 year old. These programmes are in partnership with NHSGGC services and external stakeholders, with provision for under represented groups with specific barriers to employment.
The format of these programmes are a combination of classroom based sessions and work placements which together with tutor support aim to provide young people with the confidence and basic skills and knowledge to make successful applications for entry level posts in NHSGGC.
Access to Initiatives
Entry to these programmes are made through partner agencies and not directly through NHSGGC.
Further information regarding the next scheduled session will appear on this webpage.
NHSGGC recognises that there is a lack of awareness of the range of jobs and careers available within the organisation, and of the pathways into these.
Up to date, accurate careers information is essential in supporting young people to make informed choices about what kind of career path is best suited to them, which college and university programmes will support their transition into employment and to highlight other pathways into successful NHS careers.
The Employability Service works with a range of partners to highlight the opportunities available. This includes schools, colleges, universities, training providers, community organisations, Jobcentre Plus and many more.
Current activity in this area
Programme of schools engagement
Attendance at careers event
Provision of on line resources via NHSGGC website and linking with key partner agencies
Ongoing management and development of the schools work experience programme.
You can also find information on the wide range of NHS Careers at the NHS Scotland Careers Website
