Mandatory training policy

1. About this policy and procedure

1.1. St George’s, University of London aims to achieve high quality management practices and ensure it is compliant with legal frameworks, while seeking to provide an environment which minimises the risk to all who operate within it. This can best be achieved by ensuring that its employees receive adequate training in legal and statutory requirements. This policy describes the University’s approach to mandatory training.

1.2. This policy applies to all employees of St George’s, University of London. All employees are required to undertake mandatory training, which includes the training modules listed in this policy and any local Institute/department specific mandatory training as directed by an employee’s line manager.

1.3. Individuals with an honorary or emeritus title, agency workers or  contractors are also expected to have undertaken relevant mandatory training, usually supplied by their employer. St George’s, University of London reserves the right to request evidence of completion of mandatory training in these circumstances. In some instances, St George’s, University of London may require completion of its own mandatory training modules, in which case access to this training will be provided.

2. Mandatory training definition

2.1. Some training and development will be deemed to be mandatory from a legal/statutory requirement or from an institutional perspective, ie a requirement imposed by the University. All employees, irrespective of role, will be required to complete this mandatory training. Examples of training in this category include fire safety, data protection/information security and equality, diversity and inclusion.

2.2. Mandatory training may also relate to a specific activity or duty which an individual is required to carry out, for example recruitment and selection training for employees sitting on interview panels.

2.3. Other areas of mandatory training will be role specific. This training will be coordinated by the appropriate line manager and may form part of a local induction, for example, health and safety training in relation to working in a laboratory. Each Institute/department will determine what local, role specific training is required and make this available to the employee.

3. University mandatory training

3.1. Online mandatory training modules can be accessed via MyTraining, which is also accessible from the Learning tab in MyWorkplace. All employees are required to complete the following mandatory training modules, regardless of their job role: 

• General Health, Safety and Environmental Awareness e-learning. This training aims to provide employees with sufficient information to enable them to protect themselves, others and the environment from harm. This training should be completed within two months of joining the University and then every three years thereafter, on the anniversary of when it was first completed. 

• Fire Safety e-learning. The course aims to ensure that all employees know how to prevent fires in the workplace and what actions to take in the event of a fire. This training should be completed within two months of joining the University and annually thereafter, on the anniversary of when it was first completed. 

• Display Screen Equipment (DSE) e-learning and Risk Assessment. A DSE risk assessment should be completed within two months of joining the University and annually thereafter, on the anniversary of when it was first completed. The e-learning module should be completed within two months of joining the University and then every three years thereafter, on the anniversary of when it was first completed. A DSE risk assessment should also be completed if people feel they are having problems with their work environment and if they have been relocated. 

• Manual Handling e-learning. This training aims to ensure that employees understand the hazards associated with manual handling and how to reduce the risk of injury. All employees should complete it, even if their role involves only minimal manual handling, such as carrying files or printer paper. This training should be completed within two months of joining the University and then every three years thereafter, on the anniversary of when it was first completed. More specialist training may be required for certain roles, as outlined by an employee’s line manager. 

• Diversity in the Workplace e-learning. This course provides an introduction to what diversity and inclusion means in a workplace setting, including the legislative context. It covers what diversity is, inclusive environment, bias and behaviours, equality legislation and diversity scenarios. This training should be completed within two months of joining the University and then once every three years. 

• Let’s Talk About Race in the Workplace e-learning. This training provides training on race conversations, unconscious bias and being Anti-Racist. The training can be completed online or, alternatively, face-to-face inclusive practice training is available, delivered by Human Resources (HR) (delivered by the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Adviser). This can be booked on MyWorkplace. This training should be completed within two months of joining the University and then once every three years.

• Prevent Duty Training. Under the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015, St George's, University of London is required to “have due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism”. One way to support meeting this requirement is through the training of our employees. This training should be completed within two months of joining the University and then every two years, usually by the end of October each year. 

• Information Security Essentials e-learning. All employees are required to undertake this course providing an overview of information security, related risks and appropriate protection. This training should be completed within two months of joining the University and then annually thereafter, usually by the end of March each year. 

• Data Protection Briefing e-learning. All employees must undertake this course which provides an overview of data protection and the requirements for processing personal data. This training should be completed within two months of joining the University and then annually thereafter, usually by the end of March each year. 

• Introduction to Digital Accessibility e-learning. This training is mandatory for all employees because everyone is likely to be content producers. Content producers are individuals who create resources such as documents for staff or students (including prospective students), and individuals who manage and disseminate/publish resources online. This includes those who update the website or other online platforms, education staff who create teaching and learning content, and staff who create documents for other staff (eg Word, PowerPoint and PDF). The training covers the importance of digital accessibility and responsibilities in creating a learning environment where nobody is excluded. This training should be completed within two months of joining the University and then once every three years.

3.2. The following mandatory training modules relate to a specific activity or duty: 

• Stress Management. The course applies to employees with line management responsibility and aims to improve understanding and ways to manage stress in the workplace. This training should be completed within two months of joining the University and then once every three years. 

• Recruitment and selection training. This is only applicable to employees undertaking recruitment interviewing. This is face-to-face training provided by HR and can be booked on MyWorkplace. This training should be completed prior to undertaking any recruitment interviewing and then refreshed every three years. 

• For academic staff with less than 3 years teaching experience, they should commence the Post Graduate Certificate in Healthcare and Biomedical Education (PgCert HBE) within their probationary period. 

3.3. Appendix A outlines the mandatory training required to be completed, timescales and mode of delivery. 

3.4. Line managers will inform employees of any mandatory training required for their job role and the timeframe for completion. 

4. Roles and Responsibilities

4.1. Everybody within St George’s, University of London has a responsibility to ensure that mandatory training is completely in a timely manner. However, specific roles and responsibilities for mandatory training are as outlined below. 

4.2. The Council of the University is charged with ultimate responsibility for mandatory training and is committed to ensuring that the University meets its legal and statutory requirements. 

4.3. Executive Board has overall responsibility for effective risk management within St George’s, University of London and ensuring that it complies with its statutory obligations. 

4.4. The Diversity and Inclusion Steering Group is responsible for ensuring that appropriate training is provided to fulfil the University's statutory obligations in respect of equality, diversity and inclusion. 

4.5. Safety Management Committee is responsible for ensuring that appropriate training is provided to fulfil the University's statutory obligations in respect of health and safety. 

4.6. The Information Governance Steering Group is responsible for ensuring that appropriate training is provided to fulfil the University's statutory obligations in respect of data protection and information security. 

4.7. The Prevent Lead (currently the Chief Operating Officer) is responsible for ensuring that appropriate training is provided to fulfil the University's statutory obligations in respect of the Prevent Duty. 

4.8. The Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Advisor is responsible for the identification of EDI training needs and the delivery, communication and recording of attendance of university-wide mandatory EDI training as required by the Diversity and Inclusion Steering Group. The EDI Advisor will ensure that the training has been assessed against EDI requirements, regularly evaluate the effectiveness of any training used and identify where changes, eg legislative amendments, necessitate new interventions. Where it is not possible or practicable for training to be delivered online or by internal members of staff, they will identify a suitable external provider. 

4.9. The Safety, Environment and Health (SHE) Office are responsible for the identification of general health and safety training needs of staff. The SHE Office will assist in the delivery, communication and recording of attendance of university-wide mandatory health and safety training, as required by the Safety Management Committee. The SHE Office will ensure that the training has been assessed against EDI requirements, regularly evaluate the effectiveness of any training used and identify where changes, eg legislative amendments, necessitate new training interventions. Where it is not possible or practicable for training to be delivered online or by internal members of staff, they will work alongside HR to identify a suitable external provider. In recognition that, due to the wide range of activities that occur at St. George’s, University of London, there will be additional role-specific mandatory health and safety training (see paragraph 2.3), the SHE Office will cooperate with the Line Managers, Institute Directors and Professional Services Directors to assist in the delivery, communication and central recording of attendance of university-wide mandatory health and safety training, as required by the relevant line manager or the Safety Management Committee. 

4.10. Information Services is responsible for the identification of mandatory information security and data protection training needs, the delivery, communication and recording of attendance of university-wide mandatory information security and data protection training, as required by the Information Governance Steering Group. Information Services will ensure that the training has been assessed against EDI requirements, regularly evaluate the effectiveness of any training used and identify where changes, eg legislative amendments, necessitate new interventions. Where it is not possible or practicable for training to be delivered online or by internal members of staff, they will work alongside HR to identify a suitable external provider. 

4.11. The Vice-Chancellor’s Office is responsible for the identification, delivery, communication and recording of attendance of university-wide mandatory Prevent Duty training, as required by the Chief Operating Officer. The Vice-Chancellor’s Office will ensure that the training has been assessed against EDI requirements, regularly evaluate the effectiveness of any training used and identify where changes, eg legislative amendments, necessitate new interventions. Where it is not possible or practicable for training to be delivered online or by internal members of staff, they will work alongside HR to identify a suitable external provider. 

4.12. The Centre for Technology in Education is responsible for the identification, delivery, communication and recording of attendance of university-wide mandatory digital accessibility training. The Centre for Technology in Education will ensure that the training has been assessed against EDI requirements, regularly evaluate the effectiveness of any training used and identify where changes, eg legislative amendments, necessitate new interventions. Where it is not possible or practicable for training to be delivered online or by internal members of staff, they will work alongside HR to identify a suitable external provider. 

4.13. The Learning and Development team in HR will  

• support the co-ordination of all University-wide mandatory training, including maintaining and updating the mandatory training policy and list of required training; 

• work with the EDI Adviser, SHE Office, Information Services and Vice-Chancellor’s Office to provide sufficient training to meet the University’s mandatory training requirements; 

• maintain a list of appropriate external advisors who may be engaged for specific topic areas; 

• maintain central training records in MyWorkplace in collaboration with the EDI Adviser, SHE Office, Information Systems and Vice-Chancellor’s Office, as required; 

• provide to Directors, or their nominated alternate, a list of their employees who have completed mandatory training or failed to attend training they were booked onto; 

• report training statistics to Executive Board on an annual basis. 

4.14. Institute Directors/Directors of Professional Services Departments are responsible for ensuring that the employees who work in their Institute/Department complete the mandatory training required of them, to allow them to deliver in their roles. The Learning and Development team will provide reports on training completion, liaising with the EDI Adviser, SHE Office, Information Systems and Vice-Chancellor’s Office, as required. 

4.15. Line managers should inform employees of any role specific mandatory training they are required to complete. Line Managers should confirm completion of mandatory training as part of probation review meetings and during an employee’s Personal Development Review. Line managers should discuss any issues employees may have with completing mandatory training, eg any reasonable adjustments to enable completion.  

4.16. Employees are responsible for undertaking mandatory training, arriving punctually for face-to-face workshops and ensuring that the training they complete is accurately recorded. They will also agree any role specific mandatory training with their line manager. 

4.17. For employees on probation, failure to complete mandatory training could result in probation being extended or non-confirmation of appointment at the end of the probation period. For all employees, failure to complete mandatory training could lead to disciplinary action being taken. 

Appendix A: Mandatory Training Matrix