All staff learning and development
There are a wide range of development opportunities available for all staff at Lancaster. These include workshops, online training, coaching and the opportunity to be involved in communities of practice.
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Workshops and programmes
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For workshops and programmes relevant to Academic and Research staff, please see the Academic and researcher webpages.
Application forms
Statistically, the hardest part of the recruitment process is the application form stage. This workshop will explain what makes a good Job Application including how to structure answers to questions and personal statements. There will be an interactive exercise looking at ‘good’ and ‘bad’ examples and plenty of opportunities to ask questions.
These sessions will be taking place via MS Teams.
Dates
Wednesday 22nd January 2025, 10am-11am (Online)
Tuesday 13th May 2025, 2pm-3pm (Online)
CVs and covering letters
CVs and Cover Letters still play a crucial part in the recruitment process. This workshop will help you to prepare these documents and using the FAB model, I will explain how to represent achievements succinctly and how to use transferable strengths to help you to progress in your career.
These sessions will be taking place via MS Teams.
Dates
Thursday 16th January 2025, 2pm-3pm (Online)
Tuesday 6th May 2025, 10am-11am (Online)
LinkedIn for job search
This workshop covers the basics of creating a LinkedIn profile and will explain how to perfect your profile so that recruiters will take notice. We will cover how to search for job opportunities and apply for vacancies using LinkedIn.
These sessions will be taking place via MS Teams.
Dates
Wednesday 5th February 2025, 2pm-3pm (Online)
Tuesday 3rd June 2025, 10am-11am (Online)
Interviews
This workshop will explain the psychology behind interviews, look at the various types of interviews including video and telephone interviews and explain the structure of typical interviews. Using the STAR framework, we will examine how to structure a ‘good answer. We will discuss typical questions and how to answer these, including strengths and competency-based responses.
These sessions will be taking place via MS Teams.
Dates
Are you interested in accessing coaching but want to know more about it?
If so, please come along to one of the Coaching Information sessions to:
- Find out what coaching is and whether it’s right for you
- Hear how others have benefitted from coaching
Internal coaching is not appropriate for addressing performance, capability or behavioural issues in others.
For further information about Coaching please see the Coaching webpages.
Dates
There are currently no dates scheduled for this workshop, please contact OD to register your interest.
These practical Facilitation workshops are designed to empower you with the skills and strategies needed to facilitate a range of activities, including focus groups, team away days and impactful meetings.
What You'll Gain:
- Master the art of effective communication and active listening.
- Learn proven techniques to keep meetings on track and engage all participants.
- Cultivate a collaborative environment that fosters creativity and innovation.
- Acquire tools to navigate challenging conversations and resolve conflicts constructively.
- Develop confidence in facilitating diverse groups and driving consensus.
Key Workshop Highlights:
- Sessions led by seasoned facilitators with real-world experience.
- Interactive activities to reinforce learning and skill application.
- Practical tips and resources for immediate implementation in your work environment.
- Networking opportunities to connect with like-minded professionals and share insights.
Whether you're an experienced facilitator looking to refine your skills or a newcomer eager to learn, this workshop is for you! Don't miss this chance to become a catalyst for positive change within your team and across the institution.
Please note In registering for this programme you must be able to attend both the sessions. Attendance is based on the understanding that you will be added to our bank of trained facilitators and would be expected to take part in institutional facilitation activities from time to time, as these arise and subject to your availability.
Dates:
Workshop 1: Tuesday 18th March 2025, 9.30am-4pm
Workshop 2: Tuesday 25th March 2025, 9.30am-4pm
Click here to book. (One registration will sign you up for both days.)
For workshops and programmes relevant to Leadership and Management, please see the Leadership and management webpages.
Organising successful events workshop
How do we organise events in this new and ever-changing climate? While a number of the key principles of events management remain in place, we have had to adapt our working practices to plan, deliver and evaluate successful online events.
Join Dr Anna Mackenzie, lead for the University’s central Events Team to discuss events management (for any size and all types of events, whether for academic or professional services purposes), share experiences, learn about new innovations to events at Lancaster, and above all hopefully gain some confidence! We will introduce you to the cross-University Events Network, signpost you to resources to support planning, and answer as many questions as possible. Bring your questions, musings and challenges to workshop with the group in a supportive environment and learn from each other.
Dates
Wednesday 29th January 2025, 1pm-4pm (In-Person)
Wednesday 14th May 2025, 1pm-4pm (In-Person)
There is an events network Teams group for advice and guidance and to post your questions on event management questions.
PDR reviewer training
These webinars aims to support PDR Reviewers in conducting relevant and quality PDR conversations with their reviewees.
It concentrates on the skills and behaviours required to facilitate meaningful conversations.
Please complete the PDR E-Learning prior to attending and access the PDR webpages and FAQs for guidance on the process, setting objectives and planning development.
Dates
This one-day workshop is appropriate for anyone who has to give presentations, whether in a meeting, in an interview, at a conference or any other situation where you need to get your message across.
By the end of this workshop, you will be able to:
· effectively plan presentations, taking into consideration aspects such as content, structure, audience
· use strategies to deliver impactful content
· deliver engaging presentations, confidently managing questions and interruptions
As well as providing opportunities to practice aspects of the above, this workshop also allows for smaller groups to discuss concerns and share experiences in a way which is meaningful and support reflection of how to apply the learning in practice.
This workshop will be held in-person.
Dates
For workshops and programmes relevant to Professional Services and Techincal staff, please see the Professional services webpages.
Aim
This programme enables participants to develop the skills associated with scoping, planning, delivering and evaluating projects through the use of a range of tools and techniques.
This programme enables participants to gain the skills of Project Management and to plan projects, meet deadlines, interpret quality standards and plan to meet budget constraints. It provides an understanding of the nature of projects and the development of the skills required when planning, monitoring and managing projects. The programme includes:
- The roles and responsibilities of a Project Manager and Project Team member as well as Project Sponsor (or champion) and other important stakeholders
- Defining projects and Project Definition Statements
- The 4 stages of Project Management
- The essential elements of Project Management
- Creative tools and how to use them to plan projects more effectively
The programme is delivered via 3 half-day workshops. This is supported by a follow up small group action learning session where participants present their project findings and can address individual project management queries.
Participants are required to commit to participating in all elements of the programme.
Who is it for?
Staff who are currently responsible for leading and managing a project.
February 25 Programme Dates
Workshop 1: 13th February, 9.30am-12.30pm (Face to Face)
Workshop 2: 26th February, 9.30am-12.30pm (Face to Face)
Workshop 3: 5th March, 9.30am-12.30pm (Face to Face)
Action Learning Set: 26th March (Face to Face) You will be allocated a 90-minute time slot throughout the day.
To apply for the programme please fill out this application form no later than Sunday the 8th December 2024.
This development is appropriate for anyone who is interested in taking on a management role in the future or for those that supervise staff on a formal or informal basis, such as a duty manager or shift supervisor.
This course will give you:
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An understanding of the role of a manager/supervisor including expectations around the role and problem solving;
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the ability to set clear expectations of performance for your team, including holding people to account and having difficult conversations;
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a better understanding of communication skills.
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This workshop also allows for smaller groups to discuss concerns and share experiences in a way which is meaningful and support reflection of how to apply the learning in practice.
If you have formal line management role (i.e. you conduct PDRs for staff) please consider the MANAGER@Lancaster programme.
Dates
Wednesday 13th November 2024, 9.30am-4.30pm (In-Person)
E-learning and resources
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Visit the Career Management microsite to take stock of where you are now in your career and help you to plan for the future.
Challenging situations can arise when dealing with our internal and external customers. To help deal with these it is important that the environment for customer interactions helps and supports staff to deal with these situations.
Organisational Development has put together a development package for staff and their managers to help deal with a challenging situation that may occur in-person, by email, telephone or virtually. The package includes:
- A A checklist to support your team handling challenging situations- to ensure that the environment for personal interactions is supportive for staff
- A Challenging situations, online course, which is recommended if you are staff interacting with our customers. This will help you develop techniques to deal with any challenging situation that may arise. The online course will take about 30 minutes and up to 90 minutes if you include the optional exercises. It includes some reflective exercises that could be followed up with your line manager/team at a later date.
- Team coaching workshop -an interactive session designed to give teams an opportunity to discuss the things that give rise to challenging situations in their area and identify ways to deal with them. If this is of interest please contact OD to discuss.
LinkedIn Learning Courses
Change
Preparing yourself for change (LinkedIn Learning)
Embracing unexpected change (LinkedIn Learning)
Five reasons why we dislike change (LinkedIn Learning)
Handling workplace change as an employee (LinkedIn Learning)
Resilience
Developing Your Emotional Intelligence (LinkedIn Learning)
Giving and Receiving Feedback (LinkedIn Learning)
Diversity training e-learning course
All staff are required to complete Diversity Training within the first 3 months of employment. It takes approximately 40-60 minutes to complete. The training then needs to be repeated at least every 3 years. This will ensure that you learn about new legislation and refresh your awareness.
You will need to complete all sections of the training and the short test at the end of the module. This will ensure that this is recorded on your Core HR record.
Optional EDI e-learning courses
To make a fairer and more inclusive University a reality, we have a range of EDI-related e-learning for our staff, including guidance about University policies and procedures.
Find out more about our optional EDI elearning courses, covering a variety of sector specific EDI topics as well as related University policies, advice and guidance.
Creating accessible resources e-learning course
New legislation that came into force in September 2019 requires all our online content to be fully accessible.
The Creating Accessible Resources online course will help you make sure that any materials you produce are up to the new accessibility standard.
Further support and advice for creating accessible content can be found by visiting the Digital Accessibility Regulations help pages.
Gender equality in higher education - resources, conferences and webinars
There are a wide range of resources to support gender equality in higher education from Advance HE.
Health and safety e-learning course
All staff are required to complete this mandatory Health and Safety training.
This course has been developed as an introduction to Health and Safety at Lancaster University. New staff need to complete the training within one week of starting employment at the university. The training then needs to be repeated at least every 3 years. You must complete all the sections of the training as they have been identified as the key areas of importance for all staff.
You will need to complete all sections of the training and the short test at the end of the module. This will ensure that this is recorded on your Core HR record.
Health and safety intranet pages
For more information on Health and safety visit the intranet pages which have been set up to support staff comply with the regulations.
LinkedIn Learning provides access to over 21,000 online learning courses, taught by industry experts. It is available to staff at Lancaster Bailrigg, Ghana and Leipzig campuses. LinkedIn courses support skills and personal development across a broad range of topics, particularly in the areas of technology, business and creative skills.
Courses vary in length from a few minutes to several hours and are broken down into bite-size video modules. There is no limit to the number of courses you can take, and you can pause a course at any point, picking up where you left off when you next login.
For information, please see LinkedIn Learning guidance.
Guidance for chairs and organisers of meetings
Meeting Culture and Etiquette - this guide has been written for those chairing and scheduling meetings.
Guidance for those chairing and scheduling meetings is available on the Managing committees community of practice Teams group, which also provides an opportunity to ask questions and find out about further support available.
As more staff are working on campus face-to-face meetings will become more common, but some staff may be unable to attend in-person. Guidance on hybrid meetings is available through following the below links:
Leading Effective meetings (LinkedIn Learning)
Mental health awareness e-learning course
Mental Health Awareness Training is available now. This training should be completed in the first 3 months of employment. It takes approximately 90 minutes to complete. The training then needs to be repeated at least every 3 years. This will ensure that you learn about new legislation and refresh your awareness. It is currently not mandatory, but is strongly encouraged for all staff.
Further information on mental health
Visit the Staff wellbeing pages for information about how the University is helping to improve the mental health and wellbeing of its staff and about the range of professional support that is available to you.
A professional development review (PDR) enables you to have a quality conversation with your line manager about your contribution, your priorities and your career goal.
Guidance and FAQs
For further information please visit the PDR website.
PDR e-learning
The PDR e-learning resource provides guidance on what the PDR is, how it can benefit you, what to expect and how to prepare for it.
Master Confident Presentations (LinkedIn Learning)
Overcoming Your Fear of Public Speaking (LinkedIn Learning)
Guidance to develop a personal development plan
A Personal Development Plan (PDP) is a structured process to reflect on your learning and development needs and to plan how you can fill any learning gaps. Personal and Professional Development Planning is part of being a ‘reflective practitioner’ and should be part of regularly reviewing your professional knowledge and skills to ensure they are up-to-date and relevant.
For more information please read a Personal Development Guide.
e-learning resources
A list of e-learning resources linked to the Association of University Administrators (AUA) continued development framework is available.
Safeguarding at Lancaster University – online training course for all LU staff and volunteers
This course aims to provide an introduction to safeguarding for Lancaster University staff, students and associated personnel.
Throughout this course, you'll learn how to take a role in developing a positive culture within your team where exploitation, abuse and harm is not tolerated and everyone knows how to recognise and report a safeguarding concern. As well as practical steps to anticipate, mitigate and address the risks of exploitation, abuse and harm in your work.
Through the Zero Suicide Alliance we are able to offer three online suicide prevention training courses to staff.
Suicide awareness gateway training (5-10 minutes)
A brief but vital introduction to suicide awareness.
In this shortened (5 to 10 minutes) version of our full suicide awareness training, you will learn how to approach and help someone who you think may be considering taking their own life.
Through the training, you will learn:
- See - How to spot suicide warning signs
- Say - How to have a conversation with someone you’re worried about
- Signpost - Where to direct someone for further support
Suicide awareness training - full version (20 minutes)
What you will learn:
- How to spot suicide warning signs
- How to have a conversation with someone you’re worried about
- Where to signpost to for further support
- Suicide is preventable
Social isolation training - Step Up (5-10 minutes)
A brief introduction to social isolation. In 5 to 10 minutes, you will learn how social isolation affects our mental health and how to step up and help someone who feels isolated.
Through the training, you will learn how:
- Social isolation affects our mental health
- To help someone who is feeling socially isolated.
For more support and guidance, visit the Student suicide prevention toolkit webpages.
Five ways to control your time (LinkedIn Learning)
Managing your time (LinkedIn Learning)
Visit the Staff wellbeing webpages for information about how the University is helping to improve the mental health and wellbeing of its staff and about the range of professional support that is available to you.
Networks and communities of practice
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Communities of practice (CoP)
CoP bring together colleagues who have a shared interest in a particular topic and want to share practice and learn from each other.
Themed CoP can be a means of sharing and developing knowledge and experience amongst colleagues. A CoP will have a designated lead who instigates online meetings, however, members determine topics and are active participants in the group.
The CoP Guide outlines how CoP operate and what’s involved. The Guide provides tips and ideas for CoP leads.
How to get involved
CoPs are open to all staff, however, before joining a CoP please make sure that you can commit to actively engaging with the group online discussions and chats and by sharing your stories, experiences, ideas and tools that are relevant to the topic.
Setting up a new community of practice
If you wish to set up a new group and take the lead please contact OD for with details of the theme that you wish to establish for further details.
We have several EDI–related networks and associations at Lancaster University for staff and students.
For information visit the EDI webpages.
There is an events network Teams group for advice and guidance and to post your questions on event management questions.
(Lead: Anna Mackenzie)
Guidance for those chairing and scheduling meetings is available on the managing committees community of practice Teams group, which also provides an opportunity to ask questions and find out about further support available.
(Lead: Lucy Sanderson)
Useful guides:
Meeting Etiquette - Meeting Culture and Etiquette
Are you working with communities or the general public as part of your work at Lancaster University?
If so, a public and community engagement network has been set up, bringing together colleagues from across faculties and departments to share experiences and opportunities. It will also be a place for training and development sessions, sharing resources and good practice - all with the ultimate aim of learning from each other and promoting the benefits of public and community engagement.
Whether you are a researcher or member of Professional Services staff, the new network is for everyone, at any stage of their career no matter what your experience with public and community engagement.
The network will be shaped by your input and feedback whilst also providing a great way to get your insights as we develop a strategic approach to public and community engagement across the institution.
Public engagement network (Lead: Jess Shaw)