Read Standard 5: education and training

Clinical Governance Standards
National

Standard statement

Staff delivering clinical services have the skills, competencies, training and support to provide safe, effective and person-centred care. 

Rationale

Staff with the appropriate knowledge and training ensure the delivery of safe, effective, high-quality, evidence-based and person-centred clinical care. Staff training, education and support should be underpinned by relevant local and national protocols, frameworks, guidance and good practice. Organisations should enable staff to undertake relevant national core training and role specific training, for example, through NHS Education for Scotland, Scottish Social Services Council and professional healthcare organisations.  

A healthy and supportive working environment can optimise staff and team wellbeing and performance.14, 21 This includes time for learning and reflection, support for innovation and mechanisms for staff to provide feedback to the service using a psychologically safe process. Staff in a clinical supervision role should have the appropriate training and resources to provide supportive leadership, coaching, supervision, assessment and feedback.55, 56  

Training should be provided to enable staff to understand and respond to factors that matter to people. This includes the impact of culture, relationships and social support on people’s experiences of accessing and receiving healthcare. Staff should be provided with training on how to meet the individual needs of people accessing services, including, but not limited to, people with disabilities, learning disabilities, additional language or communication needs or those living in remote or rural communities.4, 57 Staff should also have training to understand the impact of health inequalities, intersectionality and protected characteristics on people’s experiences and outcomes. 

Data on training and education should be routinely monitored to provide oversight and assurance that staff have the appropriate skills and competencies to deliver safe and effective clinical services. 

 

References

Criteria

5.1

Organisations implement a comprehensive and multifaceted education and training programme that: 

  • includes regular evaluation and audit of staff learning needs 
  • is responsive to staff roles, responsibilities and workplace settings 
  • supports continuing professional development (CPD), with opportunities for upskilling to advanced roles 
  • is aligned to professional development competencies frameworks 
  • is multidisciplinary and cross-sectoral and provides opportunities for shared learning 
  • supports formal and informal approaches, including mentoring, shadowing and coaching. 
5.2

Staff are provided with time, resources and support to access and complete training and education that includes: 

  • routine assessment of skills and competencies, including professional development needs  
  • regular clinical supervision, including restorative clinical supervision,55 where appropriate  
  • annual performance appraisals 
  • reflection on feedback from patients and colleagues 
  • reviews of wellbeing and support needs. 
5.3

Staff in leadership, supervisory or mentoring roles develop skills and knowledge on: 

  • understanding of psychological safety and trauma-informed practice within teams and services 
  • effective and supportive people management, including coaching, supervision and assessment 
  • embedding reflective practice.  
5.4

Staff are supported in giving honest and open feedback to their colleagues and leaders to support reflective practice and peer learning. 

5.5

All staff are enabled to deliver person-centred and trauma-informed care, which ensures staff: 

  • treat people with dignity, respect, kindness, compassion, understanding, courtesy and honesty 
  • respect the person’s right to privacy and confidentiality 
  • support the person to make decisions and shape the care they receive 
  • respect the person’s personal circumstances  
  • understand their role in improving how people can access and be engaged in services. 
5.6

Staff can access information and resources, including online sources and digital tools, to support the consolidation and development of skills and competencies. 

5.7

Where organisations deploy volunteers in the delivery of clinical care, they receive appropriate induction, training, and ongoing education relevant to their roles, including safeguarding, confidentiality and trauma-informed care. 

5.8

Staff can access training and education that is: 

  • quality assured and accredited 
  • underpinned by local and national protocols, frameworks and guidance 
  • evidence-based and informed by good practice. 

 

What does this standard mean for ....

What does the standard mean for people?

  • You will be supported by staff who are knowledgeable, skilled and non-judgemental. 
  • You will be treated with kindness, compassion, dignity and respect. 
  • Your care will be high-quality, evidence-based and in line with local and national guidance. 

What does the standard mean for staff?

Staff, in line with roles, responsibilities and workplace setting are enabled to: 

  • identify their learning needs 
  • participate in appropriate CPD, education and training with time for reflection and feedback 
  • understand people’s experience of services and take into account barriers people may face in accessing services, for example learning disabilities or social circumstances 
  • attend education and training, including mandatory training, with sufficient learning time and resources, where required 
  • access appropriate supervision and support, including support for vicarious trauma if required.14 

What does the standard mean for the organisation?

Organisations, in line with their respective governance and delivery structures: 

  • provide clear leadership and oversight of staff training and education and ensure assurance of this within national governance structures 
  • ensure all staff are appropriately qualified and trained  
  • ensure staff have appropriate education, training, supervision, supportive leadership, feedback and time for reflection 
  • provide time, resources and support for staff to access and participate in appropriate education, training, supervision and CPD 
  • provide interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary training with partners, as appropriate 
  • ensure training, supervision and CPD is provided by appropriately trained, competent and qualified staff 
  • evaluate and respond to the provision, uptake and effectiveness of training, including staff feedback 
  • monitor training uptake and implement training action plans. 

Benchmarking and measuring performance: Examples of what meeting this standard might look like [linked criteria]

Examples may vary according to the size and scale of the service, NHS board, organisation. 

  • Governance papers and minutes demonstrating discussion and scrutiny of staff training and education at board level or equivalent.  
  • Evidence of multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary training and education. [5.1] 
  • Provision and uptake of external and multiagency training. [5.1] 
  • Training, education and CPD records, audit and plans. [5.1-5.3, 5.6-5.8] 
  • Peer review and support networks for independent practitioners. [5.1, 5.4, 5.6] 
  • Partnerships between NHS boards, hospitals or services and higher education institutions to deliver multi-disciplinary training. [5.1] 
  • Training in effective mentoring and clinical supervision. [5.1, 5.3] 
  • Competency frameworks signed off and uploaded to relevant professional portfolios, such as Turas. [5.1, 5.2] 
  • Partnerships between national organisations and NHS boards or independent practitioners to develop high-quality learning and training materials. [5.1, 5.8] 
  • Reviews of staff engagement in annual appraisals. [5.2] 
  • Ongoing engagement and feedback from service users on their experiences of accessing care. [5.7] 
  • Induction plans, role profiles or other documentation of a volunteer onboarding process [5.7] 
  • Use of specific competency frameworks and needs analysis tools relevant to professional groups. For example, the NES development needs analysis tool. [5.1, 5.2, 5.9] 
  • Improvement plans to increase training uptake. [5.8, 5.9]