Overview
The Scottish Prison Service College (SPSC) is the main provider of training and development programmes and learning support for the Scottish Prison Service. The provision is wide-ranging and begins with an intensive 6 week foundation programme for new recruits, which is then built on through working towards a VQ Level 3 in Custodial Care. The College also provides a diverse range of specialist operational training, IT skills and management and leadership development activities through classroom-based, blended learning and e-learning methods.
Business opportunity
SPSC continually reviews its learning provision to ensure it can evidence best value for money. In 2005 the Leadership Development team were concerned that using workbooks to support their programme was an expensive option, sometimes requiring up to 20 workbooks per person to cover the range of topics included in the programmes. Additionally, there were problems with the publishers, which indicated the potential risk of the materials either not being updated on a regular basis or becoming unavailable. It was clear that an alternative needed to be sourced.
The Leadership Development team were already using a GoodPractice toolkit and were keen to explore the possibility of customising an existing product to map to their programmes to replace the existing workbooks.
What were the organisation’s needs?
The team required a cost-effective means of providing underpinning knowledge to staff studying for the ILM Level 3 Certificate and the Level 5 Diploma programmes. The solution would have to support the full range of learning outcomes for each module of the courses, cover the key theories and models of each topic, include relevant distance learning activities and be regularly updated to reflect the latest thinking and good practice in each area.
Why GoodPractice?
GoodPractice worked with the College to perform a rigorous gap analysis comparing the current content of the GoodPractice toolkit with the indicative content of each module of the ILM Certificate programmes. A high level of correlation already existed; however, a number of areas required additional development work to be undertaken by the GoodPractice team to ensure 100% coverage. This was duly done, and the SPS Leadership and Management Studies Toolkit was produced.
What solution was provided?
Using resources from both the GoodPractice Toolkit for Managers and the Toolkit for Leaders, the SPS Leadership and Management Development Studies Toolkit was developed to be the primary source of underpinning knowledge for learners working towards (initially) the Level 3 Certificate in First Line Management. A year later, a similar exercise was undertaken and the toolkit for the Level 5 Diploma was produced. This is also being utilised to support the Level 4 Award, a bridging award between the two core programmes.
Each SPS toolkit is designed to map to the structure and content of each ILM module, 9 in the case of the Certificate and 7 in the case of the Diploma. The toolkits use module and core element titles to help the learner navigate to the appropriate theory and practice relating to each study unit. The learner also has the facility to bookmark resources for ease of use.
What are the outcomes?
Any member of SPS staff who is studying for an ILM leadership and management qualification with the SPS College has unlimited access to the appropriate toolkit for the duration of their studies, which is usually 12 months. During that time they can access and download as many resources as they require and be reassured that the information is accurate and current without having to trawl through numerous online sites or books to find the information they need.
What are the benefits?
Individual learners no longer have to carry around workbooks and cross-reference several to ensure they’re covering the relevant sections. Instead, they can access the toolkit 24/7 from either their home or work PCs.
The ILM Programme Manager can also access the learning management system to track the scope and level of usage by each learner, so they can identify potential problem areas and address them in real time.
Client testimony
“By investing in the development of the SPS Leadership and Management Studies Toolkits, SPS now has a cost-effective, fit for purpose source of underpinning knowledge that is guaranteed to be accurate and up-to-date and is customised to meet our specific needs. Obsolescence is no longer an issue and the individual licence fees are much less than the costs involved in buying workbooks. The resultant savings meant the Toolkit actually paid for itself within 3 years.”
Julie Preston, Training Operations Manager (Leadership Development), Scottish Prison Service College
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