“In six years I have seen the quality of our staff move on incredibly. When I came, the Blue Cross did run training courses but there wasn’t a uniform system.
I started by putting together a six-module Leadership Skills Programme which is run across six days over a period of weeks. Having set up a system to manage and deliver the NVQ, we started to see the effects immediately. Once we had one or two people in each centre with their NVQ2, they began inspiring and helping others.
Training is about inspiration and motivation. The Blue Cross has established a broad range of formal and informal training, both internally and externally. I have heard that people have applied to join the Blue Cross because they know we offer training.
The results of training are not always the obvious - people are motivated by it, learn new skills, gain new knowledge, and they share that with their colleagues, they’re enthusiastic, more confident, and progress comes up at their annual appraisal. If you talk to them you realise it’s an extremely worthwhile process. Sometimes they’re just more confident in the job they already do, or they’re motivated to further learning.
There’s also a subliminal effect with training, and not just for the people taking a qualification. It’s something that happens almost organically rather than by design. People like to share their knowledge and enthusiasm is contagious.
It’s very important for our front line staff to be able to demonstrate they are knowledgeable and highly skilled. They must be able to spread the Blue Cross message to our customers and the wider public, educating people in responsible pet ownership. Our staff make a difference to animals and people as well.”
