Residential Child Care Training

Workplace Practices, Training and Quality of Work

There is a long-standing and extensive literature on the ways in which workplaces are organised, including who gets access to training and promotion, who gets to be involved in decision-making and the relationship between these factors and the quality of work itself (see, inter alia, Warhurst et al, 2012; Felstead et al 2009; Green, 2006; Rainbird et al 2004).

The concept of the workplace as a learning environment and the ways in which individuals can be said to learn in the workplace has also generated a considerable body of research (see for a review, Fuller and Unwin 2011).

Given the mandatory requirement for adult apprentices to achieve Level 2 in Functional Skills, the OECD’s findings from the first round of its Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) are highly relevant for our study. The findings showed how newly acquired skills need to be used and refined through use in the workplace. This aligns with research by Wolf and Evans (2010) on the problems faced by employees who are trying to improve their competence in literacy, numeracy and ICT, yet find they have limited opportunity to practice these skills due to the nature of their jobs. Similarly, given the central involvement of a trade union in one of our case studies, we note the findings of Wanrooy et al (2013) that unionised workplaces and those in the public sector are more likely to display higher levels of training. 2.14.

The overwhelming picture from the literature is one of employer discrimination towards older workers and a reluctance to plan for the demographic changes highlighted earlier in this review (see, inter alia, Martin et al, 2014; Parry and Tyson 2010; Taylor 2013). Loretto and White (2006) argue that there is an ‘enactment gap’ between the stated equality policies of organisations and actual practice and behaviour on the other (see also McVittie et al, 2003). Van Dalen and Henkens (2005) remind us, however, that some employees hold even stronger stereotypical views than senior managers.

Yet, again, we have to be careful not to fall into the stereotyping trap ourselves and condemn all workplaces. One study that has particular resonance in the light of our findings is McBride’s (2011) research on female workers’ access to training in the National Health Service. She highlighted the positive influence of ‘enthusiastic local actors’ (corporate staff, workforce development managers and external actors) who were facilitating women’s training and development (ibid: 543).

“Lots of us scholarly peeps struggle to find time to write. ‘Time’ is on pretty well everyone’s list, so we keep looking for better ways to manage it, so that we can get more of it to write. “

My proprietary university software seems to want to help – it now issues a weekly bulletin, whether I want it or not, telling me how much time I’ve spend “collaborating” compared to the amount of time I’ve spent on screen. The stats are pretty misleading given that collaboration seems to include any email I’ve sent – this is an algorithmic joke, right – very few emails are actually collaboration. Interaction maybe.

Of course, there are apps which do help keep track of time. I’ve tried a lot of them and none of them work for me. They seem to require time and energy that I’m not really prepared to donate to time-tracking. I did once keep a diary for a week of everything I did which, in the end, didn’t really tell me anything I didn’t already know.

Whilst a lot of people like time-tracking devices and find them helpful, I’m not one of them. So please don’t tell me your favourite fail-safe time-tracking device, because I’m really not going to go there.

I’m much more your calendar/diary blocking type. Blocking out all of the meetings, teaching, research, visits etc so I can see what time is left, then I apply the old ABC rule.

You’ve probably heard the ABC rule but it bears repeating for those who haven’t.

A, writing time is when you are at your focused and insightful best – it’s thinking writing, working out arguments, structuring, putting bits and pieces together, composing your tiny text, knocking out a first draft, doing some serious revising, it’s challenging reading. I put peer reviewing and examining PhDS as A time. Preparing research bids and developing teaching courses requires A time as well.

B writing time is when you are able to get things done, but the task is not too challenging. You can concentrate but you don’t expect to have to do anything particularly creative or taxing. I put proofreading, entering references into Endnote, searching for literature, basic summarising, note-taking, reading reports and straightforward tasks, as B time.

Some teaching preparation can go in here, as does a lot of marking. You still have to be alert and thinking in B time but the tasks are less demanding of high energy and creative engagement.

C writing time is associated necessary writing, mundane stuff, ‘switch off ‘most of the brain stuff. So it’s generally most of the admin and emailing. Interacting emails.

Real collaboration via email is probably B time.

Because we can get trapped in C time, as we respond like well-trained rats on a treadmill to the latest urgent request, we often have to take deliberate action to make sure that we have A time.

But here’s the thing about A time. You have to know when you are likely to be at your best, or when you can summon up something approximating your best. I have no children at home, so I’m a morning A time person. But I know people who are afternoon people, and I know a lot of night-time people. However whether A time is morning afternoon or night-time it is often about what’s possible. People with children often do their A time after everyone else, including when their partner has gone to bed. A few can get A time while children are at school, but many carers also rely on squeezing in A time a few times a year when they can get consecutive ‘day time’ to work in A mode. People with full-time jobs, including we academics, also have to work hard on finding A time.

The key thing really is to make sure that you programme in some regular A and B time so that you can keep connected with your major project. If you can only get A time in blocks a few times a year, alternatively doing weekly B time is generally enough to keep your project on track.

I also now add in a D time to my week. D time is time which appears to be devoted to doing something other than writing, research, teaching or admin, but it is actually also time when something might just come to you. Lots of people use D time for exercise.

Now I am sure the ABCD approach won’t work for everyone.

It will not work for everyone. any more than those time tracking aps work for me, but it might be of help to some of you. And for those you who want to try ABCD, the thing is to make sure that you block out your ABC and D time, and then stick to these slots for a while to get into the habit of working this pattern.

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