Mandatory Training Policy

Information on the requirement for staff to undertake mandatory training courses.

Content

1. Purpose and key principles
2. In scope for all mandatory training courses
3. Out of scope
4. Core mandatory training courses
5. Role specific additional mandatory training courses
6. Mandatory training records management
7. Mandatory training compliance reports
8. Implications for UCL for non-compliance
9. Implications for staff for non-compliance
10. Accessibility or requests for reasonable adjustments
11. Long term absence
12. Contractual status

Purpose and key principles

1. This policy provides information on UCL’s mandatory training courses and outlines which courses must be undertaken by which types of staff.
2. The provision of mandatory training helps to ensure that UCL can meet its institutional, legal, and social responsibilities and provides staff with a safe and positive working environment.
3. This policy also provides information on how compliance will be monitored and the implications for non-compliance.

In scope for all mandatory training courses

4. The following staff must undertake all core mandatory training courses if they have a UCL email address and Single Sign On (SSO) log in credentials:

• Employees on an open ended or fixed term contract (including Apprentices and PGTAs)
• Employees who are jointly appointed by UCL and another employer
• Honorary staff who are appointed through the Honorary Staff Appointments Procedure
• Emeritus Professors

These staff will be auto enrolled into the courses and will be monitored for compliance.

In scope for some mandatory training courses

5. Line managers or hiring managers must ensure the following groups receive a Fire Safety Induction and Familiarisation (TN086) conducted in-person, by their department Fire Evacuation Marshals (FEM) or Department Safety Officer (DSO) on their first day on Campus or when they change location.

They must also complete local safety induction training

• Employees who do not have an email account and Single Sign On (SSO) log in credentials as part of their role
• As and when workers on a UCL contract (sometimes called casuals)
• Affiliate Academics
• Self -employed contractors / consultants 
• Associate Staff
• Visiting lecturers/Researchers
• NHS staff
• Students or others undertaking an unpaid work placement
• Agency workers (including Unitemps workers)

6. In addition, where the following groups of workers are given a UCL email address and Single Sign On (SSO) log in credentials to access UCL systems as part of their work:

• As and when workers on a UCL contract (sometimes called casuals)
• Affiliate Academics
• Associate Staff
• Visiting lecturers/Researchers
• NHS staff
• Students or others undertaking an unpaid work placement
• Agency workers (including Unitemps workers)

Line managers or hiring managers must ensure they complete the following online courses:

• UCL fire safety;
• UCL safety induction; 
• Data Protection and Freedom of Information 
• Information Security Training with CybSafe

7. If those listed in paragraph 6 above will be working at UCL for 6 weeks or more and they have a UCL email address and Single Sign On (SSO) log in credentials, they must undertake the following online courses:

• Introduction to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
• Change possible: Sustainable UCL
• Disclosing and Managing Conflict of Interest at UCL
• Prevent at UCL

8. Workers are asked to use UCL’s ISD-supported operating systems and devices to access the training.
9. The worker should keep a copy of any completion certificates of any online courses they have completed and forward these to the line manager.  The line manager should keep a local copy of all training they have completed.
10. The remainder of this policy does not apply to the groups listed in paragraphs 5 and 6.

Out of scope

11. The following groups are not subject to this policy and are not required to undertake UCL’s staff mandatory training courses, either because they are not required to undertake the training or because they have their own arrangements for training:

• Students (own arrangements)

• Doctoral students (own programme of doctoral mandatory training).  If they are hired to undertake paid work for UCL they may fall in scope if they fit one of the categories detailed above.  

• Visiting Research Students (own arrangements)

• Students Union casual staff (own arrangements)

• Self -employed contractors / consultants (own arrangements or may undertake our courses)

• Workers who are employed by a contractor company to undertake work at UCL (own arrangements).

• General one-off visitors (not required)

• One-off guest Lecturers (not required)

• One-off workers e.g., a casual helping at an event who will not return to UCL (not required)

Core mandatory training courses

12. UCL requires employees, honorary staff and Emeritus Professors who are in scope for all mandatory training courses, (see para. 2) to complete the following core mandatory training courses:

On their first day on campus / on-site, and if their location changes thereafter:

• Local Fire Safety Induction
• Local Safety Induction Training

The following courses on their first working day at UCL, and annually thereafter:

• Data Protection and Freedom of Information
• Information Security Training with Cybsafe

The following courses on their first working day at UCL and every three years (or earlier if significant content change is required)

• UCL fire safety 
• UCL safety induction 

The following courses within their first 6 weeks of working at UCL, and every three years thereafter (or earlier if significant content change is required):

• Introduction to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
• Change possible: Sustainable UCL
• Disclosing and Managing Conflict of Interest
• Prevent at UCL

13. Each course takes approximately 30 minutes to complete
14. These staff members will be auto enrolled into the courses and will be able to access the training once they are set up with UCL log-on credentials and email address.
15. Existing staff who are auto enrolled onto a course for refresher training have 4 weeks to complete it.
16. All staff are asked to use UCL’s ISD supported operating systems and devices to access the training.

Role specific additional mandatory training courses

17. The following courses are mandatory for certain staff undertaking specific roles. Staff required to undertake these courses will be informed.

• UCL Safeguarding Training if you work with children or adults at risk.
• Fair and Inclusive Recruitment at UCL if you are a recruiting manager, panel member or recruitment administrator. 
• Understanding and protecting intellectual property for academics, research associates, professional services research support staff (e.g. all those in roles creating and handling research outputs, supporting research proposals and collaborations), innovation and enterprise support staff (e.g. business managers, partnership managers), and staff involved in procuring specialist services.
• Research Supervision if you supervise research students.
• UCL Arena for PGTA Staff 
• UCL Arena Gateway Workshop 
• UCL Safety Training if you are laboratory-based, undertaking genetic modification work or work with biological agents etc.

18. For any other role specific mandatory training, that is not listed above, you may contact the relevant department that is responsible for that course and ask them to manually update your record showing your evidence of completion. In addition, please save a copy of your completion certificate for your own records.

Mandatory training records management

19. Staff in scope for all mandatory training courses (see paragraph 4), will be automatically enrolled on to the relevant courses when they join UCL and will be auto enrolled when they need to complete their refresher training (every 1 or 3 years dependent on the course requirement).  An email will automatically be sent to the staff member to confirm enrolment.  They will need to complete the course within the stated timeframe. If they do not complete the course in the timeframe, they will start receiving reminders.
20. Those who complete the course will receive a certificate by email and staff are asked to keep the certificate safe to evidence their completion. The record of completion will move with staff that transfer departments.

Mandatory training compliance reports

21. Staff who are not compliant with the mandatory training requirements will receive system generated reminders.
22. Members of the University Management Committee, Directors of Operations and Leads in VP offices receive compliance reports in the first week of every month showing compliance for the prior calendar month. These are cascaded to line managers as appropriate for following up with individuals on non-compliance.
23. Monthly compliance reports will include staff who are on approved leave so that they can be reminded upon their return to work to complete the training.
24. The line manager or head of department will contact staff to identify if there are any valid reasons for non-compliance and how to overcome any barriers that have been identified.

Implications for UCL for non-compliance

25. UCL may be required to demonstrate compliance with mandatory training to bodies such as the Health and Safety Executive, Information Commissioners Office, Employment Tribunals, external auditors, and funding bodies.  Non-compliance may result in UCL being fined, prosecuted, or having funding withdrawn.

Implications for staff for non-compliance

26. To successfully complete their probationary period, new employees are required to complete mandatory training under UCL’s  Probation Policy.
27. Mandatory training compliance must be up to date prior to considering an employee for an additional increment, professorial re-banding and senior promotion.
28. Employees who continue to be non-compliant after reminders and a discussion with their line manager, may be subject to UCL’s Disciplinary Procedure.
29. Honorary staff and Emeritus Professors who continue to be non-compliant after reminders and a discussion with their line manager may have their title or assignment revoked.

Accessibility or requests for reasonable adjustments

30. UCL’s mandatory training courses are “AA” compliant in WCAG accessibility standards.  If anyone has any further accessibility requirements  or requests for reasonable adjustments in relation to mandatory training please contact the staff mandatory learning mailbox.

Long term absence

31. Those who are absent from work long term will not be required to complete the training until they return from absence. For example, staff on different types of parental leave (maternity, paternity, shared parental, adoption, ordinary parental leave); those on long term sickness absence, on career break, or on external secondment.

Contractual status

32. This policy does not form part of any employee’s contract of employment and UCL may amend it at any time after consultation with the recognised trade unions.