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BECOMING A SUPERVISOR MODULE 1

BECOMING A SUPERVISOR LEARNING INDUCTION

MODULE 1 INDUCTION

WHAT AM I DOING ? The “Becoming a Supervisor” programme has been designed to provide you with the confidence, skills and knowledge that you need to progress within Unite Students. We are working in partnership with the Institute of Leadership Management ( ILM ) who have provided recognition for this programme. The ILM is the UK’s largest awarding body for leadership and management qualifications. They partner with over 2,000 organisations made up of private development providers, further and higher education colleges, and employers delivering in-house management development.

This is a great step forward – as part of the City Team Development Project with a view to being able to provide more opportunities for career development within Unite Students.

AIMThe key principles of the programme are based on knowing, being and doing.

Before you can move into a supervisor role you will need to demonstrate that you have the necessary technical skills, knowledge and self-awareness for the role and this programme allows you to collect evidence into a Portfolio and build up a series of signed off statements with your Manager which add up towards providing evidence of reaching the desired level of competence.

Once confirmed as ready you will be included in the talent pool. The talent pool is a group of suitable, skilled people who are available to be chosen to do a particular type of job. You will not automatically be promoted upon completion of the programme, but once in the talent pool you will be considered for any supervisory roles that become vacant within the cities you have highlighted as being of interest to you.

SO WHO IS IT FOR ?The programme is for you if:

• You currently operate at Advisor or equivalent level.• You received an ‘on target’ or above rating in your last performance review.

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BECOMING A SUPERVISOR

WHAT IS INVOLVED ?‘Becoming a Supervisor’ is an externally accredited modular programme that will help participants develop the skills and knowledge needed to be an effective supervisor, combined with practical on the job experience and coaching. The supervisor role represents the first step onto the managerial ladder.

Knowing: Understanding the core principles and practices you will need as a manager to create a high performing team. This comes with qualifications and workplace experience.

Being: Developing high levels of self-awareness around your own values, motivations and behaviours. This will enable you to be more effective in your own work and in your interactions with others, both your colleagues in Unite Students and your customers.

Doing: This is the putting into practice what you know and role modelling the best ways of working and interacting with people.

The purpose of this programme is to prepare applicants to succeed in their new roles, and to empower their teams to deliver great service. The programme will be demanding but also rewarding and will require individuals to be fully committed to their own development.

A BIT ABOUT TERMINOLOGY Modular - The learning covers 6 modules and allows you to develop over that time within knowledge, skill and ability. Each module covers a range of issues that enable you to learn about YOUR and your TEAM’s behaviour and your roles and responsibilities as a supervisor within specific situations. These modules are clearly set out in the leaflet “Becoming a Supervisor”.

Portfolio - You collect a portfolio of evidence to demonstrate the What, How, and When you did something (and yes it can be in a big folder!) It allows you to record the part you played and to identify your competence in it – and then also allows feedback from your line manager to be recorded. This all adds up to what is referred to as a “portfolio of evidence”. You are encouraged to note down as “evidence” any specific tasks and duties you perform.

Statements - A signed statement from your line manager to confirm that it was “you” that “did that”.

Cohort - This is often used to denote a group of people who are going through something together – so you might be seen as part of a specific “learning group” or a specific cohort.

Competent - Your competence is the knowing HOW you do WHAT & WHEN you DO something but also includes WHY you need to do it that way: based on your knowledge, skill and attitudes. It gives a visible BEHAVIOUR which is seen or observed by all with whom you have contact.

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Unite Students Core Competencies:

• Customer Focus• Commitment• Integrity• Working with Others (team members) • Manage Others (supervisors and managers)

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE PROGRAMME

YOU: The learner is expected to:

• Choose whether to study for the qualification or recognition.• Attend each module and take a proactive part during the programme.• Provide support to other learners.• Play an active part in the group. • Take ownership of your own learning.• Meet the required standards for all coursework.• Complete work within the agreed timeframe.• Work with the line manger to embed learning from each session.• Produce a portfolio of work to show evidence of competency level reached so that your line

manager and the review panel can assess you for suitability for moving to the next level.• Ensure the line manger completes their portion of the learning log.

YOUR LINE MANAGER: The line manager will play a crucial part in this programme. Research shows that learning needs to be embedded immediately or knowledge is lost very quickly. The L&D team can help with any areas of difficulty during a programme but real learning takes place within the workplace. It is the responsibility of the line manager (who will be working with and observing the team member in their everyday working life) to ensure the knowledge is embedded. The responsibility of the line manager will be to:

• Identify team members who have supervisory capabilities and the desire to progress.• Help team members decide on whether to study for the qualification.• Work closely with L&D to ensure they are developing their team member in the best

way possible.• Create opportunities to embed learning after each session by putting it into practice. • Give the learner regular feedback on how they are progressing.• Provide a summary of how the learner has progressed each month.• Provide constant feedback to the learner on their progress towards the required supervisor

standard – not just the ‘what’ but the ‘how’.• Work with the learner to provide opportunities for their assignments if they choose to study

for the qualification.• Complete feedback on the learning log before each session. • Assess the team member and sign off for suitability for moving to the next level.

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LEARNING & DEVELOPMENT:L&D will be responsible for:

• The design and delivery of the programme and provision of materials.• Communication with the line manager and learners to provide;

• Information on the programme content.• Clear guidelines on requirements for assessment criteria for the

accredited qualification. • Tutorial support.• Content for each module.• Templates for update on progress of the learner. • Dates and venue for the modules.

• Working with subject matter experts to help with modules that they will be running.

Whether you choose to complete an in-house programme or a formal qualification the results will deliver excellent benefits for your personal development and future career.

SO WHAT NEXT?Once you have completed the programme, made up of six modules, you will be invited to present your portfolio to a review team consisting of your line manager and their peers from a number of cities who will confirm if you are ready to move into a supervisory role.

By completing the programme and being signed off as ready for promotion you will obtain ILM recognition, this requires no additional work.

You can choose to study for an ILM Level 3 Leadership and Management Certificate. To achieve this you will need to complete written assignments in addition to collating your Unite Students portfolio. Whilst Unite Students will happily sponsor you, it does means that you will need to invest some of your own time into working for the qualification.

BENEFITS FOR BOTH INDIVIDUALS AND EMPLOYERS

• Gain a range of key management skills and put them into practice in your own role.• Build your leadership capabilities – motivate and engage teams, manage

relationships confidently.• Develop your leadership and management skills using your own knowledge, values

and motivations.• Effective and confident first-line managers.• Better relationships and communication in teams.• Proven skills – to get this qualification, managers will need to show that they can transfer

their new skills to your organisation.• Managers with the tools to develop their own skills and abilities.

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MODULE 1 Programme induction and building teams

Programme induction

• Know the content and the options for the programme.• An understanding of the assessment for the programme to be in talent

pool for supervisory role.• An understanding of the assessment criteria for the qualification.• Be able to make an informed decision regarding their study options.

Building teams

• Build and maintain an effective team.• Apply the following methodologies to develop and maintain effective

working relationships.• Tuckman’s model.• Belbin team types.

• An understand of different working styles, identify issues and improve performance in their team.

Workplace application

• Undertake a team effectiveness inventory and identify areas for improvement with the team.

• Discuss results with manager and agree actions to improve effectiveness.• Use of methods from the programme as appropriate to move

them forward.

Portfolio requirement

• Complete programme learning log with line manager.• On-going observation and feedback from line manager.• Review team effectiveness regarding test data to assess the impact the

interventions have had.• Feedback from the team.

MODULE 2 Managing performance, leading and motivating a team

Managing performance

• An understanding of the value of assessing performance to meet organisational and individual needs.

• Manage performance of individuals in the team.• Give effective feedback in the workplace.• Manage underperformance in the workplace.

Leading and motivating a team effectively

• Understanding of the need for teams to have vision and purpose.• Establish an individual leadership style and how this can help them to

create an effective team.• Motivate the team, and how to make the work place a better

environment for you and the team.


• Ensure the team understand Unite Students’ strategic goals, and how they contribute.

• Set SMART objectives with your team members.• Hold effective one to one conversations demonstrating that you

have an understanding of what motivates individuals.• Build an action plan to improve motivation in the work place.• Give individuals feedback on how they are performing against their

objectives and provide clear guidance on how to improve performance if underperforming.


• Complete programme learning log with line manager.• On-going observation and feedback from line manager.• Review effectiveness of motivation action plan.• Case study evidence, supported by manager, of how your interventions have had an impact on an individual’s performance.

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MODULE 3 Time management and employee relations

Time management

• Plan work in the workplace.• Allocate and delegate work to team members.• Identify the right managerial style to use with individuals to ensure that

tasks are delegated and completed successfully.• Improve the performance of a team in delivering to plan.

Employee relations

• Knowledge and understanding of employee relations in the workplace as required by a supervisor.

• Knowledge of the legal aspects and organisational policy relating to employee relations in the workplace.

• Be a reliable resource to support the line manager when dealing with employee relations issues.


• Take responsibility for planning and scheduling an element of work.• Delegate tasks to individuals.• Identify key milestones and ensure the team understand the importance

of achieving these.• Supporting the manager in employee relations situations; to

include taking notes during meetings.


• Complete programme learning log with line manager.• On-going observation and feedback from line manager.• Case study evidence as to how you planned the task, delegated work,

and the results achieved.• Able to describe and demonstrate the behaviours expected from a

supervisor with a view to maintaining good employee relations.

MODULE 4 Developing others and conflict

Developing yourself and others

• Identify and define development needs of others to achieve organisational objectives.

• Able to develop others through effective management behaviour.• Evaluate, measure and report on individuals progress.

Managing conflict

• Able to identify and manage conflict trigger points.• Influence others by applying conflict management tools such as listening

and empathy.• Reduce the occurrence of conflict using open communication.• Address difficult situations and reduce the likelihood of escalating conflict


• Conduct one to one development conversations.• Undertake a training needs analysis, and identify appropriate

development actions for the team to help them achieve their objectives.• Supporting the manager to address conflict as it appears.


• Complete programme learning log with line manager.• On-going observation and feedback from line manager.• Training needs analysis and evaluation of development actions

undertaken to date.• Case study evidence as to how you support the manager in dealing with

a difficult situation (if appropriate).

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MODULE 5 Recruiting and inducting new team members

Recruitment and selection

• Assist the manager in implementing the Unite Students process for the recruitment and selection of new staff in the workplace.

• Assist in the recruitment and selection of new staff in the workplace.• Able to use information from the interview, CV and any other selection

data to help select the best person for the role.

Induction and probation

• To set up and manage an induction process for a new team member.• Provide mentoring and support to new employees.• Manage performance and set clear expectations for employees whilst

on probation.• Hold effective on-going probationary review meetings.


• Assist line manager in the recruitment of new staff. To include preparing suggested questions for interview, and taking objective notes during the interview that record the evidence for assessing.

• Establish a robust and clear induction plan for a new starter and manage them through their induction and probationary period.


• Complete the programme learning log with line manager.• On-going observation and feedback from line manager.• Case study evidence as to how you support the manager throughout

the recruitment process.• Case study evidence of new starter’s induction and probation.

MODULE 6 Managing budgets and communication

Managing budgets

• Gain insight into the basic principles of budget delegation and control as required in a supervisory role.

• Demonstrate an understanding of the importance of costs, and the impact that their decisions can have on Unite Students profitability.

• Able to communicate budgetary information to their teams in an easily understandable format.

Communication • Make effective use of the communication process in the workplace.• Be able to identify and make best use of different methods and styles to

ensure the team have understood and bought into the key messages.• Be able to listen, observe and adapt their style to better influence others

and build relationships.


• Assist manager in monitoring expenditure against budget ensuring all decisions take costs into account.

• Take responsibility for chairing team briefings and updates.• Revisit the team effectiveness questionnaire, develop and implement an

action plan to improve communications within the team.


• Complete programme learning log with line manager.• On-going observation and feedback from line manager.• Spend against budget forecast data for your area and evidence as to

how you have effectively assisted in the management of the budget.• Case study evidence from to support improvements made to

team communications.


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MODULE 7 Presentation Skills

Presentation Skills

• Speak to groups with confidence and professionalism.• Plan and prepare your presentations effectively.• Gain the confidence to handle difficult topics and people. • Focus attention on the key issues whilst gaining audience acceptance

of your message.• Keep your audience engaged with enthusiasm and

clear communication.• Use the correct visuals to keep interest and enhance your message.• Interact with your audience, taking questions and feedback.

Work Place Application

• Support the management team in the development of business /customer presentations.• Support the management team in the delivery of business/ customer presentations

Portfolio Requirement

•Complete programme learning log with line manager.•On-going observation and feedback from line manager.•Case study evidence to support improvements made to team/business/ customer communications.

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MODULE 1 THEORETICAL MODELS FOR BUILDING TEAMS

ADAIR

This model of Action Centred Leadership (Adair 1973) identifies the role of the leader / manager as one of keeping the Task, the Team and the Individuals in the team in balance.

We can see that as a supervisor you will be the first line section in the middle of all of that!

In a perfect world it looks like that – but in the real world, those circles are not always the same size.

• Think of a time when an individual has caused problems in your own experience of being in a team? Or a situation which you know your line manager had to deal with.

• Sometimes, intervention, if not handled properly can make it worse! • The team can get lost if there is no direction and can start to under-perform.

It might be that then it doesn’t feel like a team anymore.

There may be times when the task gets too big or too busy – more work, more deadlines and less team members if they are sick or on holiday can make the task feel too big and the team suffers.

It’s not really rocket science - but it is a very clear and simple picture to realise that sometimes if things get out of hand your role as a supervisor or first level manager will suffer.

Figure 1: Adair’s Action Centered Leadership Model

Team

Task

Individual

So the role as a supervisor is to keep balance and know when to escalate it to your line manager.

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ABOUT THE THEORYAdair suggests that the challenge for a leader is to manage all sections of the diagram:

Task – Define the task , make the plan, allocate work or resources, control quality and the rate of work, check performance against the plan and adjust the plan.

Team - maintain discipline, build team spirit, encourage, motivate and give a sense of purpose, ensure communication within the group and develop the group.

Individual – Attend to personal problems, praise individuals, give status, recognise and use individual abilities and develop the individual.

Leaders / managers must therefore be mindful of both the individual parts of the Team, Task and Individual but also the performance of the Team, Individual and Organisation.

In summary:There is also a need to understand why these are different skills and how it fits into bringing out the best within individuals, the team, how it can affect performance, and how the tasks undertaken will see increased performance if managed and led well.

BELBIN

ABOUT THE THEORYThe Team You will have people in your team that naturally seem to fall into certain categories of behaviour. Some are keen to sort things out, some will be keen to be directed to do the main tasks and others will only have bright ideas but not be willing to follow them through. Not surprisingly, there is a theory on this too!

http://www.belbin.com/rte.asp?id=400 Team roles questionnaire

http://www.belbin.com/content/page/5671/Belbin%20I7%20Self-Perception%20Inven-tory%20(UK)%202013.pdf

For this to be real you need to have reports from observers and full report prepared.

To see an example of this go to:http://www.belbin.com/content/page/6097/Jo%20Pink%20SPI%20and%20Obs.pdf

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Dr Meredith Belbin created a team inventory in the 1980’s that still has application today – detailing how people strongly express nine different behavioural traits within team roles. It is important to realise that an individual may exhibit behaviours associated with multiple roles. Also, team roles are not the same as personality types.

He allocated each ”role” a symbol. Have a read through and see if you can spot the team types in your team.

He also allowed “allowable weaknesses” that are often tolerated by the team and organisation. These are listed as bullet points.

The Plant PL The LIGHTBULB Plants are creative, unorthodox and a generator of ideas. If an innovative solution to a problem is needed, a Plant is a good person to ask. A good Plant will be bright and free-thinking. Plants can tend to ignore incidentals and refrain from getting bogged down in detail. Multiple Plants in a team can lead to conflict, as many ideas are generated without sufficient discernment or the impetus to follow the ideas through to action.

• Plants are great at ideas – but without a TEAM nothing can get done. • Plants can be unorthodox and forgetful.

Thinking

PeopleAction

Plant

Implementer Co-ordinator

Specialist

MonitorEvaluator

Shaper Teamworker

CompleterFinisher

ResourceInvestigator

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Resource Investigator RI THE TELEPHONE The Resource Investigator gives a team a rush of enthusiasm at the start of the project by vigorously pursuing contacts and opportunities. He or she is focused outside the team, and has a finger firmly on the pulse of the outside world. Where a Plant creates new ideas, a Resource Investigator will quite happily appropriate them from other companies or people. A good Resource Investigator is a maker of possibilities and can be an excellent networker.

• Resource Investigators may lose momentum towards the end of a project.• Resource Investigators may forget small details.

Co-ordinator CO THE CONDUCTOR Co-ordinators are needed to focus on team objectives – often drawing out a team member and delegating. They have a talent for stepping back to see the big picture. The Co-ordinator clarifies decisions, helping everyone else focus on their tasks.

• Co-ordinators can be perceived as manipulative, and will tend to delegate all work. • Co-ordinators may leave themselves nothing to do having delegating it all!

Shaper S THE WHIP The Shaper is a task-focused individual who pursues objectives with vigour and who is driven by nervous energy and the need to achieve - for the Shaper, winning is the name of the game. The Shaper is committed to achieving ends and will ‘shape’ others into achieving the aims of the team. He or she will challenge, argue or disagree and will display aggression in the pursuit of goal achievement.

• If there are two or three Shapers in a team, it can lead to conflict, aggravation and in-fighting.

• Shapers can be bad humoured and get aggressive in their moves to get things done.

Monitor Evaluator ME THE EYE Monitor Evaluators are fair and logical observers and judges of what is going on in the team. Monitor Evaluators provide a “logical eye” and can make impartial judgements within the team since they are good at detaching themselves from bias, they are often the ones to see all available options with the greatest clarity and impartiality. They take a broad view when problem-solving, and by moving slowly and analytically, will almost always come to the right decision.

• ME types can be overly critical and slowly moving. • ME types can dampen enthusiasm for anything that does not offer “logical grounds” and

they have a hard time inspiring themselves or others to be passionate about their work.

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Teamworker TW PEOPLE The Team worker gets the team to gel and will get the task done. Teamworkers are like oil between the cogs of the machine that keeps the team running smoothly. They are good listeners and diplomats, talented at smoothing over conflicts and helping parties understand one another without becoming confrontational.

• Teamworker can go unnoticed and unappreciated until they are absent.• Teamworkers ensure that the small but important things happen.• Teamworkers do not often “take sides” and may not be able to take decisive

action when it is needed.

Implementer IMP COGS Implementers take the plan and implement it as smoothly as possible They are efficient and self-disciplined, and can always be relied on to deliver on time. They are motivated by their loyalty to the team or company, which means that they will often take on jobs everyone else avoids or dislikes.

• Implementers may often be seen as closed-minded and inflexible.• Implementers often have difficulty deviating from their own well thought out

plans - especially if such a deviation compromises efficiency or threatens well-established practices.

Completer Finisher CF THE SPANNER The Completer Finisher is a perfectionist and will often go the extra mile to make sure everything is “just right,” and the things he or she delivers can be trusted to have been double-checked and then checked again. The Completer Finisher has a strong inward sense of the need for accuracy, and sets his or her own high standards rather than working on the encouragement of others.

• Completer Finishers may frustrate their teammates by worrying excessively about minor details at the expense of meeting deadlines.

• Completer Finishers may refuse to delegate tasks as they do not trust anyone else to perform that task as well as them.

Specialist SP THE INSTRUMENT The Belbin Team Inventory was later revised to include the Specialist role, since the role was not revealed in the original research, owing to the fact that no specialised knowledge was required for the simulation exercise.

Specialists are passionate about their own particular field. Specialists bring a high level of concentration, ability, and skill in their discipline to the team, but can only contribute on that specialism.

• Specialists will tend to be uninterested in anything which lies outside of their specialism.

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TUCKMAN

ABOUT THE THEORYA team has to be developed. It does not come together naturally and work and perform well without some specific stages happening and as a first line manager you can be influential in ensuring these stages happen. You cannot zoom a new team into high performance! As a supervisor you will find that when someone joins or leaves, the team feels different as it “changes”. This is quite normal.

To build a high performing efficient team you need to be aware that a “high performing team” takes time to achieve.. it’s not about task or output, it’s about people working together and being “a team”.

Stage 1: Forming The group comes together and will need clear direction from you. Members of the team need to clarify their roles and you may need to provide information to get people started. Things like induction or the layout of the building, health and safety or just introductions to other team members.

Stage 2: Storming The group develops and may disagree about who and what is to be done. Individual personalities come into play. Think of when you have asked the team to organise something, who “says” and who “does”, who would like to say something different, and what happens when they don’t all agree. It is called storming for a reason! There may be issues of power and authority and there may be questions about who is in charge, and you may need to ensure all members of the team are encouraged to take on responsibilities.

Team effectiveness

Perfo

rman

ce im

pact

FORMING STORMING NORMING PREFORMING PREFORMING

Working group

Pseudo team

Potential team

High performance team

Adjourning

Real team

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Stage 3: Norming The group build co-operation and fully acknowledge each other and individual ways and wants in the team. Each team member’s opinion and skills are fully utilised. There is encouragement and respect for each other and team members work collaboratively.

Stage 4: Performing There is openness and change in the team. People pull together. There is a feeling of people helping to understand how change needs to be managed. Remember to celebrate successes and achievements. If the team is not performing well ask “Will we accomplish our goals?” or “how will we be recognised for achievements?”.

Stage 5: Adjourning / Deferring / Mourning

Someone leaves – the team dynamics change by a new entrant or a team member leaving and it all starts again!

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WORKPLACE APPLICATION WORK

MODULE 1 BUILDING TEAMS

WORKPLACE APPLICATION Developing a team effectiveness inventory within the workplace.

BELBIN1. Using the Role Types as developed by Belbin – map out the individuals in the team and demonstrate your understanding by discussing this model with your line manager.2. Using the list of Belbin “Observable Behaviours” map out the individuals within the team that you currently work with within the following observable behaviours / working styles that can be seen within current team members.

There is no right or wrong words on this list – just observable behaviour that can form the basis of discussion in 1:1 coaching or feedback.

Thinking

PeopleAction

Plant

Implementer Co-ordinator

Specialist

MonitorEvaluator

Shaper Teamworker

CompleterFinisher

ResourceInvestigator

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3: Discuss your findings and results with your line manager. 4: Agree actions to increase effectiveness within the team – consider what this could involve in

terms of “Team” dynamics of task, team and individual.5: Use the models from the programme to move individual team members forward.

LIST A words LIST B words1 accurate absent-minded

2 analytical confrontational

3 broad in outlook eccentric

4 caring engrossed in own area

5 challenging fearful of conflict

6 competitive frightened of failure

7 confident and relaxed fussy

8 conscious of priorities impatient

9 consultative impulsive

10 corrects errors inconsistent

11 creative indecisive

12 dedicated to subject inflexible

13 diplomatic manipulative

14 disciplined oblivious

15 efficient over-delegating

16 encouraging of others over-sensitive

17 enterprising over-talkative

18 free-thinking procrastinating

19 hard-driving pushy

20 helpful reluctant to allocate work

21 imaginative resistant to change

22 impartial restricted in outlook

23 inquisitive sceptical

24 inventive territorial

25 keen to impart expertise unadventurous

26 logical unenthusiastic

27 methodical uninvolved with specifics

28 meticulous

29 motivated by learning

30 original

31 outgoing

32 outspoken

33 perceptive

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Team effectiveness

Perfo

rman

ce im

pact

FORMING STORMING NORMING PREFORMING PREFORMING

Working group

Pseudo team

Potential team

High performance team

Adjourning

Real team

WORKPLACE APPLICATION

TUCKMAN

1: Forming

How do you ensure a team “forms” after a new member joins it?

Discuss with your manager and identify how you have given clear direction or clarification about roles. What type of information is needed to get people started? I.e. things like induction or the layout of the building, health and safety or just introductions to other team members.

How would you handle questions like: “What will be expected of me?”Or “What is the purpose of my job role?”

2: Storming Discuss with your manager how you enabled “storming” to occur naturally. How would you handle questions like “who is in charge?” or “will I have influence?” from new team members. How did your actions settle them in?

3: Norming Discuss with your manager how you got a new team member to “norm” to become part of the Unite Students team. Consider what you did if you had to handle conflict or instigate a co-operative spirit within the team.

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4: Performing • Discuss with your manager what you need to do if the team is not performing well. • How did you handle any questions from the team about being under pressure to

get the task done on time or any questions about “how will we be recognised for achievements?

• Discuss what characteristics does a high performing team have?• Is your team currently showing as Effective?• Discuss with your manager how you would move the team on if needed from one

stage to another.• Discuss what characteristics does a high performing team have?• Discuss with your manager an implementation plan to move the team forward if

they are NOT being effective – remember this might take several “stages” to full implementation.

Unite Students Intranet work• Read the HR Support Services pages on the intranet to really understand the

policies, procedures and practice of the HR policies that guide you in management of people.

• Discuss any areas of question with your manager.• You will need to be informed and aware of the full Unite Students framework that

surrounds your role and responsibilities as a supervisor within your team.

Write up your learning outcomes in your learning log for your portfolio and gain feedback from the team.

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PORTFOLIO AND LEARNING LOG

It is your role and responsibility as a participant on the Becoming a Supervisor programme to:

• Attend each module and take a proactive part during the programme. • Provide support to other learners.• Play an active part in the group.• Take ownership of your own learning. • Meet the required standard for all the coursework.• Complete the work within the agreed timeframe. • Work with the line manager to embed the learning from each session. • Produce a portfolio of work to show evidence of your competency level reached

so that your line manager and the review panel can assess you for suitability for moving to the next level.

• Ensure the line manager completes their section of the learning log.

This means that the “learning” is not just taking place in the module session in a group but has to continue “back in the workplace” with your line manager and also with your current team.

• The portfolio is a storage ( file) of your evidence that allows you to both note down your Learning Log – basically this is a “think” about what you got out of each session, what you learnt and how you then plan to use it, what you did when you used it and how the activity went after using it!

• It is good practice to always sign and date anything that goes into the portfolio as it then shows that it is your own work and is attributable to a time during the programme.

This activity is often referred to as “reflective practice” in other words, noting down:• What you thought.• What you plan to do.• How you plan to do it.• Where you plan to do it.• Where you did it.• What happened – how did it go. • What you discussed with your line manager about doing it.• What the feedback was from both your line manager and your team.

This learning log can also keep a record of what you then had to go and find out about – polices / procedures/ advice from the intranet or from a person.

As it grows, the portfolio allows you to keep a record of your supervisor development activities that you do within the team. It also is the place that you record your feedback from your manager and your team.

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You will be able to reflect back on your own development and learning over the modules and see how much you have learned!

The portfolio is also the place that your line manager can put their feedback summary of how you are progressing through the award.

The line manager has the roles and responsibilities during the programme to: • Identify team members who have supervisory capabilities and the desire to progress. • Work closely with L&D to ensure they are developing their team member in the best

way possible.• Create opportunities to embed learning after each session by putting it into

practice.• Give the learner regular feedback on how they are progressing.• Provide a summary of how the learner has progressed each month.• Provide constant feedback to the learner on their progress towards the required.

supervisor standard: not just the “what” but the “how”.• Complete feedback on the learning log before each session.• Assess the team member and sign off for suitability for moving to the next level.

• And if you want to go further and gain an ILM award at level 3:

• Help team members decide on whether to study for the qualification. • Work with the learner to provide opportunities for their assignments if they choose to

study for the qualification.

Suggested plan It will help you frame what you need to do to collect evidence in your portfolio.

Write up your learning outcomes from each module delivery session in your learning log for your portfolio - don’t leave too much of a gap!

Try and record: • What did it make you think about? • Who might you need to speak to in order to learn more?• What might you need to read on the Intranet about HR, Finance, ER policies or

procedures to really understand the Unite Students way?• What activity can you identify from this module?• What will you need to do, in terms of setting the activity in motion (the what, when, how,

where, why) and what is the time frame for it. • How, when and what was discussed with your manager before and during the

activity and after doing the activity, what was the feedback from both your line manager and your team?

• What did you “learn” from doing it?


021

MODULE 1

For any queries about thisbooklet please contact:

The Learning andDevelopment Team

Tel: 0117 302 7156

UNITE-GROUP.CO.UK

unitestudent 1 005

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