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Learning and development policy

Date approved: August 2025
Review date: August 2028

See below for the full policy, but please be aware this may include acronyms or technical jargon used internally within Raven. If you have any questions, please contact us.

1. Purpose of the policy

1.1. At Raven, we believe that ongoing learning and development is a necessity for all colleagues as we can only deliver a consistently great customer experience and achieve our ambitions if we maintain the knowledge, skills, and behaviours that enable us to keep pace with evolving expectations, changing technology, and regulatory requirements.

1.2. In keeping with this approach, we believe it is important to foster a ‘growth mindset’ whereby all colleagues are supported to be the best they can; given relevant opportunities to develop; and feel confident building a career at Raven in the way that’s right for them.

1.3. Equity, diversity and inclusion is a key aspect of our One Raven culture; therefore we put reasonable adjustments in place so that all colleagues can effectively access opportunities and activities; we endeavour to remove unfair disadvantages; and we work to ensure a fair approach across the learning & development journey.

1.4. This policy complies with all relevant legislation and regulations including the Employment Rights Act 1996, Equality Act 2020, and Competence & Conduct Standard for Housing. It does not form part of the contract of employment and is reviewed from time to time to ensure it reflects Raven’s legal obligations and business needs.

2. Scope of the policy

2.1. Learning and development can take many forms, including:

  • Self-directed learning such as accessing articles and videos; using internal procedures; attending networking events; and outside-of-work activities.
  • On-the-job learning such as taking on new activities; work shadowing; secondments; mentoring colleagues; joining focus groups; and supporting with community events.
  • Facilitated learning such as delivered training sessions and courses; apprenticeships; mandatory e-learning modules; and professional qualifications.

2.2. This policy outlines our core approach to learning and development, which incorporates a blend of self-directed, on-the-job, and facilitated learning as outlined above. However, the policy cannot capture every possibility or eventuality, and colleagues are encouraged to discuss specific wants and needs with their line manager so that these can be considered.

3. Roles and responsibilities

3.1. Colleagues

As part of our One Raven Culture Framework, we expect all colleagues to ‘Always Be Curious’ by taking a proactive role in their own learning and development. This includes timely completion of mandatory training; active participation in Know Me, Focus Me, Grow Me conversations; attendance at training sessions; and collaboration with colleagues to continuously improve our services and ways of working.

We also expect colleagues to consistently demonstrate our key behaviours as described in our Culture Handbook and proactively engage with learning activities to embed them.

3.2. Line Managers

We expect line managers to:

  • Meet the expectations set out in the Know Me, Focus Me, Grow Me framework
  • Take an active role in the identification of individual and team training needs
  • Proactively implement our structured induction programme
  • Monitor and uphold compliance with mandatory training within their teams
  • Contribute to the identification of corporate training needs
  • Contribute to the identification of business-critical roles and succession plans
  • Proactively engage with the manager development programme

3.3. People Team

Head of People & Culture: oversight of learning and development approach and ownership of corporate policies, frameworks, processes, programmes, and budget.

People & Culture Business Partners: provision of guidance and support to managers regarding implementation of corporate policies, frameworks, processes, and programmes; ownership and delivery of operational management training.

People & Culture Assistant: collation of corporate and team-specific learning needs; creation and up-keep of annual learning schedule and mandatory training matrix; support to Head of People & Culture and People & Culture Business Partners with sourcing of corporate learning interventions and coordination of training arrangements; administration of mandatory training courses, compliance reports, and learning agreements.

4. Detailed policy content

4.1. Learning & Development Journey

The learning and development journey at Raven begins when an offer of employment is accepted and continues throughout employment. It consists of a blend of activities across the following elements:

  • Onboarding: once an offer of employment is verbally accepted, colleagues receive a new starter pack including some of our key policies. The new starter pack may also include short self-assessments so that appropriate training can be arranged for the colleague’s induction period.
  • Induction: during the first 3 months of employment, colleagues follow a phased induction programme tailored to their position and business area, which includes locally and centrally delivered training and activities.

    For those on fixed term or temporary contracts, the induction programme may be shorter, depending on anticipated duration of employment.

    For agency workers, bank staff, and contractors, a shortened induction covering key information about the organisation and the duties to be performed is provided, with duration and content determined on a case-by-case basis by the line manager.

    Throughout the induction programme, line managers meet regularly with new employees, and this is an opportunity to discuss any learning and development needs that are not covered within the programme. In addition, probation review meetings are held to assess performance and highlight development areas.

    Please see the Settling-In Policy for further details.

  • Mandatory Training: all colleagues including agency workers, bank staff, and contractors are required to complete mandatory training courses as defined within our Mandatory Training Matrix, available on SharePoint. These courses are mandatory due to legal or regulatory requirements and/or because they support our business objectives and culture.
  • Know Me, Focus Me, Grow Me Conversations: these form the basis of our performance & development framework. The contents, expectations, and frequency of the conversations are set out in the Know Me, Focus Me, Grow Me cards on SharePoint, which also contain guidance for managers and team members.
  • Corporate Learning & Development: training that is applicable to the whole organisation or across several teams or functions, which aligns with operational business needs and/or organisational strategy.
  • Team or role-specific Learning & Development: training that is required to maintain or update knowledge and skills for a specific activity or position.
  • Continuous Development: colleagues’ individual learning and development needs as identified and discussed during Know Me, Focus Me, Grow Me conversations and which may be required as part of professional accreditation.

4.2. Learning Needs Analysis

4.2.1. Corporate Learning & Development:

As part of the budget-setting process each year, the Head of People & Culture, with support from the People & Culture Business Partners and the People & Culture Assistant, works with senior managers to identify corporate learning requirements for the upcoming financial year that impact a significant proportion of colleagues and/or is required across directorates and which align with business needs, corporate strategy, and relevant external factors such as new regulations. The associated learning activities are normally sourced and coordinated centrally by the People Team, in collaboration with subject-matter experts in the organisation, and in partnership with external suppliers as applicable. Budget for corporate learning activities is held by the Head of People & Culture.

The way corporate learning interventions are delivered will depend on specific topic, need, cost, and desired outcome. In some cases, a consistent approach is applied across the organisation and in other cases is tailored to specific parts of the business.

Colleagues may be required to complete pre-training assessments so that learning interventions can be appropriately tailored to different skill levels and needs.

4.2.2. Team or role-specific Learning & Development:

Managers will identify team and role-specific learning and development requirements as part of their responsibility to maintain up-to-date knowledge of legislation, industry regulations, and best practice for their areas of work.

Budget for team and role-specific training is held and managed locally, but requirements will be discussed with managers by the People & Culture Business Partners as part of the annual budget-setting process, to avoid duplication of learning activities across teams and ensure suitable amounts are budgeted. Underspend from the previous financial year will also be discussed to identify reasons for this, and implications for the new budget.

Learning needs will also arise when processes and systems are updated. The responsibility for identifying these needs normally sits with the designated system or process owner in collaboration with the Project Manager (where the change relates to a strategic project) and/or the Digital & Technology team (where the change relates to a system enhancement), with input from the relevant People & Culture Business Partner.

4.2.3. Individual development needs:

Managers will support team members to identify individual learning and development needs as part of Know Me, Focus Me, Grow Me conversations, based on factors including:

  • the extent to which agreed outcomes are being successfully delivered
  • specific challenges or obstacles the team member is facing in their role
  • skills gaps that have arisen due to changes to processes or systems
  • the behaviours that the team member is demonstrating
  • feedback from the team member’s manager and colleagues
  • the team member’s career aspirations

Specific learning interventions are agreed between manager and team member, with support from the People & Culture Business Partner as needed. These are recorded in a personal development plan that is regularly updated throughout the year. In situations that a professional qualification is needed, please see section 4.4 below.

In some cases, colleagues may have a development plan that is agreed when they transfer or are promoted to a new role and which includes phased pay increases linked to the demonstration of knowledge and skills; please see the Pay Policy for further detail. There may also be situations where a colleague is consistently falling below expected standards of performance, in which case the ‘Get Me Back on Track’ process may be followed; please see the Capability Policy for further details.

Budget for individual learning interventions is held and managed locally, but requirements will be discussed with managers by the People & Culture Business Partners as part of the annual budget setting process, to avoid duplication of learning activities across teams and ensure appropriate prioritisation of learning needs in keeping with section 4.13.

4.3. Annual Learning Schedule

Using the requirements collated during the annual budget-setting process, the People & Culture Assistant produces an annual learning schedule that sets out expected dates and time requirements for corporate and team-specific learning activities. This is a live document that is updated throughout the year and managers are required to access it regularly to ensure suitable resourcing and/or time is allocated in work schedules.

Anticipated learning interventions being arranged by managers and/or subject matter experts must always be discussed with the relevant People & Culture Business Partner and notified to the People & Culture Assistant before being arranged, to ensure suitability of approach and avoid clashes with other training activities.

4.4. Professional Qualifications and Memberships

4.4.1. Mandatory qualifications and memberships:

Some positions require a specific qualification and/or professional membership from a legal, regulatory, or best practice perspective and this is stated on the job description.

In most situations we will only offer roles to individuals have already have the required qualifications and/or professional memberships. However, there may be times when it is not possible to source a qualified candidate and/or we agree to sponsor an existing employee to undertake the qualification whilst in role.

To ensure consistency across the organisation and appropriate allocation of budget and resources, approval to sponsor a new or existing colleague to undertake a required qualification must be obtained from the Head of People & Culture and relevant senior manager via the form on SharePoint, prior to any offer being made to the colleague.

Where we have agreed for an employee to complete a required qualifications whilst in role, we will normally pay for this from the central learning budget and allow study time during working hours equivalent to half the number of study hours the course is estimated to require by the course provider.

Specific timings for starting the qualification will be determined by the relevant manager and Head of People & Culture based on legal or regulatory requirements, business needs and benefits, operational feasibility, as well as the colleague’s personal circumstances.

Where it has been determined that Raven will sponsor a new employee to complete a qualification when they join the organisation, the employee will need to successfully complete their probationary period before starting the qualification.

All employees being funded by Raven to complete qualifications will need to sign a learning agreement whereby the course costs are repayable on a sliding scale if they choose to resign from Raven or are dismissed due to conduct or performance during a stated period. This is also stated in the contract of employment.

Costs are not repayable in the case of redundancy or ill-health dismissal.

For qualifications that are completed via an apprenticeship, we will comply with specific requirements of the apprenticeship course in terms of study time and repayment of fees.

4.4.2. Optional qualifications:

As part of continuous professional development or career progression, colleagues may wish to undertake optional qualifications or formal courses that are relevant to their role or career aspirations but are not mandatory for their role. We encourage colleagues to discuss these with their manager during Grow Me conversations so that managers can consider applicability to existing role, business benefits, any impact on operations, and the potential allocation of budget in the current year or during the next budget-setting round.

To ensure consistency across the organisation, approval for colleagues to undertake optional qualifications must be obtained from the Head of People & Culture and the relevant senior manager via the form available on SharePoint.

Study time allowed during working hours for optional qualifications or formal courses is not guaranteed and will be determined on a case-by-case basis depending on the length of course, the number of hours the course is estimated to require by the provider, and capacity within the colleague’s role as well as the wider team.

If the qualification or course is approved, colleagues will need to sign a learning agreement whereby the costs are repayable in a phased manner over a stated period if they choose to resign from Raven or are dismissed due to conduct or performance. This is also stated in the contract of employment. Costs are not repayable in the case of redundancy or ill health dismissal.

4.4.3. Funding of professional memberships:

As part of our contract of employment, Raven will pay the annual cost of 1 professional membership that is relevant to the employee’s position, providing the employee has passed their probation period and is not working their notice period after resigning.

In the case of employees on temporary or fixed-term contracts that are due to run for less than 12 months, Raven will cover the pro-rata cost of 1 professional membership based on expected length of employment.

However, in the case of roles that require more than one professional membership from a legal, regulatory and/or best practice perspective (for example, membership of both RICS and CIH), this will be stated on the job description and Raven will fund the cost of a maximum of 2 professional memberships.

Managers are responsible for identifying professional memberships that are required for roles and for ensuring these are stated in the job description. Managers must also ensure there is sufficient budget held within their cost centres to cover required professional membership fees for their team members.

4.5. Career Pathways

We define career pathways as a sequence of activities, experiences, or roles that lead colleagues towards their professional goals. With this definition, we recognise that some colleagues do not wish to progress into more senior roles and that sometimes these roles are not immediately available, therefore career pathways can include lateral moves to gain experience of different functions and areas of work, and/or participation in projects and activities outside of the normal remit of a colleague’s existing position.

We expect managers to support team members as part of Grow Me conversations to identify internal and external opportunities that will contribute to the colleague’s professional goals. We also expect colleagues to take a proactive approach to their own learning and development, which may include accessing, sourcing, or suggesting learning and development activities that support performance in role and/or career progression.

4.6. Internal Secondments and Transfers to New Positions

We wish to grow our talent internally and therefore encourage colleagues to apply for roles at Raven when they arise. However, we want to ensure business stability and the effective use of budget, therefore we require colleagues who apply for an internal secondment(temporary move) or transfer (permanent move) to have passed their probation period; been in their existing position (if it is permanent) for at least a year; and to not have a live warning for conduct, performance, or sickness absence.

On rare occasions there may be exceptions applied, but normally applications will only be accepted if these criteria are met. In the case of warnings for sickness absence, adjustments are made as part of our sickness absence policy for instances relating to disabilities or chronic health issues.

All vacancies will be advertised internally except where roles are ring-fenced due to current or anticipated restructure activity, where there is a business-critical need to cover the role immediately, or because a colleague has the specialist knowledge, skills, or experience required for the role, whilst others do not. Vacancies will also be advertised externally, depending on factors such as intended duration of role; whether we have existing colleagues with the required knowledge and skills; budget implications; and business capacity to support the movement of existing staff from one team to another.

Internal secondments and transfers will only be offered after the usual selection process has taken place, even when the position has not been advertised. The only exception is in the case of suitable reasonable redeployment in a redundancy situation; please see our Organisation Design Policy for further details.

When applying for secondments, colleagues will be asked to explain the specific reason they are interested in the secondment and how they expect the experience and knowledge they will gain to support them in their usual role and/or with their career aspirations.

Upon commencement of the new role, whether it’s a temporary secondment or a permanent transfer, the incoming manager is responsible for arranging an induction programme for the new role that covers all legal and regulatory requirements for the role including Health & Safety responsibilities and agreeing a development plan.

4.7. Promotions

An internal secondment or transfer is regarded as a promotion if the new role has responsibility for a broader or more specialised set of activities, and it may also report to a higher-level manager and/or have people management responsibilities.

Where a colleague is promoted, the usual selection process for the role will normally apply. However, where a promotion involves the taking on of people management responsibilities or moving to a more senior management position whereby there are additional reporting lines, there will always be a two-stage selection process that includes a promotion panel attended by a senior manager or director and a People & Culture Business Partner, as well as the recruiting manager or director.

Upon a colleague’s promotion, the incoming manager is responsible for arranging an induction programme for the new role that covers all legal and regulatory requirements for the role including Health & Safety responsibilities, and agreeing a structured development plan with the colleague, which will incorporate the management development programme where applicable.

4.8. Succession Planning

We define succession planning as the process whereby we manage the risk of losing valuable skills and knowledge either on a temporary basis due to absence, or a permanent basis due to colleagues leaving Raven, and support colleagues to become ready to cover or move into other roles in line with their professional goals, sector regulations, and the needs of the business.

In keeping with our growth mindset philosophy, succession planning is not about identifying a guaranteed appointee before a vacancy arises, but supporting individuals to develop the skills needed for a role and therefore stand a strong chance of being selected.

Colleagues’ career aspirations, performance level in existing role, and readiness for other positions is discussed during Know Me, Focus Me, Grow Me conversations. As part of Grow Me conversations, all colleagues have a personal development plan in place that is regularly reviewed and updated. These development plans are intended to support colleagues to pursue professional goals, including readiness for internal moves where applicable. Managers will work with team members, with guidance from their People & Culture Business Partner, to ensure these plans are relevant and comprehensive.

In addition to succession planning that is carried out at a local level via development plans, the Head of People & Culture holds a central plan for how we anticipate covering business critical roles if they become vacant and how we will mitigate the risk of losing unique knowledge and skills. This plan may include the proactive upskilling of existing colleagues; the documentation of key knowledge and procedures; external recruitment; or the intention to re-design the role when it becomes vacant.

The Head of People & Culture, with support from the People & Culture Business Partners, works with senior managers to agree the list of business-critical roles and plans for covering or filling them, which is reviewed and updated at least once per year as part of establishment planning, which takes place during budget setting.

Criteria used to identify business critical roles include:

  • level of contribution towards key business outcomes
  • speed at which absence will have impact on operational efficiency
  • depth and uniqueness of knowledge and skills required
  • scarcity of competent individuals in the market

Where a colleague has indicated on their personal development plan a desire to move into a business-critical role, this will be noted on the central plan as appropriate, along with an estimation of readiness for the role based on input from their line manager, department manager, and People & Culture Business Partner.

4.9. Performance Ratings

We do not use performance ratings to inform pay increases or other terms and conditions of employment. However, we believe it is important for development purposes for colleagues to understand how their current performance level is viewed by their line manager so that relevant actions and training requirements can be agreed.

Twice per year, managers are asked to complete an exercise that is coordinated centrally by the People Team, whereby the manager assigns a ‘Blue, Red, Amber, Green’ (‘BRAG’) rating to each team member against three aspects of performance. According to this system, a blue rating means performance is above the expected level, red is below the expected level, amber means performance is inconsistent, and a green rating means performance is at the expected level.
These are subjective ratings that are based on the line manager’s own observations, feedback from others, and the contents of Know Me, Focus Me, Grow Me conversations. Managers are expected to share and discuss the ratings with their team members. The three aspects of performance are as follows:

  • ‘What’: the extent to which the team member demonstrates the job-specific knowledge, skills, and experience as contained in the job description.
  • ‘How’: the extent to which the team member demonstrates Raven’s key behaviours as contained within our Culture Framework.
  • ‘Why’: the extent to which the team member is engaged with their role and involved with wider Raven activities.

Performance ratings are confidential to the manager and team member but shared with the People Team, Business Management Team, and Leadership Team. The ratings are used when identifying corporate learning and development needs, supporting managers to identify team-specific training needs, and ensuring appropriate actions are in place as part of team members’ personal development plans.

Where applicable, the ratings also contribute to estimates about a colleagues’ readiness for other roles as part of the central succession planning approach outlined above.

4.10. Manager Development

We have a manager development programme in place that consists of online videos and materials, workbooks, and operational training sessions run by the People Team and other functions. We require all managers to complete the programme, and it is incorporated into the induction for managers who are new to Raven or a people management role.

A skills verification exercise is carried out at the end of the programme by the manager’s own manager to identify any remaining development areas, which are then incorporated into the manager’s ongoing personal development plan.

For colleagues who are aspiring people managers, access to the programme can be arranged on a case-by-case basis as part of their personal development plan.

4.10.1 360 Degree Feedback Surveys

We carry out 360-degree feedback surveys for all managers as part of our culture and engagement survey. Responses are anonymised and results are confidential to the manager and their own line manager but shared with the People Team, Senior Managers (as applicable) and Leadership Team. The results are used for identifying corporate learning and development needs for managers and supporting senior managers to ensure appropriate actions are in place as part of managers’ personal development plans.

4.11. Coaching

Coaching can be a useful development tool that contributes to personal and professional growth, particularly when a colleague has been promoted to a more senior role that involves a greater level of decision-making, people management responsibilities, and/or enhanced communication skills and self-awareness.

The People Team holds a central budget for coaching provision, along with a list of approved suppliers. As part of annual budget setting, the People & Culture Business Partners will liaise with managers to collate a list of colleagues for whom coaching may be beneficial. Prioritisation of budget will then be determined by the Head of People & Culture with agreement with Business Management Team or Leadership Team as applicable, based on criteria in section 4.12.

4.12. Prioritising Learning & Development Needs

To ensure a value for money approach, we prioritise our learning and development activities and the allocation of budget towards these, using the following criteria:

  • Legal and regulatory requirements
  • Business needs and organisational outcomes
  • Centrally held succession plans
  • Business benefits including improved performance and efficiencies

When prioritising individual learning needs, we will also consider the following factors:

  • Specific position and whether it is a business-critical role
  • Employment status and current/anticipated length of service
  • Performance level including BRAG ratings

4.13. Evaluation of learning and development interventions

We want to demonstrate a positive impact of our learning and development interventions as well as assess value for money. Therefore, prior to the commencement of any team or department learning intervention, the learning outcomes and the methods for assessing these will be agreed with the manager or subject matter expert by the People & Culture Assistant, and in the case of corporate learning interventions, with the Business Management Team and/or Leadership Team by the Head of People and Culture.

Assessment methods may include:

  • Skills and/or knowledge self-assessments
  • Skills verification exercises
  • Improvement in KPIs or other performance measures
  • Training session evaluation questionnaires
  • Feedback or 360 degree survey ratings
  • BRAG performance ratings
  • Culture & Engagement Survey results

4.14. Compliance

We work in a regulated environment and so colleagues are required to complete mandatory e-learning modules by the stated deadlines to maintain compliance. Regularly failing to do so may result in disciplinary action or unsuccessful probation.

In addition, colleagues must maintain an average 90% completion rate throughout the year to be eligible for an April pay award. Adjustments will be made for long term sick leave or other absences as appropriate.

Colleagues are invited to corporate training sessions with as much notice as possible and advised whether the training is mandatory or optional. Colleagues are expected to attend all mandatory training sessions, and regularly failing to do (which includes last minute cancellation without good reason) may result in disciplinary action and the cross-charging of fees from the central learning budget to the team cost centre.

The Know Me, Focus Me, Grow Me framework is designed to be flexible so that it can be tailored to team and individual needs. However, these conversations are a core way in which we expect managers and team members to engage, so it is not an optional process, and we expect all colleagues to participate.

4.15. Budgeting for Learning & Development

The responsibility for budgeting for learning and development activities is shared between the Head of People & Culture and individual budget holders as follows:

Head of People & Culture:

  • Mandatory training as listed on the mandatory training matrix.
  • Corporate learning and development activity as agreed with budget holders, which impacts a significant proportion of colleagues and/or is required across directorates, and which aligns with business needs, corporate strategy, and relevant external factors such as new regulations.
  • Manager development programme.
  • Required professional qualifications for new or existing colleagues as agreed with budget holders and prioritised in keeping with section 4.12.
  • Coaching for colleagues as identified and approved per section 4.11 and prioritised in keeping with section 4.12.

Budget holders:

  • Professional memberships that are required for roles from a legal, regulatory or best practice perspective as listed on the job description, to a maximum of 2 required memberships per employee.
  • Job or team-specific training that is not regarded as a corporate training need as only impacts a limited number of roles, but which is necessary for colleagues in those roles to maintain up to date knowledge and skills.
  • Optional professional qualifications or formal courses for individual employees as identified during Grow Me conversations, subject to approval per section 4.4.2.

5. Accountability

5.1. This policy applies to permanent, fixed term, and temporary colleagues employed by Raven.

5.2. Colleagues who are not employed directly by Raven such as agency workers, bank staff, and contractors are required to compete mandatory training and may be given the opportunity to take part in other learning and development activities where appropriate.

6. Related policies and references for more information

  • Culture handbook
  • Resourcing policy
  • Settling in policy
  • Mandatory training matrix
  • Annual learning schedule
  • Know Me, Focus Me, Grow Me framework
  • Pay policy

7. Implementation procedures

7.1. The policy is shared on the Raven intranet site.

7.2. Specific procedures, frameworks, and guides to support the policy are shared via the Licence to Manage channel on Teams and Culture Hub on SharePoint.

8. Policy impact

8.1. A detailed Equality Impact Assessment has been undertaken and no detrimental impacts on customers or colleagues have been identified.

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