Employee Handbook

Employee Handbook Contents Section 1 – Introduction to the College ....................................................... 1 Vision, Corporate Aims, Values & Mission Statement ............................... 2 The Purpose of the Organisation ................................................................. 3 Partnerships .................................................................................................. 4 Finding Your Way Around ............................................................................ 4 Section 2 - Useful Information ..................................................................... 5 College Contact Details ................................................................................ 5 Communication ............................................................................................. 6 Human Resources ......................................................................................... 7 Leave of Absence .......................................................................................... 8 PVG Scheme (Protecting Vulnerable Groups) ...........................................11 Staff Benefits ................................................................................................11 Section 3 – Key Information ........................................................................13 Career Long Professional Learning and Development .............................13 Equality and Inclusiveness .........................................................................15 Health and Safety .........................................................................................16 First Aid .........................................................................................................18 Safeguarding ................................................................................................20 Section 4 – College Services .......................................................................22 College Support Services ............................................................................23 Facilities Management (FM) ........................................................................23 Spectrum .......................................................................................................24 Procurement .................................................................................................25 Access Centre Support ................................................................................27 Services Available To Staff and Students ..................................................31 Appendices ...................................................................................................32 The Board of Governors ..............................................................................33 College Layout .............................................................................................34 Lists of Acronyms, Abbreviations and Glossary of Useful Terms...........35 Log In Assistance.........................................................................................40 Section 1 – Introduction to the College On behalf of West Lothian College and our Board of Governors we would like to wish you a very warm welcome. You have joined an organisation which has aspirations to “Open Doors” for our learners to ensure their development and success is at the heart of all we do. We aim to recruit high quality staff that will make a strong contribution to delivering an excellent experience for our learners. It is the people in any organisation who make the difference and therefore every single member of staff has a valuable role to play. And it is not just about individuals. We place a high emphasis on effective team work and showing respect for the strengths of different team members, which means that the joint contribution to positive learner experiences is even more valuable. We embrace innovation and enterprise and are not afraid to try and do things differently in the pursuit of quality and excellence. This is often achieved through working with employers, businesses, community partners, public sector agencies and international partners to maintain an external focus with a responsive service and engaging curriculum for our learners. In line with the Scottish Government’s ambition for Scotland, West Lothian College has set itself challenging aspirations within its Regional Plan for 2017-2020 to: Develop the Young Workforce through increasing Foundation Apprenticeships and extending school/college vocational pathways Develop Scotland’s Workforce by increasing part time and work place learning whilst ensuring all programmes accredit learning and assessment of skills and competence Increase international opportunities for learners and drive up innovation and enterprise activities Widen access to college by increasing the number of individuals from disadvantaged areas or with specific vulnerabilities Increase the number of students contributing to the community through volunteering whilst at college Through a campaign of Reduce-Reuse-Recycle minimise our carbon footprint and build the sustainability of the college To achieve these aims we need to do more than recruit high quality staff, we also need to support the on-going development of professional standards and we therefore invest in induction and training and development to ensure this. West Lothian College provides a welcoming environment and is a rewarding place to work and you will be well supported by our Human Resources team, your immediate colleagues and the wider group of staff across the College. 1 H:\Current Employee Handbook_Updated 01032019 Vision, Corporate Aims, Values & Mission Statement Vision for 2015-2018 To be a high performing and creative College with a regional and national reputation for excellence in demand led learning and skills development. Mission To be innovative in the delivery of high quality learning and skills for the workforce needs of Scotland and to support the needs of young learners who are the future of West Lothian and Scotland. Values Welcoming to all. Students at the heart of all we do. Always striving for better. 2 H:\Current Employee Handbook_Updated 01032019 The Purpose of the Organisation West Lothian College is a provider of high quality learning and skills development opportunities. We are located in the heart of Livingston, and are an integral part of West Lothian’s economic development strategy. College Board of Governors and College Structure The College’s governing body is the Board of Governors, which comprises representation from employers, other educational establishments, College staff and the community. The Board operates through three sub-committees: The Audit Committee The Finance and General Purposes Committee The Learning and Teaching Committee The Chairman of the Board is Alex Linkston. Please refer to Appendix 1 for a full list of Board Members. The Principal has responsibility for overall College leadership, management and organisation. Programmes of learning are supported by ten groups of learning and teaching staff: Construction & Motor Vehicle Centre Childhood Practice and Sports and Fitness Centre Hospitality & Assisted Programmes Centre Computing & Engineering Centre Workforce Development Centre Business & Creative Centre Beauty Therapy & Hairdressing Centre Health & Social Care, Social Science & Science Centre Commercial & Enterprise Centre Quality & Learner Services Programmes are delivered on College premises, in the work place and community. They can be undertaken through a variety of modes - full-time, part-time, evening, day release, flexible learning, open learning, work-based learning and short courses. The College has an extensive range of learning environments, laboratories, workshops, studios, salons, testing bays and computer facilities. To secure its future, the College has invested heavily in ICT and state of the art facilities for curriculum areas such as the Platinum Salon, the Terrace Restaurant and the motor vehicle workshop. The open design of the College has allowed students with physical disabilities full access to the College and created an egalitarian environment, which has raised the aspirations and expectations of students and staff. 3 H:\Current Employee Handbook_Updated 01032019 For the future, the College has ambitious plans underpinned by a culture of collaboration and change. Partnerships West Lothian College believes in partnership. The College values relationships with other colleges, universities and the business community and uses them to benefit our learners. The portfolio of the College reflects the requirements of employers and learners, building upon the unique features of the West Lothian economy. Finding Your Way Around There is a map of the layout of the College in Appendix 2. Each building has a name e.g. Pavilion (lettered A – D), Terrace (numbered 1-4), Street. Room numbers are prefixed by either G, which stands for Ground Floor or F for First Floor, e.g. Pavilion B G8. The map also details Fire Evacuation Points. 4 H:\Current Employee Handbook_Updated 01032019 Section 2 - Useful Information College Contact Details College Address: West Lothian College Almondvale Crescent Livingston EH54 7EP Tel: 01506 418181 Fax: 01506 409980 Email: [email protected] Direct Dial From Outside the College For external callers to direct dial your telephone, prefix the extension with the STD code and numbers '42'. For example, if your internal

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