Appraisals are an annual evaluation of staff performance and are an important part of supporting and challenging staff. The setting manager or a senior staff member should conduct the appraisal meeting. This should be someone who can make decisions about staff training and development.
The process should be agreed at induction. It should be explained how appraisals differ from supervision and other aspects of daily work. For example, raising concerns or receiving praise should be done immediately and not delayed until the appraisal meeting. Appraisals are not the place to bring up old issues or to have surprise concerns raised by either party.
The meeting must be an open and honest exchange, with both people able to express their views. If it is not, you have lost a valuable opportunity to develop staff and evaluate performance.
The appraisal process is in five stages
1. Preparation
Appraisals should be arranged well in advance, at least a month, to allow both staff and manager to prepare. Preparation is extremely important, so that the time spent together is used to its best advantage. Although it may seem like a long time, several hours should be put aside to do the appraisal meeting. This should be in a quiet, preferably private, room so both manager and member of staff can concentrate on the appraisal.
The manager's preparation includes having the personal files up to date (including training files) and in order, arranging cover, organising a meeting place and ensuring the member of staff is comfortable with the timing.
The member of staff should make notes on the items he or she would like to discuss. This will include having a copy of previous appraisals or development plans and a clear list of achievements from throughout the year.
2. The appraisal- reviewing performance
Before beginning, both manager and member of staff should be prepared and relaxed. If this is not the case, for whatever reason, the meeting should be rearranged. Once settled, the initial part of the appraisal is the review of the past year. This includes reviewing the action plan from the previous year, discussing the targets achieved and those still to be completed. This is the opportunity for the member of staff to highlight additional achievements they would like recorded. These may be training courses, informal training, independent research, additional duties or a personal success, such as exceeding a parent's expectations. Examples should be used wherever possible and details of courses recorded.
The manager's role is to ensure these are recorded accurately and to encourage the member of staff to include everything they have achieved. It is particularly important to highlight achievements that are significant for the individual, even if it may be considered commonplace to others - for example, a member of staff overcoming their anxiety to attend a training course alone should be noted.
3. The appraisal - evaluating present performance
The next stage is the evaluation of the present performance so areas for development can be identified. It is sensible to subdivide these into different aspects of personal and professional development.
Professional development may include quality of work, training (formal and informal), professional meetings and teamwork. Evidence for this may be from the room manager, colleagues, visiting professionals and training certificates.
Personal development may include time management, interpersonal skills and attendance. These need to be discussed sensitively but thoroughly. For example, a member of staff may not be comfortable discussing why they are late for work, but the manager can explain why it is important to be on time for the smooth running of the room.
This part of the appraisal should not be seen as an opportunity to highlight shortcomings or problems, but as an opportunity to support and encourage good work. Staff should be comfortable celebrating their successes.
The final part of this stage is the interactions between management and staff. This could be between the member of staff and the room manager, the deputy manager or the setting's owner. The appraisal should record the type of support received and whether it could be improved. This information is really useful at an organisational level to support managers in their duties and to highlight any significant areas of quality.
4. The appraisal - future development and action plan
The last part of the appraisal is to devise a joint action plan or development plan for the member of staff. Some actions will occur naturally throughout the appraisal meeting, for example.the professional development discussion may highlight appropriate training courses. This is the opportunity for the member of staff and manager to discuss all types of personal, professional and academic development. This may be a long-term aim such as becoming a manager, which may need several developmental steps. Or it may be a new direction such as getting experience with a different age group. These should be recorded using SMART targets - specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bounded - so there is no ambiguity.
At the end of the appraisal meeting, the manager should ensure the member of staff has discussed everything they wanted to and that it has been recorded accurately. The appraisal form should be completed as fully as possible on the day, so both the member of staff and manager can sign their agreement. If it needs additional information, this should be added as soon as possible after the meeting, so the form can be finalised.
5. Follow-up assessment
A few months after the appraisal has been completed, there should be a brief follow-up meeting to ensure the action plan is still relevant and achievable. This can also act as a good reminder to book courses and set in motion any other developmental plans.
Summary
- Appraisals should be held annually, between the member of staff and manager.
- They need to be well planned, in advance, by both manager and member of staff.
- Allow plenty of time so you can have full and in-depth discussions.
- These are an opportunity to celebrate and acknowledge success, investigate problems and make a development plan for the coming year.
- An action plan should be produced, with SMART targets, covering personal, professional and academic development.
- The appraisal form should be agreed, before being signed by both manager and member of staff.
- A follow-up after a few months ensures the plan is still on track.
Des Forrest has been in the childcare industry for 13 years. As manager of her last nursery she achieved an Outstanding Ofsted and she is now working on the same aim at the House of Rompa, Wilmslow www.houseofrompa.co.uk
Kathy Brodie lectures at Stockport College. Her book. Observation, Assessment and Planning: Bringing it all Together, will be published by Open University Press in May. For more details see www.kathybrodie.com
Part 3 will cover recording staff training and identifying CPD needs.
