More than 130 colleagues have proudly graduated from the Facilities & Estates (F&E) 2023/24 Supervisors’ Academy which develops their learning and promotes career progression.
The Academy, which first launched in 2018, had recently been updated to include all UHSussex F&E teams, from housekeeping and porters to laundry and estates, providing useful and practical training to further develop the skills and learning of our supervisors.
The Academy delivers over 20 hours of training across 10 comprehensive modules. These modules cover essential topics such as teamwork, appraisals, sickness absence, health and wellbeing, difficult conversations, coaching, huddles and improvement boards, waste and compliance, finance basics, and risk assessment.
To celebrate the achievements of the participants, a graduation event was organised for each of the 12 cohorts. These events celebrated the dedication of 135 colleagues from five hospital sites who completed the programme.
Steph Gale, Workforce Development Manager (F&E division) played a valuable role in the roll out of the Academy. She said: “I am very proud to have completed delivery of the latest Facilities & Estates Supervisors’ Academy. It has been a true team effort from supervisors, their managers and teammates, our tutors, our directors, and my fantastic team.
“Feedback shows that our supervisors have learnt useful skills, feel more knowledgeable and have strengthened relationships both within the division and beyond.”
Recognizing the varied schedules of their colleagues, the F&E Workforce Development & Recruitment team took a significant step forward by digitising the Supervisors’ Academy into an eAcademy.
This digital version ensured that even those working evenings, weekends, or returning from long-term leave could access the same development opportunities.
Alongside rolling out the eAcademy, the Workforce Development & Recruitment team are now developing an F&E Academy for managers, set to launch by the end of the year. This new programme is set to build on the success of the Supervisors’ Academy, further enhancing the skills and capabilities of the F&E department.