department of social and family affairs annual report 2006 - Welfare.ie

formal training courses, SDU continued to actively
promote on-the-job training and coaching, and
to make available self-managed learning options
through the Learning Centre, the latter dealt with
620 requests during the year.
> SDU Website
SDU’s website went live in 2006. It provides
details of training and development services
available and an e-learning facility. To date, the
site has had 6,358 ‘hits’.
> Customer Engagement
Programme
SDU embarked on a customer engagement
programme during 2006 where it met with
the management teams of business units of
the Department to discuss training needs and
priorities. A number of successful interventions
have been implemented as a result of this
engagement.
> Refund of Fees
During 2005/2006, 149 staff availed of the Refund
of Fees scheme.
> Initiatives
An initiative to promote the Irish language in the
Department – Comhdháil na Gaeilge – was held
in 2006 and it focused on the requirements of the
Official Languages Act, 2003.
A Partnership Training Programme for newly
formed and existing committees was provided.
an increasing multi-cultural customer base and
development of facilitation and action learning.
> Supports to Decentralising
Sections
During 2006, SDU delivered an average of 3
courses to 39 staff who transferred into or within
the Department to decentralise under Phase 1 of
the programme.
> Decentralisation of SDU
Phase 1 of SDU’s Decentralisation to Sligo took
place during 2006 and a range of training
programmes were delivered from the new
location.
> Excellence Through People (ETP)
During 2006, Staff Development Unit was
assessed and accredited at the Gold Level ETP, i.e.,
the FÁS National Standard for Human Resource
Management.
> Other training initiatives
Training and updating of regional staff included
the following initiatives:
• Delivery of a two day PRSI Training Programme
for inspectors and managers
• Mental Health Awareness Training (in
association with Mental Health Ireland)
• Quality Assurance for Investigative Activity
including the circulation of a quality assurance
users handbook.
goal 6: the department and its staff
An Assistant Principal (AP) Induction Programme
was delivered to newly appointed APs and those
who transferred to the Department under the
decentralisation programme.
Other initiatives launched in SDU during 2006
included revision of induction course, introduction
of a “Dealing with non-English Speaking
Customers” course for front-line staff dealing with
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