Software Solutions for Further Education Colleges

SDMS and FE Colleges

Employing some 230,000 people, of whom 120,000 are Lecturers and Teachers, and providing courses and learning opportunities for students of all ages through both educational and vocational courses; FE Colleges play a major role in the UK economy. How they manage and support their staff lies at the heart of the FE Sectors contribution and continued success. Originating in government funded FE project work in the late 1980s and with its extensive experience of working with Colleges through its 20 year history; SDMS provides a unique set of software systems to support Colleges in meeting the modern people management agenda.

 

SDMS V Staff Development for Colleges (More...) Yes Web e-Training and Web Learning Management (More...) Yes
Staff Appraisal (More...) Yes SDMS V e-HRP.Net Web Access (More...) Yes
SDMS V HRPersonnel for Colleges (More...) Yes SDMS V e-SD.Net Web Access (More...) Yes
SDMS V QCF Learning and Skills for Colleges (More...) Yes e-Appraisal (More...) Yes
Part Time Staff Management Module (More...) Yes SDMS V Recruitment and Selection (More...) Yes
Payroll Systems from SDMS (More...) Yes Staff Individualised Record (More...) Yes
Payroll Integration – To Existing Payroll (More...) Yes Integration with College Systems and Bespoke Services (More...) Yes

 

A Complete Learning Management System for College Staff

SDMS V Staff Development and Learning Management provides a comprehensive Training Management System addressing all aspects of the learning and development of College Staff. An integrated system for Teachers, Administration and Support Staff, College Governors and External Clients, it encompasses: Course Planning and Scheduling, Bookings, Enrolments and Attendance, Approval and Notifications, Trainer, Rooms and Resource scheduling, Estimated Training Costs and Budget Management, (Training Income and Revenues). And of course; extensive Reporting and Workflow with Templates and Emails. Beyond this, the system offers optional Staff Development tools for Training and CPD Planning, Training Evaluation, Training Needs Records and Appraisal.

Institute for Learning and CPD

SDMS V Staff Development and Learning Management holds details of lecturer IfL Registration and records of CPD undertaken to support CPD Annual Hours requirement. This can be logged directly in the Windows CPD Record, via e-Training CPD Self Serve or via the College’s Staff Intranet using My CPD free Web Tool. Reports to Word™ and Excel™ allow Colleges to provide Lecturers with CPD and Development Records to submit to IfL if at any stage they are required.

Web Self Serve and Line Manager Access

Whether it is simply to offer course information on the web or devolve staff development to Managers and Lecturers, SDMS Web e-Training provides: On Line Enrolment and Delegate Booking with Approval; On Line Course Records and Administration with Self Serve for Staff and Managers and CPD Coordinator Access for departmental or team staff development. These functions are especially designed to support the greater moves to devolved management and greater ownership of Staff Development in Colleges.

Appraisal and e-Appraisal

The increasing trend to implement Staff Appraisal and Review systems as part of overall terms and conditions in Colleges and at the same time reduce the costs of implementation is met by the SDMS V Appraisal module – providing; Appraisee Pairing, Appraisal Meetings Record with Agreed Targets. Most forms of appraisal can be implemented with the software including 360 degree review. Targets and Training Needs are linked to the training enrolment system. The Web e-Appraisal allows Appraisers and Appraisees to complete appraisals On Line.

Staff Recruitment

From identifying jobs that need to be filled, to appointment of successful candidates; SDMS V Recruitment and Selection supports Colleges in maintaining a pool of part time lecturers and managing candidate applications and appointment. The software is offered as a module of SDMS V Staff Development or HRPersonnel or as a completely separate product.

Managing Vocational Qualifications and QCFs

SDMS V QCF Learning and Skills for Windows extends our learning management offerings with a system for the management and administration of National Vocational Qualifications within the QCF framework. It allows Colleges to manage every stage of the QCF learning process from Initial Registration, through Achievement of Each Unit, to receipt of the Award and Certificate. Its portfolio management features allows the implementation of “paperless” QCF whether on the server product or the optional Laptop Assessor Module.

College Personnel Administration

The extensive and rich functionality of SDMS V HRPersonnel for Windows provides Colleges with a modular Personnel Administration System addressing the special requirements of Colleges and offering an extensive range of modules - in addition to the core system; modules cover: Absence and Attendance, Posts, Contracts and Pay Details, Payroll Integration, Employee Development (Appraisal and Training), Part Time Staff Module, SIR Module, Line Manager Access, Organisational Charting and Crystal Reporting. It is a truly modular system available in a variety of technical formats from a Workgroup for the smaller Colleges to thin Client for the very large College.

Specific FE Features of SDMS V HRPersonnel

The FE College Edition has many features specifically designed for Personnel Administration in FE Colleges. These include:

• A range of modules designed for College Administration
• Multi-posting: Job Sharing and Part Time Contracts
• Establishment and Recording of FTEs
• Pay Scales and Pay Points with Discretionary Points and Bars
• Automatic Increment Administration
• SIR Data and Returns Module
• Visiting Teacher Management Module
• Equal Opportunities Records
• IfL Registration Details and CPD Record
• Payroll Export to Bureau or Software
• FE Pensions Records

SIR: Staff Individualised Record

SDMS has been supplying SIR Data Management to FE Colleges from the very start of the FEFC and the SIR format itself and has therefore proven experience in ensuring Colleges can produce SIR Returns with minimum effort, cost or delay. This is now updated to meet the latest requirements of LSIS (Learning and Skills Improvement Service) and is a standard part of the system. It is fully integrated into SDMS V HRPersonnel, and avoids double entry and re-keying of data. The module includes:

• Integrated SIR Data Record: Full-time and Part-time
• Pre-submission Data Check and Validation
• Missing Data Audit
• Data Completion Checklist
• Updated in line with LSIS Requirements
• Reports: Standard and to Excel™
• Export and Upload to LSIS Website for Submission

HRPersonnel provides variations of the College Staffing Returns as they apply in England, Scotland and Wales.

Part Time Staff - A Vital College Resource

FE Colleges rely particularly heavily on part-time teaching staff. Part-time lecturers can work anything from a couple of hours a week, perhaps in the evening, to substantial periods, sometimes with almost as much teaching as many full-time staff. It provides an essential tool for cost effective management of Visiting Teachers with its integrated Personal Details File, Contracts and Monthly Claims Control. Specifically included are:

• Personal Details, Address, Telephone, etc.
• Subjects, Courses, Skills and Age Groups offered
• Recruitment, Part Time Staff Pool, Part Time Network Management
• Availability and Non-availability for Work
• Work Record: Teaching, Learning Support, Non-teaching etc. with Payment Details.
• Full Contract Details with Terms of Employment
• Production of Contracts with Mail Merge and Quick Administrators
• Hourly Pay, Pay Scales, Variable Hours Contracts
• Payroll Export and Monthly Pay Claims Processing to Payroll
• Reports - Standard, Excel™ and Crystal Reports™

As a part of SDMS V HRPersonnel, all the functions of the general personnel system are available for Visiting Teacher management, e.g. Training and Employee Development, Holiday Booking, Accidents Log and Health and Safety.

Equal Opportunities and CRB

All essential Equal Opportunities data can be held in employee personnel files including; Race, Ethnicity, Gender, Age and Disability. All major reports can be selected by these criteria and the software includes specific Equal Opportunities Reports and Matrices.

CRB Checks as well as Professional Registrations and Renewals are recorded.

Post and Organisation Structure

Establishment and Post management is specifically designed around the needs of FE Colleges with the ability to accommodate the simplest to the most complex post and job structures. Job sharing, full time jobs with supplementary part time contracts or multiple part time contracts are all supported. FTE's can be defined globally, by Staff Type, Post Type or by Person. Organisational Charting is available with analysis. Pay Scales with Spinal Columns, Minimum and Maximum Points, Bars, and Discretionary Points can be held within employee contracts as well as Weekly or Hourly Pay scales.

Jobs, Spinal Columns and Rule Based Salary Increments and Uplifts

SDMS V HRPersonnel has extensive salary management features designed for Colleges. Comprehensive details of Wages and Salary can be held with the ability to auto calculate monthly (period) gross amounts for passing to payroll. Increments can be managed within the software, whether resulting from Annual Increases, Performance Management or obtaining Certified Qualifications. Annual Salaries, Pay Scales and Points, Weekly or Hourly Rates can all be accommodated within the software. Calculation of gross can take into account; Holiday, Lateness, and Sickness and Absence Rules. Full time staff with additional part time contracts can be managed. Monthly gross figures can be printed for passing to payroll or exported in Excel™ format for electronic entry. Export to Payroll is included and payroll Integration Services allow SDMS V HRPersonnel to be fully integrated with the Colleges existing Payroll Software, bureau or alternatively with Earnie™ Professional Payroll offered by SDMS.