I am a duty manager based in Portiuncula Hospital where we provide a patient food service. In total, we have about 50 staff on site. I am also the manager in charge of training and ensuring all mandatory training is up to date.
In Summer 2023 I decided to update how we recorded and kept track of our training records. Prior to this, it was a completely paper-based approach, using training cards.
I came up with the idea of using Excel to create a training matrix to keep track of which staff had completed each of the required training. Across the top of the page are all the different training needed to be completed by the staff on our site and down the left-hand side are the names of all our staff in alphabetical order. I used formulae to create a red, yellow, and green light system, such as when the training is in date the box will be green, when training is due within the month the box will be yellow and when training is overdue the box will turn red. This change happens automatically once the trainer inputs the next due date for that training. Also underneath I have formulated it so that all the staff out of date on each particular training are listed alphabetically. It is an automatically updating list of names.
This has improved our training greatly because the information is all in one place and easy to tell at a glance who is due training and whose training is out of date. Used in conjunction with the training cards this a super effective system for ensuring training is up to date, especially for any legally required food and health training.. It is also useful for audits because it gives an overview of our training at a glance. This matrix has resulted in a higher percentage of our staff being up to date on food and health & safety training, which has helped reduce the number of health and safety issues that can arise with untrained staff. This matrix ensures that we can be up to date on training staff and our staff are all trained and prepared for their roles. It helps our site run smoothly, effectively, and safely. This matrix can be easily adapted to suit any sized site.
I have attached a copy of a sample matrix to show how it works. The dates, names, and training titles can all be changed to suit the needs of different sites
