The 1-to-1 preparation guidance and template provide a helpful guide, and document the regular discussions.
1-to-1s provide quality time to discuss things that are important to the individual and support both the achievement of PDR goals and personal development planning.
The 1-to-1 approach supports ongoing quality conversations between the individual and their line manager. Ideally taking place each month, they should be documented on the template and stored securely. The individual can complete the 1-to-1 template in advance of the meeting to help prepare.
For roles which require job holders to demonstrate 'professional supervision,' or specific evidence of technical competence to maintain accreditation, demonstrate specific technical competence and so on, the profession-related conversation will be part of the 1-to-1 meeting. There is no requirement to hold separate meetings to discuss evidence of technical competence, theory or reflective practice and the relevant supervision template can be completed as part of the regular 1-to-1 meeting.
Prompts to support conversations during 1-to-1 meetings
Please note, there is a slight variation in these prompts for 'professional supervision' meetings.
Wellbeing
Individual prompts:
- This is individual focused
- How you are feeling?
- Any health or wellbeing concerns?
- Any issues at home, work or within the team that are having an impact?
- What are the important priorities to discuss?
Line manager prompts:
- Follow up on any personal issues that were raised at the last 1-to-1
- Ask permission to discuss issues further
- Assure confidentiality
- Ask open questions, listen, don’t judge
- Show empathy not sympathy
- Signpost Occupational Health and other resources available
- Signpost rather than recommend
- Follow up and check-in when needed
- Refer to wellbeing guidance for support and signposting (see the links at the end of this page)
- Summarise and agree actions
Progress towards goals
Individual prompts:
- How do I think or feel that I'm progressing towards my goals and behaviours?
- What other tasks am I involved with that I would like to discuss?
- What is going well or not so well
Line manager prompts:
- Prompt and support individual-led discussion around goals and competencies
- Use a coaching approach to ensure your colleague does most of the talking for example
- Tell me about…
- What went well?
- What didn’t go as well as expected?
- If you could do it again, what would you do differently?
- Access 'GROW' model coaching question examples
- Any feedback (positive and developmental) from you or others to share
- Update on any factors that might impact upon agreed goals
- Summarise and agree actions
Personal Development Plan
Individual prompts:
- Progress on personal development plan
- Feedback reflections from any learning and development activities undertaken
- Any further support needed to achieve personal development plan
- Update personal development plan if needed
Line manager prompts:
- Reflect on the learning and future plans
- Consider the 70/20/10 development model:
- 70%, the majority of learning comes from on-the-job practical experience
- 20% learning from others
- 10% through formal training
- Further support
Any other business
Individual prompts:
- Have I covered everything that I wanted to?
- Summarise and agree your next steps
- Discuss and agree actions that you need to undertake before your next meeting
- Discuss any competencies that you need to work towards to support your goal
- Agree date of the next 1-1
Line manager prompts
- Have I covered everything that I wanted to?
- Consider any resource issues, conflicting priorities from team projects, and corporate priorities and forward planning
- Topics could include projects, case work, stakeholder feedback, continuous improvement
- Any known or emerging changes that could impact upon work
Additional support
We have a lot of additional advice, support and tools that can be accessed in the links at the end of this page.