Development conversations and appraisal
Development conversations and appraisals are a chance to pause, reflect, and celebrate the valuable work support workers do every day. They’re not just about reviewing performance—they’re about recognising strengths, setting meaningful goals, and supporting personal and professional growth. For support workers, these conversations can boost confidence, clarify career pathways, and help them feel valued and heard.
For managers and educators, they offer insight into individual needs, highlight opportunities for training, and strengthen team development. When carried out in partnership, these conversations build trust, improve communication, and foster a positive, forward-thinking culture.
Useful resources
The Personal Development Planning Hub is a valuable resource for managers, educators and support workers, offering a wide range of tools and information to help get the most out of appraisal conversations and personal development planning. It provides practical guidance for before, during and after, to support reflection, goal setting and career progression.
Alongside the Personal Development Planning Hub it might be useful for managers and educators and support workers to explore the Careers Pathways and Qualifications and Personal Development Planning (PDP) conversations pages.