Transforming Staff Development with a Digital PDR Platform
At Alder Hey, Personal Development Reviews (PDRs) are a vital part of staff development, wellbeing, and patient care quality. But the current process, based on paper forms and manual record-keeping, makes it difficult to track progress over time, reflect meaningfully, or align development with organisational goals.
Staff and managers face challenges with:
- Limited visibility of historical PDRs
- Paper-based processes prone to loss or duplication
- Inconsistent quality of discussion and planning
- Time-consuming admin and storage
The Trust needed a smarter, more accessible way to support reflective practice, development planning, and workforce growth.
The Innovation
To address these issues, Alder Hey Innovation is leading the development of a digital PDR platform designed to simplify, streamline, and strengthen the PDR process.
Key features of the platform will include:
- A fully digital PDR form accessible from any device
- Ability to review previous PDRs for continuity and reflection
- Clear structure to support performance reviews, learning needs, and career planning
- Secure storage for easy retrieval and review
- Integration with ESR through Robotic Process Automation (RPA), reducing manual upload tasks
- Extraction of learning needs for training needs analysis (TNA)
The digital solution is not just a form—it’s a step towards continuous development, better communication, and a more empowered workforce.
Expected Impact
For patients:
- Improved care from upskilled, engaged staff
- Higher quality service through targeted staff development
For staff:
- Better preparation and reflection ahead of reviews
- Clearer development pathways and career progression
- Reduced admin and lost paperwork
- More consistent and meaningful conversations with managers
For the Trust:
- Greater visibility of workforce development and gaps
- Time saved through automation and digital access
- Insights to inform training strategies and succession planning
- Increased PDR completion rates and more actionable outcomes