Where Training May Fall Short – And What You Can Do About It
A Training Needs Analysis (TNA) is more than a checklist of skills. It’s a structured way to identify the gap between the knowledge, behaviours, and competencies your team currently holds, and what they actually need to do their jobs to best effect.
When done properly, it becomes one of the most powerful tools available to ensure that the training you choose not only meets standards, but also solves real-world problems for your staff members and service users.
In this article, we explore how to build a training needs analysis that leads to real results – and why it’s essential in the context of modern care.
Why Does It Matter?
A TNA doesn’t just bring to the surface skill gaps – it helps organisations make informed decisions about what kind of training will have the greatest impact. It’s a strategic framework to ensure the training you invest in is the right fit, at the right time, for the right people.
This is particularly important in care, where staff may:
- Be technically trained but underprepared for real-life challenges
- Have conflicting education and training methods in restraint or trauma
- Deliver care that feels disconnected from what was taught
Common Gaps a TNA Can Help Uncover
Even when staff are technically trained, many still struggle in practice. A strong TNA will help you spot:
1. The Theory v. Practice Divide
Training often focuses on protocols. But frontline care is emotional, unpredictable, and nuanced. Staff need more than a manual, they need approaches that adapt to individual needs.
2. One-Size-Fits-All Approaches
Many training programmes use standardised techniques regardless of setting. But what works in a CAMHS unit may not be safe or appropriate in a supported living environment.
3. Operational Barriers
Staff shortages, shift patterns, and lack of internal support all impact how training is delivered and received.
4. Lack of Measurable Impact
Training isn’t successful unless it changes practice. A TNA helps you define and measure success, from reduced incidents to improved confidence.
Making Your Training Needs Analysis Work in Practice
For your training needs analysis to deliver real value, it must be built with clear intent. Not just what training is needed, but why, and of course what success looks like.
Here’s how to approach it:
1. Anchor to Organisational Goals
Are you trying to reduce restrictive interventions? Build a more trauma-informed culture? Improve communication during a crisis? Your training should solve the problems that matter to your service – not just meet statutory compliance minimums.
2. Explore Confidence, Not Just Competence
Knowing how to do something doesn’t mean staff feel ready to act. Understanding the confidence gap can help identify where practice breaks down.
3. Map Training to Real Roles
A frontline support worker and a service manager have very different responsibilities. A meaningful training needs analysis maps expectations to roles – and avoids wasting resources on training that doesn’t fit.
4. Consider Lived Experience
What are the behaviours, risks, and communication needs of the people you support? A strong TNA looks at your service users – not just your team.
5. Plan for the Real World
Can your team afford to be off shift for a full day? Do you need modular, blended options? Effective training must work around your operational constraints.
Why This Matters More Than Ever
In a sector facing staffing crises, rising complexity of need, and growing regulatory scrutiny, training must be smarter – and more targeted.
A well-built TNA can:
- Reduce unnecessary restraint
- Improve staff morale and retention
- Lower incident rates
- Create a consistent approach to care, even in a high-turnover environment.
But most of all, it brings learning back to what it should be: practical, relevant, and empowering.
How Timian Supports Meaningful Training
Training in health and social care can be transformative-but only when it’s the right training, for the right people, at the right time.
We work with organisations to design training based on where you are, who you support, and what challenges you’re facing. Whether you’re starting from scratch or reviewing what’s in place, our trainers bring frontline insight to every conversation.
Let’s Make Learning Count
If you’re unsure whether your current training is delivering real impact, or you want help designing a more relevant, responsive approach, we’re here to help.
Talk to us today about how we can support your team to build a training model that works in your environment.
