This report is based on qualitative research conducted between October and November 2024 under the Erasmus+-funded project "Staff development in teaching at European universities" (STAFF-DEV). Four focus groups were organised involving 16 higher education staff representing 16 different Higher education Institutions and 10 different countries in the European Higher Education Area. This work is complementary to a European study conducted by the EUA in April and May of 2024 (Zhang, 2025) and provides a deeper dive into the lived experiences of those responsible for staff development in teaching and learning. It considers institutional leadership perspectives, those of staff leading teaching and learning centres, and of staff implementing staff development initiatives. Four main themes emerged from the data. The first theme considers the institutionalisation of staff development, i.e. the systemic integration of incentives for engaging in staff development in a Higher Education institution. The second theme considers how to encourage staff engagement to move from a tick the box climate to a culture of teaching and learning. The third theme focusses on relationships and connection during the staff development initiatives. The final theme considers the barriers to engagement in staff development and how these need to be more thoughtfully examined. The overarching finding of this study is that there is great similarity in the implementation of staff development in teaching and learning across the European higher education sector. The participants in the focus groups reported institutionalisation of staff development in terms of the systematic integration of supports and incentives, and situating staff development within a broader strategy or vision. However, tensions exist within the organisation and incentivisation of staff development that lessen engagement of staff and potentially impede the impact of staff development initiatives. These tensions are explored here, and recommendations are provided for institutional leadership and staff tasked with implementing staff development initiatives. [This publication has been developed in partnership with University College Cork (Ireland), Utrecht University (Netherlands), the University of Oslo (Norway) and Ruhr University Bochum (Germany).]