Dttls_Module_Ll223L

Key to Diagram 1. External Verifier-Works in partnership with centres to quality-assure Edexcel NVQ qualifications. The primary focus is to ensure that centre staff involved in the planning, delivery and assessment of qualifications maintain the national standard of qualifications awarded by Edexcel and have a clear commitment to ensuring and improving quality. The role is sometimes referred to as “the guardian of the standards”. www.edexcel.com/i-am-a/teacher/aa-cruit/roles/Pages/NVQEV.aspx 2. Quality Improvement Manager-Is responsible for the co-ordination and administration of all the registered and approved NVQ qualifications and key skills within the company. Support and information is provided to the whole company through continuous quality control. stamp with -quality- word image by air from [pic][pic]Quality improvement managers typically create, implement and control processes related to products and services. www.ehow.co.uk/about_6110641_quality-improvement-manager-job-description.html 3. Internal Verifier- Manages the quality of NVQ delivery and verifies assessments, supports and develops assessors. They liaise with EVs & management. All internal verifiers are occupationally competent in the specific standards which are being verified. They take development action as required on a regular basis to keep their skills, knowledge and competence up to date. 4. Self Assessment Report www.intraining-intranet.co.uk/index.asp. This document is accessed by all staff in particular the Quality Manager to use as a reference document and checklist to ensure quality of provision within the company is of the required standard. This is in alignment with the Company’s quality assurance processes and contains a summary of the overall grades, strengths, and areas for improvement. According to I.Reece and S.Walker 2009 pg 430 ‘The drafting of the SAR involves encouraging staff to be “reflective practitioners.” It is easier if there have been regular lesson observations and reviews. Each course team should have a leader to plan and manage the team self assessment process and take responsibility for producing the report.’ 5. Learner Questionnaires-This process is carried out on line by the learner giving them the opportunity to feedback about their course. This is not the most reliable data collected as the assessor is normally present which can lead to the learner being influenced by them. The Student Evaluation Questionnaire gives each student the opportunity to comment on their own experience of being a learner in that course. http://www.hedc.otago.ac.nz/magnolia/meg/Evaluation/Evaluation-by-Students/Student-Questionnaires.html 6. Internal observations by DM –There are two types of observations carried out by the Delivery Manager. One observation is about the learner journey where the DM will be looking at the learner and what they have gained and learnt from doing their award, the other is focusing on providing information on any and all issues which may affect the achievement of the NVQs and Key Skills .Observation of all assessors are carried out at least twice within every 12 month period, undertaking assessment planning with candidates, carrying out both formative and summative assessment and giving feed back to candidates. 7. EV (External Verifier) Visits - During visits, the EV will complete an electronic report detailing the outcomes of the visit. Normally the outcome will record either a ‘positive’ or a ‘negative’ visit. The outcome bears directly on our ability to award certificates to our candidates. If the EV feels that assessment is not meeting national standards the visit is recorded as a negative visit and any problem areas are discussed and an action plan agreed along with a time scale to address the problem issues. Depending upon the seriousness of the issues identified, the EV may decide to suspend certification until they return to the centre on the agreed date to check that the centre has addressed the issues in question. In the vast majority of cases, of course, the EV is satisfied that the centre is operating within the required guidelines; the EV therefore records the visit as positive and it may be some time before the EV re-visits the centre. If you disagree with the outcome of an external verifier’s visit and the subsequent report there is an appeals procedure. 8. Ofsted –the Office for Standards in Education provides an independent view of Intraining’s performance .The aim is to promote improvement in the services they inspect and regulate, and ensure that they focus on the interests of the learners and employers who use them. They also encourage services to provide value for money. Ofsteds vision is to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. www.ofsted.gov.uk/Ofsted-home/About-us/Our-Vision 9. Assessor-All assessors selected by Intraining must have sufficient occupational expertise to ensure an up-to-date working knowledge and experience of the principles and practices specified in the standards they are assessing. All assessors will have a sound working knowledge of the content of the standards they are assessing and their assessment requirements .All assessors will either hold the relevant qualification for assessors of national occupational standards or have a development plan indicating progress towards that qualification. 10. Learner Reviews-These are carried out every twelve weeks. The learner is given paper work to complete before the review and this will also ask for employer comments .It is important to have both the learner and employer present at the review .Positive and negative feedback can be shared among all parties and the ILP and development plans can be adjusted accordingly. 11. CPD –All assessors should maintain a Development Log (CPD) to ensure that their individual skills, knowledge and competence are kept up to date and additional development needs are highlighted. This should be emailed every six months to the approved centre. This information is then fed into the staff appraisal and personal development plan process. Continuing Professional Development is the constant updating of professional skills and knowledge throughout working life.  This requires self-direction, self-management and responsiveness to the development opportunities offered by work experience - www.cityandguilds.com 12. Student Assessment – This is divided into three categories, initial assessment, formative assessment and summative assessment. The assessor embarks on these three stages until the qualification is gained at the end. According to Geoff Petty 2009 pg 479, ‘Assessment measures the breadth and depth of learning. In the right hands, assessment can inspire, motivate and provide the feedback which is essential for targeting prompt corrective help.’ 13. Training-All assessors have on-going training and this is a mandatory obligation as a member of the IFL. Training needs are recognised at 1-2-1’s or observations with the Delivery Manager out in the field. Personal development plans are created and linked with appraisals and mandatory training that Intraining provide. 14. Appraisals-Assessors have an appraisal twice a year with their delivery manager. It is an opportunity to not only get feedback but also give feedback on how you feel the company is doing and record any equal opportunities or health and safety issues. Training is discussed and each assessor will be updated with the mandatory training that they must complete and the training they want to do to help with self development. It is an important document as it is officially recorded. 15. IFL- www.ifl.ac.uk The IFL is the professional body for teachers and trainers in further education (FE) and skills .The IFL publish the code of professional practice which “outlines the behaviours expected of members”. The following are the key characteristics of a professional as defined by the IFL. Integrity, Respect, Care, Practice, Disclosure, Responsibility .As part of wider professional practice it is now a requirement that all Intraining assessors are registered with the IFL as either an Associate Member or a member. There are numerous benefits associated with registering, the main one being the Reflect which is an on-line reflective journal. This document can be shared with colleagues and your line manager to show evidence of continuous professional development. 16. Initial Assessment-This is a very important part of the assessment process as this places the learner against a level in the National Qualifications Framework for example, a learner may be found to be at level 2 in literacy. This identifies if the learner needs extra support right at the beginning of the award. This is also a backbone of any scheme of work or lesson plans that are produced. 17. Formative Assessment -Formative assessment is the monitoring that occurs throughout the process of learning, providing learners with feedback on how they are doing and what their next learning steps are. Action plans and reviews give evidence of formative assessment. Ian Reece & Stephen Walker 2009, pg 323 state ‘Formative assessment takes place during the course and is useful in telling the student how the learning is proceeding as well as telling the teacher about the success of the teaching.’ 18. Summative Assessment -Is assessment for making a judgement about achievement. This is carried out when a learner is ready to be assessed at the end of a programme of learning. The assessor submits a learner for completion when all the required components have been achieved and the evidence is in place. Ian Reece & Stephen Walker 2009, pg 323 also state ‘Summative assessment takes place at the end of a course or topic and is used mainly for certification purposes. It is used to see if a student has learned the material and is capable of going on to further study.’ An report illustrating how Intraining contributes to quality assurance and quality improvements within. Contents Page 1. Introduction 6 2. Analysis 7-8 3. Conclusion 9 4. Bibliography 10 1. Introduction I work for Intraining which is the UK’s fastest growing provider of work based learning and offers a wide range of training and development services designed to improve business efficiency. The company believes in giving excellent quality and thousands of employees have benefited as a result of its unique delivery of work based learning programmes. This report will show an analysis of the current issues relating to quality assurance and quality improvement processes in my own area of teaching. I will look at the application of theory to practice in order to analyse and evaluate the success of the quality procedures. The supporting annotated diagram illustrates the stages of how quality is controlled within Intraining and the report will evaluate and reflect upon theses various stages (both positive and negative.) What is quality' ‘Understanding precisely what customers need and consistently delivering accurate solutions within budget, on time and with the minimum loss to society.’ www.thecqi.org/Knowledge-Hub/What-is-quality/ 2. Analysis ‘Everyone at Intraining is firmly committed to the Group’s quality management programme. It underpins our thinking, our long term business strategy and our day to day operations. We strive to deliver our services with diligence and integrity at all times.’ Jacqui Oughton, Head of Standards and Risk Assurance, The Intraining Group. As an assessor, I play a very important part in maintaining quality and standards. My job role is dealing directly with the learners and for this to run smoothly I need the Quality Framework System to work. All assessors have to be trained to a high standard and show certain levels of competency. The training provided for the delivery team is on-going and monitored continuously. I agree with Geoff Petty 2009 pg 479 who states; ‘Assessment measures the breadth and depth of learning. In the right hands, assessment can inspire, motivate and provide the feedback which is essential for targeting prompt corrective help,’ My first line of support is my Delivery Manager who has a 1-2-1 with all staff on a monthly basis. This is an opportunity for us to air our views and concerns. I can discuss any issues and highlight any training needs that I require to maintain high levels of achievement. I have an appraisal twice a year where I formally record my training needs. Our Delivery Manager will visit us at the workplace at least twice a year to monitor our progress. This is very useful as it is extremely beneficial to get feedback immediately after a session with a learner. This can be both a motivating experience as well as a personal learning curve. Training needs can be highlighted and added to our personal development plan which I update on a regular basis. I attend a monthly regional team meeting and as a group we actively monitor quality assurance, standardisation of assessment and share best practice to support further improvements. We also look for cracks in the quality system so this can be fed back to the quality team for action. The quality of the learner journey is dependent upon the assessor. It is the responsibility of the assessor to monitor the quality of the initial assessment, formative assessment and summative assessment and make sure reviews are done every twelve weeks to monitor progress and the needs of the learner. Positive and negative feedback can be given during the review but I believe it is a chance to get to understand the learners’ expectations and build a good relationship with the employer. The quality of the student assessment is high and this is shown through the overall achievement levels, learner questionnaires providing excellent feedback and learners wanting to progress onto the next level. Once the learner has completed the award the Internal Verifier marks the assessments & gives feed back to the assessor on their work. The Internal Verifier will only sample some of the award. If the learner does not agree with an assessment decision, they can appeal. Likewise if an assessor does not agree with a decision made by the Internal Verifier they can also appeal. The interim sampling from the Internal Verifier plays a large part of maintaining quality and thus meeting sample plans. The assessor will be told immediately if the work they have completed does not reach the standards required and training will be given if necessary. According to I.Reece & S.Walker 2009 pg 426 ‘Although not strictly a course review, the Internal and External Verifiers give feedback on quality issues relating to the course.’ The External Verifier may wish to sample learners work and will ask the Quality Improvement Manager to organise this. This is often vulnerable as there is the opportunity to select the higher achieving learners. The External Verifier may also want to visit an assessor in the workplace. The visit should be pre-planned so lessons could be adapted for the visit. At the last Ofsted visit Intraining received a Grade 1. This is an excellent result and showed how effective the Quality Framework System is. 3. Conclusion The Self Assessment Report is a live document that aims to improve quality. This has a huge impact on the future of Intraining as it identifies and offer solutions to any issues. It is useful document as it clearly outlines where the company want to be within the next year. It shows that the company have recognised the flaws within the Quality Framework System and are working towards improving theses areas whilst creating a better working environment. I agree with I.Reece and S.Walker (2009) pg 427 who state ‘ The key feature of the process is the need to improve quality, not merely to report the state of play. Evidence is crucial Intraining offers good quality to the learners and that they are aware of the areas they need to improve. The correct training is in place for the workforce to develop and improve on existing skills. The SAR shows the improvements that have been put in place to try to maintain standards and introduces methods for monitoring progress and the assessment process is extremely efficient. Intraining are leaders in new working practices and are one of the few companies that offer electronic assessment. Intraining compares highly to its competitors. There have been some difficult times over the past 18 months with many changes, the continuing threat of redundancy and spending cuts. Intraining will have to work hard to maintain this top level and ensure that it continues to grow as other competitors encounter issues: www.eveningnews24.co.uk/news/morale_crisis_looms_at_city_college_norwich_1_737828 I would suggest the following aims to create a positive long term impact: • Offer the most efficient forms of assessment, • Offer consistency across the business aligned to Group Quality assurance, • Create key processes and systems in order that all business units operate to the same high auditable standards. Word Count for total report 1097 4. Bibliography 4.1 Websites Intraining Staff Intranet https://intraining-intranet.co.uk/index.asp Chartered Quality Insitute http://www.thecqi.org/Knowledge-Hub/ Newcastle College Blackboard http://blackboard.ncl-coll.ac.uk/ Lifelong Learning UK http://www.lluk.org OFSTED http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/ The Institute of Assessors and Internal Verifiers http://www.iavltd.co.uk/ City and Guilds http://www.cityandguilds.com/43889.html The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education http://www.qaa.ac.uk/ Norwich Evening News www.eveningnews24.co.uk Quality Improvement Manager http://www.ehow.co.uk Leading Provider of Qualifications www.edexcel.com 4.2 Books Wallace, Susan (2007) Teaching, Tutoring and Training in The Lifelong Learning Sector, Learning Matters Petty, Geoff (4th Edition 2009) Teaching Today: A Practical Guide Reece, Ian & Walker, Stephen (6th Edition Revised 2008/09) Teaching, training & learning: A practical guide