Internal Quality Assurance Policy

Wisdom House

Internal Quality Assurance Policy
POLICY NAME INTERNAL QUALITY ASSURANCE POLICYPOLICY NO.       1
EFFECTIVE DATEJanuary 2021DATE OF LAST REVISIONThis is the first versionVERSION NO. 1
 
ADMINISTRATOR RESPONSIBLE Steve AdewoleCONTACT INFORMATION 
APPLIES TO
LECTURERSYNON-TEACHING STAFFYSTUDENTS/APPRENTICESY
INTERNS VISITORS CONTRACTORS 
         

 

SCOPE

 

Wisdom House is committed to ensuring a standardised approach to internal quality assurance practice. The internal quality assurance procedure must be open, fair and free from bias and have accurate and detailed recording of internal quality assurance decisions. The internal quality assurance process will monitor and maintain the quality, transparency and integrity of end-point assessment in line with the requirements of the Institute for Apprenticeships.

 

 

TERMS AND DEFINITIONS

 

Define any acronyms, jargon, or terms that might have multiple meanings.

 

TERMDEFINITION
CPDContinued Professional Development
IQAInternal Quality Assurance
EPAEnd-point Assessment

 

POLICY SECTIONS

 

Policy intro:

 

Introduction

 

Who does this policy/process apply to?

The Wisdom House Head of CPD and Accreditation is responsible for the overall implementation and monitoring of this policy. The IQA policy will be communicated to all staff and associates involved in the operation of end- point assessment, all of whom have a responsibility to respect and follow the IQA procedure.

 

Policy

 

The policy

This purpose of this policy is to ensure that:

a) Our end-point assessment tools are designed appropriately to meet requirements of the apprenticeship standard and assessment plan:

b)

I.        Our end-point assessment tools will be designed to be fit for purpose, and current to the latest industry and regulatory requirements

II.        End-point assessment tools are subject to peer review

III.        We will ensure that delivery is apprentice and employer centred, and provides key information such as assessment requirements and schedules

IV.        We will monitor and review each end-point assessment activity throughout the delivery through to certification

Our assessors are occupationally qualified to support delivery:

I.        All assessors will receive on-going feedback, support and development facilitated through regular team meetings and 1:1s

II.        All assessors will receive training on the relevant standards and regulatory requirements

III.        All assessors will be provided with a copy of Wisdom House policies, as well as electronic access

IV.        All assessors will receive regular communications (via email, team meetings, and individual 1:1s) to enable the dissemination of timely and up to date information which is key to quality and efficacy

V.        Assessor CVs will be held securely on file and available on request (subject to the data protection requirements – please refer to Data Protection Policy)

VI.        All assessors involved in the delivery of end-point assessment activities on behalf of employers are risk assessed and approved for the delivery of end-point assessment activities

c) Our delivery is effective and meets employer and apprentice expectations of the end-point assessment and certification process:

d)

I.        We use standardised documentation for registration, end-point assessment activities, audit, and certification

II.        We require all assessors to declare and complete confidentiality and conflict of interest declarations where appropriate. We have a conflict of interest policy which provides further detail

III.        We provide a guidance document for employers on the apprenticeship and end-point assessment

IV.        We provide guidance documents and training to all those involved in end- point assessment

V.        We risk assess and audit assessors to ensure compliance, high quality delivery, and support standardisation.

VI.        We have a reasonable adjustments policy to ensure any apprentice needs are met during end- point assessment

VII.        We survey apprentices and employers after completion of the apprenticeship

Our end-point assessment judgements are consistent and transparent so that the outcomes are fair, reliable and valid:

I.        We carry out statistical analysis of preliminary and final grade awards by cohort and by assessor as part of standardisation activity

II.        We will carry out evaluation throughout each end-point assessment and on a bi-annual basis (standardisation), reporting to the relevant bodies for the standard delivered

III.        Evaluation methods include employer surveys, apprentice surveys, auditor feedback and client review meetings

We have a secure, accurate and accessible audit trail for employer selection, apprentice registration, end-point assessment documentation, audits and final grading decisions

I. All documentation is stored securely in specific employer folders. The folders are accessible only to Wisdom House staff members and all learner data spreadsheets have additional password protection

We will hold the following information on file to enable a full audit trail from registration to certification:

I.        Registration details

II.        Records of team meetings (schedules, agendas, minutes)

III.        End-point assessment training records

IV.        Learner and employer feedback surveys

V.        Final Decision Panel / external examiner consensus reports (final grading decisions)

VI.        Complaints records and appeals records

VII.        All records are held securely and appropriately in line with the provisions of the Data Protection Policy

g) Monitoring, review and evaluation for continuous improvement:
I. This policy is subject to annual review through Wisdom House Senior Management

Quality Control

ActivityIQA Checks

Registration:

Application form (incl. employer selection)

Apprentice registration

Checks for completeness by Wisdom House administration (and follow up with employer where information missing)
Contracting

· Wisdom House and lead training provider contract detailing end-point assessment price, responsibilities, activities and dates

· Contract to be signed by head of Wisdom House

Assessor Approval

·  Assessors apply

·  Initial check by Wisdom House Administrators

·  Expertise checks by qualified Wisdom House Programme manager and/or Director

·  Assessor approval letter written and issued by Wisdom House Administrators

Assessor Training

·  Arrangement of webinars and face to face training of all assessors

·  Delivery of training by relevant Wisdom House Programme Manager and sector expert

·  Wisdom House Administration, recording of all training activity on the Wisdom House systems

Entry to End-point Assessment

· Checks for completeness by Wisdom House Administration

·  Employer completion of entry to EPA requirement template

·  Employer submission of gateway to end-point assessment evidence (e.g. Maths and English certification)

Final Decision Panel or External Examiner

·  Wisdom House Administration preparation of data

·  Wisdom House reporter and panel member / external examiner check and sign off report

ActivityIQA Checks
Certification

·  Wisdom House Administration completion of certification request spreadsheet

·  Employer final check of learner details (check name spelling etc)

·  Wisdom House Administration submission of certification request to ESFA

Reviewing Performance of End- point Assessment Tools

·  Peer review of tools being designed

·  Sector Assessment and Assurance Panel sign off of EPA tools

·  Review of tools to form part of bi-annual standardisation

Wisdom House Policies

·  Policies drafted by Wisdom House staff

·  Policies reviewed by Wisdom House and relevant sector bodies

·  Policies signed off by Wisdom House Governing Body

Use of Wisdom House Logo

·  Employers and training providers cannot use Wisdom House logo without our prior written consent

·  Wisdom House logo cannot be used on any documentation relating to the on-programme journey of an apprentice

 

 

 

 

 

RELATED POLICIES AND OTHER REFERENCES

 

·         Staff handbook

·         CPD Policy

 

 

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

 

List the job titles directly responsible for policy.

 

JOB TITLERESPONSIBILITY
Managing DirectorUpdating the policy on a yearly basis.
  

 

 

VERSION HISTORY
VERSIONAPPROVED BYREVISION DATEDESCRIPTION OF CHANGEAUTHOR
1    
     

 

 

ADDITIONAL NOTES

 

 

None.