DR59 04 (CCLD 416)Assess quality assurance schemes against agreed criteria

Elements of competence

CCLD 416.1Identify quality assurance requirements

CCLD 416.2Examine initial evidence against requirements

CCLD 416.3Assess provision and provide feedback

About this Unit

This Unit is about assessing quality against agreed criteria and it includes planning, visiting and giving feedback.

This Unit will be useful for practitioners responsible for assessing quality assurance in provision whose main purpose is children’s care, learning and development.

Keywords

What we mean by some of the words used in this Unit
Quality assurance / Based on best practice (as opposed to minimum standards)
Quality assurance schemes / Recognition schemes that are offered by a national or local organisation to recognise quality

Evidence Requirements for the Unit

It is essential that you adhere to the Evidence Requirements for this Unit

GENERAL GUIDANCE
  • Evidence must be provided for ALL of the performance criteria and ALL of the knowledge.
  • Work with children and families does not lend itself to a series of fragmented activities. When assessment planning it is essential that assessors and candidates identify opportunities to integrate a number of activities for assessment on any particular occasion.
  • Assessment of knowledge and understanding should wherever possible be carried out during performance to ensure that theory and practice are linked.
  • The evidence must reflect, at all times, the policies and procedures of your workplace as linked to current legislation and the values and the principles for good practice in children’s care, learning and development.
  • All evidence must relate to your own work practice.

SPECIFIC Evidence Requirements for this unit
Simulation:
  • Simulation is permitted for Element 3 of this unitif required e.g. role play in providing feedback and negotiating a timescale for implementing improvements. It cannot be used anywhere else in the unit and must meet the criteria for its use found in the assessment guidance for this award.

The following forms of evidence ARE mandatory:
  • Direct Observation: Your assessor or expert witness must observe you in real work activities which will provide evidence of some part of this unit.
  • Reflective Accounts: You should describe your actions in a particular situation and explain why you did things. You may be able to use a reflective account to provide some of the performance evidence for this unit. e.g. analysis of visits to providers and the basis of your decisions particularly when unclear or the evidence is misleading, how you use feedback and improve your service within your role.

Issues for consideration:
  • The following performance criteria may be difficult to evidence by observation.
Element 1 –PCs 3, 4,.5 and 6
Element 2 - all performance criteria
Element 3 - see ‘simulation’
Competence of performance and knowledge could also be demonstrated using a variety of evidence from the following:
  • Questioning/Professional Discussion: Questions may be oral or written. In each case the question and your answer will need to be recorded. Professional discussion should be in the form of a structured review of your practice with the outcomes captured by means of audiotape or a written summary. These are particularly useful to provide evidence that you know and understand principles which support practice, policies, procedures and legislation, and that you can critically evaluate their application e.g. the role of quality assurance schemes, national agendas to improve the quality of childcare provision and how your role supports this aim. In addition the assessor/expert witness may also ask questions to clarify aspects of your practice.
  • Products: : These are non-confidential records made, or contributed to, by you, e.g. information on a range of quality assurance programs, details of the scheme for which you are an assessor, personal notes on implementation of your role.
  • Confidential Records: These may be used as evidence but must not be placed in your portfolio, they must remain in their usual location and be referred to in the assessor records in your portfolio e.g. minutes of meetings, evidence submitted by providers, reports on quality assurance decisions, action plans, reports.
  • Original Certificates and other evidence of prior experience and learning: Where you have relevant prior experience it must match the requirements of the standards. Certificates of training, awards and records of attendance must be authentic, current and valid. Your assessor will also want to check the content of such training so that this can be matched to the standards and check that you have retained and can apply learning to practice, e.g. quality assurance scheme training, training on report writing and on giving feedback, management training.
  • Case Studies, projects, assignments: These methods are most appropriately used to cover any outstanding areas in the knowledge requirement of your award.
  • Witness Testimony: Colleagues, allied professionals, children, young people, families and carers may be able to provide testimony of your performance. Your assessor will help you to identify the appropriate use of witnesses.

Knowledge specification for this unit

Assessment of knowledge and understanding should wherever possible be carried out during performance to ensure theory and practice are linked.

You need to provide evidence for ALL knowledge points listed below:

To be competent in this Unit, you must know and understand the following: / Enter Evidence Numbers
1Ways in which the criteria identified in the quality assurance documents can be supported by evidence
2The range and type of evidence that can be produced by providers to demonstrate the quality assurance procedures
3The value of different types of evidence in demonstrating compliance to quality assurance criteria
4Methods of evaluating and assessing evidence for quality assurance schemes
5Why it is important to consult staff and service users and seek their views on the quality of provision
6How to make objective judgments about quality assurance schemes based entirely on the evidence presented at the visit
7How to prioritise action points for improvement within the quality assurance scheme
8How to provide feedback to providers that is constructive and supportive, whilst recognising the areas that could be improved
9How to manage disagreements in relation to your quality assurance scheme evaluation

CCLD 416.1Identify quality assurance requirements

Performance criteria
Enter Evidence Numbers
DO / RA / EW / Q / P / WT
1Demonstrate familiarity and understanding of a range of quality assurance programmes used in the provision of childcare
2Identify specific criteria against which quality assurance provision will be measured
3Make arrangements to visit childcare providers, at a mutually convenient time to minimise disruption
4Negotiate and agree a plan for the visit
5Communicate requirements for evidence to providers
6Demonstrate a non-judgmental attitude that values diversity and recognises cultural differences

CCLD 416.2Examine initial evidence against requirements

Performance criteria
Enter Evidence Numbers
DO / RA / EW / Q / P / WT
1Ensure that all the evidence requested has been made available
2Ensure that the quality assurance criteria are available for reference
3Scrutinise the setting’s documents and assess for compliance with agreed criteria
4Where gaps are identified in the evidence, this is discussed with the relevant person and alternative sources of evidence are sought
5Ensure that policies and procedures employed in the setting are in line with regulatory requirements in your home country and current best practice
6Produce a report giving details of your assessment

CCLD 416.3Assess different aspects of quality assurance against relevant criteria

Performance criteria
Enter Evidence Numbers
DO / RA / EW / Q / P / WT
1Assess different aspects of quality assurance against relevant criteria
2Assess and evaluate all aspects of provision
3Ensure that the views of staff, children and other service users are obtained as part of the evaluation
4Identify action points and areas for improvement
5Identify areas of good practice in quality assurance
6Provide feedback to relevant individuals in a supportive and constructive manner
7Negotiate and agree a timescale for implementing improvements identified as action points

DO = Direct ObservationRA = Reflective AccountQ = Questions

EW = Expert Witness P = Product (Work)WT = Witness Testimony

To be completed by the Candidate
I SUBMIT THIS AS A COMPLETE UNIT
Candidate’s name: ……………………………………………
Candidate’s signature: ………………………………………..
Date: …………………………………………………………..
To be completed by the Assessor
It is a shared responsibility of both the candidate and assessor to claim evidence, however, it is the responsibility of the assessor to ensure the accuracy/validity of each evidence claim and make the final decision.
I certify that sufficient evidence has been produced to meet all the elements, pcS AND KNOWLEDGE OF THIS UNIT and that the candidate has demonstrated the application of the princIples and values.
Assessor’s name: …………………………………………….
Assessor’s signature: ………………………………………....
Date: …………………………………………………………..
Assessor/Internal Verifier Feedback
To be completed by the Internal Verifier if applicable
This section only needs to be completed if the Unit is sampled by the Internal Verifier
Internal Verifier’s name: ……………………………………………
Internal Verifier’s signature: ………………………………………..
Date: ……………………………………..…………………………..

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Unit: DR59 04 (CCLD 416) Assess quality assurance schemes against agreed criteria