Responsibilities of Centres

Accredited Training Centre INformation

Definitions

For the purpose of this specification the following definitions will apply:

Centre / an assessment organisation having been approved by the ICB through its accreditation procedure. This includes both the workplace and the training provider
Location / an area or place 'on' or 'off' the site where the occupation is carried out and has been approved.
Evidence / work activities which have been or are in the process of being carried out, or recorded work activities which have been certified by the assessor, employer or other valid witness
Learner / an individual who is in the process of, or who has collected evidence for assessment to a unit or an award
Assessment / the process of collecting evidence and making a judgement as to whether the outcomes have been met
ICB / The Institute of Certified Bookkeepers, the awarding body for ICB qualifications
External moderation / to check that marks awarded conform to the agreed ICB marking scheme and model answer
Externally assessed time constraint assessment / an assessment externally set, moderated and assessed by ICB in accordance with the prescribed timetable

Responsibilities of centres conducting work-place assessment for learnerships

The role of an accredited training centre is to:

Manage all aspects of the workplace assessment in line with ICB protocol and outcomes of the qualification
Provide appropriate resources to facilitate the assessment
Make use of registered assessors to undertake the assessment based on the assessment guides supplied by the ICB

Centres will need to be accredited by the ICB and will be provided with all relevant assessment documentation. Centres can be:

Training providers – provide tuition towards the theory assessments
Academic Establishments, e.g. Universities, HE & FE colleges, Private Providers
Employers/Companies – provide practical experience in the workplace for learnerships

Responsibilities of centres

Provide tuition and assessment facilities for learners who attend courses for externally assessed time constraint assessments.

(a)Facilities and resources required for externally assessed learners

Ensuring that learners are registered with the ICB as student members and for the theory assessments in accordance with the relevant regulations
Making rooms available for the holding of assessments – where required
Security of assessment papers before date and time of assessment
Invigilation of assessments by persons independent of person teaching learners
Despatching completed assessment scripts to the ICB for marking in accordance with the timetable

Provide appropriate resources and qualified personnel to offer tuition and guidance to learners studying for an ICB Award
To ensure staff training and development programmes available for all personnel involved in the tuition of learners
Provide appropriate administrative procedures to ensure the smooth running of the courses
Where appropriate provide computer and Information Technology facilities and other appropriate learning resources

(b)Facilities and resources for workplace assessment of learners - learnerships

Centres will be required to:

Provide facilities and resources for the assessment of evidence in one or more of the following:
single unit of award
group of units of award
complete award

Carry out assessment on the portfolio on collection of evidence presented by the learnerto one or more units of the award.

Provide adequate facilities and resources to carry out assessment against units of the award.

Ensure that all the facilities and resources required for a learner to collect the evidence at a simulation are available in conditions that provide the required performance evidence to meet outcomes.

Provide information and guidelines, where required, for a learner to collect evidence to meet outcomes.

Ensure that equipment for which the organisation is responsible is adequately maintained for efficient, effective and safe use.

To provide an area free from distracting activities and noise where a learner can be assessed, orally or by written paper to meet outcomes.

To provide tutorial counselling where required by the learner.
Learners are required to be assessed by a registered assessor

Access

Centres will be required to:

Allow access so that learners can be assessed for a single unit, a group of units or a complete award,
Allow access to provisions where a learner can collect evidence by carrying out simulated exercises to meet outcomes.

Allow access to personnel from the ICB to monitor the assessment process.

Allow access for verification of outcomes to take place.

Obtain permission for access to a location for the observation of the outcomes carried out by the learner.

Agree to support the gathering of monitoring information by the ICB through confidential questionnaires to all parties to the assessment process.

Insurance
Centres must have and maintain insurance cover against the following risks:

Any claim in respect of injuries or death suffered by the learner or any other persons arising out of, and in the course of, their presence at a location by the centre for the purpose of carrying out matters relating to the collection of evidence for assessment or for the assessment process.
Any public liability arising out of any activity arising from the collection of evidence or an assessment activity.
Any other risk or damage to property, learners and/or persons arising out of the procedures which it is necessary to cover in respect of the collection of evidence for assessment or the assessment process.
The ICB reserves the right to inspect the relevant insurance policies.
Centres will indemnify and keep indemnified the ICB from and against any and all loss, damage or liability suffered by the ICB resulting from any breach of terms of this specification by Centres, including: -

Any act of neglect of default of Centres' employees or agents
Breaches in respect of any matters arising from the collection of evidence for assessment or the assessment process.

Legislation
Centres will at all times meet the requirements of current statutory legislation and official guidance relevant to the location where the collection or assessment of evidence is undertaken.
Where applicable, a learner is to be made aware on the centre's safety policy and rules as appropriate.
A learner who does not comply with the current statutory legislation and/or the centre's own regulations and requirements will not meet the conditions for assessment and accreditation.

Learner instructions
An external learner attending the centre for an externally assessed assessment will be sent instructions to include: -

Name and address of venue of the assessment
Date and time of the assessment
Detailed instructions for the learner

Assessors
Centres will ensure that registered Assessors carry out all assessments. Failure to observe this will result in the assessment not being recorded by the ICB.
Centres will ensure that all assessors are familiar with the current statutory legislation and official guidance relevant to the area of competence being assessed.
Registered Assessors will be in possession of their own unique registration number.
Approved Internal Assessors may be independent or be part or full time employees of an organisation. Note: Assessment can only be processed through an approved centre.
Internal Assessors can be approved to assess outcomes for one or more of the following: -

a single unit
a group of units
a complete award

Criteria for the registration as an assessor

Preamble

According to SAQA, assessment is a structured process of gathering evidence and making judgements about an individual’s performance in relation to registered standards and qualifications. More broadly speaking, the purpose of assessment is to evaluate the learner’s performance so that qualifications may be awarded.

The assessor is an individual who will be responsible for the assessment of the achievement of learning outcomes. The notion of the trainer being both the learning facilitator and assessor means that trainers who traditionally administered assessment, in addition to facilitating learning, can be registered as assessors. In some instances the assessor may be a different person from the learning facilitator. They may be managers, supervisors or team leaders. In all instances, individuals responsible for assessment, in any form, would need to be registered as assessors.

Expertise required

The criterion for conditional registration is based on generic registered unit standards. The registration of assessors for specific qualifications will only be possible when the current training programmes and qualifications have been converted into unit standard-based qualifications.

The role of the assessor

The role of the assessor (in terms of the learner) is to:

inform the learner about the qualification’s or unit standard’s requirements
support and guide the learner in the collection of evidence
help the learner plan for the assessment
inform the learner about the timing of the assessment
conduct the assessment and provide feedback
to be able to fulfil these roles the assessor has to:
become familiar with the qualification and the unit standards that he/she will be assessing
plan and design the assessment (or source appropriate assessment methods and instruments and modify these if necessary)
collect evidence of the learner’s performance in accordance with the relevant ETQA’s principles and policies
evaluate and judge the evidence
authenticate the evidence
make an assessment decision, i.e. ‘competent, or not yet competent’

Criteria for Registration as an Assessor

The assessor should meet the following criteria:

must have been deemed competent and certified for the generic Assessor Unit Standard (No ASSMT 01 – Plan and Conduct Assessment of Learning Outcomes) by an ETDP Accredited provider
Have the relevant subject matter expertise as stipulated in the qualification
Hold a qualification 0ne level higher than the qualification being registered to assess against
Be a member in good standing of an Accounting Professional Body

Requirements for the continued registration as an assessor

Contact details kept current
Adherence of Code of Conduct
Keep abreast with amended assessor standards
Application for full registration status pertaining to registered qualifications/standards
Participation in professional development workshops on an annual basis
Submission of Professional Development log on an annual basis
Submission of recommendations regarding the revision of qualifications/standards
Compliance with moderation requirements
Providing reports based on FASSET/ICB requirements
Submission of Learner Achievements based on the stipulated requirements

Should an assessor not comply with the above requirements for the continued registration as an assessor, the ICB, as an agent ETQA, will request that the assessor comply with the relevant requirement and forward documented evidence of compliance within an agreed time period. Should the assessor fail to comply with this request or provide documented evidence of compliance by the agreed date, the ICB will advise Fasset of non-compliance and request Fasset to de-register the assessor.

Approval of centres
Application forms are available from the Institute of Certified Bookkeepers (ICB)
The ICB on receipt of the appropriate application form and supporting documentation will carry out centre accreditation.
An organisation may wish to be accredited for one or more of the following: -

Single unit of outcomes
Group of units of outcomes
Complete qualification
A fee is payable for accreditation.
On receipt of the application form an Assessment Co-ordinator will evaluate the information, and check it against the required criteria
Applications will be accompanied by the centre registration fee.
Following accreditation of the centre the Assessment Co-ordinator, appointed by the ICB, will maintain checks against criteria and procedures.
The accreditation procedure for centres following a written or verbal request to the ICB for the relevant information is as follows: -

Complete the application form ensuring that responses fully comply with the requirements of the specification.
Return application form, supporting documents and registration fee to the ICB.
The application will be considered by the ICB panel and the centre informed of the decision within 21 days of the meeting unless interviews with and/or visits to the centre are required.
Where the application is judged unsatisfactory, the ICB will notify the centre with an explanation of why the approval was withheld.
Applicants may re-apply. However, should the second application be unsuccessful the ICB will retain the application fee.
Centres may appeal if they consider the ICB has not acted fairly.
Centres that are approved will be allocated a Unique Registration Number. This will be used on all subsequent correspondence and documentation.
Details of Assessment Specifications, operating procedures and relevant guidelines will be sent to the approved centre.
Centres will employ registered assessors to carry out the assessment procedures. Assessors can be independent or employed part or full time by the centre.
The ICB will not accept assessments carried out by any other person than those authorised to do so.
All relevant documentation relating to assessment supplied to the centre by the ICB will be made available to the assessor.
Centres must ensure that documentation and information relating to assessments is kept confidential and secure to the learner, the assessor(s), the verifier and the centre.
Centres that object to a report of a Moderator can seek adjudication by a third party agreed between the Centre and the ICB.
Centres will employ approved tutors to carry out tuition. Approved tutors may be employed part or full time by the centre.

Work-place assessment
The purpose of assessment is to validate the achievement of outcomes.
Assessment comprises the collection of evidence from the learner and the making of an overall judgement as to whether the achievement of outcomes has been met.
Evidence may be collected from:

workplace activities
a combination of both workplace and non workplace activities
qualifications and recognition of prior learning (RPL); results of education and training undertaken in the past
activities undertaken in the past, either at work or elsewhere
assignments
reports
portfolio of work experience
simulation
questioning
The qualifications are essentially based on the assessment of workplace evidence. However, this may be supplemented by other sources of evidence, especially where this is indicated in the assessment specifications.
Accredited assessors will make judgements on the evidence presented to them by the learner.
As far as possible, centres will endeavour to form links with the workplace to facilitate the generation of evidence from actual work. This is seen as the primary source of evidence.
Simulated work activities may be necessary where it is found impossible to collect evidence in the workplace, or may be necessary as a means of securing additional evidence. Where such simulations take place, they should reflect real work situations.
The ICB will not be responsible for any cost or financial payments involved. The assessment will be the responsibility of the centre.

Endorsing the work of the learner

Centres will advise learners to have their evidence endorsed by aresponsible person who has knowledge of the learner's work. The person will be testifying that the work has been completed by the learner.

Assessment and learner records
Centres are required to keep all records for the external moderator to demonstrate that all outcomes of the assessment have been achieved. The Assessor will therefore need to prepare brief outlines for each unit of the assessment carried out for both performance and knowledge. The following information should be included:

where the assessment took place, e.g. in the workplace, on training premises
the means of assessment adopted, i.e. real work or simulation
assessment examples of simulation for tasks, where this method of assessment was used
occasions when considerations of employers' confidentiality or security will restrict the external verifier's access to the evidence offered in support of achievement
Centres are encouraged to liaise with the external verifier when setting up record keeping systems to ensure that appropriate assessment information will be collected.
The ICB through a central computer system will conduct the administration of the learner assessments. Centres will receive separate information and induction on this system together with all necessary documentation.

Monitoring
Monitors appointed by the ICB will visit centres.
Monitors will monitor the assessment procedures to confirm that what should be happening is happening.
Quality checks will be conducted by the ICB through periodic administration of questionnaires to samples of persons involved in the schemes.

Equal opportunities
Assessment should be fair to all learners regardless of their:

age;
sex;
ethnic origin;
disability;
employment status;
first language.
A range of appropriate assessment methods must be available to the assessor to ensure that all learners are given appropriate and effective assessment.
All learners are expected to meet the same performance outcomes for accreditation.
Learners who consider that they have been tested unfairly may appeal through the centre's appeals procedure that they will be made aware of.

Documentation

The ICB will supply the documentation necessary to carry out the assessment procedures. The assessment guidelines for assessing the learner in the workplace will be supplied to the work-place provider in the relevant learnership guidelines.

Any documentation, materials, designs or processes developed for assessment in respect of which the copyright including design right and all other rights are vested in the ICB shall not be reproduced, disseminated or used either for the purposes of developing any further materials or any other purposes whatsoever without the written permission of the ICB.

Application forms

The ICB will provide application forms for centre approval, and accreditation of assessors and tutors.

Centre quality assurance
Centre sets up management and assessment systems: -

Learner information, reception, initial assessment, guidance and tutorial counselling.
Administrative procedures for registering learners, assessing and accrediting units of outcomes against ICB standards.
Administrative procedures for supporting internal and external verifications against ICB standards.
Appeals procedures which are in accordance with ICB regulations.
Quality Control of administration and assessment;
Role and responsibilities of Internal Assessor.
Meeting of assessors to mediate assessment standards and practice.
Provide information relating to learner achievement to the ICB in the recognised format.

To engage in joint promotional activities.
Centre supports necessary initial induction training and development of assessors and internal verifiers approved by the ICB.
Centres operate, award and conduct internal verification, including notification of accredited units to the ICB and preparation of an annual internal verification report to the ICB.
The ICB External Monitor reports annually on the work of a sample of centres that will be expected to take any necessary measures to remedy any deficiencies noted by the ICB Monitor.
The ICB will require its centres to support the attendance of its Internal Assessors and approved tutors at annual national quality workshops at the centre's cost.

De-accreditation of providers

Accreditation of providers will remain in force for the duration of the registration of the qualification on the National Qualifications Framework.