Training - Development - Qualifications

Equal Opportunities, Diversity and Anti-discrimination policy

In addition to our commitment to following City & Guilds and the organizational policies of our commissioners, QKL recognizes that discrimination is endemic in the system and structures of British society and affects the quality of life for groups of people and individuals

QKL believes that all people working in a paid, voluntary or personal capacity should have access to the national vocational qualification or its equivalent. We believe the assessment procedures must be free from personal and institutional discrimination. We are committed to promoting equality of opportunity and implementing anti-discriminatory practice throughout the assessment process and in the operation of the assessment centre.

Ethos of QKL

The centre will do the following to ensure a culture free from discrimination and disadvantage and identify ways in which learners may be disadvantaged.

Develop understanding with the people we work with to improve understanding of these issues and in particular to:

• Take positive action to redress discrimination and previous inequality experienced by learners
• Model as assessors and internal verifiers anti-discriminatory and anti-racist practice
• Challenges confidently and constructively when abuse of the policy occurs

QKL defines four separate areas where we apply Equal Opportunities, Diversity and Anti – discriminatory practice.

• Systems and procedures
• Assessors and Verifiers
• Learners
• Individuals

Systems and Procedures

Within our systems and procedures we will:

• Appoint staff who can demonstrate a commitment and practice that reflects our ethos and policy
• Use a recruitment and selection process based on objective criteria and interview using a job and person specification available to all applicants
• All staff appointed will have the appropriate knowledge and skills of relevant work areas. There will be a clear and easy to use feedback and decision documents will be accessible and easy to use
• Use a process where learners are assessed to help them to choose the qualification that best suits their ability and career development. Where learners have been inappropriately advised and selected a work plan will be agreed with the learners and employer to enable learners to prepare for future work towards an award.
• Clear and easy to use documentation
• QKL is registered with the Data Commissioners Office

Assessors and Internal Verifiers

Assessors will:

• Give learners support so that they can become familiar with the process of assessment
• Help to make the contract to assess a truly shared process in which the candidate feels they can contribute fully
• Ensure positive feedback is given to the candidate on their level of competence
• Use a varied and imaginative range of sources of evidence. Choose evidence that does not necessarily depend on the candidate’s literacy or cultural values and background.
• Identify and report to the internal verifier and assessment centre, incidences where the candidate is discriminated against
• Negotiate with the candidate when, where and how the assessment will take place
• Explain the assessors role, minimize, disruption and intrusion when assessing
• Ensure that learners obtain permission and consent from service users involved in the assessment process
• Maintain service user/worker confidentiality
• Ensure all assessment decision are made in accordance with the objective criteria set out in the national standards
• Take full account of the complexity of the work situation within which the assessment will take place
• Make arrangement to assess learners at times and places that fit into their shift plans and work settings
• Be flexible and imaginative when collecting evidence from learners who have a disability, speak languages other than English, or who feel unconfident and anxious about the assessment process.
• Make a full and thorough record of all assessment decisions
• Provide verbal feedback wherever possible immediately following assessment, and in private
• Provide a written report for learners
• Ensure that all information, advice and feedback are given in a manner that respects the candidate’s dignity, and maintains the confidentiality of the assessment process.
• Provide learners with advice about the appeals and complaints procedure

Internal verifiers will:

• Provide advice, information and training for assessors to promote the elimination of discrimination from the assessment process.
• Monitor the process of assessment to promote the elimination of discrimination.
• Monitor the assessment methods to ensure learners are assessed on what they can do
• Ensure learners are assessed against the criteria set out in the national standards
• Make random checks on assessors to ensure that the policy is being put into practice
• Provide assessors with regular feedback that is given in a manner that respects the assessor’s dignity, and maintains the confidentiality of the assessment process.
• Make regular reports to the centre manager and make recommendations about how practice could be improved
• Report promptly and appropriately any incidents where learners are discriminated against or where assessors come across practice that discriminates against service users
• Identify and report to the appropriate person where service users are not receiving quality care and may discriminated against or even abused.

Learners

Procedures and documentation will be:

• Easy to understand and available to all learners
• Documentation used in the recruitment and selection process will be sent out to all learners
• Confidentiality will be maintained and if information needs to be shared more widely this will be done with the learners knowledge
• Written records will be stored securely and access limited to a need to know basis

Training will:

• Integrate issues of prejudice and discrimination about the assessment
• Integrate practical ways during their working lives where learners can promote the equal opportunities policy
• Create an atmosphere, which encourages reflection, self-awareness and challenge in a constructive and enabling manner
• Ensure that assessors and internal verifiers are training in accordance with the national standards of the awarding body
• Advertise widely and information sent to learners will include information on access to the venue and facilities
• Be evaluated and comments received taken seriously and used when planning future training events.
• Include diagnostic assessment of numeracy and literacy skills.

Access to assessment will:

• Actively promote opportunities for staff to be assessed in NVQ competencies
• Ensure organisations using the centre, select learners using objective criteria
• Target groups who previously have had fewer opportunities to gain a qualification. These groups include night and part time staff, black staff, people working in small or isolated workplaces, women, support and domestic staff
• De-mystify some of the language and jargon, which may prevent potential learners putting themselves forward for assessment
• Widely promote the success of the qualification to organisations using the assessment centre and build on the success stories of learners who have achieved their awards.
• Include top up training on particular units to help learners who are not yet competent.
• Include assessment and planning for any issues that may hinder candidate progression.

Individuals

QKL recognizes that training and qualification in service industries benefits staff through improved knowledge and practice. This improvement is to enable staff to provide better services to individuals who use them. In the process of carrying out training and qualification QKL is committed to;

• Report any practice in breach of National Care Standards or N.V.Q. standards in accordance with relevant legislation.
• Consent of Individuals will be sought and gained prior to any assessment of candidate performance in accordance with relevant legislation
• Feedback and evaluation of Assessor performance will be sought form Learners and Individuals through planning and feedback sessions and course evaluation to improve practice of Assessors.
• Ensuring the assessment of learners in no way impedes on the lives, rights and routines of individuals.

Relevant legislation

The Equality Bill 2009

Sex Discrimination Act 1975 (amended1984)

Age Discrimination Act 2006

Race Relations Act 1977 (updated 2000)

Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (updated 2005)

Human Rights Act 1998

Mental Health Act 1983 (amended 2007)

P.O.V.A. Regulations 2004 (amended 2009)

Health and Safety at Work Act 1974

Data Protection Act 1998 (amended 2003)

Mental Capacity Act 2007

Civil Partnership Act 2004