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.

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.

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) Our end-point assessment tools will be designed to be fit for purpose, and current to the latest industry and regulatory requirements
• End-point assessment tools are subject to peer review
• We will ensure that delivery is apprentice and employer centred, and provides key information such as assessment requirements and schedules
• We will monitor and review each end-point assessment activity throughout the delivery through to certification
• Our assessors are occupationally qualified to support delivery:
• All assessors will receive on-going feedback, support and development facilitated through regular team meetings and 1:1s
• All assessors will receive training on the relevant standards and regulatory requirements
• All assessors will be provided with a copy of Wisdom House policies, as well as electronic access
• 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
• Assessor CVs will be held securely on file and available on request (subject to the data protection requirements – please refer to Data Protection Policy)
• 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) We use standardised documentation for registration, end-point assessment activities, audit, and certification
• 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
• We provide a guidance document for employers on the apprenticeship and end-point assessment
• We provide guidance documents and training to all those involved in end- point assessment
• We risk assess and audit assessors to ensure compliance, high quality delivery, and support standardisation.
• We have a reasonable adjustments policy to ensure any apprentice needs are met during end- point assessment
• 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:
• We carry out statistical analysis of preliminary and final grade awards by cohort and by assessor as part of standardisation activity
• 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
• 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:
• Registration details
• Records of team meetings (schedules, agendas, minutes)
• End-point assessment training records
• Learner and employer feedback surveys
• Final Decision Panel / external examiner consensus reports (final grading decisions)
• Complaints records and appeals records
• 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