As part of our ongoing review of Quality and working practices within our Offender Learning Centres, we have looked at how we can improve Internal Quality Assurance and administrative processes whilst retaining the existing curriculum planning flexibility, to provide the best support for individual organisations
Following extensive discussion and consultation, it has been agreed that from 1st April 2019, all offender learning centres will be required to register learners at the beginning of their course. The current LRF/RAC form will not be accepted after 31st March 2019.
The impact of these changes will:
- Improve the tracking of Learner achievements and progress
- Reduce the risk of delivering expired content
- Reduce the possibility of delivering unfunded content – specifically IFUs
- Potentially reduce the overall cost as qualification may well be less than a number of IFUs
- Support a more coherent curriculum plan
- Support the Teaching & Learning planning process by generating clear and meaningful progression routes and opportunities
- Potentially reduce the levels of Internal Verification
- Retain the option to deliver “Stand Alone” units or courses that do not follow a full qualifications Rules of Combination – specifically for remand / very short stay Centres
- Maximise potential income
Simply tell us the start and end dates of your course run and register your learners with us within 25 working days of the delivery start date (short courses of 15 weeks or less) or 60 working days for long courses (over 15 weeks) using the Open Awards secure portal.
Centres will only be charged the combined Registration and Awards fee at the point of award meaning that centres will only pay for learners that complete a course.
Many Offender Learning Centres have already been using the updated process with great success!
Your Business Development Consultant (BDC) is on hand to provide guidance and support. On a recent visit to an Offender Learning centre a BDC worked to review the curriculum offer and helped the centre achieve the following -
- Course content clarified
- Expired content was identified and deleted
- “Long- stay” learners moved to full qualifications rather than multiple individual units
- Unnecessary units identified and removed from courses
- Course durations reviewed with considerations made regarding potential income and expenditure
- Courses with no IFU funding attached / available reviewed
- Advice given regarding funding availability
- Reviewed qualification Rules of Combination with tutors – maximising learning opportunities
- Generated more robust progression options
- Links to available training provided
- Updated the Centre on new Qualifications with instructions on how to add to portfolio
- Individual Learner claims reviewed
If you would like to benefit from the changes before 1st April 2019, or discuss your curriculum offer please contact your dedicated Business Development Consultant or our Customer Service Team on 0151 494 2072. Alternatively, contact customerservice@openawards.org.uk. We are ready to help you get the best for your centre and learners!