Provider Readiness Report

Transcription

1 Provider Readiness Report PRACTICAL INSIGHTS AND GUIDANCE FOR DELIVERING APPRENTICESHIP STANDARDS Customer Service Practitioner

2 Provider Readiness Report Customer Service Practitioner (Level 2) Introduction: Provider Readiness Reports are delivery guidance documents for an apprenticeship standard. They are created by training providers (including colleges, independent training providers, higher education institutions and others). The reports provide practical insights and guidance to help with planning for delivery and in negotiations with employers. They will help providers make decisions about the commitment of time and other resources required to train apprentices to meet the requirements of the new standards. Standard Link to standard Assessment Plan (end point) Organisations involved with the development of the standard for Customer Service Practitioner Level 2 SASE Overlap Mandatory Qualification(s) on standard Additional optional qualifications recommended by the trailblazer group. Maximum Core Government Contribution (CGC), subject to employer contribution (15/16 & 16/17) Anticipated Volume Link to assessment plan Led by organisations: Boots UK, Institute of Customer Service, Accelerator Solutions Ltd, Berkeley Homes Ltd, British Polythene Ltd (t/a bpi.recycled products), British Council, British Gas Services Ltd, BT plc, Carillion plc, E.ON UK Ltd, Northern Powergrid, Osborne Property Services Ltd, Superdrug Stores plc. Intermediate Customer Service (England) There are no mandatory qualifications in the Customer Service Practitioner Standards with the exception of maths and English The employer group has not specifically recommended any qualifications. 3,000 maximum CGC, subject to employer 1,500 contribution. The price of on-programme training and End-Point Assessment (EPA) is subject to employer/provider negotiation and may be higher or lower than combined values above; where higher the maximum CGC remains the same and the employer would need to pay the difference in full. The employer may be eligible for incentive payments, which they can use as they wish. See current funding rules for further guidance year olds (Jug '15 to Jul '16) 4,800 (Aug '16 to Jul '17) 5,900 (fully established, per year) 7, (Jug '15 to Jul '16) 18,500 PRG report Customer Service Prac V3.docx Page 1 of 13

3 (Aug '16 to Jul '17) 21,000 (fully established, per year) 25,000 Level 2 English and Maths Requirements End-point Assessment Methods For Level 2 apprenticeships, apprentices must achieve Level 1 English and maths and take the test for Level 2 prior to taking their EPA. SFA provides a flat rate for English and maths up to Level 2 as part of an approved apprenticeship standard. Employers will not need to make an employer contribution. See current funding rules for further guidance. Apprentice showcase Practical observation Professional discussion PRG report Customer Service Prac V3.docx Page 2 of 13

4 Supporting information and Glossary of Terms Assessment Role Employer Training Provider End-point Assessment Organisation Notes Supports the apprentice in the workplace, may provide training, coaching or mentoring. Employers wishing to access funding must appoint an SFA approved lead provider. Employers must select a training provider from the SFA Register of Training Organisations (ROTO) : Employers may choose to engage with one or more providers to deliver the on programme training. Providers wishing to deliver on-programme delivery must registered and be approved on the, Register of Apprenticeship Training Providers (RoATP). Also providers who wish to deliver to employers without a digital account, must register and be approved on the Invitation to Tender (ITT). Please follow the link for further information. Employers must select an EPA organisation from the SFA Register of Apprentice Assessment Organisations (RoAAO), approved to deliver this particular standard: Term On-Programme General Definition within Trailblazers This is the period from start until the EPA gateway is met. Apprentices require a minimum period of 12 months on-programme training, with 20% off-the-job training prior to taking the EPA to meet funding eligibility requirements. It will include training to develop the skills, knowledge and behaviours detailed on the standard, including English and maths where required. Preparation for the EPA should be completed in this phase. This is the area of significant interest for apprenticeship training providers. Gateway Trainer Any requirements that must be completed/achieved as a pre-requisite to undertaking the EPA are termed the gateway. For example English and maths minimum requirements. The gateway components are therefore the key outputs of the on-programme training period. The term trainer is commonly used in relation to roles within the on-programme period. A trainer may be appointed by the employer or training providers to deliver some or all parts of the on-programme phase of training. This includes delivering preparation for the EPA and all gateway components. The trainer has no status within the EPA, unless specifically referenced and approved within the assessment plan (for example being a signatory to a portfolio or a panel PRG report Customer Service Prac V3.docx Page 3 of 13

5 interview). The terminology used with this standard is: Training Provider Independent Assessor Individuals involved in administering and delivering the EPA are commonly termed the assessor, end-point assessor or independent assessor and must be appointed by an approved EPA organisation. The terminology used with this standard is: Assessment Organisation/Independent Assessor PRG report Customer Service Prac V3.docx Page 4 of 13

6 On programme components: to develop the skills, knowledge and behaviours detailed on the standard and to prepare apprentices for endpoint assessment Apprentices require a minimum period of 12 months on-programme training, with 20% offthe-job training prior to taking the EPA to meet funding eligibility requirements. It will include training to develop the knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSB) detailed on the standard. The KSB covered in the standard are generic for all apprentices undertaking this apprenticeship and must be achieved in all cases. This allows for transferability between employers and provides the benchmark for EPA. The importance of robust initial assessment and information, advice and guidance remains high especially for apprentices with low level English and maths. There are no mandated qualifications included in this standard other than English and maths. Whilst the employer group has not specifically recommended any qualifications for on-programme delivery, the provider group has highlighted the Level 2 NVQ Certificate in Customer Service and the Level 2 Diploma in Customer Service as possible qualifications that may be of interest to employers. It is important not to assume that these qualifications will cover all of the KSBs defined in the standards and may only form part of the onprogramme delivery. If providers or employers (who intend to deliver qualifications themselves) wish to include accredited qualifications they must have the centre/qualification approval from the relevant Awarding Body. Preparation for the EPA should be completed in this on-programme phase. The flexibility to deliver non-accredited training and assessment is implicit in this standard, where the employer requires this option. There is a need for providers to build a robust ILP that progresses the apprentice towards EPA. It is highly likely that employers would take responsibility for delivering some of the KSBs in the workplace; therefore it is essential that the ILP is sufficiently detailed to help the apprentice understand how they are going to attain the relevant KSBs to achieve the apprenticeship. The line between what an employer delivers and what a provider delivers is entirely driven by the negotiation between the two parties. The Apprentice Showcase, which forms part of the EPA, enables apprentices to reflect and present examples of their development over the whole on-programme period. With guidance from the employer and/or training provider, the apprentice will select appropriate evidence from the on-programme portfolio to demonstrate the minimum requirements of the standard at the final stage of the programme as an Apprentice Showcase. This should be taken into account when developing on-programme content. The Standard The Assessment Plan SFA funding guidance: Apprenticeship standards quality statement Embedded functional skills materials Register of Training Organisations (ROTO) SFA Register of Apprentice Assessment Organisations (RoAAO) PRG report Customer Service Prac V3.docx Page 5 of 13

7 Delivery models/ Infrastructure: the drive towards effective competence-based and situational training The requirement for English and maths remains broadly consistent with framework requirements. Requirements for safeguarding, Prevent and equality and diversity etc. are covered within the requirements of the existing Ofsted Common Inspection Framework so this should continue to be referred to for on-programme delivery for both frameworks and standards. It is not the place of a provider readiness group (PRG) to dictate or even recommend particular models of delivery, as this should remain flexible to individual providers to take into account the needs of the employers they work with and their own internal capability. There is an opportunity for employers to deliver a proportion of the on-programme KSBs in the workplace for this standard. This should be taken into account when negotiating the delivery model and associated costs with an employer as highlighted earlier in this report. The following should be considered by providers when determining their approach to delivery: How will providers effectively tailor on-programme learning activity, to capture the employer s service culture to ensure apprentices can express these unique service offers at EPA? If the employer elects to deliver some/all of the on-programme content, has the provider developed models that are flexible enough to accommodate this and considered any associated risks to their own success rates? What are the implications on caseloads? How will providers develop the capacity to take account of various delivery models, from delivering all training and assessment on-programme, shared delivery with the employer or solely in preparing the apprentice for the EPA? Will providers continue to utilise e-portfolios to organise on-programme work? How can e-portfolio suppliers adapt to providing non-qualification based solutions? How can providers capitalise on technology enhanced learning strategies to develop the quality and efficiency of delivery? How can providers ensure internal quality assurance policies and processes are robust, not reliant on external verification and continue to focus on the requirements of the Common Inspection Framework? Are providers clear on the potential benefits of using appropriate qualifications as The Standard The Assessment Plan The employer brief (under development) to accompany the plan will provide description of high level learning outcomes to support employers and providers to prepare apprentices for assessment PRG report Customer Service Prac V3.docx Page 6 of 13

8 Resources: materials/ resources/ equipment part of the on-programme delivery where required by the employer? Are we clearly articulating these to employers to help inform their decisions? How can providers demonstrate the value they add to the on-programme components to both employers and apprentices? Whilst working under lead arrangements, lead providers are responsible for co-ordinating with the other chosen providers to ensure the successful delivery of the apprenticeship training and the EPA. The requirement to design resources adapted to suit each employer s customer service culture and core values will be essential and providers are likely to need to develop a core set of training materials which can be adapted for each employer. The option remains that employers may still require providers to cost and deliver a customer service related qualification and therefore associated resources will be required. Possible options for development of resources for providers to consider are: How will providers develop practical and knowledge based training resources which are sufficiently flexible to cope with the wide breadth of customer service environments? Will providers consider a blended approach, utilising online and classroom based learning, and how will this compliment where the employer decides to deliver a proportion of the KSBs in the workplace? Is there the potential to better utilise online learning on-programme resources for English and maths development, complimented by distance learning support? The paperwork associated with on-programme delivery will be essential to understand progress and impact of learning throughout the programme of delivery. How will this change from what is already in place? What resources are available from the assessment organisations, or can be developed by the provider, to adequately prepare the apprentice for the requirements of EPA, including the grading element? PRG report Customer Service Prac V3.docx Page 7 of 13

9 Staffing: Staff qualifications and skills needed A good level of occupational competence and effective teaching, training and assessment skills will be critical to effective delivery. Where qualifications are not utilised, it remains important that providers make decisions on the qualifications and experience required by their own staff to ensure delivery is of a high quality. The requirement to potentially design and deliver programmes of learning without underpinning NVQs or Diplomas may require skills development amongst existing staff if this is not familiar to them. The following is for consideration by providers when considering staffing and skills development: Experience of delivering in the industry is key to credibility with the employer; how will providers demonstrate this industry experience? Do provider staff have the skills to design and deliver a programme of training without using qualifications such as the NVQ? Where employers deliver some of the on-programme training, what can the provider do to ensure this is of a high quality and suitable to progress the apprentice towards EPA? Is there an opportunity for providers to up-skill employers to become effective mentors? As the success data of apprentices will sit with the lead provider for the foreseeable future, what considerations need to be taken into account before deciding to work with an employer who undertakes a high proportion of the delivery themselves? How will providers prepare their staff for delivery to ensure apprentices are ready for EPA? How will they develop formative assessment activities to provide employers with the confidence that the apprentice is end-point ready? How does grading affect the way in which we educate and prepare apprentices for EPA? Do we need to upskill our staff to support this? What are the implications for the skills/staffing in relation to internal quality assurance (such as IQAs) under the reforms? How can provider s best utilise this expertise? Is there a need to review existing job descriptions if the balance of activity is towards assessment rather than training? PRG report Customer Service Prac V3.docx Page 8 of 13

10 Costing: costs associated with the resources Business Development/Employer Engagement The capacity to negotiate pricing and delivery models may result in a change to a provider s structure, staffing or skills in this area as it will fundamentally alter the way in which contracts are determined and require a level of commercial acumen that may not be the norm. The following questions are for consideration by providers when looking at their approach to this: If delivery fees are not already charged, how will staff need to alter their approach and develop their skill set to meet this need? What training do we need to put in place to support this? If business development is within the remit of trainers/assessors, is this sustainable in the long term with this increased expectation? A key action for providers will be to determine the cost of their provision from apprentice recruitment through to certification against the new standard, to allow them to build up suitable pricing models. Assessment organisations are yet to be established at the time of writing the report. The following questions are for consideration by providers: Do providers know the cost of each element of delivery as this will be crucial to an effective pricing model? What are the implications if an employer delivers some of the on-programme content? Have providers explored using online English and maths courses as an efficient delivery method to sit alongside tutor delivery? How do providers develop a payment model which suits the employers, as well as securing effective cash flow for the provider, as this will be essential to a sustainable delivery model? Do providers have a robust contract that we can use between the provider and employer which reflects all costs, including any potential resits of the EPA? Are providers up to date on the latest trial funding model and future levy model guidance to ensure decisions are being made based on the latest available information? SFA funding guidance FA website example contracts, costings for on-programme activity PRG report Customer Service Prac V3.docx Page 9 of 13

11 Marketing / Communication: promoting the offer to employers/ apprentices End-point Assessment: Employers: Start to discuss the implications of the levy with existing and potential employers. The information is clearer for levy payers but less well defined for non-levy payers. Prepare resources that support staff to respond effectively to queries as well as proactively discussing future options with employers Make effective use of the 2 page standards to market those standards. The standard is clear and concise and will encourage employers to get more involved in participating in delivery, especially if this reduces their cost Understand how to manage dual apprentice framework/standard delivery. What are the key messages for employers? Marketing messages emphasis on employer led, understand the message for SME, value-added and variations of delivery models It is the employer s decision which assessment organisation to use from those on the register. Employers will still need to work with a lead provider for the foreseeable future to engage assessment organisations in the delivery journey. The PRG members recognise the importance of understanding the end assessment criteria, particularly in relation to grading.. The PRG recognises that on a relatively short apprenticeship programme such as this one, there is a risk inherent in starting apprentices on programme without having an assessment organisation in place to advise on their approach to delivering the requirements of the assessment plan, or confirm associated costs. End Assessment Practical Information The employer, and, if appropriate in conjunction with the training provider, will formally sign-off that the apprentice has met the minimum requirements in regards to knowledge, skills and behaviours within the standard and confirm they are ready to move on to the EPA Employers within the sector have strongly expressed that EPA methods should be flexible, and where possible delivered virtually due to the impact of demand fluctuation on the quality of customer service within the sector. The proposed assessment plan identifies the following components in the end assessment which will take place after at least 12 months once the apprentice passes through the EPA gateway: Apprentice Showcase: BIS/NAS materials The Assessment Plan RoAAO PRG report Customer Service Prac V3.docx Page 10 of 13

12 The Apprentice Showcase is compiled after 12 months of on-programme learning. This enables apprentices to reflect and present examples of their development over the whole onprogramme period. It will be assessed by an independent assessor. Practical Observation & Professional Discussion The practical observation and professional discussion provides the opportunity for substantial synoptic assessment across the standard and must include customer interaction. For each of the three assessment methods, all pass criteria across the assessment methods (100%) must be achieved to progress and complete the programme, as identified in Annex A of the assessment plan. For a distinction to be awarded, apprentices must achieve all pass criteria, in addition to the required percentage of distinction criteria from each assessment method, as identified in Annex A. The assessment plan states that if any part of the assessment is not sufficient when first submitted, there will be an opportunity for resubmission, or observation or professional discussion to be repeated, however multiple assessment opportunities are not expected; all parties should be confident that the apprentice is ready to start the EPA with practice runs taking place before formal assessment is completed. Should the apprentices fail any part of the EPA, further development must be provided prior to a re-take. If the apprentice re-sits with no additional learning, the individual employer will be responsible for bearing the cost. Assessment Method Weighting Duration To achieve a pass To achieve a Distinction Apprentice Showcase Practical Observation Professional Discussion 65% After a min of 12 months onprogramme learning 20% Minimum of 1 hour 100% You must meet all of the pass criteria AND 70% of the distinction criteria 100% You must meet all of the pass criteria AND 80% of the distinction criteria 15% 1 hour 100% You must meet all of the pass criteria AND 75% of the distinction criteria PRG report Customer Service Prac V3.docx Page 11 of 13

13 Managing relationships with Employer and Apprentices: employer/ provider/ apprentice contracts A consideration for employers when choosing an assessment organisation is to identify how the assessment organisations will obtain the knowledge and understanding of the employer s unique service standards in order to assess effectively. The employer group has named Ofqual as the external quality assurance body overseeing the quality of EPA. It is worth noting that if a provider intends to apply to become an apprentice assessment organisation, they must satisfy the requirements of Ofqual, as well as the SFA register of apprentice assessment organisations. This should be discussed with Ofqual directly to understand the process for registration. It is the role of the assessment organisation to interpret the assessment plan and provide information to training providers and employers, on how each element of the EPA will be assessed in practice. The PRG recommends that once the assessment plan is approved and available on the gov.uk website, training providers familiarise themselves with it in the first instance, as this will help in determining more detailed questions they have of the assessment organisations. Providers will need to develop a new approach to contracting with employers which encompasses the price, delivery expectations of both parties and specifics such as payment for re-sits (see funding guide for further information). Information concerning the EPA and agreed assessment organisation will also need to be included. It is expected that for this standard, employers may choose to deliver some of the apprenticeship on-programme content themselves. Therefore changes in working practices for providers are highly likely when working with employers and apprentices. SFA funding guidance Subcontracting relationships: Lead provider role and potential for collaboration on apprenticeship delivery It is intended that all employers will have the opportunity to procure their apprenticeships through the Digital Apprenticeship Service (DAS) as part of the phased implementation. However, in the immediate term, employers will still require a lead provider to access funds and therefore subcontracting arrangements can remain as part of the delivery model, especially collaborative working relationships. Early indications are that SMEs will be able to procure via DAS at some point before the end of this parliament, and the PRG recognises that employers and training providers require clarity from policy makers, on the long term future of subcontracting, to ensure they can set out robust development plans to successfully deliver growth apprenticeships. SFA funding guidance PRG report Customer Service Prac V3.docx Page 12 of 13

14 Progression: Professional registration There is a progression opportunity to the Customer Experience Level 3 Apprenticeship. There may also be other appropriate standards and qualifications in specific sectors that provide appropriate progression depending on the apprentice s chosen career path. Apprentices can become members of The Institute of Customer Service as an outcome of a successful EPA. PRG report Customer Service Prac V3.docx Page 13 of 13