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Guidance for applicants to become BERKELEYME SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT centres

As an BERKELEYME SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT Centre you are required to have policies, procedures and certain documents in place to meet the BERKELEYME SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT Health Check requirements and to provide guidance for your staff and learners, so they understand what is required of them and how you deliver qualifications and programmes.

You must develop your own polices to reflect your internal practice(s) and as such ‘own’ them. You must ensure that staff and learners are familiar with their content and the processes involved.

The information provided is only for guidance for centres, in the development of centre policies and procedures and you should include relevant information in your policies and procedures to meet the needs of your centre.

BERKELEYME SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT will check these policies during the Health Check process, when Monitoring and Development visits are carried out and will expect you to review them and make appropriate changes and amendments as required.

Reasonable Adjustments and Special Considerations Policy

All centres are required to have their own guidance and process for reasonable adjustment arrangements and special considerations and to ensure that all staff within the centre are familiar with the content.

The policy should include:

•   The process to follow when deciding to allow a reasonable adjustment to be made

•   The process to follow when deciding to allow a special consideration to be applied

•   The timeframe within which a request must be made

•   The responsibilities of those involved

•   Timescales for each stage of the decision making process

•    The evidence required to be provided to justify the reasonable adjustment or special considerations

•   The requirement to keep such evidence for a specified time period

Complaints Policy

There must be a complaints policy in place to allow a learner to make a complaint about something other than the assessment process.

The policy should include:

•   What can be complained about, e.g. an individual, the centre, a centre policy

•   The process to follow to make a complaint

•   The timeframe within which a complaint must be made

•    The different stages of the complaint and which role will be responsible for dealing with each stage

•   Responsibilities for those involved at each stage

•   Timescales for each stage

•   The requirement to follow the centres policy before escalation to BERKELEYME SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT

•   How a complaint can be escalated and to whom i.e. BERKELEYME SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT, where necessary

Conflicts of Interest Policy

It is a requirement for all tutors / trainers / teachers, assessors, internal quality assurers and anyone else involved in the delivery and assessment of BERKELEYME SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT qualifications to disclose any actual or potential conflict of interest and the centre should have a policy in place for dealing with this.

The policy should include:

•   A definition of Conflict of Interest and what may constitute a conflict.

•   The process for declaring any conflict of interest:

o  All tutors, assessors, internal quality assurers must complete a conflict of interest form on appointment to the organisation.

o  The form is to be completed even when the individual has no conflicts of interest to declare.

o The conflict of interest declaration is updated on an annual basis by all staff.

o  The information held on the conflict of interest form is held centrally and monitored by a designated person at the Centre.

o  If the individual concerned has any changes to their declared circumstances, they must inform their line manager immediately in writing.

•   How declared conflicts of interest will be dealt with and by who.

•   A written record of the outcome of how any identified conflict is dealt with .

Data Protection Policy

This policy will reflect your own organisation’s policy, which you may already have, but will be

related to the learners on your programmes.

The policy should include:

•   What learner data you will retain and the reasons(s) for retaining it.

•   How you will handle, protect and store data.

•   How it will be used by you and who it will be shared with.

Appeals Policy

On occasions a learner may disagree with their assessment outcome and may want to appeal the assessor’s decision – there must be a clear process for them to follow that allows this appeal.

The policy should include:

•   The grounds for an appeal.

•   The process a learner has to follow to make an appeal.

•   The timeframe within which appeals must be made.

•   The different stages of the appeal.

•   Responsibilities for those involved at each stage of the appeal.

•   Timescales for each stage of the appeal process.

•    How an appeal can be escalated once the centre’s process has been exhausted and to whom i.e. BERKELEYME SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT, where necessary.

Equality and Diversity Policy

This policy will reflect your own organisation’s policy, which you may already have in place, but

will be related to the learners on your programmes. The policy should include:

•    A statement setting out the centre commitment to Equality & Diversity and anti- discrimination with reference to the protected characteristics in the Diversity Act 2010 (UK Legislation) or national equivalent for international centres.

•   How the policy will be disseminated to staff and learners.

•    How your commitment to equal opportunities and anti-discrimination is implemented in delivery and assessment.

•    Guidance on how to identify those who may be vulnerable to discrimination within the centre – for instance during programme delivery or assessment.

•    Guidance to staff on what constitutes or could constitute anti-discriminatory practice in the delivery of BERKELEYME SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT qualifications.

•   Guidance on how the organisation promotes equality and diversity.

•    How the centre ensures appropriate access to buildings, facilities, learning, learning support and assessment.

•   The process for dealing with discriminatory practice within the organisation.

•   How the policy will be reviewed and revised.

•    Records and record-keeping practices relating to the equalities and diversity policy and its implementation, including any complaints or appeals.

Internal Quality Assurance Policy

This policy will reflect your internal quality assurance processes.

The policy should include:

•   A description of key roles and responsibilities for each – (trainers / tutors / teachers/

assessor / IQA).

•   The process for designing and checking that learning programmes are fit for purpose.

•    The sampling checks that the Internal Quality Assurer will carry out to ensure that assessment decisions are in line with qualification requirements.

•   The requirement for interim and summative sampling by the IQA.

•   The amount or level of sampling.

•    The criteria for sampling e.g. all assessors, new assessors, assessment methods across all units etc.

•   How feedback will be given to assessors, what document(s) will be used.

•   What records of assessment / IQA will be retained and for how long.

•   How programmes and learner progress will be monitored.

•    How often standardisation meetings will be run, the agenda and attendance requirements.

•   Staff induction process.

Assessment Policy

Centres must have a policy that describes the assessment process it will use for each of the qualifications it has requested approval to deliver.

This policy must include:

•   The role of the assessor.

•   How the qualifications will be assessed – whether BERKELEYME SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT assignments or BERKELEYME SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT

approved centre devised assignments are to be used.

•    The requirements for assessing against the learning outcomes at the standards described (assessment criteria).

•    The requirement for assessors to provide detailed and meaningful feedback, both developmental and in confirming achievement to learners, against each assessment criteria.

•   How the assessment and feedback will be recorded.

Health and Safety Policy

This policy will reflect your own organisation’s policy, which you may already have in place, but

will be related to the learners on your programmes.

This policy must include:

•   A commitment to the health and safety of all staff and learners.

•   How learning and teaching environments will be risk assessed.

•   How any health and safety issues will be mitigated.

•    What the reporting process is for health and safety issues identified in the learning and teaching environment.

•    Health and safety responsibilities of staff and learners and who is responsible for the management of this area.

Instructions for Conducting Time Constrained Summative Assessments and Test Policy

(if appropriate)

If you are delivering an BERKELEYME SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT qualification which involves using Time Constrained Summative

Assessments and Tests you must have an appropriate policy.

This policy must include:

•   The requirements of the assessment environment and facilities (room layout etc.)

•   What information will be provided for learners

•   Date, time, duration and location of the assessment

•   Format of the assessment e.g. multiple choice questions etc.

•   Equipment they will require (if any)

•   How assessment materials will be kept secure.

•   Invigilation / supervision arrangements.

•   Access to assessment arrangements for candidates.

•   Assessment resources.

•   Identification of candidates.

•   Allowing staff in assessment rooms and conflict of interests.

•   Procedure for starting, during and ending the assessment.

•   Misconduct and irregularities.

•   Dealing with emergencies.

•   Management of the learner assessments.

Malpractice and Maladministration Policy

Centres must have a Malpractice policy and procedure for dealing with Malpractice, including

Maladministration and Plagiarism.

Malpractice is defined by BERKELEYME SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT as ‘non-compliance with the regulations pertaining to the assessment process, which may adversely affect the integrity of a qualification, its assessment and the validity of learner certificates’.

Maladministration is defined by BERKELEYME SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT as ‘any activity, neglect, default or other practice that results in the centre not complying with the specified requirements for delivery and assessment of the qualifications as set out in the relevant regulatory and BERKELEYME SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT requirements.’

Plagiarism is defined by BERKELEYME SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT as ‘the presentation of work by learners as their own, without appropriate acknowledgment that the source belongs to others.’

The policy should include:

•   A definition of Malpractice and Maladministration.

•   Examples of Centre malpractice and maladministration.

•   Examples of Learner malpractice and maladministration.

•    The process for dealing and investigating instances of suspected or actual malpractice and maladministration and potential steps that can be taken to prevent a reoccurrence.

•    Reference that all suspected or alleged cases of malpractice or maladministration must be reported immediately to BERKELEYME SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT with details of the alleged activity and the source/evidence for the allegation.

•   A definition of Plagiarism.

•   Examples of Plagiarism.

•    A statement that the centre will use a reputable plagiarism detection software for all learner work prior to assessment.

•   Guidelines to learners.

•   A process for dealing with plagiarism to include informing BERKELEYME SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT.

Recognition of Prior Learning Policy (RPL)

Where the centre intends to use recognition of prior learning there must be a policy in place. The policy should include:

•   What is RPL – an explanation of what RPL is.

•   The process for assessment of evidence against the qualification and / or unit

o The process for advising the learner about RPL requirements.

o What support is available for learners in the RPL process.

o The requirement for the learner to provide appropriate evidence to support the

RPL claim.

o The type of evidence the learner could present for RPL.

o  The process for the assessor to follow when assessing and the evidence presented against the qualification and unit requirements.

o The requirement for an IQA to quality assure the assessor decision.

•   The process for claiming of certificates from BERKELEYME SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT using RPL.

Resubmissions Policy

Where assessor ‘fails’ or ‘refers’ a learner work due to it not meeting the requirements of the qualification unit, the centre must have a policy in place to outline the number of resubmissions that will be accepted by the centre.

The policy should include:

•    The requirements for learner work to meet the unit learning outcomes at the standards described (assessment criteria).

•   How many resubmissions are permitted.

•    The process to be followed by the assessor when referring work back to learners, including the requirement for detailed feedback and reasons for the referral.

•   How resubmission and the number of resubmissions will be recorded and where.

Recruitment of Learners

BERKELEYME SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT has listed the entry criteria for different levels of qualification and the centre must have a policy that sets out how learners are recruited and supported to select the correct qualification for them.

The policy should include:

•   How learners are recruited

•   How learners are provided with advice and enrolled on the appropriate qualification

•   How and in what format(s) learner records are stored

•   What the learner induction includes

Curriculum Plan / Scheme of Work

BERKELEYME SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT requires centres to have in place a curriculum plan or scheme of work for each qualification it is seeking approval to deliver and to provide this for the Health Check for each qualification.

This document(s) will consist of

•   The number of weeks the programme will be delivered over.

•   Which subject areas will be covered on which week(s).

•   Which units in the qualification the subject areas directly relate to.

•   When assessment will take place.

•   When Internal Quality Assurance will take place. This document could take the form of a table or grid.

Lesson Plan

BERKELEYME SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT requires centres to have lesson plans in place for each qualification it is seeking approval to deliver and to provide an example of these for each qualification at the Health Check.

This document(s) should include:

•   The title of the lesson.

•   The various subject areas to be taught within the session.

•   Timings for the various subject areas.

•    What form of activity will take place and when (group task / individual task / presentation etc.)

•    Where assessment will take place, whether it is formative or summative and what form that will be

•   Identification of any resources required for specified activities