Academic Policies

Introduction
Reviews of Results and Appeals allow candidates the opportunity to ensure that the marking and moderation processes carried out by CPSE Global and OTHM for a particular assessment were followed correctly. Review of Results and Appeals allow candidates to ensure that the result issued to them is fully justified including any scaling and/or special consideration decisions, and/or Academic Misconduct penalties.

Scope and ground for appeals:

CPSE Global’s Review of Results and Appeals Policy relates to marking and moderation procedures and their application only, and not matters of academic judgments.

Appropriate grounds for appeal include the belief that documented processes have not been followed correctly, an error occurred during the calculation of marks, and/or that a special consideration or academic misconduct penalty has been incorrectly applied.

Where a Review of Results or Appeal reveals that the original result awarded to a candidate is higher than justified by their work, the grade awarded may be lowered. Where a Review of Results or Appeal raises doubt over the marks awarded to any number of further candidates, this will be investigated fully in order to ensure that the marks issued to all candidates are correct.

Process:

A candidate wishing to submit an Academic Appeal must do so in email, to the coordinator of CPSE Global within ten (10) working days of the dispatch of the result(s) being appealed against. Students should submit their Academic Appeal to (coordinator@cpse-global.com) via email.

Stages of appeal

There are three stages in the appeals process:

• Stage 1: Internal Appeals Panel
• Stage 2: External Appeals Panel
• Stage 3: Independent Appeals Panel

Conditions of Appeals:

OTHM will only consider an appeal if the following conditions have been met:

• The appeal is submitted to OTHM in writing by the Head of Centre and includes the grounds for the appeal and any supporting documentation;
• An appeal is submitted once the Centre’s own internal procedures have been exhausted;
• The individual learner remains dissatisfied with the outcome of the Centre’s internal appeals procedure and wants to pursue the appeal further with OTHM. In such a case, the appeal must be submitted to OTHM in writing by the Head of Centre and include the grounds for appeal and any supporting documentation;
• the appeal is submitted within 14 calendar days of the receipt by the appellant of the OTHM or Centre decision under question;
• A Centre notifies OTHM within 14 calendar days (of the receipt, by the appellant, of the OTHM or Centre decision under question) that an appellant has lodged an appeal with the Centre’s internal appeals process.

During an appeal:

• The Centre will retain all evidence relating to the appeal case.
• If the appeal involves the work of a learner or group of learners the Centre must retain the work of the complete cohort.
• OTHM will retain all documentation regarding an appeal for a minimum of 18 months.
• Canters will also keep documentation relating to a Centre appeal or an appeal to OTHM for a minimum of 18 months.

Appeals process

Stage 1(Internal Appeal)

This stage of the procedure involves a review of the appeal by the Internal Appeals Panel. This panel is made up of senior OTHM staff, an independent member and a senior associate with experience in the qualification concerned.

The Internal Appeals Panel will make enquiries based on the nature of the appeal and on this evidence, decide if any further work relating to the appeal should be authorized.

For most cases, the appeal can be resolved at this stage.

OTHM will communicate the outcome of this appeal to the Head of Centre within 10 working days of the meeting of the Appeals Panel.

A report of the review will be sent to the Head of Centre within 28 days of the appeal hearing.

Stage 2(External Appeal)

If the Centre or their learners are dissatisfied with the outcome of Stage 1, they may apply to the OTHM External Appeals Panel.

The panel will consider an appeal for stage 2 provided that OTHM’s stage 1 appeal process has been exhausted.

The Panel will include in the decision making at least one independent member, who has had no previous involvement with the case.

The Panel will comprise, as appropriate:

• A member of the team of OTHM External Associates
• An independent member from the Board of Governance
• A member of the senior management team of OTHM.

OTHM will arrange for the panel to review the case and inform the Centre of the outcome of the review.

In cases where panel decisions are required, the majority vote will apply.

OTHM will communicate the outcome of the hearing to the Head of Centre within 7 calendar days of the hearing. A report of the hearing will be sent to the appellant within 28 calendar days of the hearing.

Stage 3(Independent Appeals Panel)

In the event of stages 1 and 2 being exhausted without a satisfactory resolution, stage 3 of the appeals procedures can be invoked. In Stage 3 the case will be put before an Independent Appeals Panel. Members of the Panel will be drawn from the Board of Governance and from other independent assessment experts.

The chair of the Panel will consider the appeal for stage 3 provided that OTHM’s stage 2 appeal process has been exhausted.

The chair of the Independent Appeals Panel will decide if there is an appeal case to be heard.

The appellant will be notified within 14 days if the case has been accepted or not. If it has been accepted the Independent Appeals Panel will be arranged and the case will be heard. The Independent Appeals Panel will review all the evidence presented at Stages 1 and 2. They will review whether OTHM has applied its procedures fairly, appropriately and consistently in line with policy.

The independent review process may involve:

• A discussion with the Centre or the learner and OTHM personnel
• A request for further information from the Centre, the learner or OTHM personnel
• A centre visit by authorized OTHM personnel Stage 3 is the final step in the appeals process.

At Stage 3 a final decision will be made regarding the outcome of the initial appeal. The Independent Appeals Panel will communicate the outcome of the hearing to both parties within 7 calendar days of the hearing.

A report of the hearing will be sent to both parties within 28 calendar days of the hearing. In cases where the outcome of an appeal or enquiry against an assessment decision affects the accuracy of results for other learners in the same cohort, the personnel involved in the review of the appeal or enquiry about a result will decide whether the outcome warrants reassessment of all assessments affected.

Following an enquiry or appeal, OTHM will amend Centre and/or learner records where appropriate.

Fees:

OTHM will charge a fee to cover the administrative and personnel costs of any enquiry or appeal and additional fees if they need to carry out a centre visit. However, if OTHM upholds an appeal the fee will be returned. The fees are contained in OTHM’s current Fees Structure which is available on the OTHM website.

1. Principles of Assessment

Learning is a change in skill, attitude, knowledge and understanding and measuring the extent of these changes is the basis of assessment. Assessment is therefore a judgement made on work presented by the learner. At CPSE Global assessment will be:

1. Accessible and relevant for learners
2. Fair and free from bias

iii. Valid, based on achievement of the learning outcomes at the standards provided

1. Sufficient, allowing the learner to generate the evidence needed
2. Manageable for learners and the college
3. Completed in accordance with college timescales.
4. Assessment Planning

Assessment must be planned to ensure it is robust, appropriately resourced and clear to assessors and learners. Learners must have every opportunity to achieve the standards set for a qualification as stated in the unit specification. In order to fulfil this requirement, the process of assessment must be communicated. All stakeholders should be clear about the plan and the systems, which will be implemented to gather learner work and make the assessment judgements. Learners will receive an academic calendar at the start of each unit or combination of units and this will show the timing of assessment.

3. Forms of Assessment

Assessments will take place in the form of e-assessment.

At CPSE Global assessment will be:

Diagnostic assessment:

This will mainly be carried out during enrolment or induction and will help to determine the right programme and level of study and any support, which is needed by the learner.

Formative assessment:

This will take place during learning and will provide feedback and support about the progress made to the learner. Formative assessment should not confirm achievement of grades, but should focus on helping the learner reflect upon their learning and provide feedback to support them to improve their work in order that the learning outcomes are achieved at a pass grade or higher.

Summative assessment:

This assessment normally takes place at the end of a section of a learning programme/unit. This type of assessment measures the extent of the learning and achievement that has taken place and enables a judgement to be made about whether the learner has achieved all the learning outcomes at the standards stated by the assessment criteria within a unit.

In order to achieve learners must demonstrate achievement of all the learning outcomes in a unit at the standards stated by the assessment criteria. If work is not produced to show achievement of a specific learning outcome the learner cannot achieve.

Evidence of plagiarised content in learner work is not acceptable and as the work is not authentic the learning outcome(s) is not met at the stated standards.

At CPSE Global, all assessors will have participated in training, coaching and other forms of staff development to assist them in their role. Assessors will not be involved in making judgements on learner work where there is a conflict of interests. If such a conflict exists, learner work will be assessed by a different assessor.

4. Assignment submission

It is the responsibility of learners to submit assignments for assessment as required by the tutor and in accordance with the dates provided. Where a learner submits an assignment after the deadline without prior discussion with the tutor, the work should be assessed but with strong evidence of reasons of delay.

A student who is unable to meet an assignment deadline because of mitigating circumstances, may request either an extension to the deadline or to defer the assessment. Such requests should be made prior to the assessment deadline and formally approved and recorded. Wherever possible, an extension deadline should not be after summative feedback has been given to other learners on the programme.

5. Assessment performance:

To achieve the full qualification, the learner must pass all the core units and the required number of optional units (the ‘rules of combination’) in order to gain the total number of credits required.

To achieve each unit the learner must provide sufficient evidence to demonstrate achievement of each learning outcome at the standards provided.

Where learners do not meet the standards for a pass based on centre assessment, they will be referred and given feedback on the reasons for the decision. Learners will need to take account of the feedback and resubmit any parts of the work which did not meet the standards. This includes work for extension activities. A deadline will be provided for the resubmission. Learners will have an agreed number of opportunities [determined by the centre] to resubmit work for re-assessment.

Once submitted to OTHM for external moderation, should learners’ work fail to meet the required standards, Centre will act accordingly with OTHM Rules and Regulations.

The work of learners who have achieved a pass and then wish to submit additional work for merit and distinction grades will be accepted.

7. Assessment feedback

All learners will receive detailed and specific feedback on their work. At CPSE Global the feedback will be provided on the electronic copy of the submitted work and this will be returned to the learner. The feedback will clearly identify good practice, showing where the work meets the standards and why. The feedback will also identify where there are omissions, insufficiency of evidence and/or errors.

The feedback will be directly related to achievement of the learning outcomes at the standards given by the assessment criteria. All assessors will follow the OTHM rules for the feedback, so there is consistent practice.

8. Notification of grades

Students will receive feedback within 10 working days following summative assessment by the lecturer/assessor.

9. Malpractice

At CPSE Global any form of malpractice or academic misconduct will be treated seriously and if proven will directly impact on the assessment judgements. Details of the college’s policy on malpractice and how this will be managed can be found in the Malpractice and Maladministration Policy.

11. Claims of error in the conduct of the assessment process.

If a learner believes there has been irregularity in the assessment process, they have the right to appeal against the assessment judgements. The Appeals Policy provides information on the grounds on which an appeal will be considered, how the learner should make the appeal and how this will be managed. Learner appeals that are unable to be resolved through the Centre Appeals Policy may be escalated to OTHM in line with their published Appeals Policy.

Introduction

CPSE Globalintends that there will be no cause to complain about the quality of our services.

We will act fairly, courteously, legally and without bias or prejudice in all such matters and those who choose to submit a complaint will not be disadvantaged in any way by doing so.

CPSE Globalwill endeavour to resolve all problems quickly and efficiently.

We are committed to providing the best possible service and we welcome all forms of feedback.

Definitions:

A complaint is an expression of dissatisfaction by any customer regarding the quality of service provided by CPSE Global.

Scope:

Within the scope of this policy, complaints may be made about:

• The delivery of a programme of study
• Poor quality of facilities or learning resources provided by the College
• Inefficiencies in administration

Complaints Procedure:

• We aim to solve the problem as quickly and efficiently as possible.
• Complaints can be made in email. All complaints made through email should be sent to coordinator@cpse-global.com
• Written complaints should be addressed to: [71-75 Shelton Street Covent Garden London WC2H 9JQ United Kingdom]
• You should submit a complaint as soon as possible and any delay in submitting a complaint will need to be fully explained and may be grounds for rejection. Complaints must be made in writing within 2 weeks of the incident occurring.
• Once received, the complaint will be passed to the team that is best placed to investigate and resolve it. We aim to respond to all complaints within10 working daysof receipt.
• Please note complaints sent through the post may take several days to reach us and may result in a longer response time.
• If complaints are made verbally by telephone, a written account of the enquiry will also need to be submitted by the complainant before we will investigate it.
• Occasionally, depending on the nature of the complaint, we may need longer than 10 working days to issue a full response. If this is the case, we will contact the complainant via emailto provide an update on our progress.
• All complaints, of any nature, will be investigated thoroughly and evidence gathered from relevant sources. The investigation will be coordinated by the appropriate investigating manager who will seek advice and input from other relevant colleagues, as necessary and appropriate.

The complaints procedure developed by the college is made up of three stages:

Stage 1: Informal Resolution

Most complaints should be able to be resolved immediately with discussion between the complainant and the coordinator. The complaint must be made on email and the coordinator should make a response within 10 working days, on email. It is expected that staff are tactful and courteous in dealing with a complaint. If the complainant is dissatisfied with the response received, they should then be guided to using the formal procedure.

Stage 2: Formal Resolution

If Stage 1 is unable to resolve the complaint informally, a formal complaint should be made on email at coordinator@cpseglobal.com within5 working days of the Stage 1 decision. The formal complaint will be forwarded to the Director Admin. The formal complaint will be acknowledged on email to the complainant within 5 working days.

The Director Admin will acknowledge the complaint and carry out an assessment of the complaint within 20 working days.

The Director Admin will carry out an investigation of the complaint and also involve the Principal and Head of Academics and may interview the complainant and the respondent to the matter or events and anyone they believe may have a role in establishing or disproving the complaint, as necessary. They will prepare a summary report within 10 working days of the assessment.

The Head of Admin will record the outcome of the complaint in the Register of Complaints and notify all those involved on email to deliver the outcome.

A formal complaint should be resolved within 20 working days of the receipt of the original formal complaint. If it appears that a decision will not be reached within the due period, those involved will be advised of the need for a longer period.

Stage 3: The Appeals Procedure

If the complainant is not happy with the conduct of the appeal, the complaint can be taken further to the OTHM at info@othm.org.uk, who will investigate the conduct of the investigation.

Definition:

A conflict of interest (COI) is defined as a situation where a person is charged with taking responsibility or making a decision, and where that person or a person with a close relationship to them might benefit unfairly from that position of responsibility or from that decision.

Common situations where a COI is likely to occur within the sphere of OTHM’s activities are:

• The registration of candidates to Centers
• The assessment of candidates
• Internal Management functions and other business interests
• Engagement with external suppliers of services

It is a requirement for all tutors / trainers / teachers, assessors, internal quality assurers and anyone else involved in the delivery and assessment of OTHM qualifications to read and abide by this policy and disclose any actual or potential conflict of interest.

Circumstances in which a COI must be declared

A conflict of interest should be declared in the circumstances below; if in doubt, always declare it.

Type A:

When…

• You
• Your spouse
• Your child
• Another relative
• A close friend
• A person to whom you have obligations are registered on, or taking a course leading to, an OTHM qualification with which you are involved–whether through teaching, administering or assessing.

Type B:

When a person from the list above or a company which they represent is under consideration for an OTHM contract or position at a Centre, and you have influence over the making of that decision. Examples would include procurement of goods or services from external providers, appointment of teaching staff etc.

Process:

• All tutors, assessors, internal quality assurers must complete a conflict of interest form on appointment to the organization.
• The form is to be completed even when the individual has no conflicts of interest to declare.
• The conflict of interest declaration is updated on at least an annual basis by all staff.
• The information held on the conflict of interest form is held centrally and monitored by a designated person at the centre.
• If the individual concerned has any changes to their declared circumstances, they must inform Director Admin immediately in writing or by email.
• If a conflict of interest is identified that has not been disclosed the related examination or assessment will be invalidated and the staff or student disciplinary procedure will be activated. The qualification awarding body will be notified of the conflict of interest.
• When a conflict of interest has been declared, the relevant person will be expected to withdraw from any conversations or activities which may be affected by the conflict.
• Any person who has declared a conflict of interest but fails to recuse themselves may be asked to leave by the College. Any person involved in the admission or assessment of candidates who has declared a conflict of interest but fails to recuse themselves from activities relating to that candidate may be subject to disciplinary action.
• A record will be kept of the outcome of how any identified conflict of interest is dealt with.

Procedures for the declaration of interests

If any person should declare their interests in line with the definitions stated above, they must normally do so in writing or by email to the Head of Admin of CPSE Global at email admin@cpse-global.com

Employees of CPSE Global who fail to declare interests will be considered to have committed malpractice as outlined in the Malpractice and Maladministration Policy, and as such the employee or Centre may be sanctioned.

If you are unsure what to declare, whether to declare, or how to declare, please contact CPSE Global Head of Admin for guidance.

Data Protection

Any information provided when declaring an interest will be treated in accordance with data protection principles as set out in the Data Protection Act 1998 and 2018, and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Data will be processed only to ensure that relevant persons act in the best interests of OTHM, its centres and learners. The information provided will not be used for any other purpose.

Recusal

When a conflict of interest has been declared, the relevant person will be expected to withdraw from any conversations or activities, which may be affected by the conflict. This is known as ‘recusing yourself’. Any person attending a meeting who has declared a conflict of interest but fails to recuse themselves may be asked to leave by the Chair. Any person involved in the admission or assessment of learners who has declared a conflict of interest but fails to recuse themselves from activities relating to that learner may be subject to disciplinary action.

Recognizing conflicts

CPSE Global will ensure that all staff and associates involved in decisions and the individual work of learners will have no personal interest in that Centre or learner.

All CPSE Global staff and associates are required to sign a declaration stating any potential Conflict of Interest that has or may occur.

OTHM requires CPSE Global to have systems in place to identify and manage any potential conflicts of interest in assessment and internal verification.

Responsibilities

It is the responsibility of all persons, when involved in the development, delivery and awarding of OTHM qualifications and other associated activities to:

• conduct their activities so that the aims of OTHM are implemented;
• ensure that they make their role clear and separate this from their other functions, as far as is possible;
• monitor their activities, to maintain the integrity of OTHM qualifications;
• Recognize and report any potential or existing conflict. The possibility of a conflict or potential conflict may be declared by any key stakeholder as an entity or any individual. Anyone involved in any way in the development and delivery of OTHM qualifications at CPSE Global must inform Head of Admin at CPSE Global if:
• They are closely related to, or are teaching/training any learner who is preparing for a form of assessment;
• They receive scripts or other forms of work submitted for assessment from learners;
• They are related to any person who is a director, employee or contractor of CPSE Global; or
• Their work for CPSE Global would be affected by a personal interest or personal association in any other way.

Individual responsibility

1. Individuals within CPSE Global have responsibility for ensuring that they are familiar with the Conflict of Interest Policy and any guidelines.
2. All individuals will be required annually to read and understand the Conflict of Interest Policy.

iii. The most important feature of the policy is the requirement that an individual disclose any activity that might give rise to a potential conflict of interest. If there is any doubt whether it represents a conflict of interest report it!

1. It is an individual’s responsibility to complete any required conflict of interest training.

Managing Conflicts

In most cases, it is envisaged that simple measures will be enough to manage conflicts of interest. It may be that the activity can be managed differently so that conflicts of interest are avoided. In circumstances where the conflict of interest is fundamental and unmanageable, an individual will be prevented from undertaking specific activities.

Procedure for managing Conflict of Interest

Procedure for managing Conflict of Interest Procedure for reporting and managing potential or existing conflicts is as follows:

1. Annual Statement of Conflict of Interest policy to be undertaken by all CPSE Global staff.
2. Individual or Key Stakeholder to declare identified potential or actual conflict by completing the COI Declaration Form provided by OTHM.

iii. Individuals in a Centre should declare their conflict of interest through Head of Admin in the Centre.

Resolution of Conflict:

In some cases, simple measures can be put in place – for example the individual agrees that they will not be involved in making decisions. In other cases, a discussion will be needed to reach a decision about how the conflict will be managed. The circumstances of the disclosure will dictate who is involved in the discussion.

Decision:

Normally it will be sufficient to gain an undertaking from the individual or key stakeholder to conduct their responsibilities so that the integrity of OTHM qualifications are maintained, as well as their own integrity reorganize activities and/or key functions so that the conflict is mitigated.

If neither of the above steps is possible, another solution must be agreed. The solution should be in proportion to the nature of the conflict; in extreme circumstances, activities may need to be monitored or even restricted. The decision as to how the conflict is managed is final.

1. Introduction

This policy sets out the Centre’s approach to continuous professional development (CPD) for academic staff. It gives the rationale for CPD with the types and content of CPD provided, and how they are selected. It explains how CPD is managed and delivered by the CPD Coordinator, and how it is monitored and reviewed by the Administration.

2. Purpose

The Academic Staff Continuous Professional Development (CPD) Policy sets out the Centre’s commitment to the professional development of its academic staff. The Policy ensures that academic staff have and develop the knowledge, skills and personal qualities they need, in order to provide the highest possible quality of learning, teaching and assessment to students at the Centre, in accordance with the Centre’s vision, mission and strategic priorities.

The Policy supports the work, by improving staff performance through focussed training and workshops that harnesses the collective expertise of internal and external stakeholders and adds value to the student experience. The CPD policy for academic staff will enhance their career prospects, increase their learning capacity, encouraging participation in and commitment to lifelong learning, and ensure they are able to adapt to ongoing change in Higher Education.

3. Scope

This policy covers all all types of CPD activity carried out by academic staff working on all of the Centre’s programmes.

4. Aims of CPD

In order to ensure that academic staff are able to support the achievement of key priorities from the Centre’s Strategic Plan, the Academic Staff CPD Policy has the following aims:

• Provide academic staff with the training and support they need in order to ensure students attain academic excellence
• Provide academic staff with the training and support they need for their own personal development
• Motivate and inspire academic staff to collaborate as a team towards the achievement of the Centre’s vision

5. Types of CPD for Academic Staff

CPD for academic staff may consist of the following activities, though not exclusively so:

• Formal study leading to a qualification
• Short training courses and workshops provided by external bodies or partner organisations
• The Centre’s own tailored CPD programme comprising of in-house training and workshops
• Events organised internally or by external bodies such as conferences and exhibitions
• Private study by an individual that has been recorded on a personal professional development plan, observation of learning and teaching action plan or staff appraisal development plan
• Skills training such as languages or IT

6. Costs of CPD

All in-house CPD will be provided to all eligible staff free of charge. If staff are required to attend training, they may be remunerated for their time depending upon the terms of their employment at the Centre.

Staff seeking to attend external training may submit a request to the CEO for Centre financial support. The decision to provide financial support for external training will be decided by the CEO on a case by case basis. There is no guarantee that the Centre will fund external training.

7. Sources of CPD Activities

CPD activities for training and workshops will be planned and implemented according to some or all of the following criteria:

• Areas of development identified in observations of learning and teaching
• Areas of development identified in staff appraisals and the personal and professional development plans of staff
• Requests from lecturers regarding their own needs taken from informal requests
• Regulatory requirements, recommendations or essential actions reports provided by external bodies including partner organisations, awarding bodies, accreditation bodies and professional membership bodies
• Areas for improvement highlighted by students
• Areas for development in relation to the resourcing of a new partnership or programme by the Partnerships

8. CPD Coordinator

A member of faculty will be appointed as the CPD Coordinator by the CEO with delegated authority for ensuring that the CPD policy is fully implemented, and all its objectives are met. The CPD Coordinator has the following responsibilities:

• In reference to the Sources of CPD activities above, consult with key stakeholders and conduct needs analysis in order to determine what CPD to provide for all academic staff at the Centre
• Create a CPD plan and calendar of in-house academic staff development training and workshops
• Prepare and maintain the CPD training record
• Report and make recommendations to the Administration on the selection and monitoring of CPD for academic staff at the Centre
• Keep records of completed feedback forms for any CPD training conducted by staff
• Ensure there is a conducive environment (online or in-person) for individual and group professional and personal development.

9. Communication

All staff are required to read the CPD Policy. It should be discussed by the Administration and during other staff meetings where relevant. There will be a workshop on the CPD policy for all academic staff as and when the policy is amended.

10. Review & Monitoring of the Policy

The CPD Coordinator will review and monitor the CPD policy and procedures and report to the Administrator on implementation. The policy will be reviewed, and a revised version of the Policy will be submitted to the Administrator as and when required within two years for further amendments and approval.

 Introduction

CPSE Global aims to deliver the highest standard of customer service at all times. This will include dealing with enquiries over the telephone or in writing via email. We also welcome feedback and are pleased to receive comments and suggestions for improvement to our standards of service.

Support

We will endeavour at all times to provide learners with:

• A user-friendly and supportive admission process
• An assurance of quality in respect of procedures and processes.
• An assurance that our business is conducted in a professional manner, and offering you best value for money.
• Fair and competitive prices for all of our services.

General

We will endeavour at all times to:

• Respond to all telephone and e-mail enquiries within five working days.
• Ensure a respectful, friendly and supportive attitude at all times to everyone in contact with CPSE Global.
• To respond to a complaint within five working days
• Listen to and respond positively, in respect of feedback and suggestion
• Ensure that the staff and associates of the company are appropriately qualified.

Introduction:

This Policy sets out the basis on which the College will collect and use Personal Data either where the College collects it from individuals itself, or where it is provided to the College by third parties. It also sets out rules on how the College handles, uses, transfers and stores Personal data.

Personal data we gather:

Personal data we gather may include: individuals’ name, address, phone number, email address, educational background, financial and pay details, details of certificates and diplomas, education and skills, on computer, or in a manual filing system.

Data Retention:

Personal data should only be kept for as long as is necessary to fulfil the purpose it was collected for and for record keeping for a reasonable time. Once data is no longer needed, it should be disposed securely.

Data handling, protecting and storage:

In operating our website it may become necessary to transfer data that we collect from you to locations outside of the European Union for processing and storing. By providing your personal data to us, you agree to this transfer, storing or processing. We do our upmost to ensure that all reasonable steps are taken to make sure that your data is treated and stored securely.

Unfortunately the sending of information via the internet is not totally secure and on occasion such information can be intercepted. We cannot guarantee the security of data that you choose to send us electronically. Sending such information is entirely at your own risk.

The College’s Data Protection Officer will deal with any data breaches/complaints.

Data Usage:

We use the information that we collect from you to provide our services to you. In addition to this we may use the information for one or more of the following purposes:

• To provide information to you that you request from us relating to our products or services.
• Information may be passed onto third party higher education providers to facilitate course progression.
• To provide information to you relating to other products that may be of interest to you. Such additional information will only be provided where you have consented to receive such information.
• To inform you of any changes to our website, services or goods and products.

If you have previously purchased goods or services from us we may provide to you details of similar goods or services, or other goods and services, that you may be interested in.

Data Sharing:

There are occasions where the College must share information with others, for example Local Authorities and Awarding Bodies. Where this happens, the basis of the sharing is either covered in the College’s contract with that organization or is the subject of a Sharing Agreement. Sometimes the College will share information because it is obliged to do so by law. In these situations, the College will not seek the permission from the individual concerned; neither will the College tell them that it has provided the information. If a student or member of staff wants the College to share data with someone else, for example a solicitor, this can only be done with the student or member of staff’s written consent. For learners under the age of 18 at the start of their programme of study, key data will be shared with parents / guardians.

Rights to data:

The College is dedicated to ensuring that the rights of learners and staff about whom information is held can be fully exercised in accordance with GDPR May 2018.

They can request access to the data held on them by emailing Director Admin at admin@cpse-global.com

Introduction:

Distance learning is where students educate themselves without in-person interaction among peers or an instructor. Instead, students rely on the internet for their course delivery

Scope of policy:

This policy applies to the assessment of learners’ work that leads to partial or full completion of OTHM qualifications regulated by Ofqual and that are variously assessed through distance means in the UK and overseas.

Learning made possible by, facilitated and supported using postal means, information and communication technologies such as e-learning, blended learning, flexible learning, instructor led training and the use of web-based materials to supplement classroom-based learning, is included in this policy.

Policy statement:

CPSE Global will have suitable physical and human resources and ensure that learners have access to these. CPSE Globalwill ensure that the requirements of Distance Learning Policy of OTHM are fully met.

CPSE Global will ensure that the purpose and integrity of the qualifications are not compromised in any way using distance learning.

Delivery of the Learning Programme:

CPSE Global will take full account of any restrictions placed on the collation and storage of data on learners and the collection and storage of learners’ evidence of achievement both within and across the borders of countries in which they operate.

CPSE Global will ensure learners are provided with:

• Course information that clearly sets out the responsibilities of the centre for the delivery of the programme of study.
• The qualification specification, to show the intended learning outcomes and associated assessment criteria.
• An explanation of the intended teaching, learning and assessment methods for the programme.
• A clear schedule for the delivery of the distance learning package and associated resources and study materials.
• A clear schedule for assessment of learners’ work.
• Confirmation that the delivery of the distance learning package and associated resources and study materials meet the expectations of OTHM in respect of the quality of teaching and learning-support material for the programme of learning .
• Confirmation that the distance learning provision is subject to the normal, scheduled internal quality assurance processes and the quality improvement cycle.

Support for Learners:

Learners will be provided with:

• A clear explanation of the requirements of the qualification and of the type and amount of independent and supported learning
• A timetable of any support available to them through scheduled activities, for example tutorial sessions or web-based conferences
• Clear and up-to-date information about any local or distance learning support available to them for the programme of learning
• Clarification of their own responsibilities as learners and that of the centre for the support of the programme of learning
• An identified contact, available either locally or remotely through email, telephone or other means, who can give them constructive feedback on their learning and progress towards their qualification aim
• The encouragement to engage fully with their learning, the assessment process and assessment planning
• Equal opportunity to access OTHM qualifications and assessment such that individual learners are not disadvantaged through these being delivered through distance learning
• Tutors, trainers and assessors with appropriate and suitable contemporary knowledge and skills for the delivery of the programme of learning.

Assessment:

Learners will be provided with:

• Clear instructions on the way in which the centre will ensure that evidence submitted by each learner is authentic
• Information on the ways in which their evidence of achievement will be assessed and the way workplace-based and performance evidence will be assessed and how this will be facilitated
• Opportunities for assessment of their evidence of learning to enable individual constructive feedback and guidance towards final (summative) assessment.

Distance Learning Platform System Access and Security:

Cpse Global must have rigorous processes in place to secure authentication of learners’ work and evidence submitted as evidence of learning for assessment purposes.

The distance learning platform should be securely, readily and easily accessible for learners, tutors, assessors, internal quality assurance personnel and OTHM External Quality Assurers (EQAs).

Centres must provide learners with confidence that their evidence of learning will not suffer interference and will be correctly attributed to them. Evidence must be maintained in a secure environment, access to which is limited through:

• A defined hierarchy of user access
• Unique security passwords/IDs provided for each user
• Read-only rights provided to those with limited access
• ‘Isolation’ of completed units following final assessment, when this applies.

The distance learning platform must provide for contingency to mitigate the risks associated with the loss of evidence of learners’ learning through:

• The use of back-up facilities in the event of system failure.
• Facility to archive individual learner evidence on appropriate media e.g. CD ROM, Flash memory sticks.
• For centrally hosted services full Disaster Recovery processes must be in place at the hosting data centre.

Distance Learning Platform Usability and Accessibility:

The distance learning platform will be easy and intuitive to use for all users – learners, tutors, assessors, internal quality assurance personnel and OTHM EQAs– and to be capable of:

• Storing the full range of file types: text, sound, scanned images, digital pictures, video, templates and standard software applications, as required.
• Being customized for learners with special access requirements.
• Providing links to other documents/areas, such as centre policies and procedures, OTHM qualification documentation and other appropriate resources
• providing a full range of user support material such as user guides.

In pursuit of usability and accessibility the distance learning platform must provide learners, tutors, assessors, internal quality assurance personnel and OTHM external quality assurers with full technical support, where needed.

CPSE Global is committed to a policy of equality of opportunity in all aspects of its operations and practices. We are committed to ensuring everyone using our services is treated fairly, with respect and dignity and in accordance with Equality Act 2010.

All CPSE Global staff are required to fully support this equality and diversity policy.

CPSE Global is committed to the prevention of discrimination and actively promotes equality and diversity in access and entitlement to its qualifications and services regardless of gender, age, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, race, nationality, marital status, religion, belief or disability.

Discrimination in the context referred to in this policy may take many forms including but not limited to the following:

• Offensive or hostile treatment of an individual on the grounds of any of the above grounds
• Verbal or physical abuse on the grounds of any of the above grounds
• Displaying overtly offensive material, either written or visual
• Unacceptable behaviour which fails to take into account the needs or rights of others.
• Criticising and denigrating individual practices
• Indirect discrimination; for example, holding examinations on a day on which candidates from a certain religion are unable to attend

CPSE Global will meet its commitments in this policy by ensuring its teaching and learning programmes and support services for learners:

• Are available to everyone who can achieve the required standard
• Are free from barriers which restrict access and progression
• Are free from direct or indirect discrimination with regards to gender, age, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, race, nationality, marital status, religion, belief or disability
• Accommodate, where reasonable to do so, the particular requirements of an individual leaner, including those who may require special consideration to undertake assessment
• Are supported by documents and promotional materials that are easily understood and do not reflect stereotype or bias and reflect the diversity of our learners
• Are quality assured using processes that are fair and transparent

To ensure this policy is understood and supported CPSE Global will:

• Issue a copy to all staff and ensure a copy is made available on the public website
• Organise training and briefings for staff when required

• Include the principles of the policy in all other policy development and practice including all supporting guidance and services for learners
• Review and monitor the effectiveness of this policy and improve it where required.

CPSE Global is made fully aware of the need for this policy and it forms part of their written contract with ATHE. It is also referred to in the application and documents which need to be completedto become a Centre.

CPSE Global will endeavour to respond promptly and efficiently in the event of a member of staff or learner reporting an incidence of inequality or discrimination. All questions or suspected breaches of this policy should be referred to Director Admin by email at admin@cpse-global.com

CPSE Global will keep records relating to the equalities and diversity policy which will include all complaints and appeals.

CPSE Global is committed to ensuring the continuing health, safety and welfare of its employees and students. We will ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that statutory duties are met at all times.

CPSE Global is an online college which provides education to students by distance learning. We do not have students physically in our office.

CPSE Global is committed to this documented Health & Safety Policy, which is designed to

Promote the health, safety and welfare at work of all our employees by achieving the

Following:

• Providing adequate information, instruction and training to employees to ensure their competence.
• Undertaking suitable and sufficient Risk Assessments and Safe Working Procedures for all work activities to ensure a safe place of work.
• Providing and maintaining safe equipment and work place.
• Ensuring that adequate welfare facilities are provided, maintained, kept clean and serviceable.

The company will discuss and exchange ideas relating to Health & Safety at work with their

Employees. Adequate facilities and arrangements will be maintained to enable employees

And their representatives to raise issues of Health & Safety with the company.

Arrangements will be made whereby first aid is given quickly to people injured on the

premises.

Risk Assessments

CPSE Global will carry out a ‘suitable and sufficient’ risk assessment. Risk assessments will

Give a clear picture of what could go wrong and how serious an accident could be. They will

Enable the company to:

• Identify workplace Hazards. (A hazard is anything that has the potential to cause harm)
• Assess the Risk. (A risk is a likelihood of the hazard causing actual harm)
• Take appropriate steps to eliminate or reduce the risk of accidents or injury (i.e. control measures).

All risk assessments will be reviewed at least once a year or if a serious accident or

Occurrence takes place.

Health and Safety Duties of Employees

Employees will be responsible for:

• Taking reasonable care for the health and safety of themselves, their fellow employees, clients, visitors and any other third party by keeping corridors, floors, stairs etc. free from obstruction.
• Co-operating with the company in its execution of safety rules and regulations and any duty imposed under current and any future safety legislation.
• The correct usage of personal protective equipment made available to them as required and wearing sensible footwear at all times.
• Reporting any accident, work related illnesses, hazard, near miss, unsafe or damaged equipment to the Director Admin at the earliest opportunity.
• Keeping equipment and work areas in a safe and tidy condition and keeping fire exits and fire extinguishers unobstructed at all times.
• Co-operating in the investigation of accidents/near misses and never indulging in any behaviour which could cause unintentional physical harm.

Policy Statement:

CPSE Global operates a robust internal quality assurance (IQA) system to ensure that all our training delivery and assessment meets the assessment standards set by the awarding bodies (AO) we work with. The IQA system aims to maintain consistency and accuracy of assessments and ensure that CPSE Global’s practices, resources, processes and procedures meet the requirements of the qualifications that we deliver. IQA is carried out on an ongoing basis and will be conducted in line with the sample plan guide provided in this policy.

Purpose:

• To meet requirements placed on us by the awarding bodies
• Ensure fair and valid decisions are reached for all of our learners
• To provide a continuous check on the consistency and quality of the delivery of courses
• Support tutors who are delivering courses by giving them ongoing constructive feedback helping to enhance delivery and ensure standardisation throughout our course delivery
• Support assessors by giving them ongoing constructive feedback to help ensure standardisation across assessment decisions
• Maintain accurate records and clear audit trail

Scope:

This IQA policy encompasses all team members that impact on the delivery and assessment of qualifications and training supplied by CPSE Global. This system is implemented in line with systems of verification as laid down by the awarding bodies we work with.

Responsibilities:

CPSE Global Management

The centre management includes anyone working on behalf of the centre. The centre management team has the following responsibilities regarding IQA:

• Ensure all policies and procedures are in place including but not limited to health & safety, equality & diversity, complaints, appeals, malpractice/maladministration and safeguarding
• Ensure any awarding organisation policies and procedures and guidance are followed.
• Retain all course paperwork as per the data retention requirements and in line with current data protection legislation
• Registration of all courses in line with the OTHM procedures
• Ensure a sufficient staff of tutors/assessors/IQAs is available to meet course demands and guarantee that any qualifications are able to be delivered and assessed within the AO requirements as per the qualification specification
• Check tutors/assessors/IQAs have the appropriate qualifications and are current through providing CPD evidence
• Allocating tutors/assessors to all courses
• Oversee the IQA system for the centre

• Manage any conflicts of interests and report accordingly through the relevant OTHM policies
• Report any concerns relating to malpractice or maladministration within the centre to the OTHM via the relevant policy
• Ensure learners are aware of any pre-requisites, requirements and policies applicable to them throughout the learning journey
• Ensure course manuals, resources and qualification specifications are the current versions and make any necessary updates as and when they are received from the OTHM

Tutors and Assessors:

CPSE Global has several tutors and assessors who deliver courses on behalf of the centre. Tutors and assessors may conduct both roles. CPSE Global tutors and assessors must conduct the following responsibilities in regard to IQA as part of their role:

• Provide evidence of tutor/assessor qualifications in the relevant disciplines
• Conduct a self-analysis including strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats (SWOT) which will be reviewed annually with their IQA
• Plan, deliver and assess qualifications in line with the qualification specifications, assessment guidance and any other OTHM policies
• Ensure delivery and assessment is explained to learners and they are aware of the process and requirements
• Make learners aware of policies and procedures including equal opportunities, reasonable adjustments, special considerations, complaints and appeals
• Abide by CPSE Global policies and procedures, OTHM policies and procedures and any other relevant legislation
• Report any concerns relating to tutor/assessor/IQA performance to the centre coordinator
• Maintain up-to-date records of training and assessment and pass to the centre management team upon completion of the course
• Give constructive and accurate feedback to learners

Internal Quality Assurers:

Internal quality assurers are responsible to conduct the following:

• Monitor the conduct of assessment
• Create sample plans in line with this policy and the sample guide provided
• Sample learners evidence to verify assessment decision
• Ensure assessors’ judgements are impartial, consistent, fair and reliable
• Ensure evidence appears valid, authentic, current, reliable and sufficient
• Ensure all evidence is signed and dated
• Support and advise assessors and create action points to complete within a specified timeframe
• Follow up any action points issued to assessors
• Quality assurance record keeping for audit trail purposes
• Provide reports to the centre for analysis
• Complete the relevant paperwork for the awarding organisation
• Maintain their own competency and remain current by completing appropriate CPD and standardisation activities, provide evidence to the centre management

• Deliver CPD/standardisation updates to tutors/assessors when required
• Take part in appeals process when needed
• Work with the centre management to do sampling

Conflicts of Interest:

If any individuals need to declare a conflict of interest (examples below) they are required to declare conflict of interest to coordinator by email. CPSE Global will carefully manage any identified conflict of interests and will do so in line with OTHM policies. Examples include:

• Assessor or IQA conducting activities on their own family members/member of their household
• Tutors/assessors/IQA conducting activity on their own delivery/assessment decisions
• Tutors/assessors/IQA conducting assessment on a course whereby one of the learners is a member of their own family or household.

IQA Procedures

Staff Induction:

The appointed IQA will hold a recognised qualification of the qualification being delivered and occupational competence. And would provide a CV or application form detailing occupational background, at an appropriate level, in the specific qualification discipline.

Risk Assessment:

The IQA will carry out a risk assessment on all assessors to identify the necessary contact time and support needed from the IQA. The sample guide in Appendix 1 shows what criteria CPSE Global will measure the tutors/assessors against in order to determine the initial risk factor and this will be reviewed on an ongoing basis. The IQA will be provided with any supporting information as necessary—this could include application form, qualifications, CPD evidence, course feedback etc. The IQA may also contact the assessor to identify the needs and support required—this could include visits to the work area, centre or via email/phone conversations.

Once the IQA has gathered the relevant information and analysed the risk for the assessor it will be documented on a feedback sheet. The centre will liaise with the IQA to note the sampling plan for each assessor and update records accordingly.

Observations:

The IQA will carry out annual IQA observations on every tutor and assessor, this may be conducted in person or via a video calling function. During an observation visit the IQA will complete a Tutor Observation Performance Report and/or Assessor Observation Performance Report and discuss any action points and feedback with the tutor/assessor. The IQA will also take this opportunity to review the risk rating score and the assessors SWOT analysis to identify ongoing learning needs and review developments. Upon completion the IQA will return the relevant documentation to the centre coordinator for IQA records.

The observation must cover the following activities:

• Both practical and theoretical aspects of the course.
• Observe the briefing of learners undertaking the assessment
• Observation of assessment, covering a variety of assessment methods
• Feedback given to learners post-assessment.

The Sampling Process:

To ascertain standardization within the centre all IQAs will complete random sampling using an online random number generator (Google, 2018).

1. The relevant sample size is noted (as determined by risk assessment; Appendix 1)
2. The minimum and maximum learner numbers are inputted into the random number generator and the IQA must generate the number required to satisfy the sample size.
3. Upon completion of the above method the IQA should have a list of learners for which they will sample all units for each learner
4. The result of the random sample is noted on the relevant paperwork for the IQA to carry out the IQA activities on the learners.

The IQA overview will be reviewed quarterly, to ensure that all qualifications and all units within the qualifications have been sampled. Non-random sampling may also take place if learners with additional support needs were present on the course, this would be at the IQA’s discretion.

IQA Documentation:

All IQA records will be maintained in line with OTHM requirements and will be made available for the purposes of auditing.

Records will be kept digitally and all IQAs are responsible for ensuring the security of digital records.

Standardization and Development:

We will conduct annual standardization and team development meetings to ensure all the team are up to date with any qualification delivery/assessment updates or centre policy and procedures updates.

Team members will be emailed any technical updates relevant to the qualifications that they are eligible to deliver/assess, as and when CPSE Global receives them from the relevant awarding bodies. All team members are encouraged to continually develop and update their skills/knowledge and CPSE Global aims to give team members equal opportunity to complete both tutoring and assessing roles, whilst ensuring no conflicts of interest are present.

Monitoring and Review:

This policy and its implementation will be reviewed annually or if required before. We are committed to ensuring that the procedures are fit for purpose and that we are meeting and surpassing the expectations of our learners, centre personnel and the awarding bodies we work with.

Appendix 1

CPSE Global IQA Sample Size Guide

Low Risk (10% or 3 learners, whichever is greater)

• The assessor is experienced (over 12 months)
• There were no action points identified during the last quality assurance activity
• The assessor is current having completed and has evidence of CPD and standardisation (within the last 12 months)

Medium Risk (25% or 4 learners, whichever is greater)

• The assessor has over 6 months experience but under 12 months
• The assessor received a couple of action points on their last quality assurance activity

High Risk (50% or 6 learners, whichever is greater)

• The assessor has under 6 months experience in assessing
• The assessor received numerous action points on their last quality assurance activity
• The assessor does not have evidence/has not participated in CPD within the last 12 months
• There has been a successful appeal against the assessor within the last 6 months

Highest Risk (100%)

• The assessor is assessing within their first 3 courses
• The last time the assessor made an incorrect assessment decision
• The qualification is new to the course organizer.

1 Scope

This policy applies to the Induction schedule of centre and all new learners enrolled with the College.

2 Policy statements

CPSE Global is an online centre aimed at providing education beyond borders. And it is the elegance of our online system that learners can be inducted at any time of the year.

Any learner, who wants to study with CPSE Global can enroll with us and start his/her education immediately. There are no waiting times for the session to get started. Students can study at their own pace in this online system.

The College is committed to helping learners settle into their programme of study, to become effective learners focused on achievement, that are aware of their responsibilities and own their progress and learning.

Centre will provide all learners enrolling on courses with sufficient information during the induction to enable them to complete their induction.

Ensure each induction programme is fair and respectful.

This policy is designed to define malpractice and maladministration, clarify the roles and responsibilities of Centres, learners and OTHM and outline the procedures that will be followed when there are issues of suspected malpractice within a Centre.

Definition of Malpractice and Maladministration

Malpractice:

Malpractice is any deliberate activity, neglect, default or other practice that compromises the integrity of the assessment process and/or the validity of certificates. Malpractice can include criminal offences such as bribery or falsifying of assessment records (fraud). Other examples would include failing to maintain the security of an assessment (e.g. by giving away exam questions or marking schemes), assisting learners in the production of projects and assignments so that the submission is not the learner’s own work, and redacting or changing examination questions or assignment tasks, thus compromising the integrity of the assessment. Malpractice can extend to employing AI models, such as Chat GPT, to generate or complete assignments on behalf of learners, thereby violating academic integrity by submitting work that is not genuinely the learner’s own effort, compromising the authenticity and credibility of the assessment process.

Maladministration:

The term maladministration relates to any activity, neglect, default or other practice that results in the OTHM Centre or learner not complying with the specified requirements for delivery of the qualifications as set out in the relevant policies and procedures where applicable.

CPSE GLOBAL Staff Malpractice:

Malpractice committed by a member of staff or contractor at a Centre, or an individual appointed as a practical assistant to a learner.

Learner Malpractice (Academic Misconduct):

OTHM adopts the following definition of Learner Malpractice, or Academic Misconduct:

“Academic malpractice is any activity – intentional or otherwise – that is likely to undermine the integrity essential to scholarship and research. It includes plagiarism, collusion, fabrication or falsification of results, and anything else that could result in unearned or undeserved credit for those committing it.” (University of Manchester 2014).

Plagiarism:

The use, without acknowledgement, of the intellectual work of other people, and the act of representing the ideas or discoveries of another as one’s own in written work submitted for assessment

Malpractice and maladministration flow chart:

Process

All suspected or alleged cases of malpractice or maladministration must be reported immediately to the Internal Quality Assurer (IQA) within the College.

The IQA will initiate an initial investigation to determine the validity of the allegation. If the initial investigation suggests malpractice or maladministration, a detailed investigation will be conducted, involving all relevant parties. Depending on the severity, actions may include suspension of assessments, re-assessment, or expulsion. Steps will be taken to prevent recurrence, such as revising assessment protocols and providing additional training for staff.

Any instances of suspected or alleged malpractice or maladministration would be reported promptly to OTHM, along with evidence and source details.

Duties of Centre

• It is the duty of CPSE Global and their members of staff to report all suspected instances of malpractice and/or maladministration to OTHM.
• It is the duty of CPSE Global and their members of staff to supply any further information required by OTHM in their investigations.
• Centre staff are reminded that failure to disclose malpractice or maladministration is in itself a form of malpractice.
• Learners registered on OTHM qualifications are strongly encouraged to report all suspected instances of malpractice and/or maladministration to OTHM in confidence.

Reporting Malpractice

Anyone intending to file an incidence of Malpractice or Maladministration may file a report of its occurrence please contact by email: iqa@Cpse-global.com

Maintaining records

All material collected during this process including the original information and any documents relating to the investigation will be kept secure. Information will be retained for up to 5 years.

If the outcome leads to invalid certificates, criminal or civil prosecution, evidence will be held until such time as the case is completed and time allowed for any appeals to take place.

Alerting other awarding Organizations

Regulations require that OTHM notify other Awarding Organizations of cases of malpractice/maladministration where these cases are likely to impact on the other Awarding Organisation(s). In dealing with cases of malpractice/maladministration OTHM must pay due regard to this requirement and notify other Awarding Organizations, as appropriate.

1. Introduction

This Policy sets out the steps to be followed to implement reasonable adjustments and special considerations. The college recognise that:

• Reasonable adjustments may be required, particularly in assessment situations, so that assessments are a fair test of a learner’s knowledge and what they capable of.
• The usual format of assessment may not be suitable.
• Our assessments are fair without being prejudicial or advantageous to those who require reasonable adjustments and special considerations to be made.

2. Reasonable Adjustments

This refers to any activity that helps to reduce the effect of a disability or difficulty that places the learner at a substantial disadvantage in the assessment situation, such as:

• Allowing learners extra time to complete the assessment activity
• Adapting assessment materials
• Providing facilitators
• changing usual assessment arrangements
• providing assistance during assessment
• changing or adapting the assessment method
• Alternative ways of presenting responses
• Using assistive technology

3. Making Reasonable Adjustments

When making decisions regarding reasonable adjustments, the college will take into consideration the following:

• That learners must be able to cope with the level and content of assessment
• That set standards of competence (as laid down by the Awarding Body cannot be altered.
• That learners will not gain an advantage or disadvantage from any adjustment
• Any adjustment will be based on the individual needs of the learner.
• Each adjustment and the circumstances thereof will be considered on an individual basis.
• That any adjustment will not affect the learners’ normal way of working, providing that this does not affect what is being assessed in any way.

4. Special Considerations

Special consideration is a post-assessment allowance to reflect temporary illness, injury or indisposition that occurred at the time of assessment. Special consideration cannot give the learner an unfair advantage, nor must its use cause the user of a certificate to be misled regarding a learner’s achievement. The learner’s results must reflect real achievement in assessment and not potential ability. To this end, special considerations can only be a small post-assessment adjustment to the grade or outcome.

A learner who is fully prepared and present for a scheduled assessment may be eligible for special consideration if:

• Performance in an assessment is affected by circumstances beyond the control of the learner, e.g. recent personal illness, accident, bereavement • Alternative assessment arrangements which were agreed in advance of the assessment proved inappropriate or inadequate.

A learner will not be eligible for special consideration if:

• No evidence is supplied by the Centre that the learner has been affected at the time of the assessment by a particular condition.
• Any part of the assessment is missed due to personal arrangements including holidays or unauthorised absence
• Preparation for a component is affected by difficulties during the course, e.g. disturbances through building work, lack of proper facilities, changes in or shortages of staff, or industrial disputes.

It is also important to note that it may not be possible to apply special consideration in instances where:

• Assessment requires the demonstration of practical competence
• Criteria have to be met fully
• Units/qualifications confer license to practice.

CPSE Global is not able to apply their own special consideration and certification claims should not be made until the outcome of the application has been received.

Given the nature of internally assessed units within vocational qualifications, where there is no single fixed assessment date, OTHM would expect learners to be given the opportunity to complete the assessment at a later date. Where circumstances have led to a learner not being able to complete a significant amount of evidence it may be more appropriate for the learner to be certificated on a smaller sized qualification within the same level.

OTHM’s decision regarding special consideration will be based on various factors, which may vary from learner to learner, and from one subject to another. These factors may include the severity of the circumstances, the date of the assessment, the nature of the assessment (e.g. practical, oral presentation, et cetera.

Normally, where evidence of extenuating circumstances is provided by the learner, he/she will have the opportunity to take the assessment at a later date as if for the first time and with no cap on their marks, since to preserve the integrity of awards learners must demonstrate achievement of learning outcomes. An application for post-assessment special consideration will therefore rarely result in an adjustment to the marks given and will not change the assessment criteria applied by the examiner for the examination in question.

CPSE Global will make arrangements in place to enable a learner, in extenuating circumstances, to complete assessment and thus achieve the qualification. Only when this is unsuccessful should an application for special consideration be made. Applications for special consideration can only be made on a case-by-case basis; separate applications must be made for each learner.

5. Recruitment of Learners

The college will ensure that:

• Learners are given the appropriate advice and guidance at the outset of their programme of study and that their needs will be met.
• Each learner will be assessed on their potential to achieve any qualifications. In doing, support, where appropriate will be identified and made known to the learner.
• In the event that a learner is identified as not being able to meet the requirements for attainment of a particular assessment or parts thereof, this will be communicated to the learner, so that appropriate study decisions can be made.
• All learners will be made aware of study options available and adjustments that may be necessary and any restrictions on progression routes from learners not achieving certain outcomes.

6. Applying special consideration for internally assessed work

CPSE Global will have in place appropriate arrangements in place to enable learners to apply for special consideration should warrant. Learners will therefore be given an opportunity complete the assessment at a later stage, if this is feasible, and thus achieve the unit/qualification in question, without jeopardising the integrity of the qualification.

Applications for special consideration can only be made on a case-by-case basis and thus, separate applications must be made for each learner and for each unit affected.

OTHM will review the circumstances surrounding each request for special consideration to ensure that the decision made maintains the equity, validity and reliability of the assessment for the learner and does not give the learner an unfair advantage.

Learners need to submit evidence in support of the special consideration. This may include medical evidence or any other appropriate information.

7. External Verification

The college will ensure that all details relating to any reasonable adjustments given will be made available to the External Verifier during any relevant centre visit pertaining to the following:

• Services for learners with learning difficulties
• Services for learners with hearing impairments
• Services for learners with visual impairment
• Services for learners who have a permanent physical impairment
• Services for learners who have a medical condition or temporary injury
• Services for learners whose first language is not English

In the event that the college needs additional advice and guidance they will contact the Awarding Body to seek clarification before making any decision in accordance with their rules for application.

Tuition Fee Refunds

A student maybe only be eligible for a refund if they have overpaid their tuition fees or they have exercised their right to cancel within the 5-day period. Applications for refund should be made by email to admin@cpse-global.com

Refunding to Source Country

Refunds to students will be made to the original source i.e. the country and the account from which the money was sent, where possible. This is to ensure due diligence with national guidelines and compliance with the money laundering regulations. For more information please visit: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2007/2157/contents/made

Right to cancel

If for any reason the student changes their mind about joining the course after they have accepted our offer (which is the point when they contract to study with us is formed), the student has a right to cancel their contract for a period of 5 days starting on the day after they accepted our offer for the academic programmes only.

To meet the cancellation deadline, it is sufficient for the student to send their communication concerning their exercise of the right to cancel before the cancellation period has expired.

If the student has cancelled their contract in accordance with the above, CPSE Global will reimburse to the student all payments received from them in respect of the cancelled contract.

Withdrawal from the Study

If a student withdraws from the programme, no refund can be given.

Where CPSE Global cancels a course, a full refund will be offered. CPSE Global will seek to reschedule the course and offer an alternative place to the student. The student is not obliged to accept the alternative course offer and may make an application for a full refund in writing using the Application for Refund form

1. Introduction

This Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) policy outlines the procedures and guidelines for the assessment and recognition of prior learning for learners pursuing qualifications offered by CPSE Global. Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) refers to the process of assessing and acknowledging an individual’s existing knowledge, skills, and competencies acquired through formal, informal, and non-formal learning experiences. RPL allows learners to demonstrate their mastery of specific learning outcomes required for a qualification or unit, resulting in a reduction in the time and effort required to complete the qualification.

According to Equal, the definition of Recognition of Prior Learning is

“Amethod of assessment [leading to the award of credit] that considers whether Learners can demonstrate that they can meet the assessment requirements for a unit through knowledge, understanding or skills they already possess and so not need to develop through a course of learning”

2. Conditions

It may be that a learner has already attained the knowledge and expertise needed to meet the standards stated in the assessment criteria provided in a unit(s), through:

• Employment
• In relevant voluntary work or leisure activities
• In education or training e.g. adult education courses or in-company training
• From independent or previous study in a college or university
• From other commitments or activities e.g. care situation or involvement in a family business

The essential point for RPL is that the learning from any or all of the activities listed above, or other activities not listed here is not via a recognised, accredited qualification.

If this is the case it is recognised that provided the standards and assessment requirements of a given unit, parts of a unit or qualification have been met, the use of RPL is acceptable for achievement of the part of a unit, units or a qualification which is being claimed. CPSE Global believes that learners should not need to repeat learning where there is valid and reliable evidence to show that Learning Outcomes in a unit have been met at the standards stated by the assessment criteria.

However, evidence submitted by the learner for RPL must be:

• Authentic
• Reliable
• Current
• Valid
• Sufficient

It is the responsibility of the learner to generate the evidence and present it to the assessor for assessment. CPSE Global plays a supportive role in this process.

RPL can be applied to learners who are transferring from one learning programme to another. They may have embarked on a course and completed work, but they have not gained credits or qualifications.

Percentage of accreditation will be judged on a case by case basis and will not contribute to 100% of any OTHM qualification.

3. Process for requesting RPL:

If a learner wishes to use RPL, they must contact the Admissions Department. The Admission Department will transfer the query to suitable assessor.

The process should be carried out by OTHM approved Centre staff with relevant levels of expertise to meet OTHM requirements.

RPL process will formally commence with a video or audio meeting between the assessor and the learner.

At this meeting, the learner needs to reflect on their experience in order to identity relevant achievement.

The learner should initially provide a CV, portfolio of practical work or selective autobiographical account. This will help the assessment team gain a broad overview of the learner’s experience. In addition, it will help to put the claim into context.

Learners claiming RPL will be given guidance on the evidence that will enable them to achieve the standards required. Our academic team is available for mentoring the learner during the RPL process. With the support of the mentor an action plan will be produced.

The learner must compile a portfolio of evidence to support their claim for RPL so at the outset he/she is aware of all the information that must be contained in a file. This will include:

• A CV or other resumes
• A summary of the learning outcomes and assessment criteria claimed
• A commentary identifying prior achievement against individual learning outcomes and assessment criteria
• Full evidence against each assessment criterion claimed

4. Requirement for Evidence:

Learners must provide robust and relevant evidence that demonstrates their competence against the specific learning outcomes and assessment criteria of the qualification or unit.

The centre recognizes various types of evidence, including:

• Work-related documents (e.g., job descriptions, performance appraisals).
• Certifications and licenses.

• Academic transcripts and qualifications.
• Portfolios showcasing relevant projects, tasks, and achievements.
• Written reflections and statements of learning.

The assessor may conduct interviews, practical assessments, or additional tests to validate the learner’s competency where necessary.

5. Assessing the evidence:

The assessor will examine the portfolio systematically for its completeness. He/she will ensure that the evidence relates to the assessment criteria of the unit(s) being claimed by the learner and that there are no gaps in the evidence. The assessor will be looking for evidence that is authentic, current, relevant and sufficient. The assessor checks that the evidence presented:

• is relevant to the standards (valid)
• represents sufficient breadth and quality to be appropriate to the standards to which it applies (sufficient)
• is the work of the candidate (authentic)
• is recent enough to meet the requirements of the assessment criteria

If the assessor is not satisfied with the evidence submitted it will be necessary to seek additional evidence from the learner.

Separate evidence is not required for each qualification assessment criterion. Learners may present a small number of complex pieces of evidence to demonstrate achievement of a number of unit assessment requirements. However, the evidence needs to be clearly mapped by the learner so there is no ambiguity.

Many units draw on a wide basis of knowledge and understanding. RPL learners must demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the unit or part of the unit they are claiming. Testing will be required to ensure the candidate has this knowledge. Oral testing will be frequently used as this suits the RPL process, but in addition it may be necessary to ask learners to complete an assignment or written test or perform a demonstration. A combination of these methods may be used.

Where a learner is unable to produce evidence of prior learning, for example if an employer does not respond to a request for a witness testimony, the learner will need to take an assessment appropriate to the outcome being claimed. If only part of the unit’s requirements has been met arrangements will need to be made to cover the appropriate additional learning and assessment.

The mentor will guide learners through the RPL process, explaining the evidence requirements, assessment procedures, and potential outcomes. The mentor will ensure that learners understand the implications of their RPL claim, including any potential gaps in learning that may need to be addressed.

The centre will provide comprehensive support to learners throughout the RPL process, which may include workshops, informational sessions, and one-on-one consultations with the mentor.

Learners will have access to resources and materials to assist them in compiling and presenting their evidence effectively.

The mentor and assessor must maintain full records of the time they spend with the student and the decisions taken.

6. Process for Assessment of Evidence

Upon receiving an RPL application, the appointed assessor will thoroughly review the evidence provided by the learner against the learning outcomes and assessment criteria of the relevant qualification and/or unit, within 10 working days after receipt of the final version of the portfolio.

7. Internal Quality Assurance

An Internal Quality Assurer (IQA) will independently review and quality assure the assessor’s decision regarding RPL claims, within 5 working days after receipt of the assessor’s judgement.

The IQA will ensure that the RPL assessment process has been conducted fairly, consistently, and in accordance with the college’s policies and the awarding body’s requirements.

8. Claiming Certificates Using RPL

Once the RPL assessment is successfully completed, and the learner’s competency is verified, the college will submit the RPL claim to the awarding body. This documentation as well as the learner’s portfolio must be available for external quality assurance. Upon successful moderation, the awarding body will issue certificates reflecting the granted RPL credits, acknowledging the learner’s prior learning achievements.

Introduction

This Safeguarding Policy outlines the principles and procedures that the CPSE Global follows to ensure the safety and well-being of all learners participating in the programs. The policy is designed to prevent abuse, harassment, and harm, and to guide the actions of all staff members in identifying, responding to, and reporting any concerns related to safeguarding. The Centre is committed to complying with all relevant laws and regulations pertaining to safeguarding.

Key Objectives

The CPSE GLOBAL primary objectives in implementing this safeguarding policy are as follows:

• To ensure that no learner, regardless of age or vulnerability, is at risk of abuse, harassment, or harm while participating in the Centre’s learning programmes.
• To recognize and take appropriate action if a learner, young person, or vulnerable adult might have been subjected to abuse, harassment, or harm.
• To adhere to all relevant laws, regulations, and guidelines governing safeguarding and online learning.

CPSE GLOBAL Responsibilities

Staff Training and Awareness:

The CPSE GLOBAL is committed to providing ongoing training and professional development opportunities for all staff members to raise awareness of safeguarding principles, risk avoidance, identification of potential concerns, appropriate responses, and proper reporting procedures.

Prevention and Risk Avoidance:

The CPSE GLOBAL shall take proactive measures to minimize risks to learners by designing learning environments that promote a safe and respectful atmosphere. This includes clear guidelines on appropriate behaviour, the establishment of safe communication channels, and the use of secure online platforms.

Identification, Response, and Reporting:

All staff members are expected to be vigilant and observant, promptly identifying any signs of abuse, harassment, orharm. In the event that such concerns are identified, staff members are required to inform the co-ordinator of CPSE Global at coordinator@cpse-global.com immediately.

A confidential report should be written which provides:

• Name of person reporting the incident
• Position of person reporting the incident
• Place of work of person reporting the incident
• Contact phone number of persons reporting the incident
• Name of child or vulnerable adult
• Address / phone number of child or vulnerable adult
• Date of birth of child or vulnerable adult
• Other relevant details
• Parent / Guardian / Career details
• Date and time of incident
• Details of the incident/ allegations/ suspicions
• Details of any action(s) taken to date

Availability of the Policy:

The safeguarding policy shall be readily accessible to all stakeholders, including staff members, learners, parents, and guardians. It will be published on the Centre’s official website.

Confidentiality:

The CPSE GLOBAL recognizes the importance of maintaining confidentiality while addressing safeguarding concerns. Staff members are expected to handle sensitive information with the utmost discretion and share such information only with those who have a legitimate need to know.

Collaboration and Partnerships:

The CPSE GLOBAL shall collaborate with relevant external agencies, authorities, and organizations to ensure the effective implementation of safeguarding measures. This includes reporting concerns to appropriate authorities and cooperating with investigations as required by law.

Review and Updates

This safeguarding policy will be reviewed on an annual basis to ensure its effectiveness and relevance. Any necessary updates or revisions will be made to align with changes in laws, regulations, and best practices related to safeguarding and online learning.

CPSE Global is committed to provide quality and ready support to its learners.

Our Admin Department will work with all general queries of learners including complains and study progression and Admission Department deals with learners induction.

As our mode of study is online, our learning management system will have integrated support options enabling learners to get assistance from our trainers. Our trainers will be available to assist students in working days and working hours.

That could be by Live chat, Query form, Video meetings, Combined Study meetings, screen sharing etc.

Our trainers would conduct live or recorded lectures and also enable students to self study at their desired pace with option to contact trainer as required.

CPSE Global will ensure that all students get required support from our staff.

Purpose:

This Policy establishes guidelines for the process of validating Learner identity, and authenticating Learner work.

CPSE Global is an online study platform so it is extremely important to validate learner’s identity to ensure that all learners who enrol on the course/assessment process are the ones completing the work.

This Policy identifies the procedures that establish that the learner is the named learner who participates in, completes the learning program and receives the academic credit.

The policy affects all learners wishing to enroll on CPSE Global courses.

Authenticating learner identity is integral:

To prevent impersonation of Learners on the course of study and to protect and uphold the integrity and reliability of the Diploma qualification

to ensure compliance to quality procedures. CPSE Global is required by our awarding bodies to have strict systems in place to authenticate all learner work and their identity.

Procedures:

CPSE Global implements several procedures to ensure that a learner who gains an award for academic achievement is the person who actually completes the work.

All learners must provide supporting evidence of personal identification prior to the commencement of study in the form of photographic ID. Valid examples are current Passport or Photo ID driving licence.

In the event of a learner not holding a current Passport or Photo ID driving licence, other forms of learner identity proof may be accepted at the discretion of CPSE Global and only if acceptable to the awarding organisation.

Evidence of name change i.e. copies of: marriage certificate or deed pole documentation and a copy of a recent utility bill (within 3 months) as proof of name and address.

CPSE Global may hold a copy of learner’s ID in the form of a scanned copy, photograph or screenshot and stored in CPSE Global encrypted document storage facility.

Upon registration, a learner is issued with a confidential login password to enable access to their CPSE Global dashboard. The sharing of passwords is strictly forbidden.

Each assignment submission must include a signed declaration confirming that all the work being submitted is the learner’s own work. This signature will be compared to ID signatures.

CPSE Global implement a variety of assessment methods and Tutors have a right to question the content or meaning of any submitted assignments with the learner, to verify that a verbal level of understanding reflects the written content.

CPSE Global may use videoconferencing as a method of communication and identification. Under closed book tests, learners must agree to being observed via ‘shared screen’.

CPSE Global operate a zero-tolerance approach where a learner who has registered as a learner is not the person completing the work. Any proven instances will result in the learner being disqualified and removed from the course instantly. There will be no refund of course or registration fees. All evidence will be recorded by the Internal Quality Assurance team and presented to the Awarding body immediately.

This policy is reviewed annually and may be revised in before if required.