COVID-19 [1]
Posted: 11 March 2020
We are aware that many of our customers are currently reviewing their business continuity procedures to mitigate the potential impact of COVID-19. We’ve been doing the same and, although we do not currently plan to make any changes to our services, we are continuing to monitor advice from the government and our regulators. We also wanted to remind you of some contingencies already available to you if you’re unable to complete planned teaching and/or assessment.
Breaks from learning
YMCA Awards registrations are valid for 3 years and so it’s possible for your learners to take a break from their qualification (if that is in their best interests).
When learners return following breaks from learning, we expect our centres to complete checks to ensure they have retained their knowledge, skill and understanding – usually in the form of a professional discussion. Where you’re unsure that knowledge, skill or understanding has been retained, you should support the learner to recap the topic to get them back to the required standard.
We often request evidence of how you’ve evaluated and supported learners returning from breaks in learning so please ensure you document the process. If you’re unsure how to approach this, please get in touch [2].
Distanced teaching of theory components
YMCA Awards already has processes in place to support customers who wish to deliver some or all of the theory components for our qualifications remotely. If you wish to make changes to your delivery model to include more distanced learning, please get in touch [2] so we can talk to you about your plans.
We offer a range of eLearning to support distanced delivery but would still expect you to complete checks on the learner’s knowledge and progress before putting them forward for assessment. Training Providers who do distanced learning well, ensure that learners have regular access to a tutor who can answer their questions (both in one on one and group settings). This can be achieved through regular phone calls or utilising web conferencing solutions like Skype or Teams.
It’s important to remember that increasing your proportion of distanced delivery will likely mean learners take longer to complete their qualification.
Distanced assessment of theory components
Where a learner is unable to attend your usual venue, you can request permission for the assessment to be completed at an external venue [3]. However, both you and the learner need to agree on the approach and it’s your responsibility to ensure that the venue is appropriate and assessment is conducted in accordance with our External Assessment Policy [4].
We will not approve any requests to invigilate assessments over video conferencing software like Skype or FaceTime as these do not meet the requirements outlined in our External Assessment Policy.
Distanced delivery and assessment of practical components
Distanced delivery and assessment of practical components is significantly more challenging as we need to ensure that learners and their clients are safe, whilst maintaining the standard of our qualifications.
You can request permission to complete practical assessment via video [5]. However, all practical work must be completed under the supervision of a suitably qualified person. If the tutor/assessor is not available to provide live/instant feedback, this would mean asking a qualified person to oversee the demonstration to ensure safety.
Formative assessment must take place before learners complete their final summative assessment. If both are being completed remotely, you will need to plan in enough time to allow the learners to practice any corrective actions. You will also need to confirm that learners have taken feedback onboard before completing summative assessment to ensure you’re not setting them up to fail.
We will complete additional external quality assurance if you request permission to assess via video. Please ensure you keep the evidence to support this activity.
Useful links
Latest information and advice [6] Guidance for educational settings [7]