Overview
Within the statement of dwell contacts and pre-recorded contacts with questions, an unbiased assessor observes the apprentice coping with dwell contacts and listens to pre-recorded contacts the apprentice accomplished of their office put up gateway. Following every of those the unbiased assessor asks questions. The apprentice completes their day-to-day duties beneath regular working circumstances. This permits the apprentice to show the KSBs proven within the mapping via naturally occurring proof. Simulation shouldn’t be permitted.
The statement and responses to questions should be assessed holistically by the unbiased assessor when they’re deciding the grade for the statement.
Rationale
This evaluation methodology is getting used as a result of:
- it is a sensible function, finest demonstrated via finishing duties in an actual work atmosphere
- dwell statement makes use of employer sources and gear which can be acquainted to the apprentice and permit them to carry out at their finest
- pre-recorded contacts allow the apprentice to show their competence in a variety of contact dealing with abilities in actual life conditions
- questioning permits for the evaluation of the breadth and depth of underpinning data towards the grading descriptors
This evaluation methodology consists of two elements, which might be accomplished in any order:
- statement of dwell contacts with questions
- listening to pre-recorded contacts with questions
Part 1: Remark of dwell contacts with questions
Supply
The statement should be structured to offer the apprentice the chance to show the KSBs mapped to this EPA methodology to the very best accessible grade.
The unbiased assessor should solely observe one apprentice to make sure high quality and rigour. They should be as unobtrusive as attainable.
The EPAO should give an apprentice 14 days’ discover of the statement of dwell contacts and pre-recorded contacts with questions.
The statement with questioning should take 75 minutes. The time for questioning is included within the total evaluation time.
The unbiased assessor can improve the time of the statement by as much as 10%. This time is to permit the apprentice to finish a process or reply to a query if essential.
EPAOs should handle invigilation of apprentices always to take care of safety of the EPA, according to their malpractice coverage. This contains breaks and transferring between areas.
The unbiased assessor should clarify to the apprentice the format and timescales of the statement earlier than it begins. This doesn’t rely in the direction of the evaluation time.
The unbiased assessor ought to observe the next in the course of the statement of dwell contacts:
These actions present the apprentice with the chance to show the KSBs as proven within the mapping.
The unbiased assessor should ask questions. The aim of questioning is to check the apprentice’s breadth and depth of underpinning data towards the grading descriptors.
The unbiased assessor should ask a minimal of two open questions associated to know-how.
- software program and communication methods
They might ask comply with up questions the place clarification is required.
Usually, the questioning can be on the finish of the statement nevertheless questions might be requested in the course of the statement of dwell contacts, offering there are pure stops between duties.
Questioning that happens after the statement ought to happen in a quiet room, free from distractions and affect.
These KSBs that the apprentice didn’t have the chance to show might be assessed through questioning though these must be stored to a minimal and are along with the set variety of questions.
The unbiased assessor conducts and assesses the statement. They need to report the KSBs noticed, KSBs demonstrated in solutions to questions and the grade achieved. The apprentice’s solutions to questions should even be recorded.
The unbiased assessor makes all grading choices.
Part 2: Listening to pre-recorded contacts with questions
Supply
Apprentices should full and report 5 calls and make these recordings accessible to the unbiased assessor for overview on the day of the statement. As a result of unpredictable nature of the function, name lengths can differ. Subsequently, there isn’t any minimal or most period for the 5 pre-recorded calls. The apprentice should choose 5 separate incidents or enquiries to be assessed on the day of the statement. This may increasingly contain a couple of name for cases the place call-backs are required.
To make sure the listening of pre-recorded contacts permits the apprentice to satisfy the KSBs mapped to this evaluation methodology to the very best accessible grade, the unbiased assessor ought to enable satisfactory time to hear to those.
The apprentice should report contacts which had been accomplished after the gateway. The employer ought to make sure the apprentice has the time and sources inside this era, to determine the 5 recordings. The precise variety of weeks an apprentice has to gather the recordings can be determined by the employer in session with the EPAO and the apprentice, based mostly on the quantity of contacts the employer receives. As a most, proof might be gathered as much as 14 days earlier than the date of the statement, which should be held inside 6 months of the gateway.
The recordings output should be the apprentice’s personal work and can be reflective of their very own function and contribution. The apprentice and their employer should verify that the recordings output is the apprentice’s personal work
The recordings should embrace proof protecting:
The unbiased assessor should ask questions. The aim of questioning is to check the apprentice’s breadth and depth of underpinning data towards the grading descriptors.
The unbiased assessor should ask a minimal of 5 open questions associated to communication.
- methods to construct rapport and show empathy
- methods used when having to barter, affect or handle battle
- listening and questioning methods
They might ask comply with up questions the place clarification is required.
These KSBs that the apprentice didn’t have the chance to show might be assessed through questioning though these must be stored to a minimal and are along with the set variety of questions.
The questioning can be after the assessor has listened to the 5 pre-recorded contacts. The time allotted for questioning is quarter-hour.
The unbiased assessor can improve the time of the questioning by as much as 10%. This time is to permit the apprentice to finish a process or reply to a query if essential.
Questioning that happens after the unbiased assessor has listened to the contacts ought to happen in a quiet room, free from distractions and affect.
Evaluation location
Each the statement of dwell contacts with questions and listening to the pre-recorded contacts with questions should happen within the apprentice’s regular place of business (for instance their employer’s premises). Gear and sources wanted for each elements should be supplied by the employer and be in good working situation.
Query and useful resource improvement
The EPAO should develop a purpose-built evaluation specification and query financial institution for each elements. It’s endorsed that is executed in session with employers of this occupation. The EPAO ought to keep the safety and confidentiality of EPA supplies when consulting employers. The evaluation specification and query financial institution should be reviewed a minimum of annually to make sure they continue to be fit-for-purpose.
The evaluation specification should be related to the occupation and show find out how to assess the KSBs mapped to this evaluation methodology. The EPAO should be sure that questions are refined and developed to a excessive normal. The questions should be unpredictable. A query financial institution of enough measurement will help this.
The EPAO should be sure that the apprentice has a special set of questions within the case of re-sits or re-takes.
EPAO should produce the next supplies to help the statement of dwell contacts and pre-recorded contacts with questions:
- unbiased assessor EPA supplies which embrace:
- coaching supplies
- administration supplies
- moderation and standardisation supplies
- steerage supplies
- grading steerage
- query financial institution
- EPA steerage for the apprentice and the employer
The EPAO should be sure that the EPA supplies are topic to high quality assurance procedures together with standardisation, coaching, and moderation.
