SQA Business Administration Network Event 5 March 2012 Presentation by Maureen Stewart SVQ Manager NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde SVQ Centre

Old Versus New! What are the main differences? Whats new? What has stayed the same? What works well? What does not work so well? Evidence gathering issues

What are the main differences? Whats New 3 Mandatory units instead of 2 New Mandatory Communication Unit New units added Some units have been spilt into 2 different units giving a better, more relevant choice to candidates New sections added e.g. Unit 205 Assessment Guidance is more specific and clearly states what types of evidence would be acceptable

What has stayed the same? The majority of evidence for mandatory units will still come from optional units The evidence presented against each Unit must clearly demonstrate the candidates ability to perform the activity competently across a breadth of scope consistently to the required standard over time.

What works well? Some unit titles have been split: Use a Telephone System (old unit 219) has been split and is now covered by 2 units Make and receive telephone calls 206 Use Electronic message systems Store, Retrieve and Archive Information (old unit 209) has been split and is now covered by 2 units – 218 Store and Retrieve Information 219 Provide Archive Services. Research, Analyse and Report Information (old unit 310) has been split and is now covered by 2 units – 317 Analyse and report data 217 Research Information Overall we feel this gives a better choice of units to candidates

What works well (Within our assessment practice) Regular standardisation Standardisation is the key to successful Quality Assurance. Use of SQA materials e.g. Candidate Portfolios We had our own version but if it is not updated may contain outdated materials (old overviews / wrong unit codes etc) Holistic planning Evidence should be assessed using a holistic approach. Evidence presented against one Unit may fulfil parts of another Unit and may be cross-referenced against as many Units as applicable. Many of the Units in the SVQ are interrelated and evidence naturally meets the PIs of other Units. Using a holistic approach means that the assessment process is streamlined and avoids duplication of assessment. It provides a rigorous approach to assessment and allows evidence to be drawn from a range of activities which more naturally falls from a candidate performing their job role, helping ensure breadth of scope and competence over time without over-assessing the candidate in a particular area. Use of professional discussion Professional discussion is a single, or series of, structured, planned and in-depth discussion(s) which can be recorded electronically or manually on paper, computer, audio or video files. Professional discussions can be used to support observation reports, examination of work products and knowledge questionnaires. Professional Discussion can be really useful within Holistic Assessment

What does not work so well (for us within NHS GGC)? Business Administration Level 3 does not fit with a variety of NHS administration job roles. e.g. Medical Records Supervisors, Medical Secretaries, Nurse and Admin Bank Administrators Unit 221 – Maintain and issue stationery stock items

Evidence Gathering Issues Reminder - Use of confidential information as evidence Some Units naturally rely on confidential and sensitive work product to confirm competence. Guidance from SQA states – where this is used steps must be taken to ensure the content is redacted (presented in an appropriate form). For some Units there may be a bulk of sensitive or confidential information where it may be inappropriate to include the content or an abbreviated format. In these instances it may be more appropriate to consider sign-posting this evidence in the candidate portfolio and leaving the evidence in situ. Where this is used assessors must ensure that a clear and detailed explanation of the content of evidence is included in the portfolio together with details of where the original evidence is to be found (e.g full personnel records maintained by the candidate which include updates of personal details, grievance, disciplinary, training records, holiday and sickness can be found in the filing cabinet in the Personnel Office). This in situ evidence must be available to the internal verifier and External Verifier when the Unit is selected for verification. If you are using this for any candidates, this must be discussed with the External Verifier at the visit planning stage so that suitable arrangements can be made prior to the visit if the candidates portfolio is selected as part of the External Verifiers sample. Within our centre we advise candidates to include an evidence gathering form or evidence descriptor (in SQA portfolio pack) as a front cover with product evidence or if evidence is kept elsewhere and to note this form with why the evidence has been included (or excluded) and where/why it meets the criteria.

Contact details Maureen Stewart ggc.scot.nhs.uk

Thank you Any questions?