Care Scotland SVQ Qualifications Development Eleanor Ramsay

The Origin of SVQs National Occupational Standards (NOS), assessment strategy and the qualification structure are devised by the standard setting body. In the case of Health and Social Care NOS the Sector Skills Council is Skills For Care and Development. Standard setting bodies have a responsibility to represent the current and future skills needs of the workforce they represent.

The Origin of SVQs Skills for Care and Development are managed by and accountable to the Skills for Business network (SSDA). Key areas of work that they undertake include NOS and competence development and workforce planning and support. Skills for Care and Development are set up in a unique way. Each country in the UK having a significant presence.

The Accreditation Process SQA Awarding Body have to be approved by a regulator to offer Scottish Vocational Qualifications. The regulator in Scotland is SQA Accreditation unit which sit separately from the Awarding Body There are five principles of good regulation which guides the work of the Regulator in Scotland

Five Principles of Good Regulation Transparency Accountability Proportionality Consistency Targeting

The Accreditation Process (cont.) Adopt the general principles for assessment specified by the Sector Skills Council Maintain and Monitor the quality and consistency of assessment of accredited qualifications and units. Ensure rigorous external verification of assessment decisions Ensure rigorous recruitment and monitoring of External Verifiers for accredited qualifications.

The Accreditation Process (cont.) Advise on the occupational expertise required by trainers, assessors and verifiers based on the general principles specified by the Sector Skills Council Administer accredited qualifications, including approving and monitoring centres, and issuing certificates Provide appropriate advice and guidance on the implementation of qualifications for customers Market the accredited qualification to ensure optimum

Monitoring of Approved Awarding Bodies SQA Accreditation monitors and evaluates approved Awarding Bodies via a quality assurance system that is supported by a number of related processes. –Systems Audits –Desk Audits –Self Assessment –Centre Monitoring This is underpinned by Risk Assessment.

Reporting Back to Sector Skills Council The Awarding body is also required to participate in regular dialogue with the Sector Skills Council Formally Via the Awarding Body Forum Informally via regular meeting with the Sector Skills Council Manager in Scotland SQA feels that it is important to share a good relationship with the SSC.

Relationship between SSC and the Regulator of the Care Workforce The Scottish Social Services Council is both the Sector Skills Council and the regulator of the Care workforce in Scotland This has particular importance for the delivery and quality of delivery of Scottish Vocational Qualifications The SVQs in Health and Social Care form the basis for the qualifications based register that gives holders of this qualification licence to practice

Uptake and demand Health and Social Care suite of SVQs have the highest uptake of SVQ qualifications in SQA Poses a challenge to meet the requirements of the regulator in terms of quality assurance and consistency SQA is taking a positive approach to this challenge with a restructuring of the External Verification team and dedicated Senior EVs for both SVQ and HN

Key Issues Interpretation of Assessment strategy and units Appropriate models of Assessor and Internal Verifiers Centre understanding of the role of the External Verifier Appropriate support for Centres to develop good practice SVQs are now credit rated and levelled against SCQF