1. CFOA HR Practitioners Forum St David’s Park Chester 24th March 2010 Julie Benson Richard Hannigan Julian Sears Zoe Scott

2. What we’ll talk about Introducing Skills for Justice Who we are Behind the Scenes Supporting FRS

3. What are Sector Skills Councils? Sector Skill Councils (SSCs) are independent, UK-wide organisations licensed by the Secretary State for Business, Innovation, & Skills, in consultation with Ministers in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to tackle the skills needs of their sector throughout the UK.

4. What do SSCs do? We work in partnership with employers and key partners to ensure that all those who work in the Justice Sector are equipped with the right skills, at the right levels, to enable them to be productive, effective and efficient.

5. The Sector Strands Fire and Rescue Sector (prevention, protection, response) –Attending fires – to protect people, property and the environment –Attending non-fire related incidents – including road traffic incidents, chemical, biological and radioactive exposures and spills, collapsed buildings, rescue of trapped people etc –Community safety - including fire prevention and other initiatives aimed at reducing risks –Enforcing fire safety legislation –Planning for, and responding to civil contingencies such as major transport incidents, terrorist events and severe flooding. Police and Law Enforcement –maintenance of law and order –prevention and detection of crime –reassurance and support for communities Forensic Science –forensic investigation of crime –delivering evidence in court Custodial Care –detention –secure escort services –prevention and re-offending –electronic monitoring services

6. The Sector Strands (continued) Community Justice –services for victims, survivors and witnesses –community safety and crime prevention –prevention of offending and re-offending –supervision of offenders in the community –community-based rehabilitation projects Courts and Tribunal Services –the judiciary and magistracy –court management and administration –custodial care Public Prosecution –production and issue of summonses –preparation of cases for court –public prosecutions

7. Supporting Fire and Rescue The FRS to meet current and future challenges and support the shift from being primarily an emergency response service, to being both an emergency response and a community safety service Improve performance and support organisational and cultural change Encourage collaboration and partnership working Support equality and diversity Enable individuals to maximise their personal and organisation potential We are working closely with the Fire and Rescue Sector to support National Occupational Standards, Qualifications, Learning and Development and Integrated Personal Development System (IPDS). All of the work being done by everyone working behind the scenes help:

8. ­Communities and Local Government ­Scottish Government and Welsh Assembly Government ­Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service ­Defence Fire Risk Management Organisation ­JOIFF ­DFRMO FRS partnership agreement between Skills for Justice and:

9. FRSOC and work stream structure Fire and Rescue Occupational Committee (FRSOC) Max Hood (Chair) Work stream IPDS Julian Sears (Chair) Work stream NOS & Qualifications Richard Hannigan (Chair) Work stream Marketing & Communications Joy Flanaghan (Chair)

10. How NOS can add value NVQ / SVQ / Awards National Occupational Standards Quality Assurance Partnership Working Tendering and Contracting Job DescriptionsRecruitment and Selection Induction Work Objectives Performance Management and Appraisal Learning and Development

12. National Occupational Standards

13. National Occupational Standards (NOS) describe competent performance in terms of the outcomes of an individual's work. They do this by describing what the individual needs to be able to do, as well as what they need to know and understand.

14. National Occupational Standards NOS are presented as units. Units are usually introduced with a summary, which says: What the unit is about Who the unit is for

15. National Occupational Standards NOS units also contain: (i)Outcomes of effective performance – describing the performance required (ii)Knowledge and understanding – describing the essential knowledge and understanding

16. National Occupational Standards While NOS have been used primarily in NVQs/SVQs, they can also be used for: Workforce planning Job design Recruitment and selection Training and development Performance management Assessment Progression and succession planning

17. Uses of National Occupational Standards Performance outcomes Knowledge and understanding Competency frameworks Role descriptions / requirements Individual performance & appraisal Focused training & development Career planning & progression Recognition & qualifications

18. Qualifications

19. National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) and Scottish Vocational Qualifications (SVQs) help to show that an individual has the knowledge, abilities and skills to actually carry out their work. This is demonstrated through evidence provided by the candidate, as well as observations from an assessor.

20. Qualifications The Fire and Rescue Services have developed a number of NVQs/SVQs. These are as follows:  N/SVQ in Emergency Fire Services Operations in the Community Level 3  N/SVQ in Emergency Fire Service Control Operations Level 3  N/SVQ in Emergency Fire Services Watch Management Level 3  N/SVQ in Fire Safety Level 2  N/SVQ in Fire Safety Level 3  N/SVQ in Fire Safety Level 4

21. Qualifications Vocational Qualifications (VQs) focus on assessing and recognising knowledge and understanding. They are usually delivered through a taught programme and have a work placement running alongside.

22. Qualifications The structure and design of qualifications across England, Wales and Northern Ireland are changing as part of the introduction of the Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF). The new QCF will help present qualifications in a way that is easy to understand and measure. The QCF will be made up of QCF units.

23. Qualifications QCF - Rules of Combination (ROC)

24. Qualifications QCF - Rules of Combination (ROC) Rules of Combination: ­Identify collection of units that go to make up a full qualification ­Comprises of ‘Mandatory’ and ‘Optional’ units ­Also identifies ‘Exemptions’ – possible units from other sectors? ­Highlights opportunity for transferability ­Developed by SSCs/SSBs and/or Awarding organisations

25. Qualifications QCF – Awards, certificates and diplomas Level of challenge for units and qualifications ranges from entry to level 8 Qualification size is indicated by use of the terms Award, Certificate or Diploma The rest of the qualification title describes indicative content

26. Qualifications For learners, the QCF will: -offer more freedom, choice and flexibility -give easy access to information about the commitment needed for different routes to achievement, letting learners balance that commitment with family, work and other responsibilities -allow them to build up credits at their own pace and combine them in a way that will help them get where they want to be -enable them to transfer credits between qualifications to avoid having to repeat their learning -record all their achievements on an electronic learner record, encouraging them and others to value their past achievements

27. Qualifications For employers the QCF will: -help them to measure quickly the level and size of achievements of prospective employees -enable them to get in-house training recognised within a national framework -describe levels of achievement in terms everyone can understand -make training options and pathways clear, helping employees and employers find the right training for their learning and business needs

28. Qualifications For learning providers (schools, colleges, workplaces) the QCF will: -enable them to design more flexible programmes, suitable to the individual needs of learners -help them improve retention and progression rates by recognising smaller steps of achievement more frequently -track all learners' achievements through the use of a unique learner number (ULN) and an individual's electronic learner record, giving providers standard information about each learner's past achievements -help them describe achievements to employers and learners in a language that is easy to understand

29. Qualifications QCF units are the component parts of qualifications and therefore the building block of the QCF. Units are made up of a coherent and explicit set of learning outcomes and assessment criteria with a title, credit value and level. They will be assessed independently and this means that learners, employers and learning providers will have much more flexibility to combine units in different ways and create programmes tailored to their particular personal, social or employment needs.

30. Integrated Personal Development System (IPDS)

31. The IPDS enables Fire & Rescue Services to train and develop staff to meet the changing needs of the service. The IPDS also enables individuals to assess their development needs against a set of National Occupational Standards (NOS) and seek appropriate training and development opportunities.

32. IPDS Components 1.Rolemaps and associated use of National Occupational Standards 2.Personal Qualities and Attributes framework 3.National Firefighter Selection and Assessment and Development Centre processes and tools 4.Framework of Development Modules and Development Programmes 5.Framework for Workplace Assessment of Competence 6.Framework for Personal Development Records and Quality Assurance 7.Use of appropriate qualifications within the FRS Qualifications Strategy

33. Integrated Personal Development System (IPDS) The IPDS products hosted on Skills for Justice website include:  National Joint Council/Local Authority Fire and Rescue Services Rolemaps  National Occupational Standards (NOS)  Development Modules  Personal Qualities and Attributes (PQA) Framework for all levels  Behaviourally Anchored Rating Scales (BARS)

34. Integrated Personal Development System (IPDS) Rolemaps have been developed for:  Firefighter  Crew Manager  Watch Manager  Firefighter (Control)  Crew Manager (Control)  Watch Manager (Control)  Station Manager  Group Manager  Area Manager  Brigade Manager

35. Integrated Personal Development System (IPDS) Rolemaps contain:  The agreed National Occupational Standards (NOS) for the role  The relevant Training and Development Modules for the role

36. Integrated Personal Development System (IPDS) The Personal Qualities and Attributes (PQA) Framework provides behavioural indicators for the roles covered by the IPDS. PQAs cover areas such as the ability to work with others, to act appropriately in conflict situations, to work as part of a team and to communicate effectively. The measurement of individuals’ personal qualities and attributes is conducted during the recruitment and selection process.

37. www.skillsforjustice-ipds.com

38. IPDS Workstream The UK-wide IPDS Work Stream oversee the management, maintenance and future development of the IPDS products which are available on the Skills for Justice website, ensuring that they are fit for purpose and meet the needs of employers The IPDS Work Stream Group comprises of FRS representatives responsible for managing IPDS locally within there own organisation and those who are responsible for operating HR processes and procedures both locally/nationally who can support the work stream objectives Inform FRS sector and other stakeholders in their localities/region/country about forthcoming and current projects, and encourage their involvement and feedback during consultation phases Contribute to the development and communication of IPDS to ensure that that the content is right and fit for purpose Provide appropriate advice, guidance and research information to Skills for Justice

39. IPDS Workstream Members Julian Sears CFOA - Bedfordshire and Luton FRS Linda Hurford Communities and Local Government Sean Starbuck Fire Brigades Union Ade Robinson Fire Officers Association Linda Hunter Scottish Fire Service College Grainne McCarton Northern Ireland FRS Kerry Citric Welsh Assembly Government Mark Rayner CFOA Learning and Development Anita Wainwright CFOA HR t.b.c CFOA Operations Zoe Scott Skills for Justice (Project lead)

40. Assessment

41. The aim of NVQ/SVQ assessment is to establish whether the candidate can perform to the National Occupational Standards across a range of circumstances and meet changing demands.

42. Assessment Being assessed as competent against National Occupational Standards (NOS) gives confidence to the following people:  the employee - as they have their skills, knowledge and experience recognised through gaining a nationally set qualification  the team - as colleagues can rely on each other  the supervisor - as the members of their team can perform competently in different situations  the employer - as they have a competent and well-qualified workforce  the public - as they can be reassured that individuals are qualified and competent in their roles

43. Assessment There are a number of steps to carrying out assessment:  identify relevant candidate activities for assessment  decide the most appropriate assessment methods  set target dates when the activities are expected to take place  identify and be clear about who will be involved  identify which aspects of the unit each activity covers  consider whether the evidence produced might contribute to the achievement of other units  record when planned activities and evidence collection is completed

44. Assessment Evidence of effective performance can be obtained from:  witness testimony  the candidate’s report  outputs of the candidate’s work  records  professional discussion – based on the activities that candidate has carried out  documentation (that the candidate completes as part of their work)

45. Assessment Evidence of knowledge and understanding can be obtained from:  the way they carry out their work  questions posed at the time  professional discussion  answers to questions away from work

46. Assessment Once evidence has been gathered it needs to be interpreted by an assessor. The interpretation of evidence is more important than simply gathering more and more – quality is always better than quantity. To interpret evidence effectively an assessor, will need:  the appropriate occupational knowledge and understanding  a good knowledge of the required National Occupational Standards (NOS)  familiarity with the organisation’s own systems, procedures and practice

47. Assessment All the evidence a candidate gathers has to be acceptable. This means it has to be:  Valid – it relates to a specific part of the standard  Authentic – the work that the individual has achieved  Relevant – matches the required competence

48. For further information please visit Skills for Justice website www.skillsforjustice.com www.skillsforjustice-ipds.com

49. IPDS TASK 1.Rolemaps and associated use of National Occupational Standards 2.Personal Qualities and Attributes framework 3.National Firefighter Selection and Assessment and Development Centre processes and tools 4.Framework of Development Modules and Development Programmes 5.Framework for Workplace Assessment of Competence 6.Framework for Personal Development Records and Quality Assurance 7.Use of appropriate qualifications within the FRS Qualifications Strategy