Qualifications and Credit Framework

1. Qualifications and Credit Framework New qualifications for the health sector

2. What is the difference between NQF & QCF qualifications? Our new QCF qualifications are still • Unit based • Designed to measure occupational competence • Related to National Occupational Standards (NOS) But now • Each unit has a credit value as well as a level • The units are learning outcome based instead of being actual NOS • Competence units measure knowledge and skill together • Knowledge units only measure knowledge and do not have to link to NOS • One competence unit can be based on more than one NOS

3. What does it mean for the health sector? National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) and Vocationally Related Qualifications (VRQs) which previously existed on the National Qualifications Framework are being replaced by QCF qualifications Final enrolments for NVQs will be by end of December 2010 Some QCF qualifications are already available but the majority of qualifications developed to replace the NVQs will go live on 1 January 2011

4. What will replace the current Health Sector NVQs? (Available from January 2011 unless stated otherwise) Level 2: • Diploma in Clinical Healthcare Support • Diploma in Emergency Care Assistance • Certificate in Healthcare Support Services • Certificate in Health Informatics • Diploma in Optical Retailing • NVQ Certificate in Pharmacy Service Skills (Sept 2010)

5. What will replace the current Health Sector NVQs? (Available from January 2011 unless stated otherwise) Level 3: • Diploma in Allied Health Profession Support • Diploma in Blood Donor Support • Diploma in Clinical Healthcare Support • Diploma in Dental Nursing (Dec 2010) • Diploma in Healthcare Support Services • Diploma in Maternity and Paediatric Support • Diploma in Optical Retailing • Diploma in Pathology Support • Diploma in Perioperative Support • NVQ Diploma in Pharmacy Service Skills (Sept 2010)

6. What will replace the current Health & Social Care NVQs? (Available from January 2011) Level 2 • Diploma in Health and Social Care (Adults) for England • Diploma in Health and Social Care (Adults) for Wales and Northern Ireland Level 3 • Diploma in Health and Social Care (Adults) for England • Diploma in Health and Social Care (Adults) for Wales and Northern Ireland • Diploma in Health and Social Care (Children and Young People) for Wales and Northern Ireland

7. About the qualifications Each qualification has a Set of Mandatory Units Each learner must do all of the mandatory units Core units appear within the mandatory section of many of the Health and Health and Social Care qualifications. These cover: Communication Equality and Diversity Health, Safety and Security Safeguarding and Protecting Individuals Set of Optional Units Learners may select units which are appropriate to their roles The new qualifications in the health sector will be live until December 2013 when they will be reviewed

8. Qualification credit thresholds Credit thresholds vary between qualifications Reflect the size and complexity of each qualification Credit thresholds are not standard between sectors health qualification thresholds may be higher reflect real roles within the health sector There is no standardisation between our own qualifications

9. About the units Units from within the qualifications can be used as stand-alone units for continuing professional development or to enable learners to build progressively towards the achievement of a qualification All the units written for these qualifications have shared status. This means that Awarding organisations may use any of our units to develop their own new qualifications. We have also made use of units imported from other sectors within our qualifications.

10. Assessment and verification Each unit has it’s own assessment requirements so that wherever/whatever sector the unit is used in, it is assessed in the same way Skills for Health and Skills for Care and Development have agreed to use the same set of Assessment Principles across their qualifications Potential for a wider range of assessor and verifier qualifications see: http://www.lluk.org/documents/Assessing_and_assuring_the_quality_of_assessment_quals_fact_sheet_final_August_2010_non_ALP_note_.pdf Units can be assessed individually but holistic assessment of the whole qualification is recommended

11. A word about funding Skills for Health does not have a direct funding responsibility for qualifications Skills for Health has requested that the qualifications which measure occupational competence and those used within apprenticeship frameworks are given priority for funding Whilst the QCF has the potential for learners to access a wide range of units, funding routes usually only support full qualifications England - Skills Funding Agency www.skillsfundingagency.bis.gov.uk (look in ‘publications’ for:  QCF Qualifications confirmed for public funding 2010/11) Wales - Welsh Assembly Government www.wales.gov.uk (see also the database of approved qualifications in Wales www.daqw.org.uk) Northern Ireland – Department for Employment and Learning www.delni.gov.uk(see further education ‘financing’ section)

12. What does the QCF mean for employers? Employers have increasing autonomy and accountability for their workforce development. The new qualifications have been designed to be flexible. This allows employers greater choice in the precise units they select for their staff to undertake within the qualifications. Individual units may also be used as stand-alone to obtain credits or within the larger qualifications.

13. What does the QCF mean for learners? The qualifications measure occupational competence, including application of knowledge, and will therefore be portable and recognised by different employers Learners can accumulate credit over time and, if desired, build progressively towards the achievement of a qualification Facilitates transferability of learning Less confusion over the types of qualification available to learners Individual units can be used for continuing professional development

14. What does the QCF mean for learning providers? Clearer for Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL) /Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) Shared units appearing in more than one qualification may allow for mixed groups of learners. The assessment of each unit is defined in the unit assessment principles which leads to a consistent assessment methodology. Clearer transparency/understanding of qualifications QCF Assessment principles may facilitate a greater range of assessor and verifier qualifications than those traditionally associated with NVQs

15. Further information Not transferred to QCF Decontamination Endoscopy New Born Hearing Screening Renal Support Radiography and Clinical Imaging – 2 units within Level 3 Diploma in Clinical Healthcare Support Apprenticeship Frameworks Due to be available from January 2011 (Pharmacy March 2011) Further information available in November once the final Specification of Apprenticeship Standards for England (SASE) for Wales (SASW) are confirmed SASE & SASW statutory on 6th April 2011 Progression The new qualifications may represent progression routes for learners undertaking 14-19 qualifications see www.skillsforhealth.org.uk

16. Awarding Organisations • Ascentis www.ocnw.com • Cache www.cache.org.uk • City and Guilds www.cityandguilds.com • Edexcel www.edexcel.com • EDI www.ediplc.com • NCFE www.ncfe.org.uk • OCR www.ocr.org.uk • The Open University www.open.ac.uk See National Database for Accredited Qualifications (NDAQ) www.accreditedqualifications.org.uk