Overview

This qualification is closely aligned with the specification for Assessment and Quality Assurance of Assessment originally developed by Lifelong Learning UK (LLUK) after consultations with awarding organisations, Sector Skills Councils and learning and development experts. It is also aligned closely with the National Occupational Standards developed by LLUK and enables learners to gain the knowledge, skills and understanding to assess vocational skills, knowledge and understanding in a variety of contexts, for example a workshop, classroom or other training environment.
The programme enables learners to demonstrate their skills by producing evidence from their work activities.

Entry requirements

There are no formal entry requirements for this qualification. This qualification is suitable for those who work within any sector where assessment forms part of the education and training cycle. It provides Learners with an opportunity to demonstrate their competence in assessing vocational achievement.
English requirements: If a learner is not from a majority English-speaking country, they must provide evidence of English language competency. For more information visit English Language Expectations page.

Equivalences

OTHM qualifications at RQF Level 3 represent practical knowledge, skills, capabilities and competences that are assessed in academic terms as being equivalent to GCE AS/A Levels.

Qualification structure

The OTHM Level 3 Award in Assessing Vocationally Related Achievement consists of 2 mandatory units for a combined total of 10 credits.

• Understanding the Principles and Practices of Assessment (4 credits)
• Assess Vocational Skills, Knowledge and Understanding (6 credits)

Duration and delivery

The qualification is designed as flexible in its delivery in order to accommodate part-time and distance learning. The qualification is delivered face-to-face, through lectures, tutorials, seminars, distance, online by approved centres only.

Assessment and verification

All units within this qualification are internally assessed by the centre and externally verified by OTHM. The qualifications are criterion referenced, based on the achievement of all the specified learning outcomes.
To achieve a ‘pass’ for a unit, learners must provide evidence to demonstrate that they have fulfilled all the learning outcomes and meet the standards specified by all assessment criteria. Judgement that the learners have successfully fulfilled the assessment criteria is made by the Assessor.
The Assessor should provide an audit trail showing how the judgement of the learners’ overall achievement has been arrived at.

Progression

Learners who achieve this qualification could progress into employment as an assessor or onto to relevant qualifications such as Level 4 Internal Quality Assurance of Assessment Processes and Practice.

Overview

The OTHM Level 3 Foundation Diploma in People and Organisations has been designed to provide learners with a flexible, relevant course to gain knowledge and understanding about the structure, values and behaviours of organisations and the management of people.
Successful completion of this qualification will equip learners with the underpinning knowledge and skills required to succeed in employment or further studies.
The learners will:

• Develop a body of knowledge about people, organisations and employment in a range of sectors.
• Develop a range of knowledge, facts, theories, ideas, skills, materials, terminology, practices and techniques about, and associated with people and organisations and employment.
• Develop self-confidence and skills required for the working environment and organisations and employment.
• Improve communication skills and personal effectiveness that will provide a basis for growth in employment and or in further study.

Entry requirements

OTHM Level 3 qualifications can be offered to learners from age 16.
OTHM does not specify entry requirements for these qualifications. OTHM ensures that learners admitted to the programme have sufficient capability at the right level to undertake the learning and assessment.
OTHM centres must ensure learners are recruited with integrity onto appropriate qualifications that will meet their needs, enable and facilitate learning and achievement enable progression. The qualification is offered in English.
English requirements: If a learner is not from a majority English-speaking country must provide evidence of English language competency. For more information visit English Language Expectations page.

Equivalences

OTHM qualifications at Level 3 represent practical knowledge, skills, capabilities and competences that are assessed in academic terms as being equivalent to GCE AS/A Levels.

Qualification structure

The OTHM Level 3 Foundation Diploma in People and Organisations consists of 6 mandatory units for a combined total of 60 credits, 600 hours Total Qualification Time (TQT) and 240 Guided Learning Hours (GLH) for the completed qualification.

Mandatory units

• Organisation Structures and their Culture and Values (10 credits)
• Principles of Organisational Planning (10 credits)
• Managing Human Resources (10 credits)
• Personal and Professional Development (10 credits)
• Teamwork (10 credits)
• Leadership and Management Skills (10 credits)

Duration and delivery

The qualification is designed to be delivered over one academic year for full-time study, but it is also flexible in its delivery in order to accommodate part-time and distance learning. The qualification is delivered face-to-face, through lectures, tutorials, seminars, distance, online by approved centres only.
The qualification is delivered face-to-face, through lectures, tutorials, seminars, distance, online by approved centres only.

Assessment and verification

All units within this qualification are internally assessed by the centre and externally verified by OTHM. The qualifications are criterion referenced, based on the achievement of all the specified learning outcomes.
To achieve a ‘pass’ for a unit, learners must provide evidence to demonstrate that they have fulfilled all the learning outcomes and meet the standards specified by all assessment criteria. Judgement that the learners have successfully fulfilled the assessment criteria is made by the Assessor.
The Assessor should provide an audit trail showing how the judgement of the learners’ overall achievement has been arrived at.

Progression

Successful completion of the OTHM Level 3 Foundation Diploma in People and Organisations provides learners with the opportunity for workplace and academic progressions to a wide range of OTHM Level 4 diplomas. For more information visit University Progressions page in this website.

What does the qualification cover?

The Level 3 Award in Childcare and Education prepares learners to progress to the Level 3 Certificate in Childcare and Education and then on to the Technical Level 3 Diploma in Childcare and Education (Early Years Educator).

What is a nested qualification?

This qualification is nested. Qualifications within a nested suite allow learners to be topped up to a qualification that is the same level and subject within the Award, Certificate, Diploma structure. This can be done by self-service through the Portal. Qualification nests and top-up pricing can be found in our fees list.

UCAS Information

UCAS points have been allocated to this qualification. For a full breakdown of points, please see the UCAS performance points table.

Who is it suitable for?

This qualification is suitable for a range of learners either working or wishing to work in early years education and care.

What are our entry requirements for commencing the qualification?

You should be at least 16 years old. We do not set any other entry requirements but colleges or training providers may have their own guidelines.

Early Years Educator: Changes to GCSE Requirements

From 3 April 2017, the requirement for Level 3 Early Years Educators (EYE) to hold GCSE English and maths A*-C, will be broadened to Level 2 qualifications, including Functional Skills. This will also apply to an apprenticeship route. This will enable staff with an EYE qualification and Level 2 English and mathematics qualifications to count in the Level 3 staff:child ratios in childcare settings. This includes those who already hold an EYE qualification, began studying an EYE from September 2014 or will achieve an EYE in the future. Please refer to the Early Years Workforce Strategy (March 2017) for further details.

Education Funding Agency-funded learners

Learners aged 16-19 (and learners aged 19-24 with learning difficulties and/or disabilities) funded by the Education Funding Agency will not require GCSE English and maths grade A* – C prior to commencing their Early Years Educator qualification. However, the Department for Education expect learners without English and/or maths GCSE at grade C to be offered and encouraged to take up GCSEs as part of their Study Programme. From 2016/17 learners will need to have completed or be studying GCSE English and maths to have their study programme funded.

Rule of combination

In order to achieve the Level 3 Award in Childcare and Education learners must complete 2 mandatory units, including all the criteria learners must know about which is contained within the delivery guidance. Each unit throughout the qualification will be graded A*-D with the qualification overall grading being A* - D.

What is safeguarding for children?

It’s important to understand at this stage that the phrase ‘safeguarding for children’ can mean two things. In cases where mandatory and statutory training is differentiated, mandatory training is of the type that an employer believes is essential to carrying out the role safely and effectively, but it isn’t necessarily legally required or a matter of compliance. Statutory training on the other hand would be training that must legally be completed, so that the organisation is meeting their obligations when it comes to governing bodies such as the CQC, or laws such as the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 (HSWA).

However, in the care industry, it’s very common for the term 'safeguarding for children’ to refer to any kind of training that an employee must undergo, whether it is training deemed essential by the employer for the purposes of effectively carrying out the role, or it’s training that must legally be completed. If you’re ever unsure about which definition is being used, check with the employer, authority or training provider. However, confusion between the two terms is usually unimportant, as in all scenarios it means training that has to be taken.

What are the most common requirements?

For the purposes of this article, we’re going to take ‘safeguarding for children to mean any kind of essential training, whether deemed as such by the employer or the law.

It’s important to be aware that there is and can never be a catch-all list of training requirements for the care industry. This is because there are a huge number of different roles within the industry, there are different authorities (such as the CQC and local authorities), and of course there are continual updates to the appropriate legislation and guidance. For example, one local authority may insist on specific food hygiene training for all care home workers, and another may not. Under EU law, individuals must be appropriately trained, but it does not specify how. With this in mind, we’re going to go through some of the most common types of safeguarding for children in this industry..

Health and safety is perhaps the most common issue of compliance for all businesses in the country, with the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 being the main piece of legislation concerned with it. As a result, general training courses on this subject are generally mandatory across the care industry. Related to this is of course fire safety, which is hugely important for all workers.

Safeguarding for Children is of course critically important to delivering a safe service and being mindful of wider issues of social care. As a result, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) mandates that employees must take the relevant training.

How are these training requirements met?

Large organisations, such as the NHS, will have their own internal training teams that are equipped to ensure that all members of staff are fully skilled and knowledgeable, and are up-to-date in matters of compliance. However, it’s convenient for many organisations to use outside training providers to meet their needs. In social- and healthcare e-learning is popular, and we’re pleased to be able to offer a number of online healthcare courses that make it simple to ensure employees have the right training.