News & Updates

Following a consultation with members, Approved Training Centres (ATC) and external stakeholders we have carried out a full review of the Approved Training Centre (ATC) and Quality Assurance model to streamline the process and ensure it is not over burdensome.

Safety Training Awards Internal Quality Assurance minimum requirements are:

• 1 face to face observation per tutor per year
• 1 face to face observation per assessor per year
• New tutors are observed on their first STA course
• New assessors are observed on their first assessment
• If delivering 1 or 2 courses a year, a face-to-face observation would be expected on all courses to cover both tutoring and assessing
• For larger amounts of delivery in a year, we would expect the following:
  • Minimum of 1 face-to-face observation whilst tutoring and minimum of 1 face-to-face observation whilst assessing and desk-based samples of courses run throughout the year following the centres sampling plan (this can include learner interviews, looking at portfolio’s, looking at practical marking sheets)
• For tutor assessed courses, one observation is sufficient as long as tutoring elements and assessing elements are observed. For STA first aid at work courses, the observation will need to take place on day 1 of the course (the emergency first aid at work day).

The ATCs appointed IQA must have attended the STA IQA CPD day or hold a Level 4 Award in Internal Quality Assurance qualification or acceptable equivalent and be occupationally competent (this can be the person holding the end user qualification or demonstrating experience of the qualification they are quality assuring).

Safety Training Awards has provided a guidance document which includes examples of what to include in the following ATC documents:

• IQA policy
• IQA strategy
• IQA risk rating
• IQA sample plan

The IQA guidance document will be available to download from the Safety Training Awards website, in the Approved Training Centre resources section and on the ATCs Synergy home screen.

If you have any questions about these changes, please do not hesitate to contact us.