Quality Assurance
POLICY AND STANDARDS
QA Policy and and standards is aimed at:
- Registered members of the NCIP.
- Accredited by the NCIP training providers and training programs.
- Departments and teams of the NCIP.
The NCIP has embedded quality throughout its activity and ensures that each department, team and employee and/or volunteer has a part to play, thereby encouraging a culture of quality. The aim is to meet and/or exceed requirements set by various bodies such as awarding bodies, standards authority, partners, and other.
We apply an annual Quality Assurance Cycle that embraces a whole organisation approach.
This annual cycle takes into account Self-Assessment; Data & Audits; Registered members, Learner and Training organisations Review and internal reviews of quality processes such as accreditation, registration, assessment, complaints, safeguarding and all other processes inside the NCIP.
For accredited training programs and courses the NCIP adopted the proactive quality assurance approach to ensure standards and quality of training.
The NCIP also implemented separate policy for quality assurance in processes related to registered members. Additional policies are in place to provide further assurance.
Registered Members of the NCIP
QA for this category is based on sampling. Details and procedures are set in the NCIP Quality assurance strategy. This is done to ensure that our requirements for membership in the NCIP are met in full and/or exceed. It includes, among other, requirements for CDP, requirements for clinical supervision, DBS and other. During this assurance process we involve all relevant departments and teams in the NCIP.
Departments and Teams in the NCIP
QA for this category is based on sampling (teams, employees and volunteers in each department). Details and procedures are set in the NCIP Quality assurance strategy. This is done to ensure that our quality of internal processes and work of department and/or ream meet in full and/or exceed our requirement for quality and standards as well as satisfy requirements external regulatory organisations.
QA on all levels is finalized in a summary report and presented on the Board meeting.
Proactive quality assurance of the NCIP accredited training
The NCIP actively checks on training courses, postgraduate training providers and training programs to ensure they are meeting our standards. Our model aims to be a flexible and collaborative approach to the quality assurance of the organisations we work with.
It consists of four stages of a declaration, a self-assessment questionnaire, quality activities and an annual quality assurance summary. We regularly check that these standards are being met and/or exceed. We do this in two main ways: proactive and reactive quality assurance.
Proactive quality assurance is where we actively check the NCIP training organisations and providers to make sure they are meeting or exceeding our standards. The model is a risk-based continuous cycle of quality assurance over the 2-year-cycle (period of the NCIP accreditation). It aims to be a flexible and collaborative approach to the quality assurance of the organisations we work with, giving us assurance of their quality processes on a proportionate scale.
The proactive quality assurance model
The model is based on a cycle whereby training provider organisations we accredited declare, once every two years, that they meet our standards.
Between declarations on an annual basis, we will:
- Ask every organisation for an annual self-assessment questionnaire.
- Triangulate our data and intelligence alongside the organisation's self-assessment questionnaire to give us further evidence of how an organisation is meeting our standards.
- Have multiple feedback meetings with each organisation to report on self-assessment questionnaire analysis and discuss the annual quality assurance summary.
- Complete regulatory quality assurance activity to further explore areas of good practice, excellence or risk.
- Produce an annual quality assurance summary including an overall regulatory statement and next steps.
Events of the proactive quality assurance
Declaration of meeting our standards | Once every two years, the manager of a training organisation must declare that they are meeting - or working towards meeting - our standards. The declaration also asks organisations to comply and engage with our proactive quality assurance model. If we have serious concerns about an organisation's engagement with the process over the course of the cycle, or their ability to meet the standards, we will consider deferring their declaration while we do more work with them to get assurance on these issues. |
Self-assessment questionnaire | The self-assessment questionnaire (SAQ) aims to find out more about the policies and processes in place in the training organisation to establish if they meet our standards. We also ask about how the training organisation complines with policies and standards of the NCIP and what steps are taken. SAQs are assigned to organisations on an annual basis. On occasion, we may also include additional questions in the SAQ, for example, if we are carrying out a thematic or UK-wide review. After an SAQ is submitted to us, we review it and triangulate it with our data and intelligence. A feedback meeting is then organised and attended by the organisation and members of the NCIP quality assurance team. The feedback meeting gives an opportunity for the organisation to expand upon the points raised in their SAQ, and to discuss potential quality activities for the rest of the annual cycle. |
Quality activities | Quality activities are carried out where we would like to further explore areas of innovation, excellence or risk. They can take the shape of attending virtual or in person meetings, observing activities that organisations manage, or undergoing a document review. We triangulate findings from quality activities with our data and intelligence to make sure our standards are being met. Quality activities for the quality assurance cycle will usually be agreed in the self-assessment questionnaire feedback meeting, with between one and four quality activities being arranged per organisation per year. We're interested in the different ways organisations work and we may ask to observe something because we've never seen it before, or we would like to have further details or further understanding. Or because no other organisation does it that way. Where required, we can carry out visits, run bespoke surveys or other activities. We always aim to be proportionate and create the least possible burden for organisations we quality assure and the service. However, where we have concerns, these will always be our priority. There may also be UK-wide themes that we're interested in exploring further. |
Annual quality assurance summary | The annual quality assurance summary (AQAS) is produced and published by the NCIP for each organisation we quality assure at the end of each yearly cycle. The document summarises findings from the self-assessment questionnaire (SAQ) and gives an overview of all quality assurance activity that has taken place over the course of the yearly cycle. This includes information from both the proactive and reactive quality assurance process. If applicable, any enhanced monitoring activity that has taken place in the year will also be outlined. The annual quality assurance summary summarises the NCIP’s regulatory assessment for the recipient organisation, which includes any areas of good practice or requirements and recommendations we have set. In most cases our regulatory assessment will be that we are assured, in which case, we will say so in our summary. In the circumstances where we are not assured, we are likely to carry out further activity to get assurance. If we are still not assured, we will consider setting a requirement or recommendation, which will set out the area needing improvement. We may consider deferring an organisation's declaration until we are assured. The status of any open requirements or recommendations will be included in the annual quality assurance summary. |
- Sampling and invigilation for QA purpose:
- Twice a year, the NCIP QA samples to establish wether quality and standards we set for accredited by the NCIP programs and courses are achieved and exceed. Samples are chosen randomly from the list of accredited programs and courses and general sample size should not be less than 50% of all accredited courses. It is obvious that if an accredited by the NCIP training organisation or provider has more than 1 accredited course, the sample may include more than 1 course or/and training program from one training provider. It is required that 100% of training providers and organisations accredited by the NCIP should be covered by sampling yearly. Sampling could be conducted announced or unannounced. All processes of sampling and content of sampling is compliant with the NCIP QA strategy. Each sample include (but not limited to):
- Name of the training provider and accreditation number
- Title of the training program and accreditation number
- Sample consists of class work, homework, presentations, training materials used, log files of practice and supervision undertaken, assignments, essays etc.
- Tutors and lecturers' information
- Observation of teaching and tutoring (lectures and practical components of the training program) physically or online.
- Sample may include interview with learners or students and other forms suitable to provide the NCIP with sufficient information to achieve efficient QA process.
- Obtaining independent and anonymous learners and students feedback.
- Twice a year, the NCIP QA does invigilation. The NCIP selects randomly training providers (minimum at 50% of entire pool of the accredited training courses and programs) and monitor quality and standards according to the NCIP invigilation policy. This is aimed to ensure quality of accreditation and training as well as to achieve excellence and objectives we set as an Accrediting professional register and organisation. We have two types of invigilation: physical and virtual – both have equal significance. Invigilation can be conducted in announced or unannounced manner. Invigilation should cover 100% of training providers and organisation yearly. It includes:
- Observation of the process of assessments, exams, tests etc and how they are conducted.
- Sampling assessment and other materials used for evaluation and assessment knowledge and achievements of learners and students.
- Physical visit of premises or participation as an observer in online e as, assessments etc
- Obtaining independent anonymous learners and students feedback
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- Results of sampling and invigilation are analysed and shared and conclusion with feedback and recommendation is shared with involved departments of the NCIP and training provider. In cases where immediate actions required, the NCIP Board is informed and the NCIP seeks immediate consultation with the training provider to resolve the issue immediately. The NCIP will act in accordance with all policies the NCIP has in place.
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- MT 0125
