With changes to regulations around off-the-job hours, active learning and RPL adjustments, the 2022/23 funding rules make it essential for providers to design their curriculum with compliance in mind. 

In this webinar, Compliance Specialist, Tony Allen, shares insights into various ways you can build compliance into your curriculum design, to help you meet regulations at every step of your programmes.

We hear from Katie Thornton, Director of Quality and Performance at Ensis Solutions, how she has incorporated this approach into the Ensis strategy, and the tools and techniques they’ve put in place over the last 18 months to facilitate its success.  

Lastly, we showcase some of the key ways Aptem supports this approach, giving training providers the tools to deliver an engaging curriculum that meets funding rules and standards.

Q and A transcript

The following is a transcript of the questions asked during the webinar, along with the answers provided by product experts. For any further information, do contact your Implementation Consultant, Customer Success Manager or Aptem Support.

We have an apprentice who receives paid overtime at the weekend to undertake his OTJ hours. Is that approach compliant?

The definition of normal working hours, which is what you need to consider when you are thinking about off the job activity excludes overtime. The current funding rules, 22/3 do give you a little let out on the occasion they recognize that it might be necessary for the learner to have to do some things at evenings and weekends. Now, they have to be either paid for that, or given, time off. In short, it can only be done as an exception and is therefore not compliant if done a regular basis.

We have staff meetings in the evening, can this be counted?

Activity outside of someone’s normal working hours (overtime does not count as ‘normal hours’) cannot usually be counted for OJT activity. The Funding Rules permit infrequent and occasional exceptions to this provided that the learner is compensated by either being paid, or given time off in lieu. The point is that over the course of the apprenticeship this must be exceptional, and by no definition regular or habitual. So for example, every Saturday, or weekend, or even once per month, would not be seen as exceptional, An auditor will strike out any activity that they consider breaches this rule.

I have an issue with the issue around reflective pieces, as a reflective account is an excellent way of embedding and developing behaviours, which are also part of the standard alongside knowledge and skills.

If you are just reflecting on what you have been told on, IE, on the knowledge that you have gained, um, then that may not be compliant. But if included in your reflection is how you are utilizing that new knowledge in the workplace, how it is helping you to develop the skills and behaviours, then that certainly would almost certainly be compliant. You need to be very careful about the terminology of reflective statements - they cannot only reflect on something you already know.

Please could you repeat the C.A.R.E acronym please.

Coverage and Assessment, Recommendations and Extras.