Following the UK government’s announcement on Thursday 12th March, regarding COVID-19, we want to reassure you that as your Awarding Organisation we’re here to support you through these challenging times, as we look to balance the health and safety of our associates with the needs of our centres and learners.
In that regard, we ask that all centres and learners follow official government advice in terms of protecting themselves. Please take the time to familiarise yourselves and inform staff of the updated information on ‘Coronavirus – what you need to do’, from the Department of Health and Social Care and Public Health England, as well as the latest advice from the NHS ‘Coronavirus (COVID-19)’.
We’re strongly advising that our EQAs convert any upcoming visits to remote desktop activities. Where evidence cannot easily be converted to remote means, we’re here to support in finding solutions, in order to ensure delays in releasing certificates are avoided, including any qualifications where Direct Claims Status (DCS) has not yet been awarded. Where DCS has already been awarded, this will continue unless subsequent sampling suggests this should be otherwise in accordance with our DCS Policy.
We understand, from correspondence with a number of our centres already, that there may be a need to temporarily suspend assessment and training delivery as teams are deployed out into more critical roles, for example, within Police Forces and Fire Services.
Please be assured that we’re committed to support you in these difficult times and will endeavour to maintain EQA services and any assistance required throughout.
We will be continually reviewing this situation and keeping you up to date with all of the latest guidelines and answers to some of our most ‘frequently asked questions’ and concerns on our ‘EQA FAQ’ resource. However, please don’t hesitate in contacting our team today for further support.
