Centre News - October 2008

Feedback first

We have been collecting your views on what you do and don’t like about our services. Top of the 'please improve' pile is certificate delivery. We are committed to tackling this issue and have commissioned an independent review of our procedures with a view to tightening and speeding up certification. The other source of irritation is with Walled Garden. We realise that our candidate registration system isn’t perfect and the long-term plan is to replace it entirely but in the meantime we have created a new user guide. We will keep responding to your feedback so please keep in contact.

A new approach to centre support

From 1 October 2008 ILM will be launching a new approach within the Operations Team. Our Director of Operations, Gaynor Lewis, will become the Director of Business Development, leading a change in focus for the Business Managers (BMs). This will allow the team of BMs to concentrate on gaining a clearer understanding of your business needs and how ILM can support you in achieving your business goals.

All approval processes will now be undertaken by the Quality Team, made up of your local Quality Manager and newly appointed Quality Consultants – an additional resource – who will undertake all quality related aspects of centre/provider and qualification add-on approvals.

To provide both support and development for the Quality Team and to ensure the integrity of our qualifications and brand, we will be recruiting a Head of Quality Practice to take on the leadership of the strategy for quality across ILM. This role will be advertised externally in early October and details are available via customer@i-l-m.com.

We would appreciate your support in embedding this new structure, with your Business Manager remaining the first point of contact for all new business development enquiries and your local Quality representatives focusing on ensuring the integrity of ILM certificates.

In addition to the changes in the Operation Team we are pleased to announce that Hilary Hall has been appointed Director of Customer Services. In this new position Hilary, as well as continuing to manage the Membership Team, will bring together every aspect of the customer experience. Her focus is to bring about improvements to ILM’s customer service, acting on your valuable feedback.

Foundation degrees

We are pleased to announce a new Foundation Degree in Business, Leadership and Management in partnership with the University of Hertfordshire and City & Guilds. This exciting new development allows any centre that is approved to offer ILM’s Level 5 qualifications the opportunity to expand their offer to a Foundation Degree without validation by a university. This is thanks to the University of Hertfordshire’s recognition that our distinctive emphasis on high quality, practical learning combines perfectly with their commitment to widening participation in higher education.

The degree has two components – the City & Guilds Higher Professional Diploma in Business Administration (one year of the Foundation Degree) and the ILM Level 5 Extended Diploma in Leadership and Management (year two). The Extended Diploma adds a significant work-based learning element to the standard Diploma, enabling learners to have a significant impact on their organisation’s performance.

With this new venture into degrees we are reviewing our strategy for quality assurance at the higher levels (Level 6 and 7). We have appointed a panel of higher-level experts (both internal and external) which will meet twice a month to review all new approvals, re-approvals and qualification add-ons. The panel will also assist in producing specific guidance to support centres delivering at the higher levels. Your local Business Manager will outline the process in more detail.

Take the next step

If you are interested in offering the new Foundation Degree contact the Customer Service team or your Business Manager.

New qualifications

Level 4 Qualifications in Leadership and Management. Our suite of leadership and management qualifications has expanded to include a Level 4 Certificate and Diploma. Download the Q card here
Level 4 Award in Vocational Assessment of Leadership and Management. This short Award is designed to provide support in designing and conducting vocational assessments and is recommended for all those involved in assessing vocational qualifications. Download the Q card here
Level 4 Award in Managing Equality and Diversity in an Organisation. This single-unit Award aims to develop an understanding of the nature and origins of personal values, beliefs, attitudes and prejudices, and the impact that this can have on workplace behaviour. Download the Q card here

Quality Assurance news

To support our Quality Assurance strategy we have produced a guidance booklet. The key focus for our centres is the development of an Internal Quality Assurance strategy and Internal Verification Plan – as this underpins our approach to external monitoring.

Thank you for your help with the introduction of our new electronic reporting system for external verification. We have also implemented a process for allocating direct claim status for certification. This allows you to claim certificates direct once the candidates have successfully completed all programme requirements. From 1 October 2008 your Quality Manager will confirm, via email, that your direct claim status has been allocated by the External Verifier. Please respond to the email, together with a confirmation that you accept the content of the report.

Changes to guided learning hours

We have reduced the total guided learning hours (but not their credit values) in the following qualifications:

Level 3 Award in Starting Your Enterprise – total guided learning hours reduced to 31 from 34
Level 5 Certificate in Management – total guided learning hours reduced to 140 from 150
Level 5 Diploma in Management – total guided learning hours reduced to 210 from 220

Calling Scotland

We are pleased to announce the recognition of 10 of our VRQs by the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF). This has been achieved though our work with Napier University, and the details are now included on the Scottish LearnDirect database. The SCQF and QCF credit values of these qualifications are identical, but each has now been levelled in the SCQF structure. This recognition will enable learners seeking progression, especially into Higher Education, to transfer their credit.

ILM Level 2 qualifications at SCQF Level 5
Award in Team Leading = 3 credits (minimum)
Certificate in Team Leading = 13 credits (minimum)
ILM Level 3 qualifications at SCQF Level 6
Award in First Line Management = 5 credits (minimum)
Certificate in First Line Management = 20 credits (minimum)
Diploma in First Line Management = 37 credits (minimum)
ILM Level 4 qualifications at SCQF Level 7
Award in Management = 8 credits (minimum)
Certificate in Management for Social Care Supervisors (Scotland) = 15 credits (minimum)
ILM Level 5 qualifications at SCQF Level 8
Award in Management = 10 credits (minimum)
Certificate in Management = 30 credits (minimum)
ILM Level 5 qualifications at SCQF Level 9
Diploma in Management = 45 credits (minimum)

ILM and City & Guilds are also working on a pilot project with the SCQF to widen participation in credit rating activities in Scotland. We aim to become a recognised Credit Rating Body for the SCQF.

NVQ extensions

The following ILM NVQs have been granted an extension by the regulatory authorities:

100/5299/9 Level 2 Team Leading 31 December 2010
100/5300/1 Level 3 Management 31 December 2010
100/5301/3 Level 4 Management 31 December 2010
100/5302/5 Level 5 Management 31 December 2010
Q1050973 Level 4 Environmental Management 31 December 2008
10031388 Level 3 Personnel Support 31 December 2009
1003139X Level 4 Personnel Management 31 December 2009
10031406 Level 5 Personnel Strategy 31 December 2009
100/6131/9 Level 3 Management of Volunteers 30 June 2009
100/6132/0 Level 4 Management of Volunteers 30 June 2009
100/6133/2 Level 5 Management of Volunteers 30 June 2009