All about the role of ... CACHE centre advisor

The awards and qualifications are designed to fit the requirements of the Department for Education's Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF) for vocational training. Courses and units of learning from entry to Level 5 are then developed and delivered in approved schools, colleges and training centres throughout the UK and in some centres overseas.

The role of the centre advisor (CA) is as follows:

• - Monitor the quality of centres, including verification, assessment and moderation processes and procedures in accordance with regulation and CACHE quality standards. This is carried out on regulatory visits to the centres and by remote monitoring.
• - Provide ongoing support, advice and guidance to centres in all matters relating to the CACHE portfolio of awards and services, including advice on business development.
• - Support, advise and guide centres working towards approval to deliver CACHE courses and units of learning.
• - Develop a personal performance plan and take responsibility for continuing professional development within the CACHE training plan. Attendance at CACHE training and information days is expected.

QUALIFICATIONS AND TRAINING

The centre advisor has a background in children and young people's education, health, social work or children's services, preferably in a management role. Education is to degree level in a related discipline.

The CA is experienced in delivering and assessing qualifications, including unit assessment. CACHE has produced The Little Book of Qualifications, which gives information about the new Level 3 and Level 4 qualifications for assessing and assuring the quality of assessment. It can be found on the CACHE website.

The Level 4 Internal Verifier awards are:

• - CACHE Level 4 Award in Understanding the Internal Quality Assurance of Assessment Processes and Practice (QCF)
• - CACHE Level 4 Award in the Internal Quality Assurance of Assessment Processes and Practice (QCF)
• - CACHE Level 4 Certificate in Leading the Internal Quality Assurance of Assessment Processes and Practice (QCF).

CACHE's current award for the External Verifier is the Level 4 Award in Conducting Quality Assurance of the Assessment Process (V2). It covers externally evaluating the assessment process and other essential external verification activities.

When in post, the centre advisor keeps abreast of legislative and regulatory issues by attendance at CACHE information and training days. These cover a wide range of issues. Some of the most recent are: the new Qualifications and Credit Framework, standardisation across all qualifications and levels, matrix management, safeguarding, and equality and diversity.

CASE STUDY

Dawn Norman

'I began my career as a nursery nurse and progressed to being a deputy manager for a private daycare nursery, an NVQ assessor for a private training provider and a centre manager at a private training provider. Later, I freelanced as an assessor and internal verifier before becoming a full-time Centre Advisor for CACHE three years ago.

'I verify across the whole portfolio of CACHE qualifications - the NQF and QCF; QCF Qualifications; Foundation Learning and Pre Level 2; Children and Young People; Playwork; Education Support; Health and Social Care for Adults and Children and Young People; and Assessing and Assuring the Quality of Assessment.

'My centres are in Kent, a region of Essex and south London. I visit them for both regulatory and advisory, and business development reasons. The frequency varies according to the type of centre and the qualifications they deliver.

'On a regulatory visit, I meet with the CACHE co-ordinator. Often the staffing team is present too. I have interviews with a chosen internal verifier, an assessor and one of the candidates. I have to complete a Monitoring Form to ensure the assessment and verification process is being carried out in accordance with the regulatory and CACHE requirements. I look at a range of the centre's documentation and a sample of their candidates' portfolios and e-portfolios.

'To help me understand the structure process and needs of the centre, I look at a wide range of the centre's documentation. This includes policies, staffing qualifications and continuing professional development, their internal verifier records and various course materials. Being familiar with these enables me to work collaboratively with the team to offer the right kind of advice, support, guidance and business development.

'There are many things I enjoy about my work, such as travelling, visiting centres to guide and help them develop, meeting different people and seeing students progress.

'The introduction of the new qualifications has been an interesting time.

Teams regionally and internally at CACHE have been working collaboratively to assist and offer guidance to centres throughout the period of transition to the new QCF. We know it has been a major change for centres and have tried to support them as much as we can.'

FURTHER INFORMATION.

• - www.cache.org.uk
• - Qualifications and Curriculum Development Agency, www.qcda.gov.uk/qualification