Intervention Policy for Cancelled Meetings and Progression Issues
Poor attendance or cancelled appointments means apprentices are more likely to go out of funding or be withdrawn from the programme due to slow or no progress.
Aims:
To address slow or no progress and non-attendance at timetabled sessions
To meet the ESFA funding requirements of progression in any 4-week period
Prostart will:
- Keep accurate attendance/participation records and use these to identify apprentices at risk of leaving early (withdrawal)
- Support apprentices and employers if an Agreed Break in Learning is required
- Identify within the 28 days of non-attendance if the apprentice needs to be withdrawn or a Break in Learning is required as per the ESFA requirements.
Responsibilities of the Apprentice
- Attend work and training as agreed if fit to do so
- Advise the employer of sickness or absence and their Prostart Learning & Development Coach
- Agree annual leave with their employer and advise their Prostart Learning & Development Coach
- Contact Prostart immediately if employment ceases or changes
Responsibilities of the Employer
- Ensure that apprentices attend their scheduled training sessions, portfolio days and 121 support and any other scheduled meetings with their Tutor or L&D Coach
- Attend progress reviews for apprentices as agreed
- Advise Prostart immediately if an apprentice is absent for a Learning & Development Coach visit or scheduled training session or leaves employment
Mitigating Circumstances
Mitigating Circumstances are serious unforeseen, unpreventable circumstances that significantly disrupt apprentice performance in assessment. Apprentices are expected to plan their work so they can meet assessment deadlines at the same time as other obligations they may have. The mitigating circumstances process should only be used if they experience significant disruption to their studies due to circumstances that were unforeseen and out of their control. In order for a mitigating circumstance claim to be accepted, apprentices must demonstrate to the L&D Coach that the mitigating circumstances:
- were outside your control; and
- were unforeseen and unforeseeable; and
- were serious; and
- were evidenced to be true; and
relate directly to the timing of the training/ meeting affected (i.e. that they occurred at the same time as the training/ meeting date, or during the preparation period immediately prior to the training/ meeting date); and either prevented the apprentice from submitting or presenting for the assessment by the due date, or where the apprentice has undertaken the assessment, adversely impacted on the apprentices performance such that if it had not been for those circumstances the apprentice would have performed significantly better. The following are the most common examples of mitigating circumstances for which a claim might be accepted (this list is not intended to be definitive):
- Serious short-term illness
- Death of a close relative or friend
- Sudden deterioration of a long-term condition
The following are examples of circumstances for which a claim will not normally be accepted (this list is not intended to be definitive):
- Medical circumstances that occurred outside the relevant assessment period;
- Holiday/employment commitments;
- Personal computer/printer problems;
- Poor study practice;
- Ignorance of due dates/times;
- Poor time management;
- Covering for team members
- Late disclosure of mitigating circumstances
If an apprentice claims mitigating circumstances they must evidence this to their L&D coach who will agree with the manager/ employer/ apprentice lead to put the apprentice on an agreed Break in Learning for an agreed time and will reschedule the missed training on the Training Plan Annex 5 Scheme of Work (SOW).
Intervention Procedure
- If an apprentice misses one timetables session and it is not possible to reschedule this within the next 3-4 months (this period must be before the apprentices expected end date) a recording will be sent to the apprentice from the L&D Coach within 4 weeks; the apprentice must still evidence they have undertaken learning activity and this needs to be documented on their reflective journal for that 4 week period.
In addition: –
The L&D Coach will respectfully bring the issue of Absence and Apprentice commitment to the attention of the apprentice and their employer/ Manager and discuss, where and how to prevent further issues. This discussion must occur within 3 weeks of the absence to either: reschedule the missed session in agreement with the manager/employer or agree a break in learning in line with ESFA funding requirements.
A break in learning can only be agreed where it is clear there are mitigating circumstances. If this cannot be substantiated we will proceed to step 2 to escalate intervention.
2) If apprentices continue to miss timetabled and scheduled learning interventions this will be reported to the Lead IQA at Prostart who will contact the Manager/ Employer and /or the Apprenticeship lead to request intervention by the Manager/Employer or Apprenticeship Lead.
3) If the apprentice behaviour continues to be unacceptable they may be asked to leave the training programme following a discussion with their Manager/ Employer/Apprentice lead. Following an event where it has been necessary to remove the apprentice from a programme, the reason for the exit will be obtained from the apprentice and employer and L&D coach and documented on the Training Plan Annex 8 Change of Circumstance form.
4) In line with the agreed Training Plan, I agree that if a recruited Apprentice does not remain on the Apprenticeship for 120 days, Prostart will charge the Employer a fee of £300.00 to cover the administrative cost of setting up the Apprenticeship. This fee shall be paid in full by the Employer using funds other than those funds in the Employer’s Digital Account. In the event the Apprentice withdraws from the programme, including termination of employment by the Employer, payment for the total cost of training up to the date of withdrawal, will be calculated pro-rata for time on programme. Where the total paid to date is greater than the pro-rata cost of delivery of the apprenticeship, the appropriate refund will be issued by Prostart in line with ESFA requirements. Where the total paid is less than the pro-rata cost of the delivery to date an invoice will be issued to the employer to cover the outstanding balance due and payment will be due 28 days from the date issued. Where any refund or outstanding balance is due from the employers Levy funds, this will be reconciled via the digital account as per ESFA requirements..