Competence-based components

3.8.2.1 FE colleges

The competence-based components were more practical and trainees undertaking the competence qualification through an FE college would document evidence of competence in a range of units (e.g. ordering pharmaceutical stock) in their portfolios (outlined in section 3.5.2) as well as collect evidence of being observed in the workplace by assessors or expert witnesses when performing different activities. This process was described by interviewees from FE colleges such as the following one:

“They build their own portfolio, so to speak, but yes, the standards are there for them within the portfolio, and we, all the recording materials proformas are there, and when the assessor goes out to see them, then certain forms are completed, including an action plan so the student knows what they’re going to do next, to provide evidence for which unit, and so forth, and whether they need candidate statements or witness testimonies, or that sort of thing, you know; or some underpinning knowledge questions that they need to answer to prove that.”

FE college 11

Portfolios would then be checked by an internal verifier to ensure consistency between evidence provided across trainees’ portfolios. An interviewee from one college described the process of assessing evidence of competence, common amongst FE colleges, below:

I: “[Trainees are] filling in, collecting evidence and then they get also witnessed doing things by the assessor?”

R: “Yeah. Or a colleague, another pharmacy technician, or pharmacist in the work place can sign off, can sign…they can write a witness testimony, saying they’ve done something.”

I: “Okay. And then the College, you kind of see the portfolios they progress, and…?”

49 R: “Yeah. So we then have…the assessor would then mark off any criteria that

have been achieved by the bit of evidence and then progress is made through each unit. When each unit’s completed, that’s signed off, and we have our [internal verifier] who then samples those to ensure standardisation of quality.”

FE college 2

As many trainees completing the competence qualification provided by FE colleges worked in hospital, they generally had assessors in the workplace. Therefore, feedback could be provided on a regular basis about evidence they were providing and on their general performance (see work stream 2 findings for further information). If a trainee was assessed by a peripatetic assessor employed by the FE college then feedback from the assessor would be less frequent; typically this would be monthly.

Though trainees may have contact with their peripatetic assessors less frequently they would still receive verbal feedback on how they were doing and the quality of the evidence being provided as well as more formalised written up feedback documented in the portfolio.

“For the NVQ, obviously the feedback can be both, as well, depending on what type of evidence; but it’s all recorded in a written way.”

FE college 11

3.8.2.2 Distance providers

Distance providers’ assessment of competence, as in FE colleges, was based on

documented evidence in a portfolio. Those using distance providers would also be observed by another member of staff. In most cases this would be an expert witness rather than a qualified assessor, mainly because most trainees would be based in a community pharmacy rather than a hospital, where qualified assessors were commonly situated.

“For the NVQ, which is the skills based qualification, that is actually assessed with activity reports. So students send in activity reports which their expert witness within their workplace signs and observes them doing those activities. And then our assessors assess the work. And they also have a telephone discussion with the assessor for each unit to confirm competence. So that's essentially how it's assessed.”

Distance provider 1

The main difference from FE colleges appeared to be in the contact trainees had with their assessors. Trainees undertaking their competence qualification through a distance provider

typically had a distant relationship with their assessor and therefore had observations from expert witnesses as opposed to assessors in the workplace or peripatetic assessors. Professional discussions could take place over the telephone whereby a trainee could discuss different aspects of practice with an assessor, allowing the assessor to gauge a trainee’s understanding of different aspects of the competence qualification as well as elements mapping onto the knowledge qualification. This was most applicable to those in community who were often using a distance provider to undertake the competence qualification; most trainees in hospital would be undertaking the competence qualification through an FE college or through an accredited hospital NVQ centre. Interviewees from distance providers spoke of professional discussions that could take place between assessors and trainees as a means to consider trainees’ understanding of different issues, and this could relate equally to elements of competence and knowledge.

R: “It’s a planned discussion so it has to be planned. It’s not a question and answer session and they’re not put on the spot. It’s something that’s planned with the learner through their assessment plans to either cover criteria, concern criteria, we holistically assess across units, so it’s a really useful assessment method actually covering a subject, if you like, rather than just one unit, if that makes sense?”

I: “So it offers the opportunity to ask questions of the trainee to clarify their understanding about things?”

R: “Yes, they have to talk around subjects, that’s right.”

Distance provider 4

The use of expert witnesses as observers and the use of professional discussions were a means of assessing trainees in the absence of having assessors observe trainees in the workplace as this was not always possible. This is not to say it never occurred, though it appeared to be uncommon for assessors from distance providers to visit trainees in their workplace on a regular basis.

“Probably we use [professional discussions] more than, just because we’ve always used professional discussion as a way of assessing. We use the expert witness observations and sometimes assessor observations, because like I said earlier, we do go out, not all the time and not to every learner, but in some sectors we do and also based on need. So then it would be a combination of expert witness too.”

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Distance provider 4

In the case of one of the smaller distance providers interviewed, visits did take place in a similar manner to visits by peripatetic assessors from FE colleges, and this may be due to the close proximity of the distance provider to the trainees’ workplaces and the relative small number of trainees undertaking the qualification through a small provider.

“No, we’ll visit the candidates once a month, or at least once a month, and be available through email or telephone, as well, at other times, if needed. We do the NVQ part, they provide evidence that’s witnessed by their supervisor, also work products…we’ll do questioning and observation as well, with them, while we’re there, and they build up a portfolio to meet the standards for the NVQ.”

Distance provider 5