| Document control field | Details |
| Document reference | CEN-03 |
| Version | v0.1 Draft |
| Owner | Responsible Officer |
| Approved by | Governing Body |
| Effective from | [Insert date] |
| Next review date | [Insert date] |
| Applies to | Approved and applicant centres delivering, assessing or supporting Albion Awards qualifications |
| Primary audience | Centre managers, centre administrators, tutors, assessors, IQAs, learner support staff and senior responsible persons |
| Linked documents | Centre Approval Policy; Centre Agreement; Qualification Specification Portfolio; Module Bank; Assessment Policy; Assessment Design Procedure; Marking and Grading Guidance; Quality Assurance Framework; IQA Procedure; EQA Procedure; Standardisation Procedure; Certification Procedure; Complaints Policy; Appeals Policy; Malpractice and Maladministration Policy; Reasonable Adjustments and Special Considerations Policy; Conflict of Interest Policy; Data Protection and Records Retention Policies |
Document purpose: This handbook provides operational guidance for centres approved, or seeking approval, to deliver Albion Awards qualifications. It explains centre responsibilities, delivery expectations, assessment controls, internal quality assurance, external quality assurance, learner registration, certification, learner protection and regulatory cooperation requirements.
Contents
1. Introduction and status of the handbook
2. Albion Awards qualification scope
3. Centre approval and ongoing recognition
4. Centre roles and responsibilities
5. Governance, staffing and competence requirements
6. Qualification delivery requirements
7. Learner recruitment, information and support
8. Learner registration
9. Assessment administration
10. Marking and grading requirements
11. Internal quality assurance
12. External quality assurance
13. Standardisation
14. Certification and AlmaBridge digital credentials
15. Reasonable adjustments and special considerations
16. Complaints and appeals
17. Malpractice and maladministration
18. Conflicts of interest
19. Data protection, confidentiality and records
20. Assessment security and use of AI
21. Centre monitoring, risk rating and sanctions
22. Business continuity and teach-out
23. Communication with Albion Awards
24. Use of the Albion Awards Platform
25. Annual review and continuous improvement
Appendix A – Centre operational checklist
Appendix B – Centre staff role summary
Appendix C – Learner registration checklist
Appendix D – Assessment submission checklist
Appendix E – IQA sampling plan template
Appendix F – EQA evidence checklist
Appendix G – Certification claim checklist
Appendix H – Incident escalation guide
1. Introduction and status of the handbook
This Centre Handbook sets out the operational requirements that centres must follow when delivering, assessing or supporting Albion Awards qualifications. It is designed to help centres understand their responsibilities and to support consistent delivery, assessment, internal quality assurance, learner protection and certification practice.
The handbook forms part of the centre approval and monitoring framework. Centres must read it alongside the Centre Agreement, Centre Approval Policy, relevant qualification specifications and all policies referenced in this document. Where there is any conflict between this handbook and the Centre Agreement, the Centre Agreement takes precedence.
Albion Awards may update this handbook from time to time. Centres will be notified of material changes and must ensure that relevant staff are using the current approved version.
2. Albion Awards qualification scope
Albion Awards offers professional, vocationally related qualifications in the broad area of Business, Administration and Law, specifically SSA 15.3 Business Management. The specialist portfolio focuses on board governance, risk governance, cyber governance, assurance, crisis decision-making, business continuity and organisational resilience.
Although some qualifications may draw on cyber security concepts, the primary assessment demand is governance judgement, risk oversight, assurance, accountability and board-level decision-making. The qualifications are therefore positioned within Business Management rather than technical ICT practitioner training.
| Portfolio area | Indicative focus |
| Board governance | Director duties, board effectiveness, accountability, committee oversight and governance decision-making |
| Risk governance | Risk appetite, assurance mapping, enterprise risk, controls and board-level oversight |
| Cyber governance | Cyber risk oversight, cyber resilience, incident governance and board accountability |
| Business continuity and resilience | Continuity planning, crisis decision-making, organisational resilience and recovery |
| Assurance and compliance | Evidence-based assurance, audit committee reporting, compliance oversight and control effectiveness |
3. Centre approval and ongoing recognition
Centres must not advertise, deliver, assess or register learners for Albion Awards qualifications until approval has been granted in writing. Approval may be granted for the centre as a whole and separately for individual qualifications.
Centre approval is not permanent or unconditional. Albion Awards may review, restrict, suspend or withdraw approval where quality, compliance, learner protection or regulatory risks arise.
Centre approval stages
| Stage | Centre action | Albion Awards action |
| 1. Enquiry | Request approval information and identify proposed qualifications | Provide centre approval guidance and application requirements |
| 2. Application | Submit centre application and supporting evidence | Check completeness and allocate reviewer |
| 3. Review | Respond to clarification requests and provide additional evidence | Review governance, staffing, assessment, IQA, learner support, data, complaints, appeals and malpractice controls |
| 4. Decision | Accept approval conditions and sign Centre Agreement | Approve, approve with conditions, defer, reject or request further evidence |
| 5. Activation | Nominate staff and complete induction/standardisation | Activate centre on the Albion Awards Platform and confirm approved qualifications |
| 6. Monitoring | Maintain compliance and submit evidence when requested | Conduct risk-based EQA and centre monitoring |
4. Centre roles and responsibilities
Each centre must appoint named people for core responsibilities. The same person may hold more than one role only where this does not create an unmanaged conflict of interest and where the centre has sufficient independent scrutiny.
| Role | Minimum responsibility |
| Senior Responsible Person | Overall accountability for centre compliance with Albion Awards requirements and the Centre Agreement |
| Centre Manager | Day-to-day management of Albion Awards activity, staff access, communications and action plans |
| Centre Administrator | Learner registration, records, assessment submissions and certification claims |
| Tutor/Delivery Staff | Delivery of approved learning in line with qualification specifications and learner support requirements |
| Assessor | Assessment decisions against published assessment criteria and marking guidance |
| Internal Quality Assurer (IQA) | Sampling, verification and standardisation of assessment decisions before submission to Albion Awards |
| Data Protection Contact | Local data protection, records, confidentiality and breach escalation arrangements |
| Complaints and Appeals Contact | Centre-level complaints, appeals support and referral to Albion Awards where required |
5. Governance, staffing and competence requirements
Centres must have suitable governance, management, staffing and competence arrangements for the qualifications they deliver. Albion Awards may request staff CVs, role descriptions, CPD records, assessor qualifications or equivalent experience, IQA evidence and standardisation attendance records.
Centres must ensure that all staff involved in Albion Awards qualifications are competent, inducted, supported and aware of relevant policies.
- Staff must understand the qualification purpose, level, learning outcomes, assessment criteria and evidence requirements.
- Assessors must be occupationally competent and able to make evidence-based judgements.
- IQAs must be competent to sample assessment decisions, provide feedback and identify risks to standards.
- Staff must complete conflict of interest declarations where required.
- Centres must notify Albion Awards of material changes to staffing, ownership, premises, delivery model or quality assurance capacity.
6. Qualification delivery requirements
Centres must deliver only those qualifications for which they have been approved. Delivery must follow the relevant qualification specification, module requirements and assessment guidance. Centres may contextualise teaching examples to meet learner needs, but must not alter learning outcomes, assessment criteria, assessment standards or grading requirements without written approval from Albion Awards.
Delivery may be classroom-based, blended or online, provided that the centre can demonstrate effective learner support, identity assurance, assessment security, accessibility and record keeping.
| Requirement | Centre expectation |
| Qualification information | Learners must receive accurate information about title, level, size, assessment, fees, support, appeals and certification |
| Delivery planning | Centres must maintain schemes of work, timetables or delivery plans aligned to the specification |
| Resources | Centres must provide suitable learning resources, case studies, templates and access arrangements |
| Learner identity | Centres must confirm learner identity before registration and assessment submission |
| Accessibility | Delivery must be accessible and reasonable adjustment routes must be communicated |
| Records | Attendance, engagement, assessment, feedback, IQA and communication records must be retained |
7. Learner recruitment, information and support
Centres must recruit learners ethically and provide clear pre-enrolment information. Learners must not be misled about qualification status, level, progression, assessment difficulty, delivery mode, fees or certification timescales.
Centres must provide appropriate learner support and must have arrangements for identifying additional learning needs, reasonable adjustment requirements and risks to learner completion.
- Learners must receive the relevant learner handbook or approved learner information before or at enrolment.
- Entry guidance must be applied fairly and consistently.
- Learners must be told how assessment works and what evidence is required.
- Learners must be told how to request reasonable adjustments and special considerations.
- Learners must be told how to complain or appeal.
- Centres must maintain records of learner support and key communications.
8. Learner registration
Learners must be registered with Albion Awards in accordance with the Learner Registration Procedure and relevant qualification rules. Centres must not submit learners for certification unless the learner has been properly registered and has completed the required assessment and quality assurance stages.
| Registration control | Requirement |
| Identity | Centre must verify learner identity and legal name |
| Qualification | Learner must be registered to the correct qualification and approved centre |
| Timing | Registration must occur within Albion Awards published timescales |
| Data accuracy | Names, dates, contact details and qualification codes must be checked before submission |
| Adjustments | Any known reasonable adjustment requirements should be identified early |
| Data protection | Learner data must be processed lawfully and securely |
9. Assessment administration
Centres must administer assessment in accordance with the Assessment Policy, Assessment Design Procedure and relevant assessment brief. Assessment materials must be used only for approved purposes and must not be altered unless Albion Awards has given written permission.
Assessment decisions must be based only on the published learning outcomes, assessment criteria, grading descriptors and evidence requirements.
Assessment evidence requirements
- Evidence must be authentic, sufficient, valid, reliable and current for the assessment task.
- Learners must submit authenticity declarations where required.
- Professional discussions and presentations must be recorded or evidenced through structured assessor records.
- Centres must retain assessment evidence and feedback in accordance with the Records Retention Policy.
- Any suspected plagiarism, inappropriate AI use, impersonation or collusion must be escalated under the Malpractice and Maladministration Policy.
10. Marking and grading requirements
Assessors must use Albion Awards approved Marking and Grading Guidance. Assessment must be criterion-referenced and evidence-based. Personal views, learner background, delivery mode, confidence, accent, presentation style or centre preference must not influence decisions beyond the published assessment requirements.
Where qualifications use pass, merit and distinction grades, assessors must apply the approved grade descriptors. Where qualifications use pass/fail only, centres must not create unofficial grades or ranking categories.
| Decision type | Centre action |
| Pass | Record evidence that all required assessment criteria have been met |
| Merit/Distinction | Record evidence that the relevant higher-grade descriptors have been met where applicable |
| Referral | Identify unmet criteria and provide clear feedback linked to the criteria |
| Borderline case | Apply the published descriptors and refer for IQA review where required |
| Resubmission | Follow resubmission rules and retain the original and revised evidence |
11. Internal quality assurance
Centres must operate internal quality assurance before results or certification claims are submitted to Albion Awards. IQA must check the quality, consistency and evidence base of assessment decisions. It must also identify assessor development needs and risks to standards.
IQA must be planned, proportionate and risk-based. It must include sampling across assessors, learners, modules, assessment methods, grades and borderline/referral decisions.
| IQA area | Evidence expected |
| Sampling plan | Planned sample showing assessor, learner, qualification, module, assessment method and risk factors |
| Assessment decision review | Evidence that decisions are supported by assessment criteria and sufficient learner evidence |
| Feedback review | Review of clarity, accuracy and usefulness of assessor feedback |
| Standardisation | Records of assessor meetings, common issues and agreed interpretations |
| Action tracking | Assessor actions, deadlines, completion evidence and escalation where needed |
| Certification readiness | Confirmation that sampled records are ready for submission or that holds are needed |
12. External quality assurance
Albion Awards will conduct external quality assurance to monitor centre compliance, assessment standards, IQA effectiveness, learner protection and record keeping. EQA activity may be remote, on-site, desk-based, thematic, risk-based or linked to a specific concern.
Centres must cooperate with EQA activity and provide access to records, learner evidence, assessment decisions, IQA records, staff, learners and systems where requested.
Possible EQA outcomes
| Outcome | Meaning | Centre response |
| Green | Compliant or minor advisory points | Maintain standards and address advice where applicable |
| Amber | Action plan required | Complete actions by agreed deadlines |
| Red | Significant concern or risk to standards | Immediate corrective action; possible certification hold or increased sampling |
| Critical | Serious risk to learners, standards or compliance | Escalation to Responsible Officer; possible suspension, investigation or Ofqual notification |
13. Standardisation
Centres must participate in Albion Awards standardisation where required. Standardisation supports reliability and comparability by ensuring that assessors, IQAs and EQAs interpret assessment criteria, grading descriptors and evidence requirements consistently.
Albion Awards will normally hold standardisation at least twice a year and more frequently during the first year of qualification delivery or where quality risks arise.
- Centres must ensure relevant staff attend required standardisation events.
- Centres must cascade standardisation outcomes to staff who could not attend.
- Centres must retain records of internal standardisation and assessor updates.
- Non-attendance may affect centre risk rating or approval conditions.
14. Certification and AlmaBridge digital credentials
Centres may submit certification claims only when all qualification requirements have been met and required IQA activity has been completed. Albion Awards controls final certification decisions and may hold or reject claims where records are incomplete, quality assurance is outstanding, centre approval is restricted or a malpractice, appeal or reasonable adjustment issue remains unresolved.
Albion Awards will use AlmaBridge digital credentials to provide a secure digital credential and verification layer. AlmaBridge will not replace Albion Awards certification controls. Digital credentials will be issued only after Albion Awards has approved the certification claim and recorded the outcome in the certificate register.
| Certification check | Requirement before release |
| Learner registration | Learner is registered to the correct qualification and centre |
| Centre approval | Centre is active and approved for the qualification |
| Assessment completion | All required assessment criteria and module requirements are met |
| IQA completion | Required IQA has been completed and recorded |
| EQA status | No EQA hold or unresolved action prevents certification |
| Malpractice/appeal status | No unresolved case affects the result or certificate |
| Certification approval | Albion Awards certification officer or authorised delegate approves release |
| Digital credential | AlmaBridge credential is issued only after certification approval |
15. Reasonable adjustments and special considerations
Centres must ensure learners know how to request reasonable adjustments and special considerations. Requests must be handled sensitively, promptly and in accordance with Albion Awards policy. Adjustments must remove unnecessary barriers without changing the standard being assessed.
Where a reasonable adjustment request is declined, the reason must be recorded and the learner must be informed of the route to appeal or complain.
- Reasonable adjustments should normally be requested before assessment.
- Special considerations relate to temporary illness, injury, bereavement or exceptional circumstances affecting performance.
- Centres must not approve adjustments that alter the assessment standard without Albion Awards approval.
- Records must be retained securely and processed in accordance with UK GDPR and the Data Protection Policy.
16. Complaints and appeals
Centres must operate clear arrangements for handling learner concerns and must direct learners to Albion Awards where the matter relates to awarding body decisions. Complaints and appeals must not disadvantage the learner and must be handled objectively and within published timescales.
Appeals may relate to assessment decisions, reasonable adjustment decisions, special consideration decisions, malpractice decisions, centre decisions or certification outcomes depending on the circumstances and the relevant policy.
| Issue | Initial route | Escalation route |
| Service complaint about centre delivery | Centre complaints process | Albion Awards if unresolved or regulatory risk exists |
| Assessment decision disagreement | Centre assessment/IQA process if centre-assessed | Albion Awards Appeals Policy |
| Reasonable adjustment decision | Centre or Albion Awards decision route | Albion Awards Appeals or Complaints Policy |
| Malpractice decision | Albion Awards malpractice process | Appeals route where permitted |
| Certification issue | Centre check then Albion Awards certification review | Albion Awards Appeals or Complaints Policy |
17. Malpractice and maladministration
Centres must prevent, identify, investigate and report suspected malpractice and maladministration. Any suspected matter that could affect assessment integrity, learner outcomes, certification, assessment security or public confidence must be reported to Albion Awards promptly.
Failure to report suspected malpractice or maladministration may itself be treated as maladministration.
Examples of concerns
- Plagiarism, impersonation, collusion, falsification of evidence or inappropriate AI use.
- Assessors giving learners inappropriate assistance or changing evidence after assessment.
- IQA records being fabricated or completed after certification claims without proper review.
- Assessment materials being shared, altered or used outside approved conditions.
- Learner registrations or certification claims containing false or misleading information.
- Failure to follow reasonable adjustment, appeals, complaints or conflict procedures.
18. Conflicts of interest
Centres must identify, record and manage actual, potential and perceived conflicts of interest. Conflicts may arise where staff have personal, family, professional, financial or organisational interests that could affect delivery, assessment, IQA, complaints, appeals or certification.
Failure to declare a relevant conflict may be treated as maladministration or malpractice depending on the circumstances.
- Assessors must not assess learners where they have a personal interest in the result unless Albion Awards has approved independent scrutiny.
- IQA must not verify their own assessment decisions.
- Staff must declare relationships with learners, employers, centre owners, suppliers or Albion Awards personnel where relevant.
- Centres must notify Albion Awards of conflicts that may affect qualification delivery, assessment or quality assurance.
19. Data protection, confidentiality and records
Centres must process learner, staff, assessment and quality assurance data lawfully, fairly and securely. Centres must comply with UK GDPR, the Data Protection Act 2018, the Centre Agreement and Albion Awards data and records requirements.
Confidential assessment materials, learner evidence, IQA records, EQA reports, certification data and investigation records must be protected from unauthorised access, loss, alteration or disclosure.
| Record type | Minimum centre expectation |
| Learner registration records | Accurate, secure and retained in line with Albion Awards requirements |
| Assessment evidence | Stored securely and available for IQA/EQA sampling |
| Assessor feedback | Linked to assessment criteria and retained with assessment records |
| IQA records | Sampling plan, decisions, feedback, actions and closure evidence |
| Reasonable adjustment records | Restricted access and lawful processing of sensitive data |
| Complaints, appeals and malpractice records | Secure case records and prompt escalation to Albion Awards where required |
| Certification records | Claim evidence, approval status and certificate communications |
20. Assessment security and use of AI
Centres must protect the security and integrity of assessment materials and learner evidence. Live assessment materials must be stored securely and released only to authorised staff and learners at the appropriate time.
The use of artificial intelligence tools must not compromise authenticity, assessment validity, confidentiality or fairness. Learners must declare AI use where required by the assessment brief or Albion Awards policy. Centres must investigate suspected inappropriate AI use as a potential malpractice matter.
- Do not upload confidential assessment materials or learner evidence to public AI tools unless expressly permitted and covered by data protection controls.
- Do not use AI to generate assessor decisions or feedback without human review and accountability.
- Do not permit AI-generated work to be submitted as the learner’s own independent evidence where this breaches assessment requirements.
- Retain authenticity declarations and evidence of any permitted AI use.
21. Centre monitoring, risk rating and sanctions
Albion Awards will monitor centres using a risk-based approach. Risk ratings may be informed by centre experience, learner numbers, assessor competence, IQA quality, EQA findings, complaints, appeals, malpractice history, certification accuracy, responsiveness to action plans and changes in ownership or staffing.
Where concerns arise, Albion Awards may apply proportionate sanctions to protect learners, standards and regulatory compliance.
| Control or sanction | Purpose |
| Advice and guidance | Support improvement where risk is low |
| Action plan | Require specific corrective action by a deadline |
| Increased sampling | Check assessment and IQA decisions more closely |
| Certification hold | Prevent certificates being issued until concerns are resolved |
| Registration restriction | Limit new learner registrations or qualification delivery |
| Suspension | Temporarily remove approval to deliver or assess |
| Withdrawal | End centre approval where risk cannot be managed |
| Malpractice investigation | Investigate serious concerns affecting standards, learners or integrity |
22. Business continuity and teach-out
Centres must have arrangements to continue supporting learners during disruption, including staff absence, system failure, cyber incident, premises issue, sudden closure or inability to continue delivery. Centres must notify Albion Awards immediately of any event that may affect learners, assessment, quality assurance or certification.
Where a centre can no longer deliver, Albion Awards will work with the centre, where possible, to protect learner interests through teach-out, transfer, alternative assessment arrangements or other proportionate actions.
23. Communication with Albion Awards
Centres must maintain accurate contact details and respond promptly to Albion Awards requests. The Centre Manager is normally the primary operational contact, but Albion Awards may contact the Senior Responsible Person directly for serious, urgent or regulatory matters.
| Matter | Expected communication route |
| Routine qualification or centre queries | Centre support channel or Albion Awards Platform |
| Learner registration or certification issue | Centre administrator to Albion Awards certification contact |
| EQA evidence or action plan | Centre Manager/IQA to assigned EQA |
| Complaint or appeal | Relevant policy route and case reference |
| Malpractice, data breach or serious incident | Immediate escalation to Albion Awards Responsible Officer or delegated contact |
| Change of ownership, key staff or premises | Written notification before change where possible |
24. Use of the Albion Awards Platform
The Albion Awards Platform will be the proprietary WordPress-based operating system for managing regulated awarding body activity. Centres may use the platform to access qualification documents, submit centre evidence, manage approved qualifications, upload EQA evidence, submit certification claims and view action plans.
Access control will be managed through WordPress roles and permissions, supported by role-based access, audit logging and document version control. Centres must ensure that user accounts are assigned only to authorised staff and must notify Albion Awards promptly when staff leave or change role.
Until each platform module is fully operational, Albion Awards will maintain controlled interim registers and workflows to ensure that regulatory records, learner records, centre records, assessment approvals and certification decisions remain complete, secure and auditable.
25. Annual review and continuous improvement
Albion Awards will use centre monitoring, EQA findings, assessment outcomes, complaints, appeals, reasonable adjustments, malpractice data, certification accuracy and learner/centre feedback to improve qualifications and delivery controls.
Centres must participate in annual review activity when requested and must provide accurate information to support qualification review and regulatory evidence.
| Review area | Evidence used |
| Validity | Assessment criteria coverage maps, EQA findings and qualification review data |
| Reliability | IQA/EQA agreement, standardisation outputs and centre outcome patterns |
| Comparability | Centre outcome variance and assessor decision patterns |
| Manageability | Learner workload, centre feedback, assessment completion and support needs |
| Bias and fairness | Reasonable adjustments, appeals, complaints and outcome monitoring where lawful and proportionate |
Appendix A – Centre operational checklist
| Area | Centre check | Complete |
| Approval | Centre approval confirmed in writing and Centre Agreement signed | [ ] |
| Staff | Named Centre Manager, assessors and IQAs approved or recorded | [ ] |
| Policies | Centre staff have access to current Albion Awards policies | [ ] |
| Qualification | Approved qualification specification and assessment guidance in use | [ ] |
| Learners | Learner information, registration and support arrangements in place | [ ] |
| Assessment | Assessment security, authenticity and marking arrangements confirmed | [ ] |
| IQA | IQA sampling plan and records in place | [ ] |
| EQA | Evidence available for EQA sampling and action tracking | [ ] |
| Certification | Certification claims checked before submission | [ ] |
| Records | Retention and data protection controls confirmed | [ ] |
Appendix B – Centre staff role summary
| Role | Required before activity starts | Ongoing evidence |
| Centre Manager | Named on centre record; inducted into Albion Awards requirements | Communication records, action plan responses, annual updates |
| Assessor | Competence evidence, conflict declaration, assessment induction | Assessment records, feedback, standardisation and CPD |
| IQA | IQA competence evidence and independence from sampled decisions | Sampling plans, IQA feedback, action tracking, standardisation |
| Administrator | Access permissions and data protection awareness | Registration, certification and records accuracy |
| Senior Responsible Person | Signed centre declaration and agreement awareness | Oversight of centre compliance and serious issue escalation |
Appendix C – Learner registration checklist
| Check | Requirement | Confirmed |
| Identity | Learner identity and legal name checked | [ ] |
| Qualification | Correct qualification code and title selected | [ ] |
| Centre approval | Centre is approved for the qualification | [ ] |
| Learner information | Learner has received assessment, support, complaints and appeals information | [ ] |
| Adjustment needs | Reasonable adjustment needs identified or route explained | [ ] |
| Data consent/privacy | Learner has received privacy information | [ ] |
| Submission | Registration submitted within required timescale | [ ] |
Appendix D – Assessment submission checklist
| Check | Requirement | Confirmed |
| Approved assessment | Assessment brief/version is approved and current | [ ] |
| Authenticity | Learner authenticity declaration completed | [ ] |
| Criteria mapping | Evidence mapped to learning outcomes and assessment criteria | [ ] |
| Feedback | Assessor feedback is clear and criterion-linked | [ ] |
| Grade decision | Decision follows Marking and Grading Guidance | [ ] |
| IQA | Required IQA completed before submission | [ ] |
| Holds | No unresolved malpractice, appeal or adjustment issue affects submission | [ ] |
Appendix E – IQA sampling plan template
| Learner/ref | Assessor | Qualification/module | Assessment method | Risk factor | IQA outcome | Action required |
| New assessor / borderline / referral / high grade / random / complaint-related | ||||||
Appendix F – EQA evidence checklist
| Evidence area | Examples | Available |
| Centre governance | Staff list, role descriptions, centre policies, conflict records | [ ] |
| Learner records | Registration records, learner information, support records | [ ] |
| Assessment records | Learner evidence, assessor feedback, marking records | [ ] |
| IQA records | Sampling plan, sampled work, feedback, actions | [ ] |
| Standardisation | Meeting notes, attendance, standardisation outcomes | [ ] |
| Certification | Claims, checks, holds, corrections | [ ] |
| Incidents | Complaints, appeals, malpractice, data incidents, actions | [ ] |
Appendix G – Certification claim checklist
| Check | Requirement | Confirmed |
| Learner registered | Learner is correctly registered and details are accurate | [ ] |
| Qualification complete | All required modules and assessment criteria achieved | [ ] |
| IQA complete | Required internal quality assurance completed | [ ] |
| EQA status | No external quality assurance block or unresolved action prevents claim | [ ] |
| Cases resolved | No unresolved complaint, appeal, malpractice or special consideration issue affects outcome | [ ] |
| Name accuracy | Legal name checked for certificate and AlmaBridge credential | [ ] |
| Centre authorisation | Certification claim authorised by centre role holder | [ ] |
Appendix H – Incident escalation guide
| Incident type | Examples | Escalation expectation |
| Urgent regulatory risk | Assessment compromise, large-scale malpractice, serious learner impact | Notify Albion Awards immediately |
| Data protection incident | Lost learner data, unauthorised access, cyber incident | Notify Albion Awards immediately and follow data breach procedure |
| Assessment integrity concern | Plagiarism, impersonation, fabricated records, inappropriate AI use | Report under Malpractice and Maladministration Policy |
| Centre capacity issue | Loss of key staff, sudden closure, inability to assess or IQA | Notify Albion Awards promptly and agree learner protection plan |
| Complaint or appeal trend | Multiple related complaints or appeals | Escalate to Albion Awards for review and risk assessment |
| EQA action overdue | Missed deadline or unresolved corrective action | Notify EQA and Centre Manager; escalation may follow |