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ABC Gains Ofqual Recogition as a QCF Awarding Organisation

ABC has been fully recognised by Ofqual as a QCF awarding organisation. This means that it is now able to extend the accreditation life of current QCF qualifications beyond December 2010. ABC will be working with relevant SSCs to extend all current QCF provision as quickly as possible.

All new qualifications will be recognised for the QCF and will be approved beyond December 2010. ABC intends to replace the majority of its remaining NQF qualifications with updated provision on the QCF as soon as possible. All plans are subject to SSC approval and timescales. Posted 4.2.10

Counselling Qualifications Update

ABC’s Counselling qualifications have an accreditation end date of 31st December 2010.

We have been engaged with Skills for Health (the Sector Skills Council responsible for Counselling) for the past 12 months concerning the transition of counselling qualifications to the new Qualifications and Credit framework.

They have been conducting research looking at the Counselling landscape, its terms, its scope etc. and the potential for identifying learning pathways.  These pathways might equate to a career development plan for individuals wishing to study toward full specialist areas of counselling with stepping off points to roles along that pathway.  To help us in this endeavour the SSC engaged Consultants whose remit is to produce a report late December 2009. 

Counselling update continued....

Statement of Intent

Qualifications for the Children and Young People’s Work Force

ABC Awards has been working with other Awarding Organisations under the leadership of the Children’s Work Force Development Council (CWDC) and the Care Council for Wales on units which will form new qualifications at Levels 2 and 3 for the Children and Young People’s Workforce. These will be available for learners to enrol on by August 2010.

They will be:

Level 2 Certificate for the Children and Young People’s Workforce.
It will:

• assess both competence and knowledge.
• be a progression route to the new Level 3 Diploma for the Children and Young People’s Workforce.
• reflect the common core skills and knowledge that employers identify as important.

Level 3 Diploma for the Children and Young People’s Workforce
It will be:

• approximately 60-65 credits
• a full and relevant level 3 qualification.
• assess knowledge and skills
• in some parts of the children and young people’s workforce a requirement for registration and regulatory purposes
• contain L4 units to aid progression to further higher level study such as Foundation Degrees
• provide the opportunity for achieving individual units as CPD

ABC Awards is also working with the Care Council for Wales in collaboration with CWDC on a Level 5 qualification for the sector.  More details will follow shortly.  Further details will also be available from CWDC’s website www.cwdcouncil.org.uk

Customised Provision

Throughout 2009/2010 ABC will be reviewing its accredited and customised provision and migrating suitable provision onto the new Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF).   Provision that is not suitable for migration onto the QCF will be required to be updated in accordance with current approval requirements, and submitted for re-approval.

The approval period for all current ABC Customised Provision Programmes will therefore end on 31st December 2010. Centres offering Customised Provision Programmes will be contacted individually in due course. Posted 26.8.09