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About the course

The Level 4 NVQ Diploma in Advice and Guidance provides candidates with the skills, knowledge and understanding to work in advice and guidance. The mandatory units cover interacting with clients, legislation and procedures, operating within networks, managing a personal caseload, evaluating and developing their own contribution to the service. Candidates also have access to a range of optional units to suit their job role and personal development needs subject to negotiation.

What it means studying at Level 4?

You will be assessed at the same level as someone completing the first year of an undergraduate degree. Achievement at Level 4 reflects the ability to identify and use relevant understanding, methods and skills to complete tasks and address problems that, while well-defined, have a measure of complexity. It includes taking responsibility for initiating and completing tasks and procedures as well as exercising autonomy and judgment within limited parameters. You will be expected to use references and reflect an awareness of different perspectives or approaches within your area of study or work.

Ground Rules

You are expected to demonstrate how you have met at least 213 Guided Learning Hours by the end of the course. You are expected to be fully active and demonstrate learning throughout your enrolment. We regularly host a number of online web conferences, which are advertised under “Events”. Unfortunately, face-to-face contact is currently limited due to the ongoing pandemic. In the meantime, you are encouraged to supplement your learning by requesting tutorials and utilising the resources provided.

Learners should bear in mind that the course is not just about submitting assignments. You will need to focus on both participating in course activities and completing coursework. Assessors might withhold your assessments if your course participation is below expectation. There should be evidence of learning which will also be used by our quality assurance team to cross-reference the authenticity and reliability of your work. More information regarding ground rules is located under “Getting Started”.

Induction

Prior to starting your course, you will need to participate in an induction. Your assessor will send you an email requesting an initial meeting. It is your responsibility to provide at least three dates and times when you are free for at least an hour. The induction session is an opportunity to ask questions and discuss your needs and prior learning. This will also be an opportunity for you to fully understand how your course is delivered and assessed and to use this site.

Progress Indicator

The progress indicator displayed on the course only measures your progress generated by clicking on the resources located on the right-hand side. The counter will record any clicks, even those made within seconds. Your course completion is only determined when you meet all course requirements, which will involve being fully assessed and meeting all learning outcomes and assessment criteria. You will also need to submit your completed portfolio of evidence for both internal and external quality assurance, as highlighted above.

Fair and Healthy Assessments

We operate both fair and healthy assessment policies and procedures. Our fair assessment is based on the principles of assessments that have to be reflected when decisions are made. This involves ensuring that your evidence is sufficient, current and authentic. The assessments will need to be valid, reliable, fair and fully reflect how learning outcomes and the criteria have been met. We provide a reasonable course duration for you to work safely and demonstrate your competency. While we support learners to work fast track, this should not compromise the quality of evidence and place a burden on safe working procedures.

The assessment environment has to be conducive to ensure that the quality of assessment is not compromised by making harried decisions or assessing too much work within a short time. Our policies and procedures are framed in line with other initiatives, such as the safe management of learners.

Our healthy assessment policies are underpinned by the need to ensure that assessors work in a healthy environment. There are feedback timescales that have to be adhered to to ensure that sufficient time allowance is given without putting any pressure on assessors.

You need to submit your work at least seven working days in advance for a whole unit to be assessed in time for the next appointment. Where you seek formal feedback for a partially completed unit, your work has to be submitted at least three working days before the appointment.

Assessments

This course is assessed by a portfolio of evidence. This will be made up of all your coursework, evidence of practice and feedback reports. please bear in mind that all assessment decisions are subject to quality assurance and may change. You are only fully signed off after successful internal and external quality assurance. We will try whenever possible to be flexible and implement a holistic approach.

The assessment strategy for all course tasks is for you to have up to three attempts to meet the assessment criteria. Your assessor will ask you to highlight your work in Green to indicate this is a second attempt. You will be asked to highlight your work in Blue to indicate this is your third attempt. If you have not managed to fully address the assessment criteria after three attempts this might indicate you are struggling. The assessor might ask you to have another attempt, vary your assessments or refer your work to our quality assurance team.

Quality Assurance

Your work will be internally quality assured at least three (at initial, formative and summative stage) times. This involves your work being submitted for quality assurance, where our quality assurer audits your evidence, learning records and assessment decisions. The quality assurance will use the assessment criteria and course specification to determine if you have indeed fully demonstrated competence.

It is possible for the quality assurer to disagree with your assessor and request additional work. If this happens you will be informed about this and given guidance on the actions required. It is also possible for you not to even hear there was a problem with your work depending on a number of factors, such as alternative evidence from forums, reflective journals, learning logs or CPD records.

Internal quality assurance will also involve auditing your learner journey, and checking how well you have engaged in course activities. It is important you fully demonstrate how you have met all learning outcomes and guided learning hours.

When all areas of your practice are satisfactory a claim for your certificate is made to the awarding body. They will request to sample your evidence. Your work will undergo further quality assurance from an external perspective. If everything is okay, you will be signed off, and your certificate will be issued. E-certificates will be forwarded to you as soon as possible. When paper-based certificates are issued, these will also be posted out to you first class recorded.

Contact

All communication with your assessor will need to be via Exchange. This is also where you should submit your evidence.

You will need to email (contact@etutor.org.uk) if you require admin or IT support. The course dedicated day for the Level 4 NVQ Diploma in Advice and Guidance is Friday where all assessments and support are usually expected to take place. Tutorials can take place on any day (including evenings) as long as you have booked at least a week in advance.

We wish you the best with your course and look forward to signing off your work. All candidates who meet all course requirements are guaranteed to be signed off.