PCS – Quality Training in the Heart of Birmingham

COVID-19
Information

Protocol Consultancy as required by law have carried out the required risk assessments with our team, learners and employers and we are confident everything reasonably practicable to minimise any risk to them, recognising you cannot completely eliminate the risk of coronavirus (COVID-19).

During the period of national lockdown Protocol will remain open to our vulnerable students. All other students will learn remotely until February half term.

We know that receiving face-to-face education is best for our young people’s mental health and for their educational achievement. We will continue to review the restrictions on FE providers and will ensure that students return to face-to-face education as soon as possible.

Remote Learning

In accordance with the COVID-19 guidance issued, all of our learners (traineeships, apprentices and adult learners) will receive remote education.

  • Our tutors will teach planned and well sequenced remote training programmes as issued in learner course schedules and curriculums, giving our learners the best chance to build their knowledge and skills.
  • Protocol will ensure consideration is given on how best to support any of our vulnerable and disadvantaged students and our students with special educational needs who may not be able to access remote education without support.
  • Craig Higham, director of Protocol will take overarching responsibility for the quality and delivery of remote education, including that provision meets expectations for remote education set out in this guidance.

Delivery Arrangements

The timetabling of all planned sessions will be re-confirmed to each learner in advance and invites to join sessions remotely will be dispatched. Students are expected to confirm their attendance in advance for any invited group and individual learning sessions.

  • We have identified and recorded any individual learner who has little or no access to learn remotely, these individuals will continue to study by individual prior arrangement.
  • Protocol will continue to monitor attendance and follow procedures already in place for any student not available to log into any confirmed sessions. Please ensure any changes to contact details are advised so our records can be updated.
  • We will continue to have systems in place to check, at least weekly, for persistent non-attendance or lack of engagement with remote education and to quickly agree ways in which attendance and participation can be improved.
  • For those students that have not interacted in our remote sessions during the 2020 lockdown restrictions, a test for the use of our digital platform and our virtual learning environments including ‘Teams’, and our assessment/feedback arrangements using our Moodle/Mahara) will be carried out with all our individual learners.
  • Protocol will continue to deliver and receive assessment and feedback and provide students with individual assessment and feedback to support progress in their learning via our Moodle/Mahara platform in accordance with leaner individual learning plans and planned ‘review’ intervals.

Expectations of Students

Protocol staff and students are trained and confident in their use of digital platforms, should any student require addition support with our digital platform, a member of our team will be available for additional support and/or technical issues that may arise.

  • Every learner is in possession of their individual course schedule and must endeavour to attend all planned sessions and participate in remote education.
  • Sessions delivered remotely will incorporate interactive ‘live’ online lessons and learners are encouraged to fully engage resulting in enjoyable and beneficial learning.

Learners will be expected to adhere to the Protocol Flip learning approach. Protocol will often run an initial session in the morning, allow learners time to work on their studies, then conclude with a short afternoon session (depending on the nature of the topic).

Specialist Equipment or Facilities during the COVID-19 Pandemic

  • Individual support arrangements will be assessed, and provision made for any learner without devices, connectivity, or a suitable environment for learning to ensure their schedule of learning continues wherever possible. Loan equipment and a safe and secure on-site learning provisions will be made available, with continuous risk assessments in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
  • Course contents may be suitable adjusted where practical learning equipment would usually be available in our training room sites.

Support for students with SEND

  • Protocol students with special education needs (SEND) will continue to receive high-quality teaching and specialist professional support. We know and empathise that students with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), and their families, can be disproportionately impacted by being out of education. Provision for usual interventions and adequate staffing ratios, or with staff with vital specialist training will be delivered with additional planned risk assessments.
  • Specialist team members with mental health training and qualifications are on site and available virtually to support those many students that have found restrictions exceptionally difficult socially and emotionally.
  • Safeguarding our young people will continue to take priority and our trained team will be particularly vigilant about new and additional safeguarding concerns. All our staff are aware of what they should do if they have any concerns about a learner and will act accordingly and immediately.

Summary of our COVID-19 Information

In is Protocol’s intention to endeavour to deliver as much of students’ planned hours as possible, during the COVID-19 pandemic – we recognise for some students this may not be possible for example where a student is undertaking a course involving practical teaching and training which necessitates the use of specialist equipment and supervision or with respect to work experience and placements.

Access to our full policies/procedures are available for perusal via your Moodle/Mahara learning platform.

All our learners are aware of our team contact details and the provision of our 24 hour emergency contact number.

If you are interested in employing an apprentice for your business or looking for an apprenticeship for yourself, feel free to give us a call on 0121 236 2634, where you can speak directly to a qualified member of staff.