Customer Service Statement

This statement sets out ProQual’s expected level of service.

ProQual will:

provide potential assessment centres with detailed guidance on becoming an assessment centre and support where required;
issue an information pack following an enquiry within five working days. The pack will include the information regarding the qualifications requested, application form and guidance on completing the application form;
acknowledge an application for centre approval within five working days;
when all necessary information has been obtained ask the EQA Verifier to set up an approval visit;
ensure the Governing Body provides a decision on EQA Verifier approval recommendations. Decisions of approval will be reached within fifteen working days of receipt of the EQA Verifier’s report. The approved centre will receive a formal letter and the Centre Handbook within seven working days following approval. If a centre has not been approved then the centre will receive a letter within seven working days with an action plan required to be implemented prior to approval;
assign an EQA Verifier to visit centres approximately every 6 months, dependent on certification claims.

ProQual and its’ assessment centres work in partnership to jointly promote the development, take-up and use of accredited qualifications.

EQA Verifiers contracted to ProQual will:

set up approval visits within fifteen working days of a centre approval application having been received by ProQual or within a time-scale agreeable to the potential assessment centre;
carry out monitoring centre visits a minimum of two times per annum. An agenda for monitoring visits will be sent to ProQual and the approved centre two weeks prior to the visit;
complete a report and agree an action plan at the end of each visit. The action plan will be signed by both the EQA Verifier and the Centre Co-ordinator;
submit the reports to ProQual within ten working days of the visit.

ProQual will:

give all assessment centres access to an EQA Verifier, the Director of Qualifications, (who has responsibility for Quality Assurance) and Awarding Body Administrators;
respond to all enquiries positively and as quickly as possible. In the first instance we will reply within five working days to enquiries in writing or by phone either with an answer or in more complex matters with an update;
in any matters involving an investigation keep approved centres informed of progress at least once a month;
provide a forum for debate and discussion on standardisation relating to approved centre and awarding body practices and procedures;
provide up-to-date guidance material and support in handling technical aspects of assessment;
organise sector specific workshops for cross centre standardisation and help develop the skills in assessment and verification, to ensure best practice is shared across each individual sector, with the objective that these take place on an annual basis;
provide full details of annual fees, costs and resources associated with implementation of a qualification, please see the published Fee Schedule;
welcome customer feedback from approved and potential centres, candidates and other customers. Comments and suggestions should be addressed to the Director of Qualifications.

Assessment Centres will:

use ProQual promotional materials and the ProQual logo on their own materials in accordance with the ProQual guidelines outlined in the Operations Handbook;
provide unit and qualification standards for candidates;
ensure that materials given to candidates are of a high quality in terms of reproduction and encourage their use;
complete ProQual candidate registrations when candidates start their course of learning;
maintain complete, up-to-date records of the qualifications and experience of each member of centre staff (this can be in CV format) and advise the EQA Verifier and ProQual of any changes;
forward CVs of potential assessors to ProQual for approval;
ensure assessors have copies of the latest Standards and supporting paperwork;
attend meetings for approved centres;
uphold the Equality policy;
assist candidates with special assessment requirements;
assist ProQual with advice or guidance where asked to do so.

ProQual will:

process candidate registrations and issue candidate registration numbers within five working days from receipt of the registration form; once processed by ProQual candidate registrations cannot be changed or withdrawn.
invoice centres for candidate registrations or combined candidate registrations and certification;
process certificate claims in the order in which they are received and despatch to centres within 15 working days;
despatch certificates to centres following confirmation from Central Support that the centre’s invoices and financial account is paid fully up-to-date.

ProQual publishes an Appeals Policy and a Complaints Policy, we will log all complaints.

For complaints relating to our service and the performance of EQA Verifiers:

ProQual will respond full, or provide a progress report within fifteen working days of receiving complaints;
for more complex complaints, resolve the complaint through the ProQual Governing Body.

For complaints relating to the services offered by assessment centres:

ProQual will ascertain whether the complainant has exhausted the approved centre’s complaints procedure;
where the complainant has not given the centre an opportunity to resolve the complaint, ProQual will refer the complainant to the approved centre (although ProQual reserves the right to investigate serious complaints);
where the approved centre’s system has been exhausted ProQual will investigate the complaint;
for all complaints, ProQual will respond fully, or provide a progress report within fifteen working days of receipt;
for more complex complaints, ProQual will resolve the complaint within an agreed time- scale.