New EPAO recognised by Ofqual!

A new end-point assessment organisation (EPAO) has been recognised by Ofqual to assess apprenticeships in the public, health, and care sectors.

Advance EPA was founded to support apprentices working in both care and professional roles in these sectors, offering plenty of apprentice resources and a hassle-free approach for providers.

Managing Director Nikki Juffs is something of an industry expert and will be known to many in the apprenticeship sector.

Asked why she wanted to launch this EPAO, Nikki said:

“This goes beyond my passion to support apprentices to advance in their careers. Conversations I’ve had show that there is no ‘one size fits all’ in the EPAO world, and I strongly believe there are providers that want to work with an EPAO that knows the intricacies of the public, health, and care industries, and the challenges faced by apprentices working in those sectors.”

The launch of the EPAO comes at a time when many apprenticeship providers face mounting pressures in regulation and funding.

Advance EPA’s ethos is that by giving valuable advice and resources to EPA, providers and apprentices have a head start. The long-term benefits are that this will save providers both time and resources and ultimately increase completions and reduce spend on re-sit costs.

When asked why providers and employers would choose Advance EPA over other EPAOs, Nikki said:

“Our focus is on the apprentice and what we can do to support them through EPA. We have a unique perspective in that the senior team know both the industries we serve and the inner workings of end-point assessment. Providers can speak to us about any concerns they have about EPA for care and professional standards, and know we’ll offer them the support to succeed.”

The full list of standards Advance EPA assesses includes:

• Adult Care Worker Level 2 
• Lead Adult Care Worker Level 3 
• Lead Practitioner in Adult Care Apprenticeship Level 4 
• Leader in Adult Care Level 5 
• Associate Project Manager Level 4 
• Business Administrator Level 3 
• Team Leader/Supervisor Level 3 
• Operations or Departmental Manager Level 5