Delivering end-point assessments – what are the risks that need considering?

Risks are part of everyday life. To a greater or lesser extent, we all take them; and we all take steps to make them be, well, less risky. But when we start to think about risk in terms of apprenticeships and assessment, what risks are we talking about? Who’s risk is it? Do we become risk-averse? And what does that mean for quality assurance and regulation?

The Office for Students (OfS) [1] and Ofqual [2] are explicit that they are taking ‘risk-based approaches’ to the external quality assurance (EQA) of apprenticeship end-point assessment (EPA), in line with their established approaches to provider and qualification regulation respectively. That’s good news. It means EPAs and apprentices are being given the same consideration and assurance as other qualifications and assessments. But both organisations also bespoke their risk-based approach to the EQA context.

Here are just a few of the areas of risk that those offering EPAs need to be alert to and de-escalate – particularly those undertaking the self-assessment evaluation and internal monitoring which is the backbone of OfS’s EQA.

Delivery risks

Are you delivering what the assessment plan for the EPA requires? For example, maybe your assessors are reporting that some aspects of the plan are more difficult to deliver than others; maybe it is trickier to organise the set number of observations, or for apprentices to provide the specified pieces of evidence. This scenario is increasing the chances of deviation from what is required in the plan – increasing the delivery risk.

Are you delivering high-quality assessments? Understandably emphasis is placed on the importance of this. It may be, for example, that the undertaking of professional discussions and interviews as part of EPA is new to your teams and assessors. As a new form of assessment then there is an increase in the delivery risk which may impact the quality and validity of the assessment.

Compliance risks

Then there’s compliance with the rules that OfS and Ofqual set out and that IfATE stipulates in their EQA framework. What’s the risk – the possibility, the likelihood – that your EPA offering is compliant with these?  For example, where an apprentice’s peer colleagues are involved in part of the assessment, there is an increased risk of conflict of interest – what steps are being taken to ensure that there isn’t undue influence and that they aren’t being a little too helpful?

What about the risks of complying with the requirements of a professional body? Some assessment plans also require compliance with the standards and requirements of the professional body associated with that career path [3]. Cumulatively that makes a lot of criteria and requirements that a provider or awarding organisation needs to be aware of and meet.

Judging the risk

Many factors can influence the scale or size of the risk. If more apprentices are taking a particular standard, then its risk increases: there’s an increased likelihood of disparity between the assessment practices of providers, and there’s an increased chance of bad PR if something goes wrong.

Likewise, if an EPA is being delivered for the first time, if an assessment plan has been revised, or if things have gone wrong on another EPA that you provide:  these are all factors which might increase the score of a risk assessment.

Then, and probably most importantly, there’s the risk of apprentices and their employers not benefiting from EPAs which meet their needs. For apprentices, it’s about rigorous and robust assessments which fairly test and allow them to show what they know and can do; for employers, it’s about the assurance that skills gained through apprenticeships meet their employment needs.

Don’t fear risk

However, a risk is not the worst thing that can happen. Quite the opposite.  Spotting a risk means you can do something about it. It can be monitored to see how likely it is that it will occur. Plans can be put in place to reduce the chances of it going wrong, and to make sure that delivery is as required. It might feel more comforting to hide a risk under the carpet, but that way it is more likely to trip you up. When an EPA is in planning, as delivery is monitored, and as self-assessment evaluations are underway, consider those risks. Take time to identify them, understand them and the consequences of them occurring and what steps are needed to make them, well, less risky.

This blog was written by Claire Gill, SDN Associate.

[1] See paragraph 11 –  https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/media/8783/eqa-of-apprenticeships-end-point-assessments-guidance.pdf

[2] See foreword, paragraph 4 – https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ofqual-regulation-of-apprenticeship-end-point-assessment-a-guide-for-awarding-organisations/ofqual-regulation-of-apprenticeship-end-point-assessment-a-guide-for-awarding-organisations#foreword-from-the-chief-regulator

[3] See Specialist community public health nurse as an example, 
https://www.instituteforapprenticeships.org/apprenticeship-standards/specialist-community-public-health-nurse-nmc-2022-v1-1