Visit Homepage Visit Homepage

The Recruitment & Employment Confederation - The Voice of the Recruitment Industry

FAQ's: Re-assessment

Why introduce a re-assessment audit?

The second phase of the Quality Mark (QM) has given us the opportunity to review the way in which we manage the QM. We need continued assurance that agencies who have had the QM for 2 years are maintaining the required standards and are fully compliant with any legislative changes pertaining to the provision of supply teachers.

A number of QM holders and applicants who completed a DfES questionnaire in November 2003 felt that an audit assessment would be appropriate for both applicants and as part of the re-assessment process, as it will:

  • offer additional assurance that the highest standards of recruitment and selection are being maintained
  • identify agencies who deviate from their documented procedures
  • assist in identifying agencies who provided inaccurate information in their original application and have consistently failed to meet the QM standards

What if I have changed procedures?

With the exception of legislative amendments, you are required to advise REC of any procedural changes that may impact on any of the QM standards. Unless we have been advised to the contrary we will base our assessment on your original documentation and actual procedures.

The QM has evolved over the last 2 years and areas that were not applicable at the outset have since been introduced to further enhance the service that QM holders offer. You will of course be advised of these and given the opportunity to implement them if you have not already done so.

Will there be a charge?

The daily rate for the audit is £450 + VAT + expenses. Agencies with more than one branch may require additional site visits to ensure consistency of practice throughout and we estimate 10% of branches will require assessments.

Please note that if for any reason you need to postpone a pre-arranged audit you will be liable to meet any direct costs incurred.

How long will the assessment take?

One day will be sufficient for each branch.

What happens next?

REC will write to you approximately 6 weeks before your award is due to expire to advise you of the forthcoming assessment. We will then contact you via telephone to arrange a suitable date for the assessment to take place and once this has been agreed you will be sent a pre-audit notification letter that will detail: -

  • The information that we will need in advance
  • The information that will need to be made available
    during the audit
  • General administrative arrangements
  • A request for payment

What will the assessment involve?

We will review your original application prior to the visit and review current policies and procedures during the course of the assessment. We do request sight of certain documentation in advance, so that this can be reviewed and allow the assessor to concentrate on processes and procedural issues.

The assessors has a list of pre-set criteria that will apply, and this will replicate the requirements of the QM standards. File sampling is also a key area of the assessment process and this will provide evidence of adherence to the QM standards. During the sampling the assessor will need access to both your database and written records along with a list of supply teachers that have worked via your agency/LEA within the last 6 months. Please note that the assessor has a wide and varied knowledge of database applications and you can be confident that after an initial introduction to your system , they will be able to locate relevant information without continual assistance.

During the course of the assessment issues will be discussed as and when they arise with the staff concerned. Either during the assessment or at the end, whichever is preferable, the assessor will advise you of any issues along with recommendations for corrective action or improvement to existing systems. It will also give you an opportunity to research the findings and to obtain comments or confirmation on matters of factual accuracy.

In the course of the process the assessors will need access to material covered by the data protection rules.

When looking at records and documents that contain individuals’ personal details, they will be come data controllers in their own right and will thereby carry all the same duties and responsibilities of confidentiality and purpose that the data controllers employed by the agency carry day to day. In short therefore, revealing such details does not entail a breach of the data protection legislation.

What happens once the assessment has been completed?

To arrive at an overall opinion the assessors will take into account the degree to which office systems and procedures comply with QM standards. The report will be issued within 2-4 weeks of the assessment and this will detail the findings, if any, supported by recommendations and guidance.

Successful. If all standards are fully met you will receive a letter confirming your retention of the QM. Any guidance or recommendations will mostly describe enhancements to existing procedures or address issues of a more routine nature.

Unsuccessful. Where weaknesses in operational practices are identified or where significant changes are required to meet the QM Standards, recommendations will be made, supported by guidance notes, an action plan and a timescale to assist you in reaching compliance.

While you will be permitted to retain the logo and present yourself as QM holders, an agency’s inability to meet the required standards within an agreed timescale may result in the award being suspended or withdrawn completely. It is expected that most recommendations relating to key issues should be implemented within 2 weeks and issues of a more routine nature will be prioritized to give you an indication of the time scale within which issues should be managed. Depending on the nature of non-compliance, it is possible that a further visit will be required to ensure that agreed changes have been made and the cost of this will be met by the agency or LEA.

Where there is evidence that an agency has continually failed to meet standards and depending of the severity of this, a decision will be made to either suspend or withdraw the QM completely. The decision to do this will be taken by a panel comprising of REC management and a senior representative from the DfES.

Thank you for taking the time to read this document, and if you have any queries please do not hesitate to contact Andrea Papaconstantinou on 020 7009 2129.