Intelligence Analysis Training Limited

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Quality Assurance

1. Introduction

Intelligence Analysis Training Ltd aims to be the first choice for high quality training of E-Learning and classroom based training in the field of Intelligence Analysis. The company is a professional provider of training and assures all our clients we offer nothing but exceptional standards of training delivered with sheer professionalism & passion.

The Quality Assurance Policy outlines the Company approach to ensuring ongoing quality improvement.

The Company will aim for continuous improvement in the quality of all aspects of its work as part of its determination to help learners achieve the highest possible standards.

The purpose of the Quality Assurance Policy is to enable such continuous improvement through a process of self-evaluation and action planning.

2. Scope

The Quality Assurance Policy and associated procedures will involve all employees and collaborative partners. The management of the process will be through the existing organisational structure. Line managers will initiate procedures within their teams and collate and agree self-assessment reports and action plans.

The quality assurance procedures will be founded in a process of regular self-evaluation by teams and individual employees who are responsible for delivering courses and other services.

The quality procedures will seek the views and perceptions of learners and other stake holders for whom the services of the Company exist.

Wherever appropriate, the procedures will promote the identification of quality standards and performance indicators against which performance can be measured, evaluate and so improved.

3. Responsibility for Implementation

All employees are responsible for the implementation of the Quality Assurance Policy.

It is the Designated Directors responsibility to ensure annual review of the policy. It is the responsibility of all to engage positively in that review and ensure implementation.

4. Policy Statements

Programmes

  • To encourage continuous improvement in the quality of teaching and learning programmes, thereby making learning an enjoyable activity and through this, increasing learner retention and the achievement of individual learning goals.
  • To develop and sustain a range of accredited programmes which provide opportunities for progression and which provide learners with experiences and qualifications suited to their learning aims.
  • To ensure rigorous and consistent assessment procedures, which meet the standards of external validating agencies.
  • To provide information which supports strategic planning.

Support Services

  • To monitor and evaluate the procedure for advising, interviewing and counselling learners at entry and throughout their Company career.
  • To establish standards and monitor procedures for providing a supportive and accessible range of services to learners.

Methodology

  • All learners will be made aware of the quality standards within the Company.
  • The process of quality control requires teaching and support staff teams to meet on a regular basis to review their work, set standards and monitor learner perceptions and achievements.
  • Quality control will be carried out against agreed criteria which will incorporate performance indicators.
  • Statistical analysis will be carries out against agreed criteria which will incorporate performance indicators.
  • Review will be supported by analysis of learner, employees and stakeholder views and perception, gathered via questionnaires, surveys and review meetings.
  • The outcome of these processes will provide information:
    • To inform the process of self assessment
    • To action plan for improvement at team level
    • To highlight issues that need consideration by the Company
    • That supports the Company’s curriculum and strategic planning cycle.
  • Feedback on actions resulting from the review process will be communicated to employees, wherever possible, via both team and/or individual meetings.
  • The outcomes and action plans which result from the process will form the basis of the annual Company Strategic Report.

5. Company Quality Assurance Procedures

  • The “statement” of the Company Quality Assurance policy is supported by a set of procedures outlined in this document.
  • This Quality Assurance Policy is available to all stakeholders (i.e. staff and students) on application.
  • This is intended and designed to be a dynamic policy and suggestions for improvement are taken throughout the year, being fed through to the Designated Director.

6. Comments, Compliments & Complaints

We aim to provide high quality education and services to everyone who participates in our training courses. Your views are important to us and we need you to tell us when a service is failing or something is not right. We recognise however, that we sometimes get things wrong or make mistakes. If you feel we have made a mistake or have done something which you found unsatisfactory or unacceptable, do let us know. Even if you think your particular concern does not amount to a complaint we would still like to know about it.

We do not look on complaints as unwanted – indeed, they may help us to see where our services might be improved, and you may help us to deal with something we would otherwise overlook. We will do our best to put things right and prevent them happening again.

Equally, we would like to hear from you about services that you like and/or if you have an idea for any improvement or change to a service.

The first step is to contact a Trainer or Director of the Company. This can be done quite informally, either directly or by telephone/email.

Usually, the best staff member to contact will be the person who dealt with the matter you are concerned about, as they will be in the best position to help you quickly and to put things right. If they are not available, or you would prefer to approach someone else, then contact one of our Directors.

We will always try to resolve the problem on the spot if we can. If we can’t do this – because information we need is not to hand, for example, then we will take a record of your concern and arrange the best way of getting back to you.

Alternatively, there is an established Complaints Procedure. The full policy and procedure which is available to all students from our course administration (admin@intelligenceanalysistraining.com), will give you information about what to do if you wish to make a formal complaint. Below is a brief outline of the procedure.

8. Complaints Procedure

Overview Informal Stage

It is recognised that many concerns will be raised informally that can and should be dealt with immediately. Normally these concerns should be raised promptly and directly with either the class tutor/course leader/admin team member if the issue is not about an individual member of staff. Similarly, concerns should be raised promptly and directly with the individual against whom there is a concern. If you feel unable to approach that person directly, there are a number of people who could be approached. The aim is to resolve informal concerns quickly, keep matters low-key and enable mediation between the complainant and the individual to whom the matter has been referred. This is entirely appropriate where it can be achieved. However, if concerns are not satisfactorily resolved in this way Complainants may follow the Company’s Formal Procedures for handling Complaints – as specified below.

Overview Formal Procedure

Purpose:
  • The formal procedures are intended to ensure that all complaints are handled fairly, consistently and wherever possible resolved to the complainant’s satisfaction.
Definition:
  • The Company has defined a complaint as ‘any expression of dissatisfaction that requires a response’. This definition will apply consistently across all curriculum and functional areas.
The Company will:
  • Acknowledge the formal complaint and aim to respond within a stated period of time
  • Deal reasonably and sensitively with the complaint
  • Take action where appropriate
  • Welcome issues being brought to its attention to enable it to improve its services.
The Complainant will be expected to:
  • Bring their complaint to the School’s attention within 12 weeks after the reason for the complaint occurring.
  • Explain the problem as clearly and as fully as possible, including any action taken to date.
Responsibility for Action:
  • All Staff and the Company Directors.
Confidentiality:
  • Except in exceptional circumstances, every attempt will be made to ensure that both the complainant and the Company observe the confidential nature of issues. However the circumstances giving rise to the complaint may be such that it might not be possible to maintain confidentiality and each complaint will be judged on its own merit. Should this be the case, the situation will be explained to the complainant and/or their representative.
Monitoring and Reporting:
  • Management Committee will receive a report of all complaints at least annually and will monitor the handling of complaints in accordance with the Company’s procedures.

9. Procedure & Stages

Informal Stage

  • Matters should normally be raised promptly and directly with the appropriate member of staff.

Formal Procedure

  • Formal complaint, in writing, to Administration Office who will acknowledge receipt and confirm who the matter has been referred to.
  • Referred to the relevant Course Leader/Administrator who will respond normally within 10 working days indicating the progress on their investigation into the complaint. Complainant will be invited to evaluate the process.
  • If not resolved to the complainant’s satisfaction – Formal complaint in writing to the Designated Director stating reasons for dissatisfaction within 10 days of receipt of outcome at Stage 1
  • Initial response normally within 10 working days indicating the action to be taken to investigate the complaint. At the end of Stage 2, the complainant will be invited to evaluate the process.
  • If not resolved to the complainant’s satisfaction – formal complaint in writing to the Principal, stating reasons for dissatisfaction within 10 days of receipt of outcome at Stage 2.
  • Initial response normally within 10 working days indicating the action to be taken to investigate the complaint. At the end of Stage 3, the complainant will be invited to evaluate the process.
  • If the issue is not resolved to the complainant’s satisfaction, a formal complaint in writing should be made to the Intelligence Analysis Training Ltd Management Committee *

*The Intelligence Analysis Training Ltd Management Committee comprise of two directors of the company.

10. Ensuring Standards

Monitoring

It is the duty of the Designated Director to ensure the quality of all training delivered by Intelligence Analysis Training Ltd Trainers. As a result all Trainers & Assessors will be randomly assessed at least once a year. The assessment will be to ensure both trainers & assessors are training to current protocols & delivering to the quality as expected.

Records of Assessments

All Trainers & Assessors will have a Personnel Portfolio which is kept by the Designated Director. The portfolio will contain copies of the candidates current CV, First Aid at Work Certificate, Teaching qualifications & Monitoring assessment forms. This file will be available for awarding body’s e.g. NVQ and The HSE if necessary.

Trainers & Assessors Qualifications

Intelligence Analysis Training Ltd will ensure that all trainers & assessors are both qualified & experienced. Criteria:

  1. Trainers: A Police Training Certificate, a Valid First Aid at Work Certificate & up to date with current Must also hold a teaching qualification e.g. CIEH Professional Trainer, Certificate in Education, NVQ Training & Development, First Aid Trainer Certificate etc.
  2. Assessors: A Police Training Certificate, A Valid First Aid at Work Certificate, a Teaching qualification as listed above & preferably an Assessor qualification or experience of assessing Intelligence Analysis courses under supervision by a qualified assessor.
  3. All trainers & assessors are encouraged to develop there skills & keep up to date. We encourage all to attend courses and will support all further develop efforts.

Student Feedback

At Intelligence Analysis Training Ltd we understand there is no such thing as a perfect trainer or venue but after each training session we can improve in someway for the next session. We have an open policy of constructive criticism.

All Students are to be informed in the beginning of each course about their feedback & that it is welcomed to ensure were consistently improving our services. Each student is to be issued a feedback form at the end of the course. Feedback forms are to be returned to the training director after course with all paperwork.

All information gathered from feedback will be collated to review trainers & assessors courses. Any negative feedback will result in a meeting with Training Director to establish why and see where improvements can be made in future.

Intelligence Analysis Training Ltd offers training to all members of the community & is an Equal Opportunities employer. The highest standards of professionalism are expected at all times.

 11. Quality Assurance Strategy

The company pursues the following goals in the field of quality assurance:

  1. Strict compliance of the company’s services with international, national, and corporate standards and requirements.
  2. Professional and technical level of the services must correspond to or exceed that of the leading enterprises and companies operating in the UK market.
  3. Responsibility to customers for the quality of the services rendered.
  4. Cost efficiency of the services as compared with other companies operating in the market.
  5. Development and implementation of new services that fully satisfy our customers’ needs.
  6. Continuous monitoring of complaints and claims from customers, and aim to maintain these at zero.
  7. Positioning of the company as employing professional staff educated to at least Degree level or processing 5 years relevant work experience, and providing services of high quality.

The strategy for achieving the goals is the following:

  1. Focus on the continuous improvement of the company services (in accordance with the market requirements).
  2. The development of the Quality Assurance Policy, its implementation, and maintenance, in conformity with ISO 9001 international standards. Certification to 9001 by 2012.
  3. Satisfaction of customers’ requirements to all services. Fulfilment of the customers’ requirements within the shortest periods of time, ensuring highest quality. The services can be provided under Service Level Agreements (SLA) where appropriate.
  4. Understanding of the customer needs their present and future specific requirements.
  5. Continuous cooperation with customers in order to understand their needs.
  6. Transparency – customers may obtain access to information on the quality of the services.
  7. Priority of quality issues in “personnel – technology – organisation” chain.
  8. Strict quality assurance procedures at all stages of the services life cycle, well defined personnel responsibility for quality assurance.
  9. Primary focus on prevention of a possible decrease in quality, rather than on measures to restore the quality level.
  10. Consistent training of all personnel in the sphere of quality, each employee’s participation in services improvement, rewards for quality improvement.

Signed:

Anthony John Gill B.Sc. PGCE Asc.IAIP