Standards Verification UK Strategic Plan 2009-2012

Ensuring the quality of training and professional development in the lifelong learning sector

Three Year Strategic PlanApril 2009 – March 2012

Contents P01.Foreword

P02.Background The lifelong learning workforce

Relevant context

P04.AboutStandardsVerificationUK Standards Verification UK and Lifelong Learning UK

Key functions of Standards Verification UK within the lifelong learning sector

P06.StandardsVerificationUKAreasofWork Endorsement services in England

Endorsement services in Wales

General Professional Recognition Learning and Skills (GPRLS) in England

Evidencing Skills and Qualifications in England

Standards Verified Quality Mark

European Project

Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) UK

P08.StandardsVerificationUKplanningandobjectivesettingprocesses Links to Lifelong Learning UK planning process

Links to internal review and evaluation

Other factors

P10.StandardsVerificationUKgoalsandstrategicobjectives

P13.StandardsVerificationUKStrategy2009-2012 SVUK Vision and Mission 2009-2012

SVUK Quality Policy 2009-2012

Securing continual improvement

SVUK Values

SVUK Principles

SVUK Core Tasks 2009-2010

P16.StandardsVerificationUKOrganisationChart Capacity

SVUK = Standards Verification UK

01

Standards Verification UK (SVUK) is the wholly owned subsidiary company of Lifelong Learning UK. Those in the lifelong learning workforce face unique challenges in the current climate. They not only need to provide the re-training and up-skilling necessary to reboot the UK economy, but also need to seize the opportunities for promoting the sector as a career of choice, thus increasing the diversity of those who work in lifelong learning and filling skill shortage areas. In such circumstances, SVUK’s arms-length, independently governed verification services retain a critical relevance as they offer quality assurance for the use of Lifelong Learning UK’s occupational and professional standards. This arrangement continues to reflect the unique position of lifelong learning employers who have a significant workforce of up to 1.2 million individuals, but also supply the solutions to this workforce’s development needs. Scrutinising the use of Lifelong Learning UK’s standards provides the sector’s employers with confidence in an increasingly diverse workforce when the economic context is placing additional demands on the sector to be flexible and responsive.

This plan sets out the vision of how SVUK can sustain itself despite constrained funding circumstances. It also sets out where there is potential for extending our range of services and sources of income, both to support Lifelong Learning UK’s vision for the lifelong learning workforce and to generate demand for standards based verification as part of the professionalisation agenda across the sector.

Our aim is for SVUK to build on its reputation in the UK and extend this internationally as a provider of high quality verification services and related consultancy. Core to achieving this is practising what we promote, which is what our achievement of ISO 9001:2008 certification is intended to demonstrate. Equally vital is the involvement and support of key partners and stakeholders who also share our passion for verifying the effective use of standards.

We look forward to reporting back the progress on further implementing our vision.

Foreword

Susan Edge Chief Officer Standards Verification UK

Professor Derek Fraser Chairman Standards Verification UK

Standards Verification UK | Three Year Strategic Plan


02

Thelifelonglearningworkforce

The lifelong learning workforce is spread across four nations and five areas of work in the UK. It is currently estimated to consist of up to 1.2 million individuals, including at least:

• 282,600 staff in community learning and development

• 256,500 staff in further education

• 387,300 staff in higher education

• 57,150 staff in libraries, archives and information services

• 134,200 staff in work based learning

Community learning and development employers can range from local councils and authorities to small community groups and alliances that are run by local committees. There are approximately 50,000 community based learning organisations across the UK.

Background

Further education defines the area of work that encompasses the activities undertaken by colleges and institutions primarily concerned with post-compulsory learning. This includes general colleges, sixth form colleges, and specialist colleges. In all four UK nations, the further education sector offers a great deal of work based and community based learning provision, as well as traditional, institutionally based courses and programmes. In England, Wales and Scotland, colleges also offer some higher education provision. There are 470 UK further education institutions.

Higher education comprises all publicly funded higher education institutions in the UK. This includes all universities, university colleges and colleges of higher education. Some higher education institutions also offer some further education provision. There are 170 higher education institutions across the UK.

Libraries, archives and information services covers employers, professionals and support staff in settings where the primary purpose of the employer is the support or delivery of lifelong learning. There are approximately 2,000 libraries, archives and information service organisations across the UK.

Work based learning encompasses all those organisations concerned with the delivery of applied (vocational) training, which is primarily work based. This includes national training providers, specialist training providers and other private sector training organisations. There are 2,000 work based learning organisations across the UK.


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RelevantcontextThe key skills strategies for the UK nations are:

• Leitch Review of Skills: Prosperity for all in the global economy – world class skills (2006)

• Success Through Skills: The Skills Strategy for Northern Ireland (2006)

• Skills for Scotland: A Lifelong Skills Strategy (2007)

• Skills that Work for Wales: A Skills and Employment Strategy (2008)

Lifelong Learning UK plays a strategic role in a key element of the UK skills agenda by developing and promoting qualifications reform in the lifelong learning sector and ensuring sector needs shape future developments. Its Sector Qualifications Strategy reflects the qualification frameworks in all four UK nations and all these UK qualification frameworks are benchmarked with the European Qualifications Framework.

There are other accreditation or qualification licensing bodies in Lifelong Learning UK’s footprint, so SVUK’s portfolio of verification services does not cover the four nations or the five constituencies in a consistent pattern. Nevertheless we need to be alert to all the key policy drivers in lifelong learning in order to act on such opportunities as may arise. These include the scope for joint or dual accreditation, as well as the potential for programmes mixing Lifelong Learning UK’s standards with those from other sector skills councils. The increasing range of Memoranda of Understanding that Lifelong Learning UK is securing with key agencies across the UK, and Lifelong Learning UK’s role as broker within the Alliance of Sector Skills Councils helps to underpin these developments.

SVUK endorses teacher training qualifications for teachers, tutors and trainers in the FE sector in England and in Wales.

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About Standards Verification UK

SVUK is the wholly owned subsidiary of Lifelong Learning UK, the sector skills council for those employers whose primary business is to deliver or support the delivery of learning. These employers are drawn from community based learning and development; further education; higher education; library, archive and information services; and work based learning.

SVUK operates verification services on behalf of government departments and other stakeholders across the UK, including work commissioned by Lifelong Learning UK itself. As a specialist national agency, a major part of our work is regulatory related services that support the professionalisation agenda for teachers, tutors and trainers, notably in England and Wales.

However, over the past four years SVUK has expanded its portfolio to cover other forms of workforce training and development especially through its standards-based quality mark service and the design of custom solutions for verification. These developments are intended to support a variety of quality improvement initiatives within the lifelong learning sector, in the UK and internationally, where verification services are not already available.

SVUK has its own board, chaired by Professor Derek Fraser. Lifelong Learning UK’s Executive Director, Corporate, acts as company secretary. There are no directors in common between Lifelong Learning UK’s council and the SVUK board.

StandardsVerificationUKandLifelongLearningUK

Standards Verification UK (SVUK) is an established business whose primary purpose is the provision of high quality verification services designed to give employers in the Lifelong Learning UK footprint the confidence to invest in the development of their workforces.

Weworkcloselywith

highereducationinstitutions,awarding

bodiesandtrainingorganisations

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KeyfunctionsofStandardsVerificationUKwithinthelifelonglearningsector

Standards Verification UK (SVUK) gives Lifelong Learning UK, as a sector skills council, arms-length, independently governed verification services which scrutinise the application of its occupational and professional standards and the quality assurance that underpins such use.

• In England and in Wales this includes being part of the regulatory process for further education (FE) teachers’ qualifications and working with awarding institutions providing initial teacher training.

• SVUK administers the General Professional Recognition Learning and Skills scheme with its three pathways enabling competent and experienced teachers in England to be recognised as qualified members of the workforce.

• SVUK has developed and manages the Tariff of Initial Teacher Training Qualifications (ITT), which includes the relationship of ITT qualifications available in England prior to September 2007 with the new teaching and training qualifications, which were introduced subsequently.

• Co-located with the Tariff, SVUK hosts and maintains information for teachers seeking to evidence their personal skills as part of professional formation.

• SVUK also offers a UK-wide Quality Mark service for qualifications, customised continuing professional development programmes, or resources in other areas in the lifelong learning sector, such as leadership and management development.

• SVUK provides consultancy and custom verification solutions, such as the pilot Bespoke Accreditation Scheme for the National Employer Service.

• Internationally, SVUK is a national agency member of TVET UK and a partner in multi agency bids for European funding.

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EndorsementservicesinEnglandAs part of Standards Verification UK’s (SVUK’s) grant from the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills we continue to provide endorsement services for initial teacher training in England. The focus of this work is to endorse and monitor sufficient qualifications which incorporate ‘The new overarching professional standards for teachers, tutors and trainers in the lifelong learning sector’ and other requirements of the Secretary of State for those who require such qualifications by regulation or contract.

This involves maintaining relationships with 65 awarding institutions, (12 awarding bodies and 53 higher education institutions). This is not just through applying for endorsement itself which is the means by which these qualifications gain regulatory approval, but also through risk based monitoring to ensure that over time and over geography, new career entrants can continue to meet the regulatory requirements for entering the profession.

However, endorsement is changing and SVUK will be introducing arrangements for a licensing model for endorsed initial teacher training qualifications to be piloted with a range of awarding institutions from September 2009. Final guidance will be available in the summer of 2010 for a full roll out of endorsement licensing from September 2010.

EndorsementservicesinWales

SVUK continues to be grant funded by the Welsh Assembly Government in 2009-2010 to work with the six higher education institutes and their partner organisations that provide post compulsory teacher training in Wales. Endorsement in Wales is evolving to meet the emerging new requirements for Wales including the embedding of ‘The new overarching professional standards for teachers, tutors and trainers in the lifelong learning sector in Wales’ into initial teacher training qualifications.

GeneralProfessionalRecognitionLearningandSkills(GPRLS)inEngland

GPRLS is an alternative pathway to gaining professional standing where applicants draw on recognition of prior learning outcomes from work based practice, supported by testimony, to demonstrate the skills, knowledge and understanding that others have acquired through a qualification. Piloted initially with Skills for Life teachers in 2006, SVUK has successfully developed and expanded the scheme to include three pathways: one for teachers in all areas of the curriculum in either full or associate teacher roles, one dedicated to those with long-standing service in the sector and an updated pathway for Skills for Life practitioners.

Standards Verification UK Areas of Work

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SVUK devised and administers this scheme. Our responsibility for the infrastructure includes designing the application and guidance documents, recruiting and briefing adjudicators, moderation activity and authentication sampling. The scheme was devised to support the Workforce Reforms Agenda in Further Education, and is a response to the identified need for an alternative route towards licensed status for experienced but unqualified teachers, tutors and trainers in the sector for whom undertaking a formal teaching qualification would be an unnecessary use of resource, as well as potentially de-motivating.

EvidencingSkillsandQualificationsinEnglandOur knowledge and experience of the further education/learning and skills sector in England has also been gained through our development of the Tariff of Initial Teacher Training Qualifications in England as part of the further education workforce reform agenda. The database contains initial teacher, tutor and trainer qualifications in England and their relationship to professional standing in respect of The Further Education Teachers’ Qualifications (England) Regulations 2007. It is also expanding to include the corresponding requirements in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland in respect of the development of national occupational standards for learning delivery together with relevant European Directives.

We also host and maintain information on approved qualifications for evidencing personal skills, one of the requirements for professional formation for those on route to gaining licensed status as a teacher, tutor or trainer in England.

StandardsVerifiedQualityMarkThis is a UK wide service where organisations can gain external accreditation for the use of any of Lifelong Learning UK’s occupational or professional standards together with the associated quality assurance arrangements. Clients can submit non regulated qualifications, custom continuing professional development programmes, and/or learning resources. For example awarding institutions who wish to offer teacher training related programmes outside of the endorsed sector are applying to SVUK for their contextualised programmes to be standards verified. We have also awarded quality marks for leadership and management development programmes and resources.

EuropeanProjectPiloting national and European guidelines designed to encourage the take up of the Recognition of Prior Learning Outcomes (RPLO).

SVUK is one of the transnational partners in this Leonardo da Vinci transfer of Innovation Action funded project. The project is designed to improve the attractiveness and effectiveness of the Vocational Education and Training (VET)

teachers’ and trainers’ profession in the UK and the partner countries. The project will demonstrate how credit-based qualifications will make the transition from being RPLO-neutral to being RPLO-friendly, using best practice from UK and EU projects and research, including the Cedefop study on the Recognition and Validation of Non-formal and Informal Learning for VET Teachers and Trainers.

TechnicalVocationalEducationandTraining(TVET)UKTVET UK is the UK partnership of technical and vocational education suppliers that works together to provide an optimum integrated service for international clients that covers recruiting international students to a wide range of courses offered by UK colleges and training providers; delivering UK qualifications overseas; and developing strategic global partnerships. SVUK is a founder member of this initiative and continues to provide infrastructure support to the international tenders and contracts strand Director while TVET UK establishes its own legal identity.

08

LinkstoLifelongLearningUKplanningprocess

Lifelong Learning UK’s Head of Planning and Performance is Standards Verification UK’s (SVUK’s) link person to Lifelong Learning UK Strategic and Business Plan review and development process and the Strategy and Business Development Directorate’s business assessment process for new business procurement. Both of these processes provide opportunities for identifying additional verification services.

LinkstointernalreviewandevaluationSVUK Strategic and Business Plans are reviewed regularly through progress reports to the board, and through the preparation of performance reports to funders that support claims. Feedback and suggestions for improvement are received from SVUK’s Projects’ Board and Projects’ Advisory Group, and through other means of workstream governance and dialogue with funders and with stakeholders. Independent evaluations are commissioned and any recommendations identified considered through SVUK’s Quality Management System together with evidence from internal auditing and other feedback mechanisms.

SVUK’s activities form part of the monthly project performance report to the leadership team. SVUK’s chair makes a report to each Lifelong Learning UK council. Feedback between council and board is exchanged via the leadership team; this includes SVUK’s chief officer.

The SVUK board is represented on Lifelong Learning UK’s Finance and General Purposes Group and Nominations and Remuneration Committee, while Audit is a joint council/board committee.

Otherfactors

SVUK participates in a number of strategic forums, reference groups and project assurance groups, and maintains regular dialogue with key stakeholders for its activities such as the Institute for Learning and Ofsted. Policy developments are routinely analysed for their implications for verification services. Opportunities to tender for additional business are systematically scrutinised, and templates with core generic information have been set up to support this development.


Standards Verification UK planning and objective setting processes


09

SVUK provides tools to help teachers and trainers evidence their personal skills and qualifications as they work towards Associate or Qualified Teacher Learning and Skills and professional formation.

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LifelongLearningUKGoal:Improveproductivity,businessandpublicserviceperformance

SVUKWorkStream

Promotion of Quality Mark service for leadership and management programmes and qualifications

ExpectedActivity

Quality Mark - Verification service for leadership and management programmes and qualifications

Supports experience based routes to professional standing

General Professional Recognition Learning and Skills Scheme

Quality Mark and mirror qualifications added to database

Outcomes

Applications processed and outcomes notified to Institute for Learning

DELIVERABLE

Supports career pathwaysEvidencing Skills and Qualifications Tariff information made available to individuals, providers, employers, awarding institutes and other stakeholders

LifelongLearningUKStrategicobjectives:Build the capacity and capability of the sector

Standards Verification UK goals and strategic objectives

SupportingactivitiescontributingtowardsLifelongLearningUKStrategicObjectives(BusinessPlan2009–2010)

LifelongLearningUKGoal:Reduceskillsgapsandshortages

SVUKWorkStream

Partner organisation RPLO Leonardo funding bid; participation in 4 nations’ meetings re Lifelong Learning UK remit for FE workforce development matters

ExpectedActivity

Recognition of Prior Learning Outcomes (RPLO)

International partnership of technical and vocational educational suppliers

TVET

Publication of interim report, establish a website brochure and press release

Outcomes

Development of strategic global partnerships and increased member organisations

DELIVERABLE

LifelongLearningUKStrategicobjectives:Raise employer engagement, demand and investment in skills


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LifelongLearningUKGoal:Improvelearningsupply

SVUKWorkStream

Monitoring and licensing activities to ensure awarding institutes complete with requirement for qualifications to be endorsed in respect of the 2007 regulations

ExpectedActivity

Endorsement

Promote the scheme and process applications

General Professional Recognition Learning and Skills Scheme

Supply of endorsed initial teacher training qualifications in England and Wales

Outcomes

Provision of guidance and application documents for all areas of learning, and for both full and associate teacher roles

DELIVERABLE

Mapping, scrutiny and the identification of where exemptions or advanced standing can be recommended

Evidencing Skills and Qualifications Tariff information made available to individuals, providers, employers, AIs and other stakeholders

Promotion of Quality Mark service for leadership and management programmes and qualifications

Verification service for leadership and management programmes and qualifications

Quality Mark and mirror qualifications added to database

LifelongLearningUKStrategicobjectives:Develop and promote national occupational standards and ensure qualifications meet employer needs

LifelongLearningUKGoal:ToimproveLifelongLearningUK’sperformanceanddelivery

LifelongLearningUKStrategicobjectives:Ensure internal systems and procedures support effective performance and delivery

SVUKWorkStream

Ensure that appropriate opportunities for staff and consultants are part of SVUK’s Training and Development Plan and included in contractor briefings

ExpectedActivity

Develop and deliver equality and diversity training to all Lifelong Learning UK and SVUK staff, particularly at the senior management level

Implementation of the SVUK Quality Management system and Quality Policy and maintain external accreditation

ISO9001:2008 certification for the quality assurance of SVUK verification services

Increased equality and diversity awareness of staff and consultants.Compliance with relevant legislation

Outcomes

ISO 9001 certificationInternal audit reportsOpportunities for improvement

DELIVERABLE


Qualityshouldberecognised–SVUK’sQualityMarkservicegivesyoutheopportunitytosubmitqualifications,customisedCPDprogrammes,orresourcestoexpertscrutiny.

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Standards Verification UK Strategy 2009-2012


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SVUKVisionandMission2009-2012Standards Verification UK will:

• be a cornerstone of Lifelong Learning UK’s goal of setting in place an integrated framework of standards and qualifications by adding value from high quality verification services which enable employers to have confidence in the benefits of their investment in workforce development;

• make ‘Standards Verified’ the quality mark of choice for qualifications, continuing professional development activities, and Standards-based resource materials across Lifelong Learning UK’s footprint. This would apply to any situations not covered by agreements with other bodies providing high quality verification or accreditation services;

• support the initial teacher training reform agenda across the UK through the evolution and diversification of standards verification services;

• gain a national and international reputation for delivering quality standards verification services and consultancy to sustain SVUK’s operation and contribute to Lifelong Learning UK’s viability.

SVUKQualityPolicy2009-2012

Aim:

The aim of this quality policy is to ensure that the generic function of SVUK allows due attention to be paid to establishing robust, high quality and fit for purpose processes which are delivered on time, within budget and are subject to continuous improvement.

The development of this quality management system is an indicator for Lifelong Learning UK’s sector specific objective in its business plan of improving the quality of the learning supply to the lifelong learning sector.

Scope:

Standards-based verification services designed to give employers in the Lifelong Learning UK footprint the confidence to invest in the development of their workforces.

The senior management of SVUK is fully committed to the following objectives:

• continually develop and implement the quality management system;

• enhance customer satisfaction.

The senior management of SVUK has a continuing commitment to:

• ensure that customers’ needs and expectations are determined and fulfilled with the aim of achieving customer satisfaction;

• communicate throughout the organisation the importance of meeting customer needs and legal requirements;

• establish and communicate the quality policy and its objectives;

• conduct management reviews of the effectiveness of the implementation of the quality management system;

• ensure the availability of resources.

The structure of the quality management system is defined in the quality manual. SVUK personnel understand the requirements of this quality policy and agree to abide by the contents of the quality manual. The verification services manager will undertake the duties of the quality manager.

This quality policy will be adopted by the SVUK board for a period not longer than three years and will be regularly reviewed at the quality management review meetings in order to ensure its continuing suitability.

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SecuringcontinualimprovementSVUK continues to review the effectiveness of the areas of work and receive feedback/recommendations from evaluation studies.

In addition, SVUK has developed a quality management system which incorporates a quality manual together with supporting internal audits, operating procedures and detailed work instructions in order to meet the certification requirements of ISO 9001:2008.

There are a number of benefits linked with the quality assurance system with documented processes to ensure consistency of approach. Reports and feedback on procedures which have been subjected to internal scrutiny and audit against identified criteria will be provided at the Quality Management Review meetings with suggested opportunities for improvement.

SVUKValues• Demonstrating integrity, fairness

and consistency in delivering our services and regulatory responsibilities

• Valuing the diversity of individuals, groups and organisations

• Upholding the value and benefit of lifelong learning professionally delivered

• Having the courage and the confidence that our actions add value to the sector

• Upholding our principles in everything we do

• Being honest, respectful and true with each other, and supporting collaborative working

• Trusting people within and without our organisation, demonstrating transparency, openness and constructive challenge based on mutual respect

SVUKPrinciples• We are professional, customer

focused, responsive, consultative, collaborative and flexible

• We are committed to and passionate about learning

• We support increasing the diversity of the workforce

• We have a common vision and shared understanding of what we do

• We strive for excellence internally and externally, leading by example

• We foster a sense of personal responsibility in achieving our goals

• We know how we contribute to the achievement of our strategy and objectives

• We are committed to working collaboratively whilst being prepared to challenge

“Youknowthatthequalitymarkisonlygivenifthecoursemeetstherelevantnationalstandards.It’sineffectagreenlightthatyourcourseisofsufficientquality.”


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SVUKCoreTasks2009-2010To retain the confidence of the Department for Universities, Innovation and Skills in the supply of:

• endorsed initial teacher training qualifications for the learning and skills sector in England that meet the current and post September 2007 requirements of the Secretary of State;

• a general recognition scheme for teachers, tutors and trainers in the learning and skills sector seeking licensed status, and a dedicated route for those with pre-regulation service;

• a tariff of legacy initial teacher training qualifications mapped to the new requirements for licensed status.

To retain the confidence of the Department for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills in the supply of:

• endorsed initial teacher training qualifications for the post-16 education and training sector in Wales that meet the requirements of the Welsh Assembly Government.

To work with the sector and other stakeholders to improve the quality of provision of both initial teacher training and subject specific training for Skills for Life/basic skills teachers and learning support staff in the post compulsory education and training systems of England and Wales through endorsement and other verification processes.

To develop sustainable commercial standards verification services through the promotion of the added value of quality marked continuing professional development and learning resource materials across lifelong learning UK wide and technical and vocational education internationally.

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CapacityAs SVUK has diversified its services, it has increased both staffing, as verification services are administration intensive, and the banks of external consultants and advisers necessary to provide the range of expertise and specialisms projects require. This balance has had to be reconsidered in the present funding constraints. While retaining experienced and credible consultants is still a priority in order to maintain the quality of continuing workstreams and to respond flexibly to developing business opportunities, more of the direct contact with organisations using our services will have to be carried out from the centre.

However, retaining the emphasis on the generic function of standards verification allows due attention to be paid to ensuring that robust, high quality and fit for purpose processes and procedures are subject to continuous improvement. Gaining certification for ISO 9001:2008 is confirmation that we subject our own quality management system to the same level of scrutiny we apply to others.

SVUK Board

In order to meet and deliver specific contractual requirements, SVUK work streams are supported by a bank of Reviewers/Adjudicators/Consultants

PA to Chief Officer

SVUK UK Managers

TVET International & Contracts Manager

Chief Officer

Quality Assurance Officer

Team Leaders

SVUK Project Support Officers

SVUK Administrators

Standards Verification UK Organisational Chart

Standards Verification UK operates services on behalf of government departments and other stakeholders across the UK.

In addition, SVUK offers a standards-based Quality Mark service, and supports a variety of quality improvement initiatives within the lifelong learning sector.

Standards Verification UK is a wholly owned subsidiary of Lifelong Learning UK and has its own board and designated staff.

Further details of our services can be found on our website at www.standardsverificationuk.org

Standards Verification UK 4th Floor 36 Park Row Leeds LS1 5JL

Telephone: 0113 241 0427 Fax: 0113 242 5897

www.standardsverificationuk.org

Email: [email protected]

Standards Verification UK is part of Lifelong Learning UK

200910.015

Cert No. 7423

Standards Verification UK Strategic Plan 2009-2012

Documents

Transcript of Standards Verification UK Strategic Plan 2009-2012