Registration and Renewal

Statement of Intent

Providers:

In order to be accepted onto the database all providers will need to provide:

1. Two references from verifiable sources, i.e. schools or colleges.
2. A statement about their ownership of a CRB enhanced disclosure and their ownership of a public liability insurance.
3. If desired, photographs of themselves and their work.
4. Contact details and experience.
5. An annual subscription fee.

1. References

NAWP will always take up references before allowing a provider to join the register. References will be sought by letter or email having established that the contact details provided are correct. Only once two independent references have been received will the registration process be allowed to continue.

References received prior to registration with the NAWP cannot be added to the provider's feedback but may be recorded within the providers' main description.

2. Documentary evidence (i.e. CRB enhanced disclosure and public liability insurance).

The NAWP is not an employer and will not check documentary evidence: this is the responsibility of the organisations which enter into a contract of employment with the providers. Schools and colleges will meet providers face to face and are therefore in a better position to judge the veracity of any such document.

CRB enhanced disclosures do not have a date of expiry but providers are advised to ensure that they renew them regularly. Most authorities deem a 'current' CRB to be one which is no more than three years old.

3. Photographs of the provider.

Three photographs are permitted but these should not allow identification of any child. Any photographs which breach this condition are likely to be removed without notice.

4. Contact details and experience.

The provider voluntarily chooses to display this information in an online environment and takes full responsibility for this. All information provided should be accurate. Providers should consider detailing how many workshops they anticipate providing in the course of a year.

5. Annual subscription fee

The fee is set at an amount that encourages registration and allows all reasonable administration, salary, advertising and development costs to be met. NAWP reserves the right to increase this fee without notice.

Renewal of membership

Providers will be reminded by an automated email when their membership is due to expire. Failure to renew the annual subscription will mean that their membership will lapse, and no associated data will be retrievable. Existing members will not need to provide further references upon renewal.

Schools and Colleges:

Schools and Colleges are encouraged to register in order to provide vital quality assurance by reviewing a provider's performance. The integrity of such feedback is vital to the site. NAWP will always research the contact details of a registration and, where necessary, may contact the school directly to ensure that the request for registration has originated from a legitimate source.

 

Quality Assurance

1. The primary vehicle of quality assurance is the feedback mechanism. This requires a school or college to be registered and for the provider to request feedback within a reasonable period of time. If a school considers a workshop to be unsatisfactory and a request for feedback is not issued by the provider then the school should make an official complaint to the NAWP. All such complaints will be formally logged against the provider's details and the provider informed. Three such complaints will result in a provider being removed from the register without their registration fee being refunded. Consequently, it is always in the provider's interest to request feedback, even if they feel that a workshop has not progressed well.

2. It is recognised that not all workshops will be held as being satisfactory by the employing school and college and that this could be the consequence of an array of factors. To avoid legal disputes, negative feedback issued by schools is not illustrated on the provider's homepage but is logged electronically by the NAWP. Where the satisfaction rate for an individual is considered unacceptable the NAWP will intervene to support the provider but due to its ultimate responsibility to pupils, schools and other members, it reserves the right to suspend or remove the provider from its register without further discourse or explanation.

3. Where providers act unprofessionally schools should contact the NAWP directly. The NAWP's paramount concern is the health, safety and well-being of pupils. Schools are assured that official complaints against providers are always addressed.

4. In the unlikely event that a representative of a school or college is found to be deliberately misleading the NAWP as to the quality of the workshops received, this will be brought to the attention of senior members of staff and the school's registration may be suspended.

5. The NAWP has the facility to analyse feedback information and will endeavour to offer courses to support providers with their workshops although these courses will incur an additional payment. Courses will be led by education professionals or, in due course, providers who have a proven ability to lead highly successful workshops.

6. As the NAWP progresses it may be possible for NAWP staff to quality assure a sample of workshops by direct observation. These visits will always be conducted professionally by trained staff with experience in the education sector. The provider and the school will always be notified of such a visit.

7. Paired visits by NAWP providers will support development and are encouraged but providers should always seek the school's permission first. Both providers should offer the school proof of identity and appropriate documentation.

 

Feedback

In much the same way as all teachers wish to lead successful lessons so all workshop providers will want to lead successful workshops. However, the NAWP recognises that a minority of workshops may fail to meet the school's needs and that the school may decide to leave negative feedback. Rather than publishing such information the NAWP monitors a provider's feedback over time. Where satisfaction rates for an individual fall below an acceptable level the NAWP will intervene to support the provider but due to its ultimate responsibility to pupils, schools and other members, it reserves the right to remove the provider from its register without further discourse or explanation.

Similarly, if a complaint is received from a provider against a school (e.g. where a school's expectation of a provider is deemed to be unreasonable) this will be logged. Continuing complaints will be investigated with the school and may result in the school's registration being suspended or removed without further discourse or explanation.

Feedback is confidential to the school, the provider and the NAWP. All information provided by the school is shared with the provider. The NAWP uses this information to identify patterns and trends within groups of providers in order to offer training opportunities. Providers are cautioned that they should accept negative feedback and points for development graciously.

A provider's feedback score will reflect the number of workshops they have led. A low score may simply indicate that a provider is a recent member or that a low number of workshops have been led due to the provider's other commitments within their field of expertise.

Upon first registration providers are permitted to contact schools to gain feedback for workshops they have provided within the previous year. This timescale allows providers to demonstrate their experience within the field and ensures that evidence so acquired is current. The timescale of one year prior to registration should not be breached.