Coronavirus update for customers

Operational Update on NOCN Group Qualifications and Services

NOCN Group offers a wide range of services including regulated qualifications, EPA for apprenticeships, Job Cards in construction, Access to HE Diplomas, bespoke accreditation and educational and skills support training.

You will find out more operational detail on the implications of COVID19 for each of these services, including advice for students and centres preparing for external assessments, through the following links:

Please note that NOCN Group will be following the guidance issued by the ESFA, IfATE, Ofqual, CCEA, QAA and Qualifications Wales, and will update our customers as things change.

If you have any concerns or would like to discuss the impact on your centre, apprentices or learners please contact us on nocn@nocn.org.uk or 0300 999 1177 (Option 2).

Working to support our valued customers

You will be aware of the various Government and World Health Organisation (WHO) announcements and official advice over COVID19.
The situation is unprecedented and has been continually changing but we will endeavour to continue to support you, your apprentices, learners and card applicants through this difficult period.

We support Ofqual’s statement that the most important principle is fairness to all learners and apprentices, not only for those being assessed now, but also for those assessed before COVID-19.

Centre Support

All our staff are working from home, so we are still offering front line support, through telephony, email and web chat as usual.
Certificates for regulated qualifications and cards are being issued to centres in the normal way.
We aim to provide as full a range of our services as possible, where these can be delivered remotely, and we can use remote or recorded assessment methods, whilst maintaining the integrity of the assessment.
All face-to-face appointments for approval visits, External Quality Assurers, and external assessments have been suspended until training centres reopen and normal business resumes.
We are providing digital on-line support, including offering WebEx interviews, developing online invigilated exams in place of physical papers, and digital content support.

Please contact us to discuss how best we can support you on nocn@nocn.org.uk or 0300 999 1177 (Option 2).

Best wishes from all at NOCN to you our valued customers. We hope you all remain safe and well.

Graham Hasting-Evans, Group Managing Director

NOCN remains cognisant of the developing national picture. We are determined to provide the best ongoing support whilst also retaining the quality standards we believe in.

We would like to draw your attention to the following controls and mitigations that we currently allow.

NOCN is encouraging centres to plan and make use of blended learning opportunities. Delivery staff should consider using holistic and synoptic approaches for overlapping content to reduce delivery time, where this is possible.

NOCN already provides some Remote Invigilation and is working hard to provide additional support for remote invigilation. The update on Functional Skills and ESOL can be found here.

NOCN is working with the Sector bodies and Committees of Awarding Organisations to agree a standardised approach where applicable. As NOCN is not qualified in public health information we can not provide any advice or guidance to Training Providers on whether it is safe for them to operate or not, but would obviously insist that local regulations should be abided by, that risk analysis should be regularly conducted and the mitigations implemented.

NOCN Office and External Quality Assurance colleagues will continue to operate. We are currently undertaking 30% of visits face to face where this is allowed. We are still providing a full level of service remotely to our customers.

Coronavirus update for customers

Sector Statements

NOCN remains cognisant of the developing national picture. We are determined to provide the best ongoing support whilst also retaining the quality standards we believe in.

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