Trainer and Assessor Handbook

Student Information Handbook - Trainer and Assessor

This Handbook has been developed as a guide for Trainers and Assessors within SA Ambulance Service (SAAS).

It contains useful information to staff new to the role of Trainer and/or Assessor, as well as being a useful resource for experienced SAAS Trainers and Assessors.

SA Ambulance Service

216 Greenhill Road

Eastwood SA 5063

GPO Box 3

Adelaide SA 5001

T: 1300 136 272

F: 8271 4844

Website: www.saambulance.com.au

Registered Training Organisation No. 0264

ABN: 42 875 540 856

Published by SA Ambulance Service

Clinical Education

Version: 4.2 230809

Student Information Handbook - Trainer and Assessor

Contact Details

Clinical Education

Training Facility

Salisbury Ambulance Station

13 Bremen Drive

Salisbury SA 5108

Administration

Ground Floor 216 Greenhill Road

Eastwood SA 5063

Postal Clinical Education

SA Ambulance Service

GPO Box 3

Adelaide SA 5001

Clinical Education

DX 718 Adelaide

Phone: (08) 8274 0331

Email Addresses

General Enquiries

SAASClinicalEducationEnquiries@ sa.gov.au

Compliance Enquiries

SAASRTOCompliance.

GenericMailbox@sa.gov.au

Recognised Prior Learning

Health.SAASCERPLEnquiries@ sa.gov.au

Accredited Training

SA Ambulance Service (SAAS) is a Registered Training Organisation (RTO), which means that we are able to provide quality-assured and nationally recognised training qualifications.

As an RTO, SAAS is a training provider registered by Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) to deliver vocational education and training (VET) services. Registration with ASQA means that SAAS (as an RTO), must act in the best interests of its clients and meet the Standards for RTOs 2015.

Standards for RTOs 2015 available:

https://www.comlaw.gov.au/Details/F2014L01377

The SAAS RTO National Code is 0264.

A copy of our Certificate of Registration is accessible on the SAAS intranet under RTO Information.

SAAS’ scope of registration is accessible here: http://training.gov.au/Organisation/Details/0264

SA Ambulance Service takes responsibility and follows processes to ensure our training and assessment practices comply with the National Vocational Education and Training Regulatory Act 2011. In addition, the following is a summary of additional legislation that will generally apply to your role as a trainer and assessor:

• Work Health and Safety Act 2011

• Privacy Act 1988

• Disability Discrimination Act 1992

• Age Discrimination Act 2004

• Sex Discrimination Act 1975

• Copyright Act 1968

• Fair Work Act 2009

• National Vocational Education and Training Regulator Act 2011 (for accredited training)

Student Information Handbook - Trainer and Assessor

SA Ambulance Service Trainers and Assessors

Trainers and Assessors for SA Ambulance Service are managed by Clinical Education as part of Clinical Performance and Patient Safety. There are two categories of Trainer and Assessor:

Accredited Trainers and Assessors

Accredited Trainer and Assessors are responsible for delivering training and assessment related to accredited qualifications and units of competency in-line with SAAS’ status as a Registered Training Organisation. These trainers must demonstrate vocational currency and hold a:

• TAE40116 Certificate IV in Training and Assessment or

• TAE40110 Certifiicate IV in Training and Assessment, and

- the units TAELLN411 or TAELLN401A, and

- the units TAEASS502 or TAEASS502A or TAEASS502B or

• A higher degree in adult education

Examples of the training delivered by these trainers are:

• HLT21020 Certificate II in Medical Service First Response

• HLT31020 Certificate III in Ambulance Communications

• HLTAID011 Provide first aid

Non-Accredited Trainers and Assessors

Non-accredited Trainer and Assessors are responsible for delivering training and assessment for non-accredited courses. These trainers are not required to hold training and assessment qualifications but must demonstrate vocational currency.

Examples of the training delivered by these trainers are:

• Paramedic Internship

• Operational Preparedness

• Organisational DRiVE and Manual Tasks programs

Specialist Training Categories

Some training programs require specialist training to deliver, unrelated to their status as accredited or non-accredited. These include:

• DRiVE

• Manual Tasks

• Safe Environments for Children and Young People

Student Information Handbook - Trainer and Assessor

Overview of Training Packages (Accredited Courses)

A training package is a set of nationally endorsed standards and qualifications for recognising and assessing people’s skills in a specific industry, industry sector or enterprise. They are developed by national Industry Skills Councils (ISC’s).

Training packages are a key feature of Australia’s national VET system. They are used as the basis for most of the programs delivered in the VET system, including Australian apprenticeships, training courses offered by TAFE and private training organisations, VET in school programs, recognition of existing skills and occupational licensing.

Training packages are designed to enable diverse and relevant vocational learning outcomes and to regulate training outcomes through nationally recognised qualifications.

Despite the name, training packages do not describe how people should be trained. Rather, they provide nationally endorsed industry standards against which training can be developed and flexibly delivered to meet particular local, individual, industry and enterprise requirements.

Training packages are developed with industry and are not owned by an individual training provider.

Aims of a Training Package

• To help the VET system achieve a better match between skills demand and supply

• To encourage flexible and relevant workforce development and learning

• To provide for the national recognition of the vocational outcomes of learning

• To guide and support individuals in their choice of training and career.

Benefits of a Training Package

• The skills and qualifications are nationally recognised – they are not unique to one state or an individual training organisation

• They provide a consistent, national benchmark for skills and ensure that skills gained in one state will be recognised across Australia

• Training packages focus on the competence of individuals to perform

effectively in the workplace – on their skills as well as their knowledge. Training packages are designed to assess what someone can actually do, not just what he or she knows

• They are developed with industry, to ensure that they cover the skills that industry requires of its workforce

• They are updated regularly to make sure they keep pace with industry trends, technologies and legislation

• They provide a range of flexible training options – and can also be used for recognising skills an employee already has.

Structure of Training Packages

All training packages contain three major components:

• Qualifications

• Units of competency

• Assessment guidelines.

The qualifications delivered by SAAS come from the HLT Health Training Package.

For further information about this training package, visit: http://training.gov.au/Training/Details/HLT

Qualifications and Units of Competency

Training packages contain nationallyrecognised qualifications and units of competency. Units of competency define the particular skills and knowledge and the standard required to be competent in these.

A qualification combines several units of competency that are required to work within a particular occupation or at a particular level within an industry. These components of a training package mean that an individual can have his or her skills recognised in two ways:

• A qualification indicates that the individual is competent in all units of competency required to attain a qualification.

• A Statement of Attainment indicates that the individual is competent in one or more units of competency but not in the full range of units required for a qualification. Statements of Attainment stand in their own right to show that the individual holds particular skills and they can also be used as credit towards full qualifications if the individual wishes to finish a qualification in the future.

Assessment Guidelines

Assessment guidelines define the rules of how assessment must occur under the training package. These include issues such as:

• How assessment can be conducted

• What qualification assessors need to hold

• The conditions under which assessment should occur (e.g. some training packages may require that assessment of certain units must take place in a real work environment).

Working as a Trainer and Assessor for SAAS Line Manager

As a trainer or assessor, your line manager for this role will depend on which course you deliver and/or your substantive position within SAAS. For example, Regional Team Leaders deliver the Certificate IV in Health Care to volunteers, therefore their line manager for this role is the Program Manager Volunteer Education. However, when a Regional Team Leader (RTL) is not conducting training or assessment they maintain their reporting line to the Operations Manager as training is only one part of their role. In this instance, the Volunteer Clinical Education Manager becomes their liaison person within Clinical Education for the delivery of the Certificate IV in Health Care.SAAS eLearning

Trainer and Assessor Behaviour and Expectations

As staff members of SAAS, trainers and assessors are required to conduct themselves in a professional manner and in accordance with the Code of Ethics for the South Australian Public Sector:

It is expected that trainers and assessors will wear full operational uniform while delivering training and/or assessment.

Professional Development

In accordance with the Managing RTO Trainer & Assessor Procedure and the Standards for RTOs 2015, all SAAS trainers and assessors must undertake ongoing professional development. This is to ensure they remain current in knowledge and skills relating to training and assessment and vocational competence. This is a requirement for all accredited and non-accredited trainers and assessors.

To ensure ongoing professional development, trainers and assessors must meet the following requirements:

• Maintain vocational currency and demonstrate it.

Student Information Handbook - Trainer and Assessor

• Undertake a minimum of four hours or equivalent professional development annually to maintain current knowledge and skills in vocational training and learning that informs their training and assessment.

Further information on professional development and examples of what you can include are available on the SAASnet Trainer & Assessor page.

Clinical Education will contact all Trainers and Assessors during the year to collect evidence of your professional development for the annual Trainer and Assessor update. This update is facilitated online and digital copies of your evidence will need to be provided. Any trainer who does not provide sufficient evidence to complete the annual update will be made inactive as a trainer and assessor.

Please note: you do not need to complete the annual update in the year that you are first inducted as a trainer and assessor.

Continuous Improvement

Trainers and assessors are encouraged to provide feedback to Clinical Education on delivery and assessment strategies and products to assist with ongoing continuous improvement of services provided to students. Students should also be encouraged to contribute to continuous improvement by completing online or written surveys.

For further information, refer to the Continuous Improvement Procedure on the SAAS Intranet, Policy and Information Centre.

Educational Complaints and Appeals

Should a trainer and assessor or student have a complaint in relation to training services provided by SAAS, they are encouraged to resolve the issue directly with the staff member concerned. This may be via:

• Discussion

• Negotiation and agreement

• Informal discussion with the appropriate education manager.

In the event that this process is unsuccessful, the Educational Complaints and Appeals Procedure available on the SAAS Intranet, Policy and Information Centre should be followed.

In the event that the student disagrees with an assessment decision made by an assessor, they have the right to lodge an appeal. This is must be done in accordance with the Educational Complaints and Appeals Procedure above.

Education and Training Policy Framework

The Education and Training Policy Framework has been developed to provide a systematic approach to the management, development and delivery of accredited courses and non-accredited training programs as provided by Clinical Education. This is aligned with and forms part of the SAAS Policy Framework.

All education and training related policy and procedures are available on the SAAS Intranet, Policy and Information Centre.

Student Related Matters

Student Behaviour and Expectations

In accordance with Code of Ethics for the South Australian Public Sector, inappropriate behaviour is not acceptable in training programs. Should you feel that a student is not adhering to this and you have exhausted all avenues to assist them to manage their own behaviour, you should initiate intervention from the appropriate line manager.

Issues involving cheating, plagiarism, record-tampering or submitting work that is not their own should be discussed with the Program Manager responsible for the delivery of the course.

It is expected that both trainers and students will wear full operational uniform while participating in SAAS training programs. Should students involved in induction workshops not yet have uniforms, they are expected to wear neat, casual dress which meets WHS requirements and is suitable for ambulance work. This includes closed in shoes, long pants and appropriate tops.

Student Enrolment

To ensure students receive appropriate course information and up-to-date records are maintained, each student is required to enrol in the course prior to commencement. This is to be done in accordance with the Student Enrolment Procedure.

Under the Australian Government Student Identifiers Act 2014, anyone enrolling in accredited training must have a Unique Student Identifier so that a record of all VET they undertake may be maintained on a government database. Information on how to do this is provided during the enrolment process.

Student Support

SA Ambulance Service aims to identify and respond to the learning needs of all students as soon as practicable to maximize the chances of our students successfully completing their training. If you are approached by, or identify, a student who requires additional support please contact Clinical Education to develop support strategies.

As part of the enrolment process for accredited courses students will undergo a Language, Literacy and Numeracy (LLN) assessment to identify if they may

require adjustment of assessments or additional support as part of their training.

Educational Support Review (ESR)

All students undertaking accredited and non-accredited SAAS courses who have either:

• Been deemed Not Satisfactory for an assessment item; or

• Have an issue or concern that is likely to impact on their work or study

• program; or

• Been identified by a trainer as experiencing difficulty with the study programhave the option of taking part in the ESR process. An ESR may be formal or informal and is aimed at supporting the student to succeed at their study. An ESR is to be conducted in accordance with the ESR Procedure.

Student Information Handbook - Trainer and Assessor

Delivering Training Within SAAS

The Program Manager Vocational Education is responsible for ensuring overall compliance with the VET Quality Framework and Training Package requirements for accredited training.

Trainers and assessors deliver accredited and non-accredited courses to varying student groups within SAAS, including:

• Volunteers

• Career staff (e.g. PTS, ESS, Interns)

• Emergency Operations Centre (EOC)

• External Clients.

Various managers are responsible for the delivery of accredited and nonaccredited courses in these sectors and the administration processes differ for each. A summary of the sectors is provided in below.

Volunteers

• Manager responsible for delivery is the Program Manager Volunteer Education

• The Volunteer Programming Team will schedule training workshops and coordinate trainers. They will also receive and process timesheets and expense claim forms, arrange accommodation trainers and be the first point of contact if trainers require assistance with any issue relating to the training

• The Onboarding/Resulting Team are responsible for processing new student enrolments and issuing completion documentation.

• The Quality Assurance Team will ensure assessment and trainers meet the required compliance standards prior to qualification issuance.

Career Staff (e.g. PTS, ESS, Interns)

Manager responsible for delivery is the Program Manager Career Education

• The Career Programming Team will schedule training workshops, coordinate trainers, book venues, receive and process timesheets and be the first point of contact if trainers require assistance with any issue relating to the training

• The Onboarding/Resulting Team are responsible for processing new student enrolments and issuing completion documentation

• The Logistics Team will organise availability of training resources and equipment

• The Quality Assurance Team will ensure assessment and trainers meet the required compliance standards prior to qualification issuance

Emergency Operations Centre (EOC)

• Manager responsible for delivery is the Program Development Manager (PDM)

• PDM will schedule training workshops and coordinate trainers

• PDM is the first point of contact if trainers require assistance with any issue relating to the training

• The Onboarding/Resulting Team are responsible for processing new student enrolments and issuing completion documentation

• The Quality Assurance Team will ensure assessment and trainers meet the required compliance standards prior to qualification issuance

External Clients

Manager responsible for delivery is the Team Leader External Clients (TLEC)

• The TLEC will coordinate training workshops, advise trainers what sessions they will deliver, how many students are expected and arrange venues and accommodation

• The Onboarding/Resulting Team are responsible for processing new student enrolments and issuing completion documentation

• The Quality Assurance Team will ensure assessment and trainers meet the

Student Information Handbook - Trainer and Assessor

required compliance standards prior to qualification issuance

• External Clients is a unique sector of SAAS, with a particular slant on ambulance practice, at times requiring a change in thinking from the normal SAAS way of doing things. Some External Clients students are able to cannulate, give various drugs and some have undertaken paramedic studies. This may present challenges for the trainers when students ask complicated questions or want more information than would normally occur. Therefore any issues during training sessions should be discussed via phone with the TLEC as soon as possible, to enable a quick

• The TLEC will provide the appropriate induction (via email) to any trainers that are required to attend mine sites

• The TLEC will pass on details about individual students’ knowledge and skills to assist trainers with session preparation.

• Trainers attending mine sites must comply with site regulations including:

- Inductions

- Random drug testing

- Escorted movements through sites

- Wearing long-sleeve, high-vis clothing

- Normal boots (not necessarily steel capped) are suitable for short term visits (if there is an extended stay, steel caps are required)

- Trainers will need to bring their own hard hat

- If trainers are to be staying in mine site accommodation, linen is provided

Facilitator Guides

Facilitator Guides provide a workshop/session plan detailing learning activities, key teaching points, resources and assessment requirements. It is recommended that you make yourself familiar with the relevant session

Facilitator Guide well in advance of workshops to allow time to ensure all logistics requirements are available and that you are well prepared to deliver the training.

Facilitator Guides have been aligned with the organisational and training package requirements. Any omission of learning outcomes from a session could disadvantage the student as they will not receive all the required training prior to undertaking their assessments. More importantly, the student will also not be equipped with all the required skills and knowledge to undertake their role within SAAS.

Facilitator Guides are made available through the SAAS eLearning platform (see below)

Student Information Handbook - Trainer and Assessor

Conducting Assessments Within SAAS

All assessments must be conducted in accordance with the Conducting Assessment Procedure available on the SAAS Intranet, Policy and Information Centre.

Assessors should ensure they are familiar with this process as well as the relevant Assessment Guide prior to conducting any assessments.

Assessment Guides provide comprehensive information about the required assessments, including:

• Assessment criteria

• Resources required

• Principles of quality assessment practice.

• Markers Guide.

Assessments and Assessment Guides have been aligned with the organisational and training package requirements. Any omission or alteration to an assessment could disadvantage the student and place them at risk of not being eligible to receive their certification documentation at the end of the accredited course. It’s not appropriate to mark ‘not applicable (N/A)’ for an assessment component unless options have been provided.

Evidence of Assessment

Trainers and assessors must ensure they correctly complete each assessment item for each student. Incorrect or incomplete assessment items may disadvantage the student (i.e. need to complete the assessment again) or cause a delay in the issuance of certification documentation.

Any assessment item that provides evidence of a student’s competency within an accredited course must be conducted and signed off by a current TAE accredited assessor who is registered with Clinical Education, otherwise students will be required to complete the assessment again.

Trainers and assessors should remind students that they are required to keep a copy of all completed assessment workbooks before they are submitted to Clinical Education. SAAS is required to keep all assessment evidence for accredited courses for six months. At the end of this time period, assessment evidence may be disposed of unless the student has specifically requested to

have it returned.

Assessment items can also be misplaced. In the event that they are lost and the student has not kept a copy, they will be required to complete the assessment(s) again before certification documentation can be issued.

Reasonable Adjustment

Reasonable adjustment refers to flexibility in assessment approaches to account for individual learning needs, while still adhering to the assessment requirements of the relevant training package or VET accredited course. Whilst reasonable adjustments can be made in terms of the way in which evidence of performance is gathered, the evidence criteria for making competent/not yet competent decisions should not be altered in any way.

To ensure flexibility and fairness in assessment, SA Ambulance Service makes reasonable adjustments to qualifications and units/clusters to ensure that all students are accommodated and that no unnecessary barriers exist to their ability to demonstrate competence.

SA Ambulance Service recognises that some people are better suited to learning via alternative teaching methods not usually obtained in the traditional classroom setting. With some minor adjustments to teaching and assessment methods, a student who is experiencing difficulty learning and achieving the desired results in the traditional setting may show considerable improvements.

SA Ambulance Service respect these differences among students and will endeavour to make any reasonable adjustments to their methods in order to meet the needs of a variety of students. For example, the inability to complete a written assessment will not be interpreted as a sign of incompetence provided the student can verbally demonstrate competency (where this does not conflict with the required demands of the unit of competency).

Any reasonable adjustments to the assessment process must ensure that the integrity of the unit of competency being assessed is maintained. Where adjustments are made a declaration is to be stated, describing how the assessment was adjusted and signed by the student and the assessor.

SA Ambulance Service staff will pursue any reasonable means within their ability to assist students in achieving the required competency standards. In

the event that a student’s needs exceed the capacity of the support services SA Ambulance Service can offer, they will be referred onto an appropriate external agency.

In determining the reasonableness of an adjustment to assessment, the vocational and professional outcomes of the course must be considered in order to ensure assessment decisions are appropriate.

Common examples for a reasonable adjustment could include, allowing a written assessment to be answered verbally if the student has difficulty writing or rescheduling a practical assessment for another date/time if a student is injured.

Reasonable adjustment cannot be applied to work placement assessments as these have been designed to meet the requirements of the job role as well as conforming to relevant policies and procedures. Reasonable adjustment also cannot be applied for bulk student assessments (ie group assessment rather than an individual’s assessment – unless it is specified within the assessment criteria)

It is the responsibility of the student to discuss any difficulties in completing an assessment they have with their assessor to determine if any adjustment can be made.

Any reasonable adjustments made to assessment items must be documented.

SAAS eLearning

A significant proportion of training and education provided by SAAS is facilitated through the SAAS eLearning platform. All Trainers and Assessors inducted with Clinical Education will be given the appropriate access and permissions on SAAS eLearning to fulfil their required role. Accredited and non-accredited trainers have access to different courses and may have different permissions within the same course, such as the ability to mark assessment. For any issues encountered when using this platform, please contact the eLearning Team.

Facilitator Materials

• Trainers and Assessor can access supporting resources and materials through the relevant Facilitator Materials page for each course. The following resources are available where appropriate on the Facilitator Materials page:

• Facilitator Guide - for delivery of training sessions

• Assessment Guide - for conducting and marking student assessment

• User Guides - to assist with the various functions of the eLearning platform

• Any other materials which may be related to training and assessment - may include powerpoints for workshops, additional documents, multimedia resources

A link to the Facilitator Materials page can always be found at the bottom of the relevant student course on eLearning, and vice versa.