Accredited Training

SAAS is an 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

You can view all our qualifications on the link below: 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)

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 o the units TAELLN411 or TAELLN401A, and o 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

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.

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.

• 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.