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EPA guide to success
The EPA Guide to Success includes the full EPA journey and sets out the operational arrangements relating to the EPA journey with NCFE.
You will find helpful hints, tips, guides and ways of working to ensure your apprentices are successful in completing EPA with NCFE.
Contracting
Gateway
Results and certification
Dedicated Point of Contact
Service level agreements
Contracting
We are delighted that you would like to work with NCFE for EPA. To get the process started we will need to carry out a quick finance check and once approved, provide you with a copy of the agreement and our EPA operational handbook for review and signing.
Head to our additional EPA standards request page to select the additional standards that you are interested in working with us for and provide a forecast of projected volumes expected to enter end-point assessment.
Gateway, bookings and assessment
Gateway
- NCFE have a dedicated Guide to Gateway booklet which you will be able to find helpful hints, tips, standard specific gateway requirement checklists and ways of working to ensure your apprentice is successful at gateway
- How to request EPA- Link in the SEPA user guide
- Providers must ensure that the planned EPA start date for each apprentice is managed and kept up to date. (Add in SEPA guide to link how to change apprentices dates on SEPA) If an apprentice passes their EPA start date by 3 months, the apprentice will be automatically deactivated on SEPA. The apprentice can be reactivated within 12 months, but the planned EPA start date must be updated and kept updated thereafter.
Bookings
- NCFE have a dedicated Direct Booking Experience guide
- Following a successful Gateway audit, the EPA Bookings Team will arrange assessment dates. The EPA Bookings Team will send confirmed dates for end-point assessments to apprentices, along with calendar invites, whilst taking into consideration the apprentice availability highlighted on the Booking Form. If for any reason the apprentice is unable to attend any of the confirmed end-point assessment dates, they will have the opportunity to notify the EPA Bookings Team. This must be received within 72 hours of receiving the confirmation email; after this period, the Re-sit/Re-take/Cancellation process will apply.
Assessment
- We have a dedicated EPA Delivery model booklet here and you will find the delivery methods available for each standard and assessment component.
- We can only carry out assessments if a learner is employed for the duration of their EPA as this is in line with the ESFA funding rules.
Results and certification
Results
- The IEPA will release the assessment component results on the apprentice’s profile on SEPA within 5 business days of the assessment being completed.
- The IEPA will release the final grade within 5 business days of the assessment being completed. This will be uploaded to the apprentice profile on SEPA and emailed to the apprentice.
Certification
- NCFE will claim the apprentices Apprenticeship certificate 5 working days after the final grade has been released. The certificate will be printed and dispatched by the ESFA within 30 days.
Dedicated Point of Contact
The Provider will be allocated a point of contact from the Relationship Team who will support the Provider with onboarding and throughout the key stages of the EPA journey.
Your point of contact will work in partnership with the you to ensure you can access NCFE Resources and the EPA Management Platform, and will be on hand to offer any additional support required.
You will also have access to our the wider Relationship Team for following queries.
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Type of queries |
Team |
Email address |
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Booking queries |
EPA Bookings Team |
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Gateway audit queries |
EPA Gateways Team |
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Proctoring queries |
EPA Relationship Team |
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All other queries |
Dedicated point of contact |
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EPA Resource Library
NCFE has a dedicated EPA Resource Library that can be accessed here. The EPA Resource Library contains standard specific guidance materials, templates and resources to help prepare for gateway and EPA assessments.
EPA Guidance Videos
NCFE have dedicated videos to support apprentices, employers and providers for preparing and undertaking EPA.
Reporting
Your point of contact will help you access reports to monitor apprentice registrations, assessment results and certification.
Service level agreements (SLAs)
EPA Duration
Service level agreement
8 week service level agreement – apprentices must be entered into EPA within 10 business days of their EPA start date (expected). If you amend the EPA start date (expected) to a date more than 8 weeks from the date of change, we will honour the 8 week service level agreement.*.
12 week service level agreement – apprentices who are entered into EPA prior to or 10 business days after their EPA start date (expected). If you amend the EPA start date (expected) to a date less than 8 weeks from the date of change, we will allocate a 12 week service level agreement*.
Registration - Apprentices
Service level agreement
Apprentices must be registered on the EPA Management Platform for a minimum of 90 days before the planned EPA start date selected at the point of registration. We would recommend that apprentices are registered as early as possible in their programme.
Registration - Providers
Service level agreement
The Provider must ensure that the planned EPA start date for each apprentice is managed and kept up to date. If an apprentice passes their EPA start date by 3 months, the apprentice will be automatically deactivated on SEPA. The apprentice can be reactivated within 12 months, but the planned EPA start date must be updated and kept updated thereafter.
Gateway Audit & Bookings
Service level agreement
The EPA Support team will carry out an audit of the evidence presented & dates will be confirmed within 6 business days of receiving the EPA Request
Reasonable Adjustments
Service level agreement
Reasonable adjustments must be submitted 3 months before an apprentice is scheduled to enter EPA. The EPA Quality and Compliance team will respond within 10 business days of receiving the request.
Assessment Outcome and Feedback
Service level agreement
The IEPA will release the assessment component results on the apprentice’s profile on SEPA within 5 business days of the assessment being completed.
The IEPA will release the final grade within 5 business days of the assessment being completed. This will be uploaded to the apprentice profile on SEPA and emailed to the apprentice.
Re-sit or Re-take Requests
Service level agreement
Once the re-sit/re-take form is sent through to NCFE, the Delivery Manager will review and provide an outcome within 3 business days.
The EPA Support team will then get in contact to request MCQ/SJT/Role Simulation/Case Study assessment dates (if applicable) or offer other assessment dates to the apprentice within 5 business days of receiving an accepted re-sit/re-take request form from the Delivery Manager.
The EPA Support team will offer dates within 4 weeks from the EPA Request being accepted, where the assessment plan allows this.
Re-sit or Re-take for MCQ, SJT, Role Simulation or Case Study Surpass/ Proctoring
Service level agreement
NCFE requires 5 business days’ notice of a re-sit or re-take request. The request must be received before 1pm to count that day as a business day.
Re-sit or Re-take for MCQ, SJT, Role Simulation or Case Study
Service level agreement
NCFE require 10 business days’ notice of a re-sit or re-take request. The request must be received before 1pm to count that day as a business day.