ADULT COMMUNITY LEARNING SERVICE
POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
Contents
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Equality of Opportunity Policy
Harassment Policy
Adult Learner Acceptable Use Policy
Environmental Policy
Code of Conduct
Internal Assessment Appeals Procedure
Controlled Assessment Policy (GCSE)
Adult Community Learning Policy Agreement
I hereby confirm that I have read all of the policies in this booklet and by
signing below confirm that I agree to the above listed policies.
Learner name
Signature Date
Policy Documents September 2012
Learner name
Signature Date
Page 1 of 10
1.
Equality of Opportunity
Statement of Commitment
The Authority is committed to providing:
 Equality of access to all of its services for the communities of Neath
Port Talbot on the basis of need; and
 Services in a manner that is sensitive to individuals whatever their
backgrounds.
It is committed to eliminating discrimination on the grounds of gender,
age, disability, race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin,
responsibility for dependants, marital status, sexuality, HIV status or
religious belief. The Authority will take action to provide genuine equality
of opportunity; to counter past discrimination; and to monitor the
outcomes.
The Authority has a unique and influential position in the community,
both as a major employer and service provider. It recognises that it can
contribute to the development of inclusive and self-confident
communities by making its services and jobs accessible to all.
Welsh Language Scheme
The Authority is committed to the principle that in conducting its public
business, both Welsh and English will be treated on the basis of
equality. Further details are set out in the Authority’s Welsh Language
Scheme. There is a Welsh version of the Learner Resource Pack
available. Please contact the Lifelong Learning Service. Tel: 01639
898581
Race Equality Scheme
The Authority is committed, as set out in its Race Equality Scheme, to
eliminate racial discrimination, promote equality of opportunity and good
race relations
Policy Documents September 2012
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2.
Harassment Policy
Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council views harassment as a very
serious matter and will not tolerate harassment in any circumstances.
The Council has a duty of care towards its employees and learners and
clearly intends that: all employees/learners have a right to be treated with dignity and
respect at work.
 allegations of harassment will be dealt with seriously and
confidentially
 support will be available for employees/learners who feel they are
being harassed
 ACL staff/tutors have a duty to establish and maintain a working
environment which is free from harassment
 the Council will make training available for ACL staff/tutors
 every employee/learner is responsible and accountable for their own
behaviour.
Confidentiality is of prime importance and there will be no disclosure of
information to anyone who is not involved with the investigation.
Exceptions to this are where:
(a) it is considered that an individual(s) are in immediate danger.
(b) there are potential criminal investigations or safety implications.
Harassment can occur for a variety of reasons
 age
 disability
 gender (sexual harassment)
 gender reassignment
 marital status
 race, ethnic origin, nationality or skin colour (racial harassment)
 real or suspected infection with an infectious disease e.g. HIV/AIDS
 religion or belief (as defined in Appendix A)
 sexual orientation
 accent or first language
 physical appearance
 trade union membership
 willingness to challenge harassment
 bullying
Harassment based on criteria not listed above will be dealt with under
the Adult Community Learning’s grievance procedure. (See learner
resource pack)
Policy Documents September 2012
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3.
Adult Learner Acceptable Use Policy
New technologies have become integral to today’s society, both within
learning and in general life. The internet and other digital information and
communications technologies are powerful tools, which open up new
opportunities for everyone. These technologies can stimulate discussion,
promote creativity and stimulate awareness of context to promote
effective learning. Adult Learners should have an entitlement to safe
internet access as part of their course.
This Acceptable Use Policy is intended to ensure:
 that adult learners will be responsible users and stay safe while using
the internet and other communications technologies for educational,
personal and recreational use.
 that ACL ICT systems and users are protected from accidental or
deliberate misuse that could put the security of the systems and users
at risk.
ACL will try to ensure that learners will have good access to ICT to
enhance their learning and will, in return, expect the learners to agree to
be responsible users.
Acceptable Use Policy Agreement
I understand that I must use ACL ICT systems in a responsible way, to
ensure that there is no risk to my safety or to the safety and security of
the ICT systems and other users.
For my own personal safety:
 I understand that ACL will monitor my use of the ICT systems, email
and other digital communications.
 I will treat my username and password like my toothbrush – I will not
share it, nor will I try to use any other person’s username and
password.
 I will be aware of “stranger danger”, when I am communicating on-line.
 I will not disclose or share personal information about myself or others
when on-line.
 I will immediately report any unpleasant or inappropriate material or
messages or anything that makes me feel uncomfortable when I see it
on-line.
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I understand that everyone has equal rights to use technology as a resource
and:
 I understand that the ACL ICT systems are primarily intended for
educational use and that I will not use the systems for personal or
recreational use unless I have permission to do so.
 I will not try (unless I have permission) to make large downloads or
uploads that might take up internet capacity and prevent other users
from being able to carry out their work.
 I will not use the ACL ICT systems for on-line gaming, on-line
gambling, internet shopping, file sharing, or video broadcasting (eg
YouTube), unless I have permission from a member of staff to do so.
I will act as I expect others to act toward me:
 I will respect others’ work and property and will not access, copy,
remove or otherwise alter any other user’s files, without the owner’s
knowledge and permission.
 I will be polite and responsible when I communicate with others, I will
not use strong, aggressive or inappropriate language and I appreciate
that others may have different opinions.
 I will not take or distribute images of anyone without their permission.
I recognise that the ACL has a responsibility to maintain the security and
integrity of the technology it offers me and to ensure the smooth running of
the service:
 I will only use my personal hand held / external devices (mobile
phones / USB devices etc) in class if I have permission. I understand
that, if I do use my own devices, I will follow the rules set out in the
Mobile Technology policy.
 I understand the risks and will not try to upload, download or access
any materials which are illegal or inappropriate or may cause harm or
distress to others, nor will I try to use any programmes or software that
might allow me to bypass the filtering / security systems in place to
prevent access to such materials.
 I will immediately report any damage or faults involving equipment or
software, however this may have happened.
 I will not open any attachments to emails, unless I know and trust the
person / organisation who sent the email, due to the risk of the
attachment containing viruses or other harmful programmes.
 I will not install or attempt to install programmes of any type on a
machine, or store programmes on a computer, nor will I try to alter
computer settings.
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 I will only use chat and social networking sites with permission and at
the times that are allowed. I will comply with the ACL’s Social Media
policy at all times. This will be supplied by my tutor.
When using the internet for research or recreation, I recognise that:
 I should ensure that I have permission to use the original work of
others in my own work
 Where work is protected by copyright, I will not try to download copies
(including music and videos)
 When I am using the internet to find information, I should take care to
check that the information that I access is accurate, as I understand
that the work of others may not be truthful and may be a deliberate
attempt to mislead me.
I understand that I am responsible for my actions, both in and out of class:
 I understand that ACL also has the right to take action against me if I
am involved in incidents of inappropriate behaviour, that are covered
in this agreement, when I am out of class and where they involve my
membership of the ACL community (examples would be use of
images or personal information).
 I understand that if I fail to comply with this Acceptable Use Policy
Agreement, I will be subject to disciplinary action. This may include
loss of access to the ACL network / internet, being asked to leave
class and, in the event of illegal activities, involvement of the police.
Please sign the agreement with your tutor to show that you have
read, understood and agree to the rules included in the Acceptable
Use Policy. If you do not sign this agreement, access will not be
granted to ACL ICT systems.
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4.
Environmental Policy
NPTCBC Adult Community Learning is committed to be at the forefront
of the authority’s education and training sector in minimising the impact
of its activities on the environment and using resources in a sustainable
way.
The key points of our strategy to achieve this are:
 We will comply with all the environmental legislation that relates to
Adult Community Learning.
 We will minimise waste and ensure the safe disposal or destruction of
waste where reuse or recycling is not viable.
 Adult Community Learning will demonstrate a commitment to the
prevention of pollution and adverse impacts on the environment.
 We will minimise vehicle toxic emissions through the promotion of car
sharing and only making journeys where necessary
 We will actively promote recycling both internally and amongst our
learners and partners
 Adult Community Learning will monitor and measure its impact on the
environment and set targets for continual improvement.
 Adult Community Learning will constantly seek to improve its
environmental performance and will look to spread the message of
sustainable living and environmentally friendly behaviour to all our
learners
 We will minimise our consumption of resources and encourage our
learners to do the same
 We will look for our suppliers to minimise their environmental impacts
and will seek to only do business with companies that meet our
environmental criteria
 We will support the local economy through purchasing goods locally
where possible.
 Adult Community Learning will regularly monitor the energy consumed
and the wastes it produces and ensure that progress is made towards
achieving environmental performance improvement.
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5.
Code of Conduct
Learners are entitled to expect the highest standards of conduct
from all employees of Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council.
The role of such employees is to serve the Authority in providing
advice, implementing its policies, and delivering services to the
local community. In performing their duties, they must act with
integrity, honesty, impartiality and objectivity.
Public confidence in the Authority and in an employee’s integrity would
be shaken if the least suspicion were to arise that an employee could in
any way be influenced by improper motives.
6.
Internal Assessment Appeals Process
This applies to internal assessment relating to external
qualifications eg GSCE, GSE etc
In accordance with the JCQ Code of Practice for the conduct of external
qualifications, Adult Community Learning is committed to ensuring that:
 internal assessments are conducted by staff who have the
appropriate knowledge, understanding and skills and who have
been trained in this activity
 internal assessments done fairly, consistently and in
accordance with the specification for the qualification
concerned.
 assessment evidence provided by learners are produced and
authenticated according to the requirements of the relevant
specifications for each subject.
 where a set of work is divided between staff, internal
moderation and standardisation will ensure consistency.
 Adult Community Learning fully complies with JCQ guidelines.
If a learner feels that this may not have happened in relation to his/her
work, he/she may make use of this appeals procedure.
Learners may appeal if they feel their coursework has been
assessed unfairly, inconsistently or not in accordance with the
specification for the qualification
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Appeals should be made as early as possible and at least two weeks
before the end of the last externally assessed paper in the examination
series (e.g. the last GCSE written paper in the June GCSE exam
series).
 Appeals should be made in writing by the learner to the ACL
Manager, who will investigate the appeal with at least another
member of staff who have not been involved in the internal
assessment decision.
 The purpose of the appeal will be to decide whether the process used
for the internal assessment conformed to the published requirements
of the awarding body and the examinations code of practice of the
JCQ.
 The learner will be informed in writing of the outcome of the
appeal, including any relevant correspondence with the
awarding body and any changes made to the procedure relating
to internal assessment.
 The learner may be given the opportunity for a personal hearing if
they are not happy with the written response. The learner will be
given reasonable notice of the hearing date and may have sight of all
relevant documents in advance of the hearing.
 ACL will maintain a written record of all appeals.
7.
Controlled Assessment Policy (GCSE)
 It is the responsibility of the tutor to obtain the controlled
assessment task from the awarding body.
 The tutor should choose the most appropriate time for the
controlled assessment to take place.
 The tutor must take into consideration how the assessment is
going to take place e.g. accommodation, resources required etc.
 Any relevant material should not be displayed during the
controlled assessment.
 Tutors responsible for supervision should know whether the
level is
o Formal (high level of control); or
o Informal (medium level of control); or
o Limited (low level of control)
o as detailed in the specification. JCQ document copy
available at Theodore Rd.
 After completion of the assessment material must be looked in a
suitable secure cabinet.
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 If a learner is absent, the tutor must allow that person the
chance to make-up the time if necessary.
 For long absences, special consideration should be applied for.
 Entries for controlled assessment must be made at the
appropriate time.
 Work may be handwritten in black ink or word processed.
Printouts, charts and videos can be used where appropriate.
 If suspected malpractice occurs, the ACL Manager must be
informed.
 If any learners’ work is lost within the service, then this must be
reported to the awarding body asap.
 Authentication forms must be signed by the tutor and the
learner.
 Access arrangements do not apply to controlled assessment.
 Leaners’ work must be submitted to the awarding body by the
appropriate date.
 After the results are published, it may be possible to request a
re-moderation of the work.
 The ACL Manager will provide information, support and
guidance to the tutor in order to comply with JCQ requirements.
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