Policies and Procedures

Malpractice and Maladministration Policy and Procedures

Laser Learning Awards (LASER) is committed to ensuring access to fair assessment for all learners and to protecting the integrity of the award of credit and qualifications. Further information can be found in the following documents:

• LASER’s Malpractice and Maladministration Policy and Procedures
• Report of Suspected Malpractice (M1) Form

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) Policy

Laser Learning Awards Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) Policy and Procedure provides guidance, support and clarification to Laser Learning Awards providers on implementing and claiming credits against RPL assessment.

Sanctions Policy and Procedures

Laser Learning Awards (LASER) reserves the right to apply conditions and sanctions on centres, to safeguard the award of credit and protect its interests. Sanctions may be applied to individual staff within centres, and/or the centre as a whole. Sanctions may also be applied to candidates.

Approved centres must comply with all sanctions imposed upon them. Download the full Sanctions Policy and Procedures for further information.

On-line Verification Guide

For guidance, download the Quartz Web Portal On-line Verification Guide.

Process for a Provider to Withdraw a Regulated Qualification/Unit

LASER approved providers are required to follow this procedure when withdrawing from the delivery of Ofqual regulated or unregulated qualifications and/or units of qualifications, whether voluntarily or not. Find out more about theis process by reading ‘LASER’s Process for a Provider to Withdraw a Regulated Qualification/Unit‘.

Quartz Web Guide for Internal Quality Assurers

LASER approved Internal Quality Assurers are required to follow the Web Guide to complete online verification.

Using the LASER Logo

The Laser Learning Awards logo can only be used by third parties with permission from the Marketing and Communications Team at LASER.

To request copies of the logo please email enquiries@laser-awards.org.uk or call 01932 569894.

Failure to comply with the terms and conditions of use may result in permission to use the logo being withdrawn.

The Laser Learning Awards logo and brand identity must not be used in anyway which misrepresents the meaning of centre recognition and the use of Laser Learning Awards’ products and services or which brings the name of Laser Learning Awards into disrepute.

Appeals Policy and Procedures

Please follow the LASER Appeals Policy and Procedures for dealing with appeals (including requests for re-marks of exam papers).

You can also download the Request for remark of Exam Papers.

Complaints Policy and Procedures

LASER is committed to providing a high quality service and to maintaining the highest standards for its learners, Centres and other stakeholders. However, should a stakeholder (including a learner or Centre) be dissatisfied with the service they have received from LASER, a complaint may be made.
Our Complaints Policy and Procedures document provides you with all the information you need.

Whistleblowing Policy

Whistleblowing is a term used when an individual discloses information relating to malpractice or wrongdoing and/or the covering up of malpractice or wrongdoing. For further information, you can download LASER’s Whistleblowing Policy.

Invoicing Policy

An invoice is a document issued by us to a purchaser that formally requests payment for our services supplied. The issuing of an invoice indicates that the provider must now settle their account with us according to our payment terms.

An invoice is printed on company stationery and can be posted or emailed and contains the following information:

• The word “Invoice.”
• A unique reference number.
• Date of the invoice.
• The company registration details.
• The purchaser’s name and contact details.
• Description of the goods or services.
• A purchase order number or customer reference, where applicable.
• Unit price, where relevant.
• Total amount payable.
• Payment terms, including method of payment.

We ensure that invoices are issued in a timely manner in relation to the provision of qualifications.

We ensure that we will provide a breakdown of our fees to a reasonable level of detail following a request from a provider.

Retention Policy

We retain invoices for six years plus the current year.

Fair Assessment Policy and Procedure

LASER has a duty to ensure that the integrity of Security Industry qualifications at all times. At the same time Trident Awards and centres have a duty to ensure that the rights of individual learners to access qualifications, units and assessment in a way most appropriate for their individual needs are upheld. Disability and equal opportunity legislation and the regulatory criteria give support and guidance to awarding organisations and centres in creating a fair assessment process.

The qualifications and units are developed to national standards of knowledge, skills and competences. These are defined in the units of assessment as learning outcomes and assessment criteria.  The externally set assessments are designed to ensure that the required standards are met.

More information can be found in the Fair Assessment Policy and Procedure document.

Reasonable Adjustments

Awarding organisations and centres are only required by law to do what is ‘reasonable’ in terms of giving access.  Factors, such as the need to maintain competence have to be taken into consideration as well as considering what is reasonable in the individual circumstances.

A reasonable adjustment is any action that helps to reduce the effect of a disability or difficulty that places the learner at a substantial disadvantage in the assessment situation. Reasonable adjustments must not affect the reliability and validity of the assessment outcomes, and the work produced by the learner will be marked in the same way as the work of other assessed learners.

Centres must complete the Reasonable Adjustments Form in order to apply for and agree arrangements for reasonable adjustments with their Trident Awards Quality Reviewer before the assessment activity takes place.

Special Consideration

Each request for special consideration will be unique to each learner or assessment and a learner who is fully prepared and present for a scheduled assessment may be eligible for special consideration if:

• Performance in an assessment is affected by circumstances beyond the control of the learner for example recent personal illness, accident, bereavement, serious disturbance during the assessment
• Part of an assessment has been missed due to circumstances beyond the control of the learner

A learner will not be eligible for special consideration if:

• No evidence is supplied by the centre that the learner has been affected at the time of the assessment by a particular condition
• Any part of the assessment is missed due to personal arrangements including holidays or unauthorised absence
• Preparation for a component is affected by difficulties during the course, for example disturbances through building work, lack of proper facilities, changes in or shortages of staff, or industrial disputes.

Centres should note that, where an assessment requires the learner to demonstrate practical competence or where criteria have to be met fully, or in the case of a licence linked qualifications, it may not be possible to apply special consideration.

Special consideration should not give the learner an unfair advantage neither should its use cause the user of the certificate to be misled regarding a learner’s achievements. The learner’s result must reflect his/her achievement in the assessment and not necessarily his/her potential ability.

Download the Special Consideration form here

Replacement Certificates

If you need a replacement certificate or to update a learner’s details on our system please download the Request for Correction of Learner Details form.

Quartz Web Portal User Guide

To download the Quartz Web Portal User Guide please click here.

Centre and Individual Approval Policy and Procedures

Any centre wishing to offer Laser Learning Awards (LASER) provision must first be approved by LASER.

In addition, in some cases (including but not necessarily limited to centres offering Security Industry Association (“SIA”) licence-linked qualifications in the security sector under LASER’s ‘Trident Awards’ brand) individuals at the relevant centre must be approved by LASER before delivering and/or assessing any LASER provision. The criteria for approving individuals is set out in this policy.

Guidance on how to do this can be found in LASER’s Centre and Individual Approval Policy and Procedures document.