Code of Practice

Australian Safety and Training Alliance has developed a Code of Practice to address and establish its commitment to the maintenance of high standards in the provision of vocational education and training. This document is the foundation of all policies and procedures and it is a requirement that all staff and clients are to abide by.

Australian Safety and Training Alliance agrees to abide by its Code of Practice by:

• Delivering high quality service to its clients.
• Delivering training and assessment only using trainers who possess the necessary qualifications and experience.
• Meeting client needs through best practice and innovative delivery of service
• Providing services that are consistent, in value & quality
• Identifying problems and inadequacies of service delivery and to amend these issues quickly.

Legislative Requirements

Australian Safety and Training Alliance will meet all legislative requirements of State and Federal Government. Legislation which specifically impacts on the role of our clients is addressed during training. Information about current legislative and regulatory requirements impacting on clients in training can be identified as follows:

• National Vocational Education and Training Regulator Act 2011
• Queensland Work Health and Safety Act 2011
• Queensland Anti-Discrimination Act 1991
• Federal Privacy Act 1988 and Privacy Principles

All of the above are available on: www.legislation.qld.gov.au and www.legislation.gov.au

As our Client, you acknowledge that you must observe our Health and Safety policies and all workplace practices as instructed by your trainer / assessor, including Equal Rights and Equal Opportunity and the Anti-Discrimination Acts, and Unacceptable Workplace Behaviours.

RTO Obligations

Australian Safety and Training Alliance ensures that in all of its delivery it complies with the Standards for Registered Training Organisations 2015 and legislative requirements governing the performance of Registered Training Organisations. We are responsible for compliance against these standards  and for the issuance of Statements of Attainment for any units where a client has paid all fees and has successfully completed all the requirements. From time to time ASTA is audited for compliance by the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA - the National Regulator) to ensure it continues to meet these requirements.

ASTA will advise its applicable clients as soon as practicable should change of ownership, delivery by third party, or other significant events occur.

Privacy

ASTA collects and stores your personal details. During training we record your progress. We use this information to measure your and our performance. Where State or Commonwealth funding supports training we are obliged to submit your personal and progress details for research, statistical analysis, program evaluation, post completion survey and internal management purposes.

We DO NOT share, rent, or sell personal information you provide us.

ASTA will not release any client information unless we have been authorised by the client in writing; or as part of our reporting obligations to the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA - the National Regulator) under current Legislation; or requested to do so by ASQA under current Legislation.

Access, Equity, Diversity and Admission

Access

Every client who meets the entry requirements (if applicable) as prescribed by the appropriate Training Package and admission requirements in the Course Outline and Training and Assessment Strategy, will be admitted into their chosen training / assessment program.

Fair and equitable access to Vocational Education and Training (VET) can assist all persons to gain meaningful employment and participate in the economic and social life in their community. This policy is a mechanism to demonstrate Australian Safety and Training Alliances’ commitment to State and National equity legislation and policy requirements including: 

• Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Cth):
• Sex Discrimination Act 1984 (Cth):
• Racial Discrimination Act 1975 (Cth):
• National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Strategy 2015;
• Anti-Discrimination Act 1991 (Queensland).

Equity

Equity essentially means ‘fairness’. In the VET context it means that people are provided with the opportunity to access, participate, and successfully achieve outcomes. Underpinning the principles of equity is the recognition by Australian Safety and Training Alliance:

• that it is common for people to identify with more than one equity group;
• of the differences within and between equity groups;
• that each equity group does not experience the same type of disadvantage; and
• there remain many common systemic barriers for equity groups.

Diversity

Diversity recognises that many factors influence the ability of people to participate and succeed in vocational education, training and employment, including:

• prior educational experience
• cultural diversity
• language and / or learning styles
• goals and expectations
• work and social experiences
• gender
• values and beliefs
• religion
• income
• age
• geographic location

At ASTA  we aim to address the requirements of all potential and actual clients, seeking to participate in training.

Language, Literacy and Numeracy

Australian Safety and Training Alliance recognises that all vocational training includes language, literacy and numeracy tasks and all our trainers and assessors provide:

• materials, resources and assessment tools and tasks that do not require clients to have language, literacy and numeracy skills of more complexity than those used in the workplace for the competencies being taught/assessed;
• clear models of the language/literacy/numeracy task;
• opportunities for repeated and supported practice; and
• opportunities for independent practice.

For entry into all accredited courses ASTA will require clients to successfully complete an LLN assessment prior to enrolment. The purpose of this is to ensure that clients have the best opportunity to be successful in their chosen training course, and also fits their current knowledge and skills base.

Recognition

Credit Transfer

Australian Safety and Training Alliance recognises the Statements of Attainment issued by any other Registered Training Organisation or authorised Issuing Organisations or Authenticated VET transcripts from the Registrar, where this is permitted by licensing bodies and regulators. Australian Safety and Training Alliance may provide credit transfer for any relevant formal learning for courses into which they are accepted with ASTA. Clients wishing to apply for Credit Transfer should contact their trainer/assessor. 

However, ASTA does not have to provide recognition (i.e. a statement of attainment) that is achieved wholly through recognition of units completed at another RTO/s or issuers.

Recognition of Prior Learning

ASTA offers recognition of prior learning’ except where restricted by Legislation/licencing. Clients wishing to be assessed in this mode can either provide sufficient evidence of competence or undertake the required assessment tasks.

Marketing

Should Australian Safety and Training Alliance market or advertise its products and services, it will do so in an ethical manner following the national protocol for marketing and advertising.  Australian Safety and Training Alliance will market its products and services with integrity, accuracy and professionalism, avoiding vague and ambiguous statements. In the provision of this information no false or misleading comparisons will be drawn with any other provider or course.

Specific course information, including content and vocational outcomes is available prior to enrolment.

Ethical Marketing Practices 

Australian Safety and Training Alliance will adopt policies and management practices which maintain highly professional standards in the marketing and delivery of its products and services and which safeguard the interests and welfare of all clients.

Australian Safety and Training Alliance will maintain an educational environment that is conducive for all clients for the achievement of the pre-determined competencies. We will always gain a client’s written permission before using information about that individual in any marketing materials and will respect any conditions of permission imposed by the client.  We will always accurately represent training products and services to prospective clients.

Accurate and Clear Marketing

Where advertisements and/or advertising materials refer to Australian Safety and Training Alliance RTO status, the products and services covered by the organisation’s scope of registration are clearly identified.

Australian Safety and Training Alliance will only advertise those Units of Competency listed on our scope of registration.

Advertisements and advertising materials utilised by Australian Safety and Training Alliance identify nationally recognised products separately from courses recognised by other bodies or without recognised status.

The names of training products listed in advertising materials utilised by Australian Safety and Training Alliance comply with the names/titles recognised by National Register of Vocational Education and Training (VET)

Full information on specific courses is available from Australian Safety and Training Alliance prior to enrolment.

Delivery

Australian Safety and Training Alliance ensures that in all of its delivery it complies with the national standards (Standards for Registered Training Organisations 2015) and legislative requirements governing the performance of Registered Training Organisations. From time to time ASTA is audited for compliance by the Australian Skills Quality Authority (the National Regulator) to ensure it continues to meet these requirements.

ASTA ensures all resources meet the requirements of the relevant training products for the delivery, assessment and issuing of Statements of Attainment.

Australian Safety and Training Alliance affirms that it has in place and applies the following resources:

• delivery personnel with appropriate qualifications, and experience, including assessor requirements as identified in the relevant Units of Competence assessment guidelines;
• delivery and assessment resources appropriate to the methods of delivery and assessment requirements; and
• relevant Units of Competence documents and support materials, with necessary copyright authorisations.

Delivery strategies utilised by Australian Safety and Training Alliance are always selected to best achieve the required elements of competence while giving full consideration to the learning style of the client.  The provision of training may include a flexible combination of off and on-the-job delivery and assessment.

Assessment

Australian Safety and Training Alliance has demonstrable experience and skill in providing or facilitating assessments which meet the endorsed components of relevant Units of Competence in the areas of recognition sought.

Australian Safety and Training Alliance is committed to ensuring valid and reliable assessment of achievements against industry competency standards and all assessment undertaken by Australian Safety and Training Alliance remains consistent with the National Assessment Principles.

Principles of Assessment

Australian Safety and Training Alliance ensures that all assessment conducted within the organisation is reliable, flexible, fair and valid.

• Reliable           
  All assessment methods and procedures will ensure that Unit of Competency are assessed consistently and that there is always consistency in the interpretation of evidence.
• Flexible           
  Assessment will be offered in the workplace (on-the-job), in the training environment (off-the-job), in a combination of both or via recognition of prior learning/recognition of current competence. Australian Safety and Training Alliance will ensure that all assessment methods and practices allow for diversity with regard to how, where and when competence has been/will be acquired.
• Fair                 
  Assessment methods and procedures will not, under any circumstance, disadvantage any client.
• Valid   
  Assessment activities will always meet the requirements as specified in the Unit of Competence.  Evidence will always be collected and will be relevant to the Unit of Competence being assessed.

Assessor Qualifications

Australian Safety and Training Alliance ensures that staff involved in assessment activities always meet the assessor requirements as set by either;

• The assessment guidelines of training packages; and / or
• the assessment requirements of the Units of Competency.

If ASTA trainers & assessors of do not have the vocational competence to assess identified areas, appropriately qualified personnel will be employed to provide this expertise within the assessment process. ASTA may also utilise auspiced assessment arrangements in situations where an individual staff member alone does not meet the total assessor requirements. Such auspiced arrangements may involve ASTA staff members in assessing in conjunction with workplace supervisors, industry specialists and/or qualified external assessors.

Assessment Resources

Australian Safety and Training Alliance, when designing assessment resources, ensures that all aspects of competence are covered, including:

• resources as required by the Unit of Competence being delivered
• task skills (performance of individual tasks);
• task management skills (managing a number of different tasks within the job);
• contingency management skills (responding to problems, breakdowns and changes in routine); and
• job/role environment skills (dealing with the responsibilities and expectations of the workplace).

All assessment reporting systems will indicate the units of competence that the individual has attained.

Conducting Assessment

When conducting assessment, ASTA ensures it has personnel with appropriate qualifications and adheres to the requirements of the Training Package / Product and the Standards for Registered Training Organisations 2015.

ASTA ensures that the personnel conducting assessment utilise appropriate methods for recording, storing and accessing assessment outcomes.  Assessment activities undertaken by ASTA is to follow the methodology outlined below:

• Assessment procedures are fully explained to clients. Throughout all training, clients are regularly reminded of the ongoing availability of assessment.
• Opportunities for Recognition (recognition of prior learning and credit transfer) are also discussed, as are any available flexible methods of assessment.  The appeals and reassessment process is also outlined.
• The assessment requirements of the unit(s) of competence/module(s) are outlined, and any particular arrangements for the workplace/training environment are arranged.
• All evidence-gathering methods remain valid sufficient, current and authentic
• As assessments are undertaken, our trainers/assessors record individual client assessment results.  All completed copies of the assessment are kept by the trainer/assessor, and returned to the RTO as soon as they return to the office.
• Post-assessment guidance is always available to clients.
• A fair and impartial appeals process is always available.
• Evaluation of assessment processes and procedures is gathered on an on-going (informal) basis.

Evidence gathering methods commonly utilised by Australian Safety and Training Alliance include, but are in no way limited to:

• demonstration
• questioning
• workplace performance
• simulation
• oral presentation
• projects/assignments
• audio/visual display
• written tests
• skills portfolio

A Competent outcome is achieved through the successful completion of all assessment tasks the training course.

In cases where a client’s response in assessment materials, require some additional information, but the intent aligns with the response required, then further clarification will be allowed through verbal questioning. The response provided by the client must be noted by the assessor and signed and dated. If the provided response intent does not align with the response required, then no further clarification questions or answers will be sought or given, and the client will be determined to have misinterpreted the requirement or lacks of knowledge/skills required. In this case the client will be deemed Not Yet Competent and  required to take time to revise before re-sitting the assessment. Clients are given (subject to any industry regulator requirements) 2 attempts to be reassessed to achieve a satisfactory outcome on any individual assessment.

If after all allowable attempts a client has not achieved satisfactory outcome in all assessments the client is deemed Not Competent.