Equal Opportunities and Fair Access to Assessment Policy

This policy is aimed at centres and learners who are involved in the assessment of the following qualifications:

The Level 3 Qualifications in Paralegal Practice
The Level 4 Diploma in Paralegal Studies
The Level 7 (Post Graduate) Diploma in Paralegal Practice.

The purpose of this policy is to set out the commitment of NALP Training to ensure that every candidate is given the opportunity to have fair access to assessment.
This policy will be subject to review and monitoring by the awarding organisation and if necessary will be amended and updated following feedback from learners and centres. All future versions to this policy will be flagged and will be posted on our website.

Equal opportunities and fair access to assessment - our commitment to learners and centres

We aim to ensure that equality of opportunity is promoted in all areas of our products and services and that unlawful or unfair discrimination, whether direct or indirect, is eliminated.

NALP training undertakes to comply with the requirements of equalities legislation in force including the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA), the Race Relations Act, the Sex Discrimination Act and the Human Rights Act. We will ensure that we have systems in place to ensure that we do not discriminate against any candidate either directly or indirectly, on the grounds of colour, race, nationality, ethnic origin, gender, mental or physical disability, marital status or sexuality. We therefore require of all NALP centres that they do not discriminate in any of these respects, as noted in the Centre Handbook, to which all centres must comply. NALP employees will also be expected to comply with the requirements as set out in this policy.

As an awarding organisation, we ensure that:

This policy is widely publicised to all our customers

This policy will be made freely available all our customers, including learners and centres.

Learners have fair and equal access to assessment opportunities

The widest possible diversity of learners can access the content and assessment of our products and services
The entry requirements, content and assessment demands of our products and services are appropriate to the knowledge, understanding and skills specified and do not act as unnecessary barriers to achievement
Where there are unavoidable barriers to access, we will make these clear to learners and centres and manage their expectations appropriately
All our products and services will ensure fair assessment for all learners
The language we use in our materials is clear, free from bias and appropriate to the target group
We aim to produce and endorse material that is free from bias, clear and uses plain English

We develop our products against this policy

Equality and diversity is inherent in all NALP Training policies and procedures, including:

Training and development of NALP Training employees
Development of units and rules of combination
Design and development of assessment
Assessment and awarding of units and qualifications

We will ensure that we minimise any barriers to access by providing units, rules of combination and assessments which are:

Clear, use appropriate language and are in plain English
Are unbiased towards any of our learners regardless of age, gender, race etc
Identify any potential barriers to access for learners and deal with these through our reasonable adjustments and special considerations policy

We review and evaluate our products and services against this policy

All our units. qualifications, course materials and distance learning services are reviewed against this policy
All our services to centres and learners are reviewed against this policy
We will always act fairly when working with centres and learners
We will always support and demonstrate the principles of equality of opportunity.

All centres approved by us to offer our qualifications will adhere to this policy

The conduct of assessment is carried out in a fair and objective manner
Centres continue to adhere to current equal opportunities legislation
Centres continue to operate an effective equal opportunities policy, with which learners are familiar and which applies to all learners using our products and services
Centres continue to operate an effective appeals procedure, with which learners are familiar and which applies to all learners using our products and services.