A few weeks ago an acquaintance advised that they needed their manual handling certificate urgently and they had missed the training in work. They went to an instructor in their area, paid e70 and got a certificate handed to them. I seen the certificate and would not want to be that instructor.
In February we were doing audits for a client. One of their sub-contractors submitted certificates that were dated for the following week for Manual Handling. The participants had paid in advance and got certificates as they “needed them”. On investigation we established they had no intention of going and doing the course as those very staff were rostered on site the day the training was to take place. The training company there was blacklisted by our client, and all of their certificates will now be refused as they mean nothing.
Once again this week we were contacted by a new client who was arranging some training. Two of their key staff were going to be unable to attend, and they asked could we “just give them the certificate”. We declined. Why?
If someone has a certificate for any course – accredited or non accredited- it is supposed to mean they attended the course and met the required standard. For an accredited course that means the standard set by the awarding body – e.g. The Irish Heart Foundation, PHECC, The National Hygiene Partnership, Ofqual, QQI (formerly FETAC), the EHAI or other relevant awarding body. To mark somebody as having attended, and completed, an accredited course which they did not complete is morally wrong. In many cases illegal. It also calls into question the standards of the training you received altogether.
For non accredited courses – e.g. Manual Handling, Basic First Aid, etc the certificate will often outline the topics covered or state that the course was delivered in accordance with the relevant guidelines. If you have done due diligence on your instructor, your training needs and legal obligations and subsequently get a qualified instructor to deliver course you should be able to show your have fulfilled your obligations.
If the instructor delivers a course, and notes any deviations or extra material on the certificate, this should satisfy your obligations. If however some of your staff have done the course and received the certificate – while others have just received the exact same certificate without even attending the course – this means the credibility of all your training is now gone.
We can stand over the training we deliver. Once a course is completed we note on the certificate the material covered and record same. If a student is unable to do certain elements we often can still certify for what is completed.
Equally we have delivered certain training – such as manual handling – for volunteers, home carers and other similar groups – where it was not legally mandated and have for those participants spent less time on theory and more time on relevant practical measures. Participants appreciated the customised course and the course certification reflected that it was a custom, role-specific, course that had been delivered.
Where permitted we have also facilitated “Challenge” Recertifications where people who have adequate prior knowledge and have engaged in self reflected learning attend a brief recertification and then complete the examination where they are obliged to get a certain mark or do the full recertification.
We pride ourselves on providing quality training, therefore you know if you see a certificate with our logo the person has actually attended useful and real training.