BHS Assessor Guidance For the following units Unit 1: Stage 4 Senior Care Unit 3: Stage 4 Senior Lunge Unit 6: Stage 4 Senior Ride for Training Show Jumping Stage 4 Senior Ride for Training Eventing, Lunge and Care Stage 4 Ride, Care and Lunge The Role of BHSQ BHS Qualifications (BHSQ) is an awarding organisation recognised and regulated by the Office of the Qualifications and Examinations Regulator (Ofqual) in England, SQA Accreditation in Scotland, Qualifications Wales (QW) and the Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA) in Northern Ireland. BHSQ works in partnership with a variety of organisations to develop and award qualifications for the equestrian industry. This ensures BHSQ qualifications are fit for purpose for the sector. As the awarding organisation, BHSQ is responsible for the processes through which learners seek and obtain certification for their achievements. BHSQ is responsible for verifying that assessment practice in approved centres is conducted systematically, effectively, securely and to national standards specified within the qualification. BHSQ and BHSQ approved centres share an organisational role in ensuring quality assurance. As a centre, the BHS demonstrates we meet a set of required standards. We have a series of policies and procedures in place and these are available to learners, these include: • Appeals • Complaints • Conflict of interest • Data protection • Equality and diversity • Health and safety including risk management • Internal verification • Malpractice and maladministration • Reasonable adjustments • Special considerations • Recognition of prior learning • Safeguarding • Recruitment and selection • Whistleblowing • Registration • Certification If you receive any questions about the above policies on the day of an assessment, please direct the learner to the BHS website or they can contact the office. BHS Qualifications (BHSQ) provide qualifications to support different career pathways allowing learners to choose the one best suited to their aspirations. BHSQ qualifications give learners specialist knowledge and technical skills, for employment in the equine industry and provide progression to the BHS qualifications at the next level. 1 December 2020 Page | 1 Stage 4 Ride, Care and Lunge The Role of The British Horse Society The British Horse Society (BHS) is a centre for delivery of BHSQ qualifications. As a centre, we have a responsibility to recruit and develop a team of BHS Assessors and Internal Quality Assurers to maintain the standard and quality of the assessments. We approve and monitor our network of approved assessment venues to ensure a good coverage of centres across the UK and internationally, that can deliver training and assessments. We offer regular training to trainers, venues and assessors to ensure the latest developments in standards are communicated and maintained. BHSQ qualification structure This table shows an overview of the qualifications at Stage 4 and the units required for the achievement of each qualification. SENIOR SENIOR SENIOR SENIOR SENIOR SENIOR C – Compulsory units YARD YARD COACHING EVENTING DRESSAGE SHOW MANAGER MANAGER RIDERS** COACH*** COACH*** JUMPING O – Optional units WITH COACH*** RIDING* Unit 1: Stage 4 Senior Care C C C C C Unit 2: Stage 4 Senior Management C C C C C Unit 3: Stage 4 Senior Lunge C C C C Unit 4: Stage 4 Senior Ride for Training Eventing O O O O Unit 5: Stage 4 Senior Ride for Training Dressage O O O Unit 6: Stage 4 Senior Ride for Training Show Jumping O O O Unit 7: Stage 4 Senior Coaching Eventing O C Unit 8: Stage 4 Senior Coaching Dressage O C Unit 9: Stage 4 Senior Coaching Show Jumping O C * Achievement of the Senior Yard Manager with Riding (Stage 4) requires completion of the three compulsory units and one optional unit. ** Achievement of the Senior Coaching Riders (Stage 4) qualification requires completion of one of three optional units. *** Achievement of the Senior Coach (Stage 4) qualifications require completion of the four compulsory units and one optional unit. 1 December 2020 Page | 2 Stage 4 Ride, Care and Lunge General guidelines The maximum number of complete candidates is 8 for 4 assessors; however there may be some candidates completing re-sits or one section only. Good practice of handling horses, tack and equipment with safety and care should be followed at all times. The assessor will want to see the candidate follow safe and efficient practice they can apply when working with any horse, whether mare, gelding, stallion or youngster. The age and sex of the horse should be checked, before commencing work and a brief study of type, conformation and the tack should be made if appropriate. Dress guidance Candidates should look smart and professional, a riding jacket is not compulsory. Jewellery should be removed or taped up and long hair tied back. All hats should be of current accepted standards. Fixed peaks are not permitted for cross country riding. A body protector is recommended for all riding; it is compulsory for cross country riding. The body protector should be of current accepted standards. Air jackets are permitted for cross country only and with the assessment centre’s consent. The current body protector and hat standards can be found on our website: www.pathways.bhs.org.uk/resource-hub/forms-and-guidance/dress-guidance Spurs may be worn for riding assessments. They should be short and blunt with the shank set centrally to the rear. They must only be used as necessary and the candidate can be asked to remove them if the assessor or centre representative feels they are being misused. For flatwork riding schooling whips up to 39” can be used, and for show jumping and cross country a short whip between 14” and 30”. Withdrawing a candidate If at any point you feel a candidate does not have effective control of their horse or their own balance, you may withdraw them at any point during the assessment of the learning outcome. If this is a safety concern you should use your discretion to decide if the candidate is safe to continue with any further riding that day. If they have failed the learning outcome (due to lack of technical skill but not due to a safety reason) the candidate can continue to the next riding assessment on the day. Debriefing candidates The individual riding units are not qualifications in their own right. They are units that make up part of a qualification (this depends on the pathway the candidate is following). Although you are not required to specify this, please do not elude or suggest that certificates will be sent to the candidates along with results. Skills Record All candidates are issued with a Skills Record book at the time of booking their first Stage 4 unit. It is a requirement that the Skills Record is completed prior to the assessment day. Trainers are required to complete the ‘trainer endorsements’ for each Learning Outcome when they have assessed the candidate’s knowledge and understanding and deem them to be competent. To be eligible to sign off trainer endorsements, trainers must be on the BHS Accredited Professional register 1 December 2020 Page | 3 Stage 4 Ride, Care and Lunge and hold a BHS Performance level qualification in the section they are signing off. They must also have completed the BHS Stage 4 trainer induction. Candidates must present their completed Skills Record on the assessment day. Failure to do so will result in the candidate not being able to take their assessment. If a candidate presents an incomplete Skills Record you must contact the office immediately before continuing with the assessment. The Stage 4 Skills Record book is available to view on the BHS website: www.bhs.org.uk/skillsrecord Arrival and welcome Candidates should arrive in good time to familiarise themselves with the surroundings and to meet their assessor, where the programme for the day and any housekeeping will be discussed. They will be given a bib with their name (and number) on and asked to complete an emergency contact form. Candidates should be welcomed during the introduction and encouraged to ask any questions they may have. It is important at this stage to put candidates at their ease in a friendly professional manner. The completed Skills Record should be looked at and the APC name and number recorded. Confirmation and/or membership should be checked. If for any reason this is not completed assessors are asked to ring the office for guidance. It is also useful to tell candidates where they can leave belongings safely, and that they will be asked to fill in a ‘candidate experience form’ at the end of the assessment. Candidates should be welcomed during the introduction by both the lead assessor and individual assessors in a friendly manner in order to put the candidates at ease. It is the start of the assessment and the assessors’ approach that will set the tone for the entire assessment. Throughout the whole assessment the candidates must be referred to by name, it is important that assessors clearly mark both the name and number on the paperwork, and in discussions always uses the name of each candidate. Sign-in sheets and candidate emergency contact sheets Following changes to data protection and BHS safeguarding policies, all candidates MUST sign in on the attendance sheet (one attendance sheet per assessor). Assessors should return the sign-in sheet to the office with the feedback sheets at the end of the assessment. Suggested briefing script Depending on the day plan, just introduce the relevant section/s that will take place immediately following the briefing. Then use the introductions to the other sections prior to those sections taking place. Good morning/afternoon You should all have a programme, this will tell you which assessor has been allocated to you (mention names of assessors).