Category Archives: HABC

Highfield’s Holiday Opening Hours

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With the festive period fast approaching, we would like to let you know that our offices will close at 17:30pm , Thursday 22 December 2016, and reopen at 08:30am , Tuesday 3 January 2017. Please note that any enquiries we receive between these dates will not receive a response until the offices reopen after the holiday period.
Urgent orders should be placed before 14:00pm on Wednesday 21 December 2016; these orders will be dispatched on a next-day delivery. Non-urgent orders should be placed by 15:00pm on Thursday 22 December 2016 . Orders placed after the stated date and time above will be dispatched when our offices reopen on Tuesday 3 January 2017 . Should this closure cause issues for your business, please do not hesitate to contact us prior to our final delivery date and we will work with you to find a resolution.
2016 has been an incredible year for us, which has established us as a key name in many new sectors, we have received the prestigious Queens Award for Enterprise and reconfirmed our position as one of the UK’s leading awarding organisations.
We look forward to an equally successful 2017 as we continue to listen and respond while growing alongside your business.
From all of us at Highfield, Season’s greetings!

Thinking about becoming a Highfield centre? You don’t want to miss this event!

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Places are still available for our upcoming Introducing Highfield event on Thursday 5 January 2017 in Walsall, with guest speaker Richard Sprenger , who will be sharing his expertise on some food safety topics including “Improving food safety” with particular reference to “the Person in Charge System” , he will also lead a participatory discussion on the science associated  with several common practises and some of the terms we use, including the “ danger zone ”, hand washing , effective use of thermometers, food poisoning and “ safe limits ” This is a must-attend event for all food safety trainers.

Richard Sprenger speaking at the Oman Food Safety Conference 2016

In addition to this, we will provide delegates with full information on how to transfer from the CIEH to Highfield, following on from the CIEH voluntarily surrendering its awarding organisation status. You will also be able to view Highfield’s supporting training materials on the day.

This morning event (09:00am – 12:00pm) is FREE to attend and is open not only to CIEH customers, but also training providers who would like to find out more about delivering qualifications from Highfield. It goes without saying that we would welcome any of our current customers who would like to attend; it is always good to catch up, receive feedback and see how we can improve.

Attendance at this event will also entitle you to 2 CPD points.

To book yourself and/or your colleagues on to this event, please visit here. Alternatively, you can secure your place by calling our Sales team on 0845 226 0350/01302 363 277 or by emailing the Events team at events@highfieldabc.net . Spaces will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. Book now to avoid disappointment!

Click here to view our 2017 events calendar, to find out when we will be holding an event in your area.

Find out more about Highfield at our new event

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intro-highfield-banner We will be holding a number of events across the UK to introduce you to Highfield and provide further information on our family values, policies and benefits, as well as guidance and support on our registration process.

The events will also provide a platform for feedback to discover how we can continue to improve our services, products and/or qualifications, to become both your awarding organisation and product provider of choice.

The session will also include a food safety update delivered by an expert speaker, focusing on key topics and current issues within the industry.

Dates and locations are:

Friday 9 December 2016 – Doncaster

Food safety presentation delivered by Sarah Daniels

Monday 12 December 2016 – Newcastle

Food safety presentation delivered by Jude Hutchison

Tuesday 3 January 2017 – London

Food safety presentation delivered by Richard Sprenger

Thursday 5 January 2017 – Walsall

Food safety presentation delivered by Richard Sprenger

Tuesday 17 January 2017 – Belfast

Food safety presentation delivered by Professor Chris Elliott

Tuesday 31 January 2017 – Wales

Food safety presentation delivered by Euan MacAuslan

Areas covered in each event will include:

  • How to switchover from CIEH to Highfield, and our support for you during that process
  • The range of qualifications we offer, and areas for development
  • An introduction to the Highfield team and some of our subject matter experts
  • Highfield future and the move over to the RQF
  • How we provide ongoing support to centres
  • Associated training materials from Highfield International
  • A food safety update from a subject matter expert
  • How can we improve our service, products and qualifications
  • What you want from an awarding organisation

Each morning event (09:00am – 12:00pm) is FREE to attend and is open to not only CIEH customers, but also training providers who would like to find out more about delivering qualifications from Highfield. It goes without saying that we would welcome any of our current customers who would like to attend, it is always good to catch up, receive feedback and see how we can improve.

To book yourself and/or your colleagues on to this event, please visit here . Alternatively, you can secure your place by calling our Sales team on 0845 226 0350 or by emailing the Events team at events@highfieldabc.net . Spaces will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. Book now to avoid disappointment!

We hope that you can join us for what is sure to be an extremely informative event.

Follow Highfield on Facebook , Twitter , LinkedIn and Instagram for our latest news, updates and events.

Lord-Lieutenant marks Doncaster business’s Queen’s awards

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Her Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of South Yorkshire Mr Andrew Coombe, The Queen’s personal representative, was on official duty this October as he marked a Doncaster-based business’s achievement of the Queen’s Award.

Directors from the Highfield Group were presented with a crystal bowl and commemorative certificate signed by the Queen and Prime Minister at an official presentation held at the organisation’s offices on 20 October 2016.

And guests, which included civic dignitaries, business leaders and VIPs, were treated to a performance by a choir from New College, Worcester, a school for blind and partially sighted children, on behalf of Highfield’s chosen charity, Visually Impaired Children Taking Action (VICTA).

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(L-R) Chris Sprenger (Managing Director), Richard Sprenger (Chairman), Her Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of South Yorkshire Mr Andrew Coombe, Jayne Sprenger, Jason Sprenger (Chief Executive).

The Highfield Group, one of the UK’s leading education organisations, was announced as the winner of the award as part of the national celebrations to celebrate HM The Queen’s 90th birthday on 21 April.

Queen’s Award winners are chosen by a panel that includes the Prime Minister and leading figures from government and industry, making it one of the most sought after accolades for British businesses.

Highfield, which has three offices across Doncaster and employs over 200 staff, is the UK and Middle East’s leading suppliers of compliance, apprenticeship and work-based learning qualifications, training materials and e-learning.

It is one of the UK’s largest exam boards, and is actively involved in the development of the UK workforce and productivity, as well as contributing to government plans for three million apprenticeships by 2020.

The organisation, which has its headquarters on Heavens Walk, works with some of the biggest names in international business to help develop their staff, including PepsiCo, Nestle, Marks & Spencer and Superdrug, and each year supports over 2 million learners across the globe to achieve their educational aspirations.

Jason Sprenger, Highfield Chief Executive, said, ‘This is a great achievement for Highfield, and I was honoured to welcome Her Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of South Yorkshire and accept the certificate and crystal bowl on behalf of the business and everyone here who has worked so hard to achieve it’.

Representatives from Highfield received the award in person from Her Majesty at a ceremony at Buckingham Palace on 14 July 2016, with this further presentation held to celebrate the achievement alongside colleagues, customers and partners.

For more information on Highfield, go to www.highfieldabc.com For regular updates, go to https://twitter.com/HighfieldABC and www.facebook.com/HighfieldABC

For more on the Queen’s Award, go to www.gov.uk/queens-awards-for-enterprise/overview

Join us at Food Safety: Guide to Compliance and Best Practice in the Catering Industry

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Next month Highfield will be hosting a specialised food safety event to support the launch of the British Hospitality Association’s revised publication of the Industry Guide to Good Hygiene Practice: Catering.

This event will focus on key updates contained within the guide, provide knowledge and understanding of current issues and trends within the sector, and also feature presentations from food safety experts including Euan MacAuslan.

Euan MacAuslan

Euan speaking at our National Conference 2014

Euan began his environmental health career in the army in 1978. On his departure he built on his existing knowledge and expertise with a breadth of consultancy work until he joined The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Since 1992, he has been managing the council’s public health training services, and is also a level 4 food safety examiner with qualified teacher learning and skills status. Euan has been a key contributor to Highfield for over 14 years, and has assisted in the development of publications, qualifications and training. He has also spoken about best practice food safety at several industry events throughout his career.

We are pleased to welcome Euan back to speak at our conference, where he will be delivering a presentation focused on the major updates contained within the industry guide. Further information regarding the food safety event is available here .

To book yourself and/or your colleagues on to this event, please visit here . Alternatively, you can secure your place by calling our Sales team on 01302 363277/0845 226 0350 or by emailing the Events team at events@highfieldabc.net .

A special offer for Highfield customers

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Last week, our directors attended a royal reception at Buckingham Palace for a very special audience with Her Royal Majesty Queen Elizabeth to receive the Queens Award for Enterprise. The informal reception was also attended by fellow members of the royal family including Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Anne, Princess Royal, Princess Eugenie of York and Prince Edward, Duke of Kent.

To celebrate this special occasion, alongside our approaching 35 th birthday, we are delighted to announce a special offer for our loyal customers that will run for 35 days – a day for each year we have been in business.

QA or 35th Birthday SO NEW

From today until 17:00pm on Thursday 18 August 2016 , customers will receive £250 credit for every £1,000 (ex. VAT) spent in a single transaction during this period.  The credit can be used to purchase Highfield qualifications or training resources, including e-learning, as advertised on our website or within our brochure.

Terms and conditions

  • the special offer cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotion
  • the special offer is redeemable through email and telephone orders only
  • coupon code ‘QA35’ will need to be quoted to redeem the credit
  • this offer can only be redeemed a maximum of 3 times per customer
  • the special offer expires Thursday 18 August 2016
  • minimum spend required, excludes VAT

We would like to thank you for your continued support and for all of your celebratory messages in recognition of our award.

Important Qualification Expiration Reminder

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Highfield Awarding Body for Compliance would like to remind all centres that the last date for new registrations for the HABC Level 2 Award in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Automated External Defibrillation (QCF) will be Thursday 30 June 2016 . HABC approved centres will have until 21 July 2016 to complete their programmes (unless special considerations are applied) and apply for learner certificates.

This qualification has been replaced by the HABC Level 2 Award in Basic Life Support and Safe Use of an Automated External Defibrillator (RQF) , which is supported by both the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and Skills for Health. It has also been approved for delivery to pre-16 year olds.

This is a 1-credit qualification, typically delivered over a half-day course (minimum contact time of 4 hours) and contains the following unit:

  • Basic Life Support and Using an Automated External Defibrillator

Please note: while in-depth AED training is not currently a compulsory component of first aid at work and emergency first-aid courses, the HSE welcomes AED training being incorporated into them. This is a stance that HABC supports and we strongly encourage our centres to consider this moving forward. Further information on the HSE welcoming the addition of AED awareness training into first-aid courses is available here .

Highfield learner rises to the top

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We are extremely proud of the success one of our learners – Abbey Hawkes – has achieved as part of her apprenticeship programme.

Abbey started as a business administration apprentice with In Touch Care in July 2015, and completed the business administration requirements of her apprenticeship as a registered learner with Highfield Awarding Body for Compliance.

In Touch Care is an approved Highfield centre, and deliver not only business admin, but personal development for employability and health and social care qualifications through Highfield.

From the start of her apprenticeship, Abbey’s confidence and abilities developed, and her positive attitude was warmly received by her colleagues. Not only were her achievements celebrated internally, but Abbey was also the recipient of compliments from external clients who commented on her professionalism and efficient demeanour as an asset to the company.

Abbey speaking at the In Touch Care Employer Conference in April 2016

Abbey speaking at the In Touch Care Employer Conference in April 2016

Less than 5 weeks into her apprenticeship Abbey was promoted to personal assistant to the company director, which is a testament to her hard work and determination. Alongside her apprenticeship, Abbey also jumped at the opportunity to become the ‘learner voice’ representative for In Touch Care. Within this new role, Abbey confronted public speaking challenges with great success, and embraced her new responsibilities seamlessly among her daily tasks.

Throughout the duration of her apprenticeship, Abbey built up a portfolio of evidence that kept a record of her responsibilities, which included reception duties, taking minutes for sector meetings and international projects. She also surpassed her target on every assessment, achieving 100% on almost all test units. Abbey also introduced In Touch Care to creative teaching presentations, and now champions social media projects.

Abbey is now working towards her intermediate apprenticeship, and aims to progress to her advanced apprenticeship with the same level of achievement.

Apprenticeships are continuing to surge in popularity, becoming a preferred progression route for young people today as an alternative to a university education.

In 2014/15 more than 492,700 people started apprenticeships in England, and statistics highlight that after completing their programmes, 90% of apprentices stayed in employment with their apprenticeship provider. Government statistics also state that a quarter of former apprentices were promoted within 12 months of finishing their programmes.

If you would like further information about Highfield’s apprenticeship qualifications and support resources, please contact us on info@highfieldabc.net

Highfield qualifications approved for Local Flexibility Funding

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We are pleased to announce that a further 45 Highfield Awarding Body for Compliance qualifications have been approved for local flexibility funding for the academic year 2016/17.

We now deliver a total of 94 local flexibility funded qualifications available as part of the Adult Education Budget, and anticipate that more qualifications will soon be approved for funding for the academic year of 2016/17!

To see our full range of funded qualifications, please click here https://goo.gl/ZlI8mW

You’re Invited!

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Highfield will be on the road again this summer, exhibiting at several industry events where you’ll be able to meet and speak to members of the Highfield team about our bespoke services, view a selection of user-friendly training materials written to support our qualifications, learn more about our digital solutions and see first-hand how working with Highfield can provide added value to your business.

You can come and see us at any of the following events:

Safety & Health Expo

Highfield-Awarding-Body-for-Compliance

The Safety & Health Expo is targeted at professionals working within the health and safety industry. The 3-day exhibition allows delegates to discover the latest innovations and products from leading organisations within the industry, network with like-minded colleagues, receive updates on critical legislation and accumulate CPD points.

Date : 21-23 June 2016 Venue : Excel, London Stand : U1720

Health +  Care

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Health + Care is not only the largest national event for health and care in the UK, but also the most comprehensive event for sector professionals. The Commissioning Show, The Residential Care Show, Technology First and The Home Care Show are all part of the event, so attendance at Health + Care will provide delegates with the opportunity to network with key sector stakeholders.

Date : 29-30 June 2016 Venue : Excel, London Stand : B46

AELP National Conference 2016

Booth 28 - HABC - Artwork

This conference features key speeches from government ministers, senior officials and leading academics. There will also be several workshops and an exhibition. The conference is aimed at all those who work within the employment and skills sector and who want to be at the forefront of future developments within the industry.

Date : 27-28 June 2016 Venue : Novotel London West, Hammersmith Stand : 28

If you would like any further information regarding any of these events  or you are planning to attend any of them and would like to arrange a meeting with a member of the Highfield team in advance,  please email danmcdade@highfieldabc.net.

We hope to see you soon.