Tag Archives: HABC

PRESS RELEASE: Official Care Certificate workbook developed by Highfield

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SFC Front cover An official workbook to support the launch of the Care Certificate this March has been developed by Highfield Awarding Body for Compliance (HABC) after it was commissioned by the Partnership of Health Education England , Skills for Care and Skills for Health responsible for implementing the initiative.

HABC, which is one of the UK’s leading awarding organisations, was awarded the project by the Partnership after a successful tender bid in November 2014. The workbook will support the introduction of the Care Certificate across the health and social care sectors, and will be available for free from Partnership websites.

The introduction of the Care Certificate is one of the biggest developments in health and social care training for many years. The workbook covers all 15 standards, and includes exercises to test knowledge and understanding, learner assessment logs to monitor progress and guidance for employers delivering the Care Certificate to their employees.

Apprenticeships at Tower Project - 10Oct13 It was developed by a team of experts with knowledge and experience of the health and social care sectors, and reviewed by an independent panel of employers and educators, as well as senior staff from the Partnership.

Christian Sprenger, HABC Managing Director, said, ‘We’re honoured to have developed learning resources on behalf of the Partnership to ensure the successful introduction of the Care Certificate. Learners undertaking the Care Certificate will have access to free, high-quality materials in the form of a workbook to help them with their knowledge and understanding, and to ensure the key recommendations from The Cavendish Review are met’.

490732749_5 Fazeela Hafejee, Project Manager at Skills for Care, said ‘The Care Certificate workbook is freely downloadable from Partnership websites including Skills for Care, Health Education England and Skills for Health. Employers will be able to download it – either as a whole or as separate standards – and use as needed so that their employees meet the requirements of the Care Certificate’.

A final draft of the workbook will be available to view at the Skills for Care Conference – sponsored by HABC – at Park Plaza, Victoria, London on 12 March 2015.

healthcare pic - 4 Highfield e-learning has also developed its own interactive e-learning resource – independently of the Partnership – to support delivery of the knowledge elements of the Care Certificate, available from March 2015.

For more information on the Care Certificate, go to Health Education England , Skills for Care or Skills for Health .

For more information on HABC and its work on the Care Certificate, click here .

For regular updates, go to Twitter and Facebook .
ENDS

PRESS RELEASE: New security qualifications launched for Scotland

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Security A new suite of security qualifications specific to Scotland has been launched by Highfield Awarding Body for Compliance (‘HABC’) for learners hoping to become licensed security operatives.

The introduction of the new qualifications comes after one of the largest ever reviews into learning in the sector by the Security Industry Authority (SIA) , followed by the introduction of similarly updated qualifications in England, Northern Ireland and Wales in January 2015.

The review affected security licence-linked units, meaning that qualifications containing these have now been withdrawn and replaced.

The new qualifications are:

• HABC Award for Working as a CCTV Operator (Public Space Surveillance) within the Private Security Industry (Public Space Surveillance) (Scotland) at SCQF Level 6 ;
• HABC Award for Working as a Door Supervisor within the Private Security Industry (Scotland) at SCQF Level 6 ;
• HABC Award for Working as a Security Officer within the Private Security Industry (Scotland) at SCQF Level 6 ; and
• HABC Award for Upskilling a Door Supervisor within the Private Security Industry (Scotland) at SCQF Level 6 .

As the new qualifications contain updated content, deliverers of them must ensure their training programmes are revised to meet the new learning outcomes and assessment criteria. Schemes of work and lesson plans must also be updated to reflect the changes.

Jason Sprenger, HABC Chief Executive, said, ‘As a result of the SIA review, we have introduced a completely new suite of qualifications that will continue to provide employers with the skilled staff they require. HABC was actively involved in the development work alongside other SIA-approved Awarding Organisations, helping to create the new units that make up the qualifications and working with our Centres to ensure their views were reflected throughout’.

A number of new learning materials have also been launched to support the qualifications, including the Working as a Door Supervisor, Working as a Security Officer and Working as a CCTV Operator books and training presentations, written by security experts Andy Walker and Gordon Tyerman.

For more information on the changes or to offer the qualifications, click here , call 0845 226 0350 or email info@highfieldabc.net

For regular updates, go to Twitter and Facebook .
ENDS

How Scotland’s hospitality businesses are preparing for new allergen labelling legislation with Tennent’s Training Academy

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Tennents Training Academy New rules come into force across the European Union from tomorrow (13 December 2014) meaning that food and drink establishments need to provide allergy information on any food sold unpackaged .

And Glasgow-based Tennent’s Training Academy (TTA) is offering businesses in Scotland the chance to take the new HABC Level 3 Award in Food Allergen Management for Caterers to help them understand the legislation.

TTA, which is a HABC Approved Centre, currently holds weekly training courses for foodservice staff right across the hospitality sector in Scotland, with more planned for next year. And with 2015 being the Year of Food and Drink in Scotland , all eyes are on Scotland’s hospitality businesses to get it right.

Training Co-ordinator, Clare Coghill, who has been championing the allergens training course for TTA, said, ‘The feedback has been interesting. Most businesses did not even realise the law on allergens were changing, and were totally unprepared. Since starting the training, companies have been taking on board the necessary actions to ensure they are prepared and can cope with the high demands of customers and their growing needs for special guidance from staff and on their menus’.

She added, ‘Over 200 managers and chefs have been trained since the introduction of this qualification to the Academy, and we expect to continue the training of hundreds of candidates throughout 2015.

If any businesses need advice about allergens we would be delighted to hear from them and help them’.
For more information, go to www.tennentstrainingacademy.co.uk , email info@highfieldabc.net or call 0141 553 0010.

PRESS RELEASE: New security qualifications to be launched in 2015

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Security A new suite of qualifications for learners hoping to become licensed security operatives is to be launched in January 2015, with Highfield Awarding Body for Compliance (‘HABC’) assisting in their development.

The introduction of the new qualifications comes after one of the largest ever reviews into learning in the sector was launched earlier in 2014, when the Security Industry Authority (SIA) announced it was evaluating their specifications for learning and qualifications.

The review affects security licence-linked units, and will result in qualifications containing these being withdrawn and replaced. HABC has been asked by the SIA to assist in the development work alongside other SIA-endorsed Awarding Organisations to create new units that will make up the qualifications.

Existing qualifications will be withdrawn on 31 December 2014, to be replaced with the revised qualifications with immediate effect from 1 January 2015.

Jason Sprenger, HABC Chief Executive, said, ‘This is perhaps the largest review the SIA has conducted into training since it took responsibility for the sector, and will result in the development of completely new suites of qualifications that better meet the needs of learners and employers. We actively encouraged all our Approved Centres offering security courses to take part in the public consultation to ensure that the sector had a voice in the review, and that the resulting qualifications would be valued by security professionals’.

A number of new learning materials to support the units are also planned for launch in January 2015, including the Working as a Door Supervisor , Working as a Security Officer and Working as a CCTV Operator books and training presentations written by security experts Andy Walker and Gordon Tyerman ( Working as a CCTV Operator only).

For more information on the changes call 0845 226 0350 or email info@highfieldabc.net

For regular updates, go to Twitter and Facebook
ENDS

‘1 in 6 workers need mental health support from bosses’ warns expert

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MHFA_logo_RGB USE FOR WEB 1 in 6 UK employees will experience a mental health issue during their working life – and need support from their employer to tackle it – will warn one of the UK’s top mental health experts at a conference this autumn.

Poppy Jaman, Chief Executive of Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) , will tell delegates at the HABC National Conference on 13 November 2014 at Old Trafford Stadium that employers should train staff in mental health first aid so conditions such as anxiety, depression and panic attacks can be better identified and supported by appropriately trained employees.

Mental ill health covers a range of conditions, each with specific signs and symptoms. Mental health first aiders (MHFAiders) are trained to be aware of these and guide the affected person to relevant support. Ms Jaman will argue in her speech that mental health first aid and physical first aid should go hand in hand, and that all businesses should have employees able to provide support in both areas.

poppy-jaman1 ‘With 1 in 4 people in the UK experiencing a mental health condition in any one year and depression and anxiety affecting 20 per cent of the UK working population, it seems sensible that mental health first aid should be considered as important as physical first aid, both in the workplace and in society generally’, said Ms Jaman.

‘Very sadly, in recent months the media has reported a number of high-profile people completing suicide – each as a result of poor mental health. These serve as stark reminders of the tragic consequences that mental ill health can have on an individual and those around them’.

She added, ‘Raising awareness of mental health and the risk of suicide continues to be as important as ever, but much like physical first aid, the situations that an MHFAider might encounter are not always life threatening. Put simply, if an employee breaks their arm in the workplace, the first point of call will be the trained physical first aider. If the same person showed signs of having a panic attack, who would be qualified to support them?

By training people in mental health first aid, we are teaching participants how to spot the signs and symptoms of the most common health conditions and how to guide the affected person to appropriate support. With 77,000 people in the UK already MHFA trained, our mission is to train 1 in 10 people in England to be qualified MHFAiders’.

Christian Sprenger, HABC Managing Director, said, ‘Sadly mental health in the workplace is a growing issue, but one that employers are able to contribute to positively. Having staff appropriately trained so that they can help their colleagues, support them as necessary and point them to professional help can contribute to the overall wellbeing of both employees and businesses as a whole. Poppy Jaman is the UK’s leading advocate for mental health first aid, and her presentation will be of huge interest to anyone involved in the issue of employee welfare and mental health’.

For more information, click here , call 0845 226 0350 or email events@highfieldabc.net

You can also get regular updates on the HABC National Conference 2014 by following us on Twitter and Facebook .
ENDS
Notes to editors:
1. Highfield Awarding Body for Compliance (‘HABC’) is one of the UK’s leading Awarding Organisations for vocational qualifications.
2. The first aid seminar is one of seven that make up the HABC National Conference covering a number of sectors including apprenticeships, fire safety/health and safety, food safety, licensing, pool lifeguarding and security.
3. Cost per attendee is £135+VAT for HABC Approved Centres and £195+VAT for non-Centres, with discounts available for early and multiple bookings.
About Mental Health First Aid England:
4. MHFA England is a Community Interest Company, established in 2009.
5. MHFA is the mental health equivalent of physical first aid training and provides participants with the skills and confidence to recognise the signs and symptoms of common mental health issues and effectively guide a person towards the right support services.
6. As well as the standard MHFA course, the organisation runs a number of bespoke courses including Youth MHFA, MHFA Lite, Armed Forces MHFA and MHFA Workplace.
7. More information about MHFA England and its courses can be found here or by emailing info@highfieldabc.net

‘Embrace food safety culture to tackle foodborne illness’ warns top expert

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Professor Chris Griffith One of the UK’s top food safety experts will warn a conference this autumn that businesses must embrace a positive food safety culture if they are to tackle the UK’s estimated half a million cases of foodborne illness each year.

Professor Chris Griffith, who is editor of the British Food Journal and one the world’s leading consultants on food safety, will tell delegates at the HABC National Conference on 13 November 2014 at Old Trafford Stadium that businesses have both a moral and financial imperative to produce safe food, but that this cannot be achieved without a positive food safety culture.

Since the Pennington report into the South Wales E. coli outbreak, food safety culture has jumped to prominence as the industry recognises that safety management systems in themselves do not necessarily lead to the production of safe food.

Speaking at the conference, Professor Griffith will explain how a management system must be accompanied by a positive food safety culture if it is to ensure food handlers follow correct practice. He will also explain how every business has a food safety culture, and that it is the function of owners and managers to ensure that this is positive towards food safety.

Other areas covered in his presentation will include the concepts and definitions of food safety culture and its increasing relevance to auditors and inspectors, an introduction to the Food Standards Agency’s (FSA) approach to assessing food safety culture, and comparisons to other different approaches. There will also be an explanation of how businesses can construct a food safety culture improvement action plan.

Professor Griffith, who has recently authored a book on the subject – Developing and Maintaining a Positive Food Safety Culture – said, ‘For too long, food safety has been treated simply as a microbiological problem. However, there is now a growing recognition that there is a major human behavioural component.

When known food-safety practices are not followed it is all too all too easy to blame the individual food handler, yet the real underlying causes are often management failures. I know many managers who claim to be supportive of food safety and how it is their number one priority, but when I dig deep into the organisation’s culture I discover this is usually not the case.

Producing a positive food safety culture is easy to say but much more difficult for most businesses to prove. I hope by attending the conference and implementing the measures described, managers will be much better able to do this’.

RS at LITD Food Safety Bahrain Event 1 Richard Sprenger , HABC Chairman and international food safety expert, said, ‘With the recent food safety stories in the media, it is becoming increasingly recognised that food safety culture is one of the most important factors in preventing foodborne illnesses, and it is something that inspectors, auditors and bodies such as the Food Standards Agency (FSA) are focussing on.

Professor Griffith is one of the leading experts in the world, and his presentation will be of huge interest to anyone in the food industry whether they are from a catering, manufacturing or retail background’.

As well as Professor Griffith, the food safety seminar at the HABC National Conference will also feature presentations from:

For more information, click here , call 0845 226 0350 or email events@highfieldabc.net

You can also get regular updates on the HABC National Conference 2014 by following us on Twitter and Facebook .
ENDS
Notes to editors:
1. Highfield Awarding Body for Compliance (‘HABC’) is one of the UK’s leading Awarding Organisations for vocational qualifications.
2. The food safety seminar is one of seven that make up the HABC National Conference covering a number of sectors including apprenticeships, fire safety/health and safety, first aid, licensing, pool lifeguarding and security.
3. Cost per attendee is £135+VAT for HABC Approved Centres and £195+VAT for non-Centres, with discounts available for early and multiple bookings.
4. Developing and Maintaining a Positive Food Safety Culture by Professor Chris Griffith is available from Highfield.co.uk . For more information, see the website .

NEW – HABC Level 3 Diploma in Knowledge of Custodial Care (QCF) (601/2363/1)

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Custodial Care HABC has launched a brand new qualification for the custodial care sector. And it’s ideal for anyone working – or hoping to work – in the custodial care sector.

The HABC Level 3 Diploma in Knowledge of Custodial Care (QCF) (601/2363/1) will help you develop further your knowledge and understanding in key areas such as legislation, organisational requirements and working practices.

Relevant to current and prospective workers in HM prisons and the private custodial care sector, it can be delivered on a standalone basis or as the knowledge component for the Advanced Apprenticeship for Custodial Care.

If you are a HABC Approved Centre , please contact your account manager for more details. If you are not already a HABC Approved Centre but would be interested in offering this qualification through HABC, please call us on 0845 226 0350 or email info@highfieldabc.net

HABC Level 3 Diploma in Knowledge of Custodial Care (QCF)

Fee per registration per candidate
1 – 99 £80.00
100+ £75.00

New book and qualification to promote food safety culture

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food-safety-culture-book A new book by one of the UK’s leading food safety experts has been launched to help businesses develop a positive food safety culture.

Developing and Maintaining a Positive Food Safety Culture by Professor Chris Griffith, editor of the British Food Journal and one the world’s leading consultants on food safety, covers key topics such as understanding the concept of food safety culture, its components, promoting a food safety culture within an organisation and related food safety management areas such as leadership, communication and training.

The book compliments the teaching of a new qualification covering the subject – the HABC Level 3 Award in Developing a Positive Food Safety Culture – by respected food safety expert Jude Hutchinson.

Both the book and the qualification – which can be completed in just one day – are aimed specifically at supervisors and owners/managers of food businesses and will allow them to improve the awareness of employees throughout their organisations.

The qualification has been developed by Highfield Awarding Body for Compliance (‘HABC’) , which is the UK’s largest provider of compliance qualifications, whilst Developing and Maintaining a Positive Food Safety Culture is published by Highfied.co.uk .

Professor Chris Griffith Professor Griffith, who will be speaking on the subject at the HABC National Conference in Manchester in November, said, ‘For too long, food safety has just been treated as a microbiological problem, but there is now a growing recognition that there is also a major human behavioural component. When known food safety practices are not followed it is all too easy to blame the individual food handler, yet the real underlying causes are often management failures. I know many managers who claim to be supportive of food safety and it is their number one priority, but when I dig deep into the organisation’s culture I discover this is usually NOT the case. Producing a positive food safety culture is easy to say but much more difficult for most businesses to prove’.

Chris Sprenger, Highfield Managing Director, said, ‘With the issue of food safety culture recently dominating the news – particularly regards campylobacter in raw chicken – there is increasing public, media and government scrutiny of the entire food sector. The new book and the qualification will help demonstrate the importance of developing and maintain a positive food safety culture and promote the fact that every staff member is important in achieving this’.

Developing and Maintaining a Positive Food Safety Culture costs just £13.50, with discounts available for larger orders. The qualification costs £14 to £18 per learner depending on the number registered.

A training presentation, which can be delivered via PowerPoint, is also under development.

For more information on both, click here , email sales@highfieldabc.net or call 0845 2260350.

NEW – HABC Level 2 Award in Front of Stage Pit Barrier Operations

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Live events could be safer and more efficiently managed after the launch of a new qualification for security staff working front of stage.

showsecpitbarriercourse The HABC Level 2 Award in Front of Stage Pit Barrier Operations has been developed in partnership with Showsec – an award winning event and venue security specialist –and is aimed at personnel and organisations working within the live event sector.

IMG_1132 The qualification, which can be linked to both stewarding and security, is classroom based and includes both theory and practical assessments. Content covered includes:

  • Understand the purpose of the front of stage pit barrier;
  • Being able to protect the health and safety of individuals within the barrier system;
  • Understanding the roles and responsibilities of colleagues; and
  • Being able to recognise audience activity and respond appropriately while working in the front of stage pit barrier.

portcollect_14-5204-286

Available to learners aged 18 and over and with no minimum entry requirements, it is aimed at those already working in the sector and who want to specialise in front of stage barrier support and security.
It can be used to progress to a more senior position within the live events industry or to advance to a Level 3 qualification, and can be completed in just one day.

James Rockley, Business Development Director at HABC, said, ‘Both public and private sector organisations are facing greater than ever scrutiny – from the media and from regulatory authorities – in the way they organise and manage live events. It is therefore vital that staff are fully trained and aware of how to respond appropriately and knowledgeably in any situation’.

If you are a HABC Approved Centre , please contact your account manager for more details. If you are not already a HABC Approved Centre but would be interested in offering these qualifications through HABC, please call us on 0845 226 0350  or email info@highfieldabc.net

HABC Level 2 Award in Front of Stage Pit Barrier Operations

Fee per registration per candidate
1+ £15.00

Regular compliance updates from our partners

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HABC has teamed up with some the UK’s leading legal firms to provide our Approved Centres with the reliable and authoritative updates possible on legal and compliance issues.

Nabarro banner Health and safety – We’re working with Nabarro LLP to bring you quarterly updates on health and safety that are relevant to your business. Nabarro is one of the UK’s best known and most trusted commercial law firms, and specialises in providing no-nonsense and practical advice in plain English from its team of experts.

Greenwoods Banner Food safety – On the huge topic of food safety, we’re working with Greenwoods Solicitors LLP to give you the latest news and updates. Greenwoods is one of the most respected names in the food safety business, with a renowned team of legal experts providing expertise on everything from the new regulator’s code to the horsemeat scandal, as well as key issues of the day.

WoodsWhur banner Licensing – To bring you the latest updates and changes to alcohol licensing in the UK, HABC has teamed up with WoodsWhur – one of the country’s leading legal practices in the field. With its team of sector experts and their in-depth experience, WoodsWhur will be helping us to help you stay up-to-date with all the latest changes to legislation and regulations.

The updates are part of the service we offer to HABC Approved Centres. To find out more, click here .