bhs assessor guidance · lunge and stage 1 ride as the relevant nation’s guidance permits. the...

BHS Assessor Guidance During Covid-19 For the following units: Stage 1 Care Stage 1 Ride Unit 1: Stage 2 Care Unit 2: Stage 2 Lunge Unit 1: Stage 3 Care Unit 2: Stage 3 Lunge Unit 1: Stage 4 Senior Care Unit 2: Stage 4 Senior Management Unit 3: Stage 4 Senior Lunge

Document version 4.1: 7 August 2020

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General Guidance and Operational Procedure

Extraordinary measures for delivering BHS Care unit assessments during Covid-19

During this time of unprecedented upheaval, the British Horse Society has developed a model of assessment for

a selection of Care, Ride and Lunge units. This assessment model has been implemented in order to comply with

current government health guidelines and allow assessments to continue without disadvantaging any candidate.

The following guidelines will be implemented for the following units until further notice:

• Stage 1 Care

• Stage 1 Ride

• Unit 1: Stage 2 Care

• Unit 2: Stage 2 Lunge

• Unit 1: Stage 3 Care

• Unit 2: Stage 3 Lunge

• Unit 1: Stage 4 Senior Care

• Unit 2: Stage 4 Senior Management

• Unit 3: Stage 4 Senior Lunge

The model described below excludes Unit 2: Stage 4 Senior Management. For guidance on the delivery of this

unit please see page 11.

The model moves the facilitation and organisation of the assessment date, booking of candidate and assessor to

the assessor and centre. The candidate will now contact a BHS Approved Riding School appropriate for the level

of assessment (referred to in this document as the centre), and the centre will organise an assessor. The

candidate pays the assessment fee to the centre (or assessor). Full details of the operational procedure are from

page 3. All assessments are held on a 1:1 basis, one candidate to one assessor, with small groups allowed for

Lunge and Stage 1 Ride as the relevant Nation’s guidance permits.

The BHS will deliver Stage 2 and above for Ride and Coaching assessments following usual office process and

appropriate social distancing measures.

Assessor to candidate ratios

Any Care assessment must be delivered on a 1:1 assessor-to-candidate ratio.

Any Lunge assessment can be delivered on a 1:1 or 1:2 assessor-to-candidate ratio.

Any Ride assessment can be delivered on a 1:1, 1:2, 1:3 or 1:4 assessor-to-candidate ratio.

The centre should only confirm an assessment if National Government guidance allows. Each Nation currently

has differing guidance. It is the centre’s responsibility to ensure they follow their Nation’s guidance with regards

to social distancing and group sizes. The centre should carry out their own risk assessment for this purpose.

On the assessment day, the assessor and candidate will require an area sectioned off from staff and clients to

minimise them meeting any other person. The equipment required should be disinfected before and after each

assessment and supplies to disinfect equipment during the assessment should be available. Signs should be

visible to prevent accidental access by other staff or clients during an assessment, and markings on the floor to

indicate ‘safe distancing’.

Operational procedure

The information detailed below outlines the process the candidate, assessor and centre needs to follow to

organise a BHS assessment for the units listed above (excluding Stage 4 Senior Management). This is different to

the ‘pre-Covid’ method where this was facilitated by the BHS so please read carefully. The online link to

download the relevant paperwork and submit candidate details and results is confidential; do not share this

with anyone who is not a BHS Assessor.

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1. The candidate contacts a BHS Approved Riding School to arrange an assessment date. If the centre is not

suitable to hold the assessment for the Stage requested, the centre will refer the candidate to an alternative

centre (if known) or advise the candidate to contact the BHS Education Team who can advise. The centre should

advise and check the pre-requisites of the candidate to ensure they meet the entry requirements.

2. It is the responsibility of the centre to contact a BHS Assessor to carry out the assessment. If the assessor is

not approved to assess at the Stage required, the assessor can refer the centre to contact the BHS Education

Team to find a suitable local assessor. Similarly, if the centre does not know of any assessors in their local area,

they will contact the BHS Education Team for advice.

3. Once an assessment date and start time is agreed and confirmed between the candidate, centre and assessor,

the candidate will pay the centre (or assessor) the relevant fee for that assessment (see ‘assessment fees’

section) in advance by bank transfer or by credit/debit card over the phone if the centre has that facility. We do

not recommend handling cash payments during this time.

4. The centre is required to submit candidate details to the BHS via the online candidate registration form as

soon as possible, a minimum of two weeks before the assessment date. The centre may ask the assessor to

support them to do this if they do not have the necessary facilities. The candidate registration form link above is

confidential and must not be shared with candidates. Upon receipt of the candidate registration form, the BHS

will then invoice the centre for the admin fee applicable.

5. The assessor will liaise with the centre to host the assessment and for the centre to provide the necessary

equipment and horses needed. The assessor should also discuss an appropriate risk assessment including the

social distancing and biosecurity measures in place prior to the assessment.

6. It is the assessor’s responsibility to ensure they have the relevant paperwork for the assessment. This can be

found here: https://pathways.bhs.org.uk/assessor-documents/. This link is confidential do not share with

anyone other than BHS Assessors.

7. On the assessment day, the assessor will arrive in advance to check that all resources and suitable social

distancing and biosecurity measures are in place prior to the candidate arriving. The assessor should also confirm

the risk assessment and make any ‘on the day’ additions as necessary.

8. It will be the responsibility of the assessor to check the identity and BHS membership of the candidate. This

can be via the coach sign off on the first page of the Skills Record or via checking photo-ID if Skills Record is not

completed.

9. The assessor will check the Skills Record requirements (ready for assessment and coach endorsements) that

are relevant to the assessment.

10. The briefing and assessment should follow the current hygiene and social distancing guidance at all times.

Care must be taken to avoid cross contamination in the handling of equipment, paperwork etc. The centre’s

guidance and protocol must be followed at all times.

11. When the assessment is over, the assessor should complete the online results and feedback form for the

relevant assessment. Do not give the candidate the result at this point. We continue to follow our standard

procedure of the results and paperwork quality assurance process and the candidate will be notified of their

result, by email, within 10 working days of their assessment. This link is confidential do not share with anyone

other than BHS Assessors.

12. The centre will then forward the relevant fees to the assessor after the assessment has taken place. The

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https://pathways.bhs.org.uk/assessor-documents/


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assessor should agree with the centre how payment is made to them (if any).

NB The assessor fee recommended represents the MAXIMUM contribution paid by the centre to the assessor.

In the spirit of supporting each other and centres we ask that you consider a fair sum if you have multiple

candidates or training sessions on one day.

13. The candidate, assessor and/or centre may be subject to a follow up call from the BHS Education Team for

quality assurance purposes as per our quality assurance process during Covid-19. All candidates must be made

aware of this and those under 16 must have a consent form signed for this process (included as part of the

registration booking form).

Assessment fees

Once an assessment date and start time is agreed and confirmed between the candidate, centre and assessor,

the candidate will pay the centre (or assessor) the relevant fee for that assessment in advance by bank transfer

or by credit/debit card over the phone if the centre has that facility. We do not recommend handling cash

payments during this time.

See above note regarding assessor fees

If the centre does not have the facility to be able to take a payment and then distribute fees to the BHS and

assessor, they may ask the assessor to facilitate this for them.

The BHS will invoice the centre/assessor upon receipt of the online candidate registration form. The candidate

registration form link above is confidential and must not be shared with candidates. The assessor should agree

with the centre how payment is made to them (if any). If centres use assessors that are centre staff, they may

not pay the assessor fee. This is to be agreed between the assessor and the centre.

Part assessment (resits) will require the same administration fee to be paid to the BHS, and the assessor/centre

fee is at the discretion of the organiser.

The BHS fee covers the administration, quality assurance process and (excluding Stage 1 Care and Ride) BHSQ

registration and certification costs.

If centres use assessors that are centre staff, they may not pay the assessor fee. This is to be agreed between

the assessor and the centre.

The table on the next page lists assessments fees for all levels, who that candidate books through, the relevant

fee for the candidate, how that fee is distributed to the BHS, assessor and centre, and finally the estimated time

duration for the assessment (to help with planning centre lessons etc).

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Assessment Booked through

Recommended

candidate price

BHS

Admin

fee

Recommended

Assessor fee Recommended

Centre fee Est. time

Ride Safe Coach Silver Riding Out Safely Challenge Award

Stage 1

Care Centre £115 £20 £65 £30 1 hour

15 mins

Ride Centre £115 per candidate

£40 1 cand £40 £35 40 mins £80 2 cands £70 £80 45 mins

£120 3 cands £80 £145 50 mins £160 4 cands £100 £200 50 mins

Stage 2

Care Centre £135 £30 £70 £35 1 hour

30 mins

Lunge Centre £75 per

candidate £20 1 cand £35 £20 30 mins £40 2 cands £70 £40 40 mins

Ride BHS £165

Teach BHS £225

Stage 3

Care Centre £150 (£112.50

APCC) £40 £75* £35* 2 hours

Lunge Centre £75 (£56.25

APCC) £20 1 cand £35* £20* 30 mins £40 2 cands £70* £40* 40 mins

Ride BHS £210 (£157.50

APCC)

Teach BHS £225 (£169

APCC)

Stage 4

Care (APC) Centre £225 (£169

APC or APCC) £50 £80* £39* 2 hours

Management (APC)

BHS £150 (£112.50 APC or APCC)

Lunge (APC)

Centre £100 (£75 APC

or APCC) £20 1 cand £35* £20* 30 mins £40 2 cands £70* £60* 40 mins

Ride (APC) BHS £225 (£169

APC or APCC)

Cancellation of assessment

If any party involved requests to cancel or transfer an assessment which has been booked through the centre,

arrangements are to be made between the centre, candidate and the assessor and do not fall within the remit of

the BHS. The centre may be required to pay the BHS admin fee; see below for details.

Admin fee terms and conditions

The BHS will invoice the centre upon receipt of the candidate registration form. The invoice is to be paid

within 30 days.

If the candidate requests to cancel their assessment the centre must notify the BHS in writing by emailing

[email protected]. If the cancellation notification is received within 14 days of the candidate registration

form being submitted to the BHS, the BHS will cancel the invoice and no admin fee will be payable.

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If the candidate requests to transfer their date or assessment with the centre no additional admin fee is

payable, but the centre must inform the BHS of the transfer. If the centre wants to transfer an assessment no

additional admin fee is payable but the centre must inform the BHS of the transfer.

If the candidate wishes to cancel their assessment within 14 days of the date of the assessment, the admin

fee is still payable to the BHS. It is at the discretion of the centre and the assessor whether the candidate will

forfeit any or all of the assessment fee due to these parties.

Assessment centre requirements

We have revised our assessment centre requirements, as follows:

Stage 1 Care

The candidate can be assessed at any BHS Approved Riding School

Stage 1 Ride


Unit 1: Stage 2 Care | Unit 2: Stage 2 Lunge


Unit 1: Stage 3 Care | Unit 2: Stage 3 Lunge

The candidate can be assessed at a BHS Approved Training Centre (ATC) that is approved at Stage 3 or

above

Unit 1: Stage 4 Senior Care | Unit 3: Stage 4 Senior Lunge

The candidate can be assessed at a BHS assessment centre approved to run assessments at Stage 4 or

above

Unit 2: Stage 4 Senior Management

The candidate will be assessed via video call; an assessment centre is not required and the assessment

will be arranged by the BHS

Any centre used for the delivery of an assessment must have suitable equipment, facilities and horse/s required

to deliver the assessment, for the group size they facilitate. The centre guidance can be sent to centres and

assessors upon request. If you are unsure if a centre can deliver a BHS assessment based on their BHS Approval

status, please contact the BHS Education Team before confirming an assessment date.

Assessor requirements

Firstly, for any assessor wanting to assess this revised model during Covid-19 period you must have completed

the assessor update training with Alex Copeland and Michele Carman, via conference call or video call. If you

have yet to attend this, please call 02476 840508 to arrange your session.

For this period following the above model only, candidates may be assessed by an assessor that is known to

them, either as their coach, trainer or lecturer. However, an assessor may still not assess a member of their own

family.

If the candidate is known to the assessor this must be declared and noted on the candidate declaration form.

The Internal Quality Assurance (IQA) process will be implemented by the BHS Education Team.

The assessor can be a member of staff, or contracted to, the assessment centre.

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All assessors can access all relevant paperwork here: https://pathways.bhs.org.uk/assessor-documents/; this

does not mean that all assessors can assess all units. This link is confidential, do not share this with anyone

who is not a BHS Assessor. The assessor can only assess at the Stage they are currently approved to assess by

the BHS Education Team. For example, if you are currently a Stage 1 and Stage 2 assessor, you can assess Stage

1 Care, Stage 1 Ride, Unit 1: Stage 2 Care and Unit 2: Stage 2 Lunge only.

If you have been accepted as a new BHS Assessor in the last two years, please contact the BHS Education Team

and we will work with you on an individual basis to advise you on the assessments you can assess.

Your role as assessor remains to assess the candidate against the assessment criteria. All assessment criteria

must be fulfilled for the candidate to achieve the unit. You will be required to brief, and debrief the candidate as

per standard assessor guidance, ensuring social distancing is always maintained.

Assessor fee

The BHS will not pay the assessor an assessment fee or expenses, including mileage allowance or food and

drink. We anticipate that many centres will choose an assessor who is already known to them, whether this be a

local assessor, or one that is contracted or employed by the centre.

An assessor fee can be paid to the assessor from the centre (out of the candidate fee), however if the assessor is

employed by the centre, and is being paid by the centre on the day of the assessment, the centre may not

choose to pay an extra fee to the assessor.

The BHS recommended fees for assessors and centres is detailed in the section titled ‘assessment fees’.

Riding in an indoor school/covered arena

We understand that many centres deliver Stage 1 Riding within an indoor school. Currently, guidance in England

states that indoor gyms are to remain closed and exercise is outdoors only which has caused some uncertainty

for indoor school use at centres.

We would urge our centres to speak with their insurance company, local authority (if applicable) and risk assess

their indoor school, taking the ventilation/construction into account. Approved Centres can request a Risk

Assessment template from the BHS Approvals team.

Most of our Riding Schools have had confirmation from both their local authority and insurance company that

they can use their indoor schools. The construction of each indoor school is different so please contact the

relevant people and risk assess accordingly. We advise these steps are followed before carrying out any riding in

an indoor school.

Riding in groups

The Stage 1 Ride is usually assessed in groups of up to six. For this revised assessment model we will allow the

Stage 1 Ride to be assessed with groups of up to four according to the Nation’s guidance on group coaching.

One assessor is required. If assessed on a 1:1 assessor-to-candidate ratio, the awareness of group riding and

rules of the school will be assessed via discussion.

A caller is still allowed and should follow social distancing guidance also. The riders should lead the horse to the

mounting block and mount unassisted if possible. If the horse must be held the caller should do this following

the centre’s risk assessment. The caller is also required to move the poles for the ground pole section.

If the Stage 1 Ride is to be delivered at a centre that is not an assessment centre, and has not delivered Stage 1

Riding before, please support the centre and guide them on the standard and temperament of horse required for

this assessment.


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Stage 1 Ride and Ride Safe

During this time of unprecedented upheaval, it is unlikely that the BHS will be able to deliver the Ride Safe

assessment during the current social distancing restrictions set by UK Government. To continue to support

riders to be safe on the road and to support BHS candidates to progress their qualifications, we will offer the

‘Riding Out Safely’ silver Challenge Award to act as the Ride Safe element of the Stage 1 Ride qualification.

The Riding Out Safely challenge award can be delivered at any BHS Approved Riding School or at the

participant’s own yard with their horse with an Accredited Professional Coach. The riding school or coach must

have gone through the challenge awards induction training session with the BHS before they can deliver any

challenge awards. The challenge awards coach will deliver the training and complete the assessment with the

participant.

Further information regarding our Ride Safe update is on our website.

Skills Record

We continue to advise all candidates to complete their skills record. This includes both ‘ready for assessment’

and ‘coach endorsement’ requirements at the relevant assessment. During Covid-19 restrictions we appreciate

this may not be possible due to social distancing restrictions. Therefore, the BHS can accept an email from the

trainer/coach to confirm training has taken place and the candidate is ‘ready for assessment’ or they have

completed the relevant ‘coach endorsement’. The trainer/coach requirements continue as per normal guidelines

(they are an APC or Approved Centre Coach qualified to at least one level above the assessment they are

signing off).

If the candidate produces a skills record that is not signed off, or cannot provide an email from their coach, the

candidate can continue with their assessment. The candidate will then be sampled within the BHS QA process.

If a candidate has not had their relevant ‘coach endorsement’ within the skills record signed off the candidate

will not achieve the unit until this has been completed. The ‘coach endorsement/s’ remain a pre-requisite for the

unit. The candidate can continue to sit the assessment, and the BHS will support the candidate to provide

evidence of the skill required. This could be in the form of a video or discussion.

Skills Record for Stage 4 Care and Management

As much of the theory training can be completed via virtual training, we appreciate this may be difficult to

acquire a signature sign off for the Skills Record. We have produced a word document sign off template that can

be emailed to the trainer to sign and return. The can be downloaded from the candidate guidance section of our

website. A copy is included from page 14.

Internal Quality Assurance (QA) process

We will facilitate a revised IQA process whilst delivering our revised model for these assessments. Following an

assessment, an assessor, centre or candidate may be contacted by an appointed BHS Internal Verifier (IV) to

carry out a viva (discussion) to clarify knowledge on any part of the assessment.

The BHS IQA process will ensure that candidates have a positive and fair experience at their assessment, with standards and quality being maintained despite extraordinary circumstances. It will act to support BHSQ to fulfil awarding organisation requirements and remain within Ofqual guidelines. The IQA process will ensure and demonstrate that assessments are valid, authentic, reliable, and sufficient to meet the specified outcomes.

Sampling rationale: The judgement provided by the assessor is:

https://pathways.bhs.org.uk/challenge-awards/riding-out-safely/

https://www.bhs.org.uk/advice-and-information/coronavirus-covid-19/ride-safe-update

https://www.bhs.org.uk/advice-and-information/coronavirus-covid-19/candidate-advice

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• VALID – relevant to the criteria and level of assessment

• AUTHENTIC – produced by the candidate (in the case of skills records or email witness testimonies)

• SUFFICIENT – meets in full ALL the requirements of the relevant criteria. The IV must record the section and areas sampled, to ensure that a cross section of all relevant assessment criteria is covered. If a standardisation issue is identified, the IV will need to record and discuss this with Alex Copeland or Michele Carman as soon as possible and may need to contact the assessor for clarification

Standardisation meetings The BHS will arrange a standardisation call to ensure that all IVs are interpreting the verification process in the same way.

Sampling rate

Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3 Stage 4 Assessor Candidate Assessor Candidate Assessor Candidate Assessor Candidate

Candidate is known to or been trained by the assessor in the previous 12 months

80% 20% 70% 30% 70% 30% 70% 30%

Candidate is deemed ‘High Risk’ due to Reasonable Adjustment or other

80% 20% 70% 30% 70% 30% 70% 30%

Assessor has amber status on Risk Register

50% 10% 50% 10% 50% 10% 50% 10%

Candidate is unknown to the assessor

10% 5% 20% 10% 30% 20% 30% 20%

Once the IQA process has been completed, the candidate will be emailed their assessment result.

Documents for assessors

All documents required to deliver any assessment covered in this document can be found here:


This link is confidential, do not share this with anyone who is not a BHS Assessor.

Completing assessment paperwork

Only one document, the feedback form, is required to be submitted to the BHS as soon as possible after the

assessment has been completed (preferably the same or one working day after). We encourage you to complete

this electronically via our online forms. Each assessment has its own feedback form, found here:

https://pathways.bhs.org.uk/assessor-documents/. If you are unable to complete electronically you will be

required to find your own arrangements to print the paperwork and email to the BHS office (BHS Education

Team are working from home and not able to access the printers in the office). You are also asked to keep your

crib sheets and a copy of the risk assessment for three months after the date of the assessment.

Reasonable Adjustments

The BHS aims to promote equity, diversity, and equality of opportunity within our assessment process. We

recognise that due to the practical nature of BHS assessments, adjustments may need to be made to allow the

opportunity of assessment for the widest range of applicants. A reasonable adjustment is an alteration to an

assessment that will enable a candidate with a disability or pre-existing condition to participate on a fair basis.

Adjustments can only be made to the assessment process or method; adjustments cannot be made to the

assessment criteria.



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Candidates may request reasonable adjustment on the grounds of:

• Permanent physical disability or special learning requirements

• Temporary injury, disability, condition or special learning requirements

Provisions for reasonable adjustment are agreed prior to the assessment day; we regret that requests for a

reasonable adjustment will not be accepted on the day.

If a candidate requires a reasonable adjustment, they must apply to the office at least two weeks before their

assessment date.

Each application is considered on an individual basis. You will be informed in advance if there is a reasonable

adjustment in place for an assessment and any special measures that you need to make.

Any information that we share with you for this purpose must be disposed of confidentially at the end of the

assessment.

Social distancing and PPE requirements

The following guidance has been published from the UK Government, and is correct as on 11 May 2020. It is

your responsibility to adopt these principles wherever possible.

Public Health England recommends trying to keep two metres away from people as a precaution. However, this

is not a rule and the science is complex. The key thing is to not be too close to people for more than a short

period of time, as much as you can.

Wash your hands often using soap and water, and dry them thoroughly.

Where available, use sanitiser outside your home, especially as you enter a building and after you have had

contact with surfaces. The BHS is unable to provide hand sanitiser to all assessors. Please provide your own if you

wish to use it or the centre may be able to provide this.

Avoid touching your face.

You are at higher risk of being directly exposed to respiratory droplets (released by talking or coughing) when

you are within two metres of someone and have face-to-face contact with them. You can lower the risk of

infection if you stay side-to-side rather than facing someone.

There is some evidence that the virus can stay on fabrics for a few days, although usually it is shorter. Therefore,

if you are working with people outside your household, wash your clothes regularly.

Changing clothes in workplaces should only be considered where there is a high risk of infection or there are

highly vulnerable people, such as in a care home. The BHS does not require you to change clothes at the centre.

Evidence suggests that the virus is less likely to be passed on in well-ventilated buildings and outdoors.

In good weather, try to leave windows and doors open in areas where people from different households come

into contact, or move activity outdoors if you can. The BHS recommends that all communication with the candidate

takes place outdoors where possible, or in well ventilated areas such as the stable yard.

Different regulations exist for wearing face coverings in different parts of the UK. Please ensure you check your relevant National Government’s guidance. The general guidance is, if you are in an enclosed public space where social distancing may be difficult to maintain and where you come into contact with people you do not normally meet, then a

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face covering is advised for those that are able to wear one. Medical exemptions should be respected. A face covering is something which safely covers the nose and mouth; this could be a reusable or single-use face covering or a scarf, bandana, religious garment or hand-made cloth covering which securely fits around the side of the face. As the assessment will take place mainly outdoors or in well-ventilated areas the BHS does not require candidates to

wear a face covering during the assessment, unless the centre requires it.

We recommend it is up to the centre to decide their protocol for face coverings based on their risk assessment; you and the candidate are required to follow the centre’s guidance. Should the centre not require a face covering to be worn, the candidate can still choose to wear this for the assessment. If a face covering is worn, anyone can request the covering to be removed if they rely on lip reading, facial expressions and clear sound when you are communicating to them.

The assessment centre will have also risk assessed their environment and implemented their own protocol. The

above guidance is a minimum only and should the centre have a stricter policy you must adhere to this. Ensure

you are aware of the protocol before the assessment day.

If within the period of seven days before the assessment you, or any member of your household feels unwell or

has any of the Covid-19 symptoms you must not attend the assessment and follow self-isolation requirements

set out by the Government. You must notify the centre and BHS Education immediately. If you or any member

of your household feels unwell or has any symptoms of Covid-19 within seven days after the assessment, please

notify the BHS Education Team and follow self-isolation requirements.

We recommend you drive directly to and from the centre and change your clothes immediately after arriving

home before meeting any other person.

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Stage 4 Senior Management

Assessment model for Stage 4 Management

Unit 2: Stage 4 Senior Management will be delivered by a group video call, organised by BHS.

The BHS will list assessment dates on our website and the candidate will book following the usual procedure by

calling the BHS Education team.

The video assessment will be led by a BHS Assessor with up to four other candidates. For this period following

the above model only, candidates may be assessed by an assessor that is known to them, either as their coach,

trainer or lecturer. However, an assessor may still not assess a member of their own family. If the candidate is

known to the assessor this must be declared, and the Internal Quality Assurance (IQA) process will be

implemented by the BHS Education Team.

The BHS will facilitate these assessments and will use Starleaf as the video call software. Full instructions will be

issued to the candidate and assessor for how to use Starleaf.

We encourage candidates to have training and mock assessments via video conferencing to be familiar with

engaging and interacting with an audience virtually. It would also give the candidate the opportunity to test their

internet speed and IT resources to ensure a smooth video call. If the candidate has poor internet connection on

the day of the assessment the assessor may stop their assessment and they would risk losing their fee. A

candidate could request to sit their test at a centre should they not have sufficient IT resources at home.

If you are a Stage 4 assessor and would like to assess Stage 4 Senior Management, we recommend you have an

up-to-date web browser and have 10Mb download and 5Mb upload speed to work well. If lots of people are

sharing the Wi-Fi etc. then this will affect the quality so consider this if you have a busy household. We

recommend going to www.speedtest.net and running a quick test to understand how good your connection

is.

https://pathways.bhs.org.uk/assessments-training/find-an-assessment/

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Frequently Asked Questions

Where can I find the relevant assessment paperwork?

All documents required to deliver any assessment covered in this document can be found here:


This link is confidential, do not share this with anyone who is not a BHS Assessor.

When can I begin to assess?

The assessment model given above can be delivered as soon as you are contacted by a centre.

What’s the plan for Stage 2 and above Ride and Coaching assessments?

We are able to deliver these, as per the standard (pre Covid-19) operational model, with appropriate social

distancing in place. They are boked via the usual assessment model, with the assessment being pre-arranged

with the BHS. Please look out for the usual ‘assessor sort’ for these assessments.

Will the BHS provide us with any PPE?

As the assessment will take place in well ventilated areas, we do not feel the risk is high enough to need to

provide assessors with face coverings or any additional PPE. Any additional measures are up to the centre

and/or assessor to decide.

What if a candidate has an accident and requires first aid treatment?

You have a responsibility to minimise risk and administer first aid if required. If you need to step in to prevent an

accident occurring, this overrules the social distancing guidance. Similarly, if an accident has happened and you

need to administer first aid you are required to do so.

We recommend following the guidance set by St John’s Ambulance.

If you do not feel comfortable with the thought of administering first aid, or the potential to be within 2 metres

of a candidate to prevent an accident happening, we would ask you do not put yourself forward to assess. The

health and welfare of our assessors in paramount and if you feel uncomfortable to assess at this time please let

us know.

I have been issued a letter that requires me to self-isolate for health reasons, do I have to assess?

Absolutely not. If there is any reason you do not feel comfortable to assess during this time, there is no

requirement for you to do so. Please follow your doctor’s advice regarding working during this current climate.

Your health and safety are our priority so please stay safe.

To support assessors that cannot work outside during this time, we may be able to prioritise those to facilitate

our IQA process as the role of Internal Verifier. Please contact Michele or Alex if you would like to consider this

role.

What about candidates that need to resit only? Can we assess resits?

Yes, we will allow candidates to resit sections during this time. The assessment fees listed above are for the full

unit only. If a candidate requires a resit the same administration fee is required by the BHS; but the centre fee

and assessor fee can be agreed between the centre, assessor and candidate depending on the resources,

equipment and time required.

Are you delivering Stage 5 Care assessments using this model?

The Stage 5 Care is a more challenging assessment to deliver as per the particular requirements for equipment,

resources and horses. We are working with our assessment centres and hope to have Stage 5 assessments by

the end of the year.


https://www.sja.org.uk/get-advice/first-aid-advice/covid-19-advice-for-first-aiders/

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I deliver more than one assessment in one day?

We ask that assessment is delivered with the group numbers as per the above guidance. Back to back

assessments can be delivered providing the centre and assessor can facilitate this.

My first aid/safeguarding/CPD has expired due to Covid-19, am I able to assess?

Due to Covid-19 if your first aid, safeguarding or CPD has recently expired you have until 31 December 2020 to

renew this. Any lapse in first aid, safeguarding or CPD during this time will not affect your insurance or assessor

status. The BHS will review this extension if these courses are unable to be delivered before this date.

Does this model comply with regulatory/awarding body requirements?

We have consulted closely with BHSQ and Ofqual who are completely satisfied with the processes we have in

place to minimise risk to the integrity of the assessment and have their full support in implementing the above

model.

If you have any queries regarding holding a BHS assessment, please contact the Education Team:

Michele Carman, Head of Operations 07966 215964 [email protected]

Alex Copeland, Director of Education 07811 819348 [email protected]

Education Team 02476 840508 [email protected]

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Stage 4 Senior Care Skills Record sign off

Virtual training and sign off process Candidate Name Address Post Code BHS Number

Learning Outcome Assessment Criteria Current Assessment

Method C19 Modifications

2. Understand nutritional requirements of horses

2.1 Explain nutritional and dietary needs for a range of horses

Trainer endorsement On the assessment day the candidate will be assessed in detail on one or more assessment criteria through a ‘viva’ process with the assessor to clarify competence.

Required to be signed off prior to the assessment day. Training can be carried out virtually by a trainer holding Stage 5 Care (BHS Stable Manager) qualifications. They can then sign off the skills record section of the Stage 4. This document can then be emailed to the centre/assessor in advance of the modified Stage 4 Care assessment.

2.2 Evaluate the use of vitamin and mineral supplements in horses’ diets 2.3 Analyse the management of a range of health conditions that may be linked to nutrition

TRAINER DECLARATION APC Name APC Number Date achieved I have checked the formal ID of this candidate and confirm that they have reached the required standard for the above criteria.

2. Understand nutritional requirements of horses

2.1 Explain nutritional and dietary needs for a range of horses

Trainer endorsement On the assessment day the candidate will be assessed in detail on one or more assessment criteria through a ‘viva’ process with the assessor to clarify competence

Required to be signed off prior to the assessment day. Training can be carried out virtually by a trainer holding Stage 5 Care (BHS Stable Manager) qualifications. They can then sign off this section of the Stage 4 Skills Record. This document can then be emailed to the centre/assessor in advance of the modified Stage 4 Care assessment.

2.2 Evaluate the use of vitamin and mineral supplements in horses’ diets 2.3 Analyse the management of a range of health conditions that may be linked to nutrition


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3. Understand the management of competition horses

3.1 Analyse the management of competition horses pre, during and post competition



3.2 Evaluate the different fitness processes required for a range of performance horses


5. Understand the care of horses

5.1 Explain how to maintain health and wellbeing of horses



5.2 Explain procedures for managing a suspected outbreak of a contagious disease 5.3 Describe end of life care


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6. Understand the care of mares and youngstock

6.1 Explain how mares in foal should be cared for



6.2 Describe the signs a mare is due to foal

6.3 Explain the foaling process 6.4 Evaluate care options for the mare and foal 6.5 Explain the physical needs of young horses 6.6 Explain methods of handling young horses


7. Understand the care of older horses

7.1 Explain how to recognise the signs of ageing



7.2 Explain ongoing care of the older horse

TRAINER DECLARATION APC Name APC Number Date achieved

I have checked the formal ID of this candidate and confirm that they have reached the required standard for the above criteria.

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Stage 4 Senior Management Skills Record sign off

Virtual training and sign off process Candidate Name Address Post Code BHS Number

Learning Outcome Assessment Criteria Current Assessment Method

Modifications

1. Understand the importance of customer care

1.1 Compare different booking methods for equestrian businesses


Required to be signed off prior to the assessment day. Training can be carried out virtually by a trainer holding Stage 5 Care (BHS Stable Manager) qualifications. They can then sign off the skills record section of the Stage 4. This document can then be emailed to the centre/assessor in advance of the modified Stage 4 Care assessment. It will be assessed virtually on a 1:1 basis through the VIVA process on the assessment day.

1.2 Justify the allocation of resources in a range of situations 1.3 Explain a range of factors that contribute to successful customer care 1.4 Compare the benefits of different membership schemes for clients

TRAINER DECLARATION

APC Name APC Number Date achieved


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2. Be able to use interpersonal skills

2.1 Evaluate own interpersonal skills



TRAINER DECLARATION



3. Be able to manage staff

3.1 Explain different ways of employing staff



3.2 Explain the purpose and process of staff development

3.3 Produce training plans to develop staff

TRAINER DECLARATION



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4. Understand requirements for self-employment

4.1 Explain the specific requirements of a self-employed coach



4.2 Compare the benefits of different membership schemes for self-employed coaches

4.3 Explain the benefits of Continued Professional Development for a self-employed coach

TRAINER DECLARATION



5. Understand the roles and responsibilities of a yard manager

5.1 Explain the requirements of relevant legislation



5.2 Explain the purpose of different types of insurance

TRAINER DECLARATION



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7. Understand record keeping requirements for an equestrian business

7.1 Explain records kept Trainer endorsement On the assessment day the candidate will be assessed in detail on one or more assessment criteria through a ‘viva’ process with the assessor to clarify competence.


7.2 Explain how business information is stored

TRAINER DECLARATION



9. Understand how to manage a yard

9.1 Compare the benefits of different types of approval schemes for businesses

Trainer endorsement Required to be signed off prior to the assessment day. Training can be carried out virtually by a trainer holding Stage 5 Care (BHS Stable Manager) qualifications. They can then sign off the skills record section of the Stage 4. This document can then be emailed to the centre/assessor in advance of the modified Stage 4 Care assessment. It will be assessed virtually on a 1:1 basis through the VIVA process on the assessment day.

9.2 Explain working relationships with a range of associated professionals

9.3 Explain how to maintain facilities 9.4 Explain a range of security procedures on the yard

TRAINER DECLARATION

