Feature - Back into Learning
- Lisa Clancy
- Harry Bellow (Unlicensed)
Back Into Learning
In Release Version 4.19.0, we have released a new screen called “Back into Learning” this is available from the Assessment Menu.
This new screen will provide a way for users to easily see apprentices that are in a Retake Review or Back Into Learning status.
The screen will function as follows:
· Filtering by Retake Review
o The apprentices will be sorted with the apprentice that has been in Retake Review the longest showing first
o A new circle is shown containing the number of days the apprentice has been in the Retake Review status
· Filtering by Back Into Learning
o The apprentices will be sorted with the apprentice that is due to return from learning first
o A new circle is shown containing the number of days the apprentice has until they’re expected to return, or how many days over their expected return, if it’s been missed.
As part of the Back Into Learning process, it’s now no longer possible to update an apprentice’s status to Back Into Learning via the Change of Circumstance screen, API or bulk upload. An error will be shown if this is attempted. An apprentice can only enter Back Into Learning by following the correct Back Into Learning process.
We’ve updated the change of circumstance logic to now have additional fields, where possible we’ve also backfilled these fields for existing change of circumstance entries.
The new fields are:
programme_id - Represents the Apprentice’s programme at the time the Change of Circumstance (CoC) happened.
start_date - This is the date the new status started and is generated by the system
end_date - This is the date the CoC record was replaced with a new record, this is not populated cross programmes.
Back into Learning - Assessment Profile - Display and Management Panel
We’ve added a new management area to the Assessment Profile, which is shown when an apprentice is either in Retake Review or Back Into Learning. The area differs slightly based on the status, new permissions and notifications have also been added.
Permissions for Back Into Learning management feature
Please ensure the default setup for these permissions is suitable for your business. If the default setup would cause users on your system to have too much access then a custom role may be needed before this work is available on your production environment as these new permissions are only added to our system roles by default.
We’ve added three new permissions for the Back Into Learning management feature. These permissions are:
Read Back Into Learning - This provides the user with the ability to read the back into learning details, seeing the relevant dates and the history of expected return date changes. By default, this permission is given to the Awarding Organisation, Owner, EPA, EPA Manager, Provider and Employer roles.
Leave Back Into Learning - This will provide the user with the ability to have the apprentice leave the back into learning state, putting them back to on programme, completed or certified depending on the relevant status. By default, this permission is given to the Owner and Awarding Organisation roles.
· Update Expected Return - This will provide the user with the ability to update the expected return date via the back into learning side drawer. By default, this permission is given to the Owner, Awarding Organisation, EPA, EPA Manager and Provider roles
Retake Review
When an apprentice is in Retake Review, a user with permissions will need to approve or reject this status.
If the status is approved, then the apprentice will be moved to a Back Into Learning status. The “Earliest Return Date” will also need to be specific, as this indicates the earliest date the apprentice can be returned from the Back Into Learning status. The provider, if they have permissions, can then go in and update the “Expected Return Date” (more on this below).
If the status is rejected, then the apprentice will be moved back to the status that is appropriate for them; this will be In Assessment , Completed or Certified. During the rejection, the user will be required to provide a reason, which is to indicate why the request was rejected, as well as the new next action of either “Resit” or “Failed” that the triggering element will be updated to.
Permissions for Retake Review management feature
Please ensure the default setup for these permissions is suitable for your business. If the default setup would cause users on your system to have too much access, then a custom role may be needed before this work is available on your production environment as these new permissions are only added to our system roles by default.
We’ve added two new permissions for the Retake Review management feature. These permissions are:
Approve Back Into Learning - This is under the “Back into Learning” section and grants the user the ability to approve Retake Review requests. This permission by default is given to the Owner and Awarding Organisation roles.
Reject Back Into Learning - This is under the “Back into Learning” section and grants the user the ability to reject Retake Review requests. This permission by default is given to the Owner and Awarding Organisation roles.
Notifications
Both the approve and reject actions will trigger a notification, approving a retake review will trigger “Retake Review Approved”, whilst rejecting will trigger “Retake Review Rejected”.
As with our other notifications, these can be configured via the communication management areas, by default these notifications will be configured as below:
Retake Review Approved - Enabled by default for EPAs, EPA Managers and the Subject user against the element.
Retake Review Rejected - Enabled by default for EPAs, EPA Managers and the Subject user against the element.
Both of these notifications also have a default of only being an “In App” notification. Both require the user to be able to “read-assessment”, in order to control the configuration of the notification.
Back into Learning Process
When a retake review request is approved, or if the apprentice is already in a back into learning status when this functionality is released, the assessment profile will be updated to now contain a “Back Into Learning” section. This section will provide a way for users to manage the details of the back into learning process.
Clicking “manage” will open a side drawer and provide the following:
A “Back Into Learning” widget with key details about the process. This widget also contains a button to leave the back into learning process. This will ask for a reason and provide details on what will happen.
If an external user, e.g. provider, has permission to see this button they will only be able to trigger the apprentice to leave back into learning once the earliest return date (defined when approving the retake review request) has passed.
An “Expected Return” widget allowing users, with permission, to update the expected return date. The widget also shows a history of the changes.
As part of the new back into learning process and the new listing screen for apprentices in a Retake Review or Back Into Learning status, the information relating to the apprentice’s assessments are now fully visible whilst the apprentice is back into learning.
Restrictions
Restrict apprentice's progress
As part of the back into learning process we’ve added restrictions to epaPRO for when an apprentice is in either a Retake Review or Back Into Learning status.
The following restrictions will apply:
New assessments cannot be booked existing assessments cannot be rescheduled or rebooked
Elements cannot have their results added or edited
Elements cannot have assessment info uploaded or deleted, this also applies to the Apprentice Profile.
Results cannot be result adjusted
Apprentice’s cannot be change of circumstanced or have a new programme started
This applies to both the API and bulk upload too
QAs cannot be processed for the apprentice
Assessment plan will be in a read only state
ESFA screen will not show the apprentice
To accommodate this the ESFA screen has also been adjusted to only show apprentices with a certified status.
Note the Element EPA is also restricted, even in “Pending Results” status.
Reporting
We’ve added a new report under the apprentice category; “Back Into Learning”. This is available to the owner and awarding organisation roles by default, but can be assigned to other roles or users as required. This report also includes current and past programmes in the same results.
This report shows the relevant data for the retake review and back into learning processes. It includes the relevant dates and also who triggered the apprentice to enter or leave that process.
The report also includes a new filter to allow the user to choose whether they’re able to see Back Into Learning type records or Retake Review type records.
Reporting - History of expected return date
We’ve added a new report under the apprentice category; “Back Into Learning History”. This is available to the owner and awarding organisation roles by default, but can be assigned to other roles or users as required. This new report also includes the current and past programmes in the same results.
This report will provide a history of expected return date changes for each apprentice. The old date is also shown as a comparison and a way to link multiple records together.
Please note: - We don't currently recommend result adjusting apprentices from a certified status into BiL, if you think you need to do this; please Request Support Here
You can watch the Release Notes video, where this new feature was discussed