APPRENTICE INFORMATION & POLICIES

At Baltic, our learners are at the heart of everything we do. As a Baltic Apprentice, you have the right to:

• Be treated as an individual and have your educational needs accounted for
• A confidential initial assessment
• Ongoing advice and guidance
• Feel safe and fairly treated
• Support in your studies
• Teaching and training by qualified staff
• Access to suitable learning materials
• Receive achieved qualifications from relevant awarding bodies
• Access to information about safeguarding, well-being, and sustainability
• Give positive and constructive feedback
• A grievance policy if you feel that you have been unfairly treated
• Not to be discriminated against by any employee at Baltic Apprenticeships

Baltic Apprenticeships will ensure that every learner is assessed fairly, and we will always adhere to the points below:

• All Coaches and Quality Assurers are fully competent in their role
• All Coaches and Quality Assurers are monitored and observed on a regular basis
• Awarding body procedures are followed in relation to assessment
• All learners are registered against the appropriate qualification
• Coaches clearly understand the assessment process
• All learners and Coaches complete assessment plans which are reviewed against their progress
• All learners and Coaches understand the appeals procedure
• Regular communication occurs within the Assessment team
• Learners always have access to their Coach
• Special assessment needs are identified, and assessment procedures are adjusted to suit the needs of the learner

Assessment Appeals Procedure 

As an apprentice, you have the right to appeal any assessment decision made by your Coach. If you feel that an assessment has not been carried out accurately or disagree with a decision made in relation to your apprenticeship work, we have a process in place to help you challenge this.

When making an appeal, you have the option to be accompanied at all stages of the process by someone of your choice, with their agreement.

How to Make an Appeal 

If you do not agree with an assessment decision, we encourage you to try and resolve this with your Coach. If you do not reach a resolution that you are happy with, you can appeal against the decision by contacting our Internal Quality Assurer (IQA) within 5 days. You can submit your appeal to IQA by emailing IQA@balticapprenticeships.com.

If you are not satisfied with the outcome from your Internal Quality Assurer (IQA), you can escalate your appeal by contacting the awarding body or qualification.

Exam Appeals Procedure 

If your apprenticeship programme requires you to sit an exam, you have the right to appeal your mark if you feel that the exam was not carried out correctly, or if you disagree with the result. You should submit your appeal within 5 working days of receiving your exam result to IQA@balticapprenticeships.com.

If you are not satisfied with the outcome of your appeal, you can escalate this to the relevant awarding body within 20 days of receiving a response from Baltic Apprenticeships.

Plagiarism is using someone else’s work and presenting this as your own, without sourcing or acknowledging their contribution.

The Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) defines plagiarism as:

“The failure to acknowledge sources properly and/or the submission of another person’s work as if it were the candidate’s own.”

Examples of sources include:

• Published work including books, articles, and online material
• Unpublished work including notes, or someone else’s submitted work

Examples of plagiarism include:

• Extracts from another person’s work – published or unpublished, without using quotation marks and/or an acknowledgement of the source
• Summarising the work of another or using their idea without an acknowledgement of the source
• Copying or using the work of another learner (past or present) without that person’s knowledge or agreement

If we have reason to believe your work has been plagiarised, your Coach will address this with you. If the matter is not resolved in this instance, this will be escalated to our Internal Quality Assurance (IQA) team.

When using IT tools during your apprenticeship, including the internet, email, and the SMART Classroom learning environment, you must abide by the following conditions of use.

The use of the internet, email and SMART Classroom is intended for business, study, and research only. Individuals are accountable for their actions on these channels. Users of the internet, email or SMART Classroom must not:

• Use IT tools for the purposes of harassment or abuse
• Use profanity, obscenities, or derogatory remarks in communications
• Access, download, send or receive any data (including images), that Baltic Apprenticeships consider to be offensive in any way, including sexually explicit, discriminatory, defamatory, or libellous material
• Download copyrighted material, including images, music files, or video files (not an exhaustive list), without appropriate approval
• Access or share any material that may be considered to relate to terrorism or extremism, nor should such material be downloaded or stored on systems owned or controlled by Baltic Apprenticeships
• Engage in or support the radicalisation – or potential radicalisation – of any individual (known or unknown)

At Baltic Apprenticeships, we have a responsibility to ensure that our learners are kept safe from potential harm. This is commonly known as safeguarding, which is essential to assure the development and well-being of young people and adults alike.

Safeguarding is at the heart of how Baltic Apprenticeships operates. This informs the appointment of our team, the employers we work with, the delivery of our qualifications, and ensuring we give our learners information and advice on how they can keep themselves safe.

All of our apprenticeship delivery staff are DBS cleared and are trained on safeguarding-related practices and policies.

Our Safeguarding Officers are Debbie Park & Laura Jameson.

The team are available to contact for any concern during working hours via email at safeguarding@balticapprenticeships, via landline (01325 638142) for calls, and via mobile (07714765475) for calls, texts, and WhatsApp messages.

Their working hours are Monday to Thursday between 8.30 am and 4.30 pm and Friday between 8.30 am and 2 pm. For out-of-hours support, please contact our 24/7 Mindful Employer support line (0300 555 6006) which offers advice, support, and guidance on everything from employment issues to mental health issues.

PREVENT is part of the UK Government’s counter-terrorism strategy. PREVENT safeguards people and communities from the threat of terrorism. It aims to stop people from becoming extremists or supporting terrorism.

How does the PREVENT strategy apply to Baltic Apprenticeships?

Baltic Apprenticeships are dedicated to promoting values which ensure our learners develop a strong sense of social and moral responsibility. We have a duty to safeguard our learners from radicalisation and extremism. This means we have a responsibility to protect our learners from extremist and violent views in the same way we protect you from other dangers, such as drugs or violence. We provide a safe place for learners to discuss these issues so they better understand how to protect themselves.

What we do to help:

We include themes from the PREVENT strategy throughout your apprenticeship programme, alongside other activities that help ensures our learners are happy and make a positive contribution to society, including:

• Exploring other cultures and religions and celebrating diversity
• Challenging prejudices and racist comments or attitudes
• Developing critical thinking skills and a strong, positive self-identity
• Promoting the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of learners
• Promoting British Values including democracy, the Rule of Law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs

Designated PREVENT Lead:

We have a PREVENT lead to discuss any concerns you may have regarding PREVENT and radicalisation while on our training programmes:

Debbie Park
safeguarding@balticapprenticeships.com
07714 765475

At Baltic Apprenticeships, we strive to provide the highest quality training and support to our apprentices. We understand that, occasionally, concerns or issues may arise. We are committed to addressing these matters promptly, fairly, and confidentially. This feedback and complaints policy outlines our procedures for handling complaints and dealing with feedback raised by apprentices or their employers.

Feedback 

1.1. Purpose of Feedback

We encourage apprentices and employers to provide feedback on their experiences throughout their apprenticeship journey. Feedback helps us identify areas of improvement and ensures that we maintain the level of service we are committed to delivering.

1.2. Feedback Channels

Apprentices and stakeholders can provide feedback through the following channels:

1. Written feedback via email or letter
2. Feedback forms on our website
3. Telephone conversations

1.3. Feedback Process & Handling 

All feedback will be handled by the relevant team or department and passed on to our Customer Care team to log and ensure appropriate action is taken. Apprentices and stakeholders should provide clear and concise feedback by including the following information:

1. Name and contact details of the individual providing feedback.
2. Detailed feedback with relevant information
3. Suggestions for improvements or solutions (if applicable)

Complaints 

2.1. Purpose of Complaints

A complaint is defined as any expression of dissatisfaction, made verbally or in writing, by an apprentice or their employer regarding any aspect of the training or services provided by Baltic Apprenticeships.

2.2. Scope of the Policy

This policy applies to all apprentices and employers associated with Baltic Apprenticeships. It covers complaints related to the training programme, teaching methods, assessment practices, administrative processes, staff behaviour, or any other matter relating to the apprenticeship training experience.

2.3. Complaints Procedure

a) Informal Stage
We encourage apprentices and employers to resolve concerns informally in the first instance. This may involve discussing the issue with the relevant Apprenticeship Coach or Account Relationship Manager. The aim of this stage is to address the concern promptly and resolve it amicably.

b) Formal Stage
If the issue remains unresolved after the informal stage or if the nature of the feedback is serious, the complaint should be taken to a formal stage. A Complaint Investigation Form should be completed to detail the following:

Name and contact details
A clear and concise description of the complaint, including relevant dates, times, and locations.
The preferred resolution and desired outcome of the complaint

2.4. Complaints Procedure

Complaints can be made via telephone, email or in writing using the following:

Email: customercare@balticapprenticeships.com
In Writing: Customer Care, Baltic Apprenticeships, Pioneer House, Pioneer Court, Darlington, DL1 4WD

2.5. Complaints Investigation

Upon receipt of the Complaint Investigation Form, the Customer Care team will conduct a thorough and impartial investigation into the complaint, which may involve gathering relevant information, interviewing involved parties, and reviewing relevant documentation.

2.6. Complaints Resolution

Once the investigation is complete, Customer Care will provide a written response to the complainant, outlining the findings and any actions taken or proposed to address the complaint. This response will be issued within 14 working days of the complaint receipt.

2.7. Appeal Process

a) Internal Appeal
If the complainant remains dissatisfied with the outcome of the formal complaint, they may request an internal appeal. Appeals should be made within 14 working days of the date the outcome was communicated. Internal appeals will be escalated to the Head of Business Improvement who will acknowledge within 2 working days and respond formally within 14 working days.

a) ESFA Escalation
If the complainant remains dissatisfied following an internal appeal, the final point of escalation is the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA). A complaint can be made via the Apprenticeship Support Service on 08000 150600, or by email at: helpdesk@manage-apprenticeships.service.gov.uk.

The ESFA will investigate complaints in respect of:

• The quality, management or experience of education and training
• Undue delay or non-compliance with published procedures
• Poor administration by the provider
• Equality and diversity issues

Baltic Apprenticeships are compliant with the Data Protection Act 2018. Full details of how we use your personal data and who we share it with are contained within the Privacy Notice available on the policies section of our website.

Call Monitoring

As part of our quality monitoring procedures, Baltic Apprenticeships monitors and records calls for training purposes only. This includes telephone calls, video calls, and sessions in the SMART Classroom. We will use the data to train our employees, improve customer service, and drive up standards for our customers – both internal and external.

This data will not be shared with any external agencies. Recordings will be kept for 6 months, and then are deleted from our system.

Privacy Policy

Our full Privacy Policy is available on the policies page of our website.

Our Health and Safety policy is designed to outline Baltic Apprenticeships’ commitment and approach to Health and Safety matters.

We aim to:

• Consult with our employees and learners on matters affecting their health and safety
• Provide an adequate level of control of the health and safety risks arising from our work activities
• Provide effective health and safety information, instruction and supervision to employees and learners
• Ensure that all employees are competent in their jobs, and given adequate training
• Prevent accidents and cases of work-related ill health
• Provide safe and healthy working and learning conditions
• Report any incidence of injuries, disease, or dangerous occurrences

Your employer will also have their own Health and Safety policy and procedures that you will need to follow.

At Baltic Apprenticeships, we recognise the importance of delivering an affordable and sustainable service which will contribute to an increase in productivity and improvements in the quality of life and of the environment.

We aim to have a positive social impact through our rigorous health and safety policy, championing equal opportunities, and engaging with the local community. We also promote sustainability
managing our waste responsibly, practicing waste minimisation and recycling and reducing energy and greenhouse gas emissions.

Your employer will also have their own policies and procedures in order to make a positive social and environmental impact.

Baltic Apprenticeships are committed to being an equal opportunities employer and training provider, promoting and developing equality and diversity in all functions across our organisation. We seek to provide equal opportunities as a training provider and employer through the following actions:

• Communicating our commitment to equality and diversity to all members of staff, learners, and others
• Creating an environment where there is mutual respect and equality of opportunity
• Provide relevant training for all staff
• Develop mechanisms for implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and review
• Treating acts of discrimination as a disciplinary offence
• Dealing with harassment and bullying
• Engaging staff in the development, implementation, and execution of our policies
• Actively promoting equality and diversity with our customers, learners and others

We currently hold the following Equality & Diversity memberships and accreditations:

Mindful Employer Charter
Baltic Apprenticeships have signed the charter for employers who are positive about mental health and well-being.

Disability Confident Employer
We are an employer that actively seeks out and hires those skilled people with disabilities and are committed to positively changing attitudes, behaviours, and workplace cultures.

InnovateHer Partner
We are proud members of InnovaterHer’s partner network, committed to getting girls ready for the tech sector, and the tech sector ready for girls.

Baltic Apprenticeships are committed to being an equal opportunities employer and training provider, promoting and developing equality and diversity in everything we do.

As a Baltic Apprentice, you have a responsibility to actively challenge or report discrimination in your workplace.

What is discrimination?

Discrimination is treating people unfairly because of their disability, age, sexual orientation, race, religion or belief, gender reassignment, gender, marital status and civil partnership, pregnancy, or any other criteria.

Types of discrimination:

1. Direct discrimination

Direct Discrimination is when an individual is treated differently and unfairly compared to other people because of their disability, age, sexual orientation, race, religion or belief, gender reassignment, gender, marital status and civil partnership, pregnancy, or any other criteria.

2. Indirect discrimination

Indirect Discrimination occurs when a requirement, policy, or rule is introduced that applies to everyone but puts certain people at a disadvantage. Examples of this include:

• Introducing a height requirement for a job role when this isn’t relevant to carry out the role
• Only accepting UK qualifications when advertising for a position, when the individual’s qualification is equivalent or a higher value

What is harassment?

Harassment occurs when an unwanted behaviour or remark is made that an individual finds offensive and makes them feel intimidated or embarrassed. This can occur through speech, email or on social media sites.

Types of harassment:

1. Racial harassment

Racial harassment occurs when an individual is mistreated because of their ethnic origin, colour, race, religion or nationality.

Examples of racial harassment:

• Name-calling
• Racial slurs or jokes
• Displaying racially offensive material
• Exclusion from conversations and/or activities
• Physical harm

2. Sexual harassment

Sexual Harassment is behaviour of a sexual nature that is unwelcome and makes an individual feel intimidated, violated, humiliated or degraded.

Examples of sexual harassment:

• Making sexual remarks or gestures about an individual’s appearance or clothing
• Asking questions or making comments on another person’s sex life
• Making jokes that are sexually offensive
• Making sexual remarks or degrading comments about an individual’s sexual orientation or gender reassignment
• Sharing or displaying sexually explicit content
• Making physical contact with an individual without their consent
• Sexual assault

Many people believe sexual harassment only happens to women; this is NOT true. Although many women unfortunately experience sexual harassment, harassment does happen to men and people of all genders.

Bullying is a separate issue from sexual or racial harassment, this refers to the persistent mistreatment of an individual through physical, verbal or psychological abuse.

Bullying can be a repeated pattern of behaviour or a one-off incident that makes the victim feel intimidated, worthless and can have a negative impact on physical and mental health.

In many instances, bullying can be difficult to detect and often occurs in places where there are no witnesses. Therefore, if you do feel you are being bullied, it is important to report this to your line manager, HR team, or one of our safeguarding officers.

Cyberbullying

With technology being a huge part of our everyday lives, some people may use this to abuse and intimidate others. This can occur through a range of platforms such as email, social media, text or phone calls. If you feel like you are being cyberbullied, don’t respond to any phone calls or messages and block the sender. If this continues, take a screenshot and report this to one of our Safeguarding Officers.

Types of bullying in the workplace:

• Persistent criticism
• Ignoring or excluding someone
• Withholding information
• Undervaluing someone

A workplace bully may:

• Conceal the truth and not admit to their actions
• Make people feel intimidated and threatened
• Purposely ignore someone and exclude them from social events
• Make other employees feel worthless and that they are not good enough
• Try to hinder someone else’s progress in the workplace
• Criticise and humiliate an individual in front of others

The Department for Education set out Government definitions of British Values as part of the 2015 PREVENT Strategy. All FE providers, including Baltic Apprenticeships, have a responsibility to promote the fundamental British Values of democracy, the Rule of Law, individual liberty, mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs.

We promote these values through our own mission, vision and values statement, curriculum delivery, learner stakeholder feedback and our Equality & Diversity policies and procedures.

Our Senior Management Team will monitor our provision in this important area through reports.

How are British Values integrated into your apprenticeship?

1. Democracy

Democracy is a core value within our organisation. Our learners can make their voices heard through our learner review process, our range of feedback questionnaires at various stages of the learner journey, our feedback and complaints procedures, and our appeals procedure. This feedback informs our annual Self-Assessment Report and associated Quality Improvement Plan.

2. The Rule of Law

Rules and laws govern the learning environment, the employment placement, your wider industry, and the country as a whole. We consistently reinforce the importance of the rule of law from induction to your period of learning progress reviews.

We check and reinforce your knowledge on areas of legislation, including Health and Safety, Equality and Diversity, Safeguarding, PREVENT and your employment rights and responsibilities.

3. Individual Liberty

Within the learning environment, Baltic apprentices are actively encouraged to make choices knowing that they are in a safe and supportive environment. We educate and provide boundaries for our learners to make safe choices. We encourage all learners to know, understand and exercise their rights and responsibilities as citizens. We give advice and guidance on how to exercise these safely throughout the apprenticeship programme, and via written information around equality and diversity, safeguarding, e-safety, wellbeing, PREVENT and health and safety.

4. Mutual Respect

We are committed to ensuring 100% of our learners will report being treated fairly and with respect by both staff and their peers while on programme. We actively encourage mutual respect through our Equality and Diversity policies and procedures and our Learner Charter. Mutual respect is also promoted within our classroom environments and one-to-one activities with our assessment team.

5. Tolerance

We enhance our learners’ understanding of their place within a culturally diverse society. Our induction programme focuses on the importance of Equality and Diversity, and learner knowledge and understanding is checked and reinforced at various points during their learning programme, including progress reviews. All employees of Baltic Apprenticeships are responsible for trying to prevent discrimination that is within their control to challenge or prevent.

How does PREVENT relate to British Values?

The promotion of British Values is an important element of our overall PREVENT Strategy. PREVENT is not just about discussing extremism itself. It is also about teaching values such as tolerance and mutual respect. Extremism can take many forms, including political, religious, and misogynistic extremism. Some of these may be a bigger threat than others in different geographical areas. Teaching British Values gives our learners the skills to protect themselves from extremist views they may encounter now, or later in life.

The internet is a fantastic resource and has made the world more connected than ever before. The internet makes it easier to research for your apprenticeship work, communicate with friends and colleagues outside of work hours, and keep you busy in your free time.

However, it is important that you use the internet safely, so we’ve created some top tips to help you keep safe online!

Social Media:

• Make sure you only accept friend requests from people that you know in real life
• Update your privacy settings to make sure your personal information is protected from those who you haven’t accepted as a friend/follower
• Only upload content that you would be happy for a friend, family member, or employer to see
• Don’t share personal details such as your phone number or bank details
• Only share your location with people you trust
• Be careful with who you trust online, if you haven’t met someone in person, you never know if that person matches the profile
• Never arrange to meet someone you have met online without supervision from a friend, parent, or guardian
• If you receive abusive messages on social media, block the sender and report this

Email:

• Don’t respond to spam emails, they usually include links that can put the security of your device at risk. If something sounds too good to be true – it usually is!
• Don’t open any email attachments when you do not recognise the sender, they could contain a virus
• If you receive abusive messages by email, block the sender and report this

Mobile: 

• Only share your mobile phone number with people you trust
• Make sure you set a passcode, fingerprint, or Face ID on your mobile phone. If setting a password, don’t share this with others
• If you receive abusive messages or phone calls, block the sender and report this

At Baltic Apprenticeships, we understand the value of community and take action to create and reinforce a sense of community amongst our learners and employees.

Citizenship is all about making a positive contribution to society and is an important aspect of life both within and beyond the world of work. Community participation can help to protect individuals from radicalisation and extremist views and equip people to be responsible, respectful, active citizens who make their communities a better place.

Below, we’ve listed some examples of positive citizenship that you could apply in your workplace or home community:

• Organise a charity fundraising event to bring people together while raising money and awareness for good causes
• Volunteer to share your expertise with others. For example, you could volunteer with a local community centre to help people gain confidence with computers and the internet
• Join a community group to make friends and learn a new skill, for example, joining a sports team, fitness class or craft group
• Look after our planet for future generations by reducing waste, recycling, and conserving natural habitats. For example, you could lead a workplace project to reduce paper, or organise a car-pool system to reduce carbon emissions
• Organise a group donation to a food bank or charity. At Baltic Apprenticeships, we came together to donate pre-loved work clothes to SmartWorks, a charity that provides interview clothing and coaching for people in need

These are just a few examples to get you started – there are lots of ways you can get involved in your community and make a positive impact on the world.