Fire safety advisor

ST0188, fire safety advisor level 3

This is a summary of the key things that you – the apprentice and your employer need to know about your end-point assessment (EPA). You and your employer should read the EPA plan for the full details. It has information on assessment method requirements, roles and responsibilities, and re-sits and re-takes.

What is an end-point assessment and why it happens

An EPA is an assessment at the end of your apprenticeship. It will assess you against the knowledge, skills, and behaviours (KSBs) in the occupational standard. Your training will cover the KSBs. The EPA is your opportunity to show an independent assessor how well you can carry out the occupation you have been trained for.

Your employer will choose an end-point assessment organisation (EPAO) to deliver the EPA. Your employer and training provider should tell you what to expect and how to prepare for your EPA.

The length of the training for this apprenticeship is typically 18 months. The EPA period is typically 3 months.

The overall grades available for this apprenticeship are:

• fail

• pass

• distinction

When you pass the EPA, you will be awarded your apprenticeship certificate.

EPA gateway

The EPA gateway is when the EPAO checks and confirms that you have met any requirements required before you start the EPA. You will only enter the gateway when your employer says you are ready.

The gateway requirements for your EPA are:

• achieved English and mathematics qualifications in line with the apprenticeship funding rules

• for the professional discussion, you must submit a portfolio of evidence

• passed any other qualifications listed in the occupational standard

For the fire safety advisor, the qualification required is:

Level 3 Certificate in Fire Safety (Fire Auditors)

Assessment methods

Practical assessment with questions

You will be observed by an independent assessor completing a set of tasks. It will last 2.25 hours. They will ask you at least 4 questions.

Professional discussion underpinned by a portfolio of evidence

You will have a professional discussion with an independent assessor. It will last 90 minutes. They will ask you at least 12 questions. The questions will be about certain aspects of your occupation. You need to compile a portfolio of evidence before the EPA gateway. You can use it to help answer the questions.

The EPAO will confirm where and when each assessment method will take place.

Who to contact for help or more information

You should speak to your employer if you have a query that relates to your job.

You should speak to your training provider if you have any questions about your training or EPA before it starts.

You should receive detailed information and support from the EPAO before the EPA starts. You should speak to them if you have any questions about your EPA once it has started.

Reasonable adjustments

If you have a disability, a physical or mental health condition or other special considerations, you may be able to have a reasonable adjustment that takes this into account. You should speak to your employer, training provider and EPAO and ask them what support you can get. The EPAO will decide if an adjustment is appropriate.

This document explains the requirements for end-point assessment (EPA) for the fire safety advisor apprenticeship. End-point assessment organisations (EPAOs) must follow this when designing and delivering the EPA.

Fire safety advisor apprentices, their employers and training providers should read this document.

A full-time fire safety advisor apprentice typically spends 18 months on-programme (this means in training before the gateway). The apprentice must spend at least 12 months on-programme and complete the required amount of off-the-job training in line with the apprenticeship funding rules.

The apprentice must complete their training and meet the gateway requirements before starting their EPA. The EPA will assess occupational competence.

An approved EPAO must conduct the EPA for this apprenticeship. Employers must select an approved EPAO from the apprenticeship provider and assessment register.

This EPA has 2 assessment methods.

The grades available for each assessment method are below.

Assessment method 1 - practical assessment:

• fail

• pass

Assessment method 2 - professional discussion:

• fail

• pass

• distinction

The result from each assessment method is combined to decide the overall apprenticeship grade. The following grades are available for the apprenticeship:

• fail

• pass

• distinction

The EPA is taken in the EPA period. The EPA period starts when the EPAO confirms the gateway requirements have been met and is typically 3 months.

The EPAO should confirm the gateway requirements have been met and start the EPA as quickly as possible.

The apprentice’s employer must be content that the apprentice has attained sufficient KSBs to complete the apprenticeship. The employer may take advice from the apprentice's training provider, but the employer must make the decision. The apprentice will then enter the gateway.

The apprentice must meet the gateway requirements before starting their EPA.

They must:

• confirm they are ready to take the EPA
• have achieved English and mathematics qualifications in line with the apprenticeship funding rules

• have passed Level 3 Certificate in Fire Safety (Fire Auditors)

• submit a portfolio of evidence for the professional discussion

Portfolio of evidence requirements:

The apprentice must compile a portfolio of evidence during the on-programme period of the apprenticeship. It should only contain evidence related to the KSBs that will be assessed by this assessment method. It will typically contain 12 discrete pieces of evidence. Evidence must be mapped against the KSBs. Evidence may be used to demonstrate more than one KSB; a qualitative as opposed to quantitative approach is suggested.

Evidence sources may include:

• audits
• workplace policies and procedures
• annotated photographs
• risk assessment documentation
• progress review documentation
• witness statements

This is not a definitive list; other evidence sources can be included.

The portfolio of evidence should not include reflective accounts or any methods of self-assessment. Any employer contributions should focus on direct observation of performance (for example, witness statements) rather than opinions. The evidence provided should be valid and attributable to the apprentice; the portfolio of evidence should contain a statement from the employer and apprentice confirming this.

The EPAO should not assess the portfolio of evidence directly as it underpins the discussion. The independent assessor should review the portfolio of evidence to prepare questions for the discussion. They are not required to provide feedback after this review.

The apprentice must submit the gateway evidence to their EPAO, including any organisation specific policies and procedures requested by the EPAO.

The assessment methods can be delivered in any order.

The result of one assessment method does not need to be known before starting the next.

Overview

In a practical assessment with questions, an independent assessor observes the apprentice completing a task or series of tasks set by the EPAO. The EPAO decides where it takes place. The assessment environment must closely relate to the apprentice’s natural working environment. It gives the apprentice the opportunity to demonstrate the KSBs mapped to this assessment method.

Rationale

This assessment method is being used because:

• this is a practical role, which can be demonstrated through completing tasks
• it allows for consistency of opportunity for apprentices to demonstrate their competence against the aligned KSBs
• it tests KSBs holistically

Delivery

The practical assessment must be structured to give the apprentice the opportunity to demonstrate the KSBs mapped to this assessment method to the highest available grade.

An independent assessor must conduct and assess the practical assessment.

The independent assessor must only observe one apprentice at a time to ensure quality and rigour. They must be as unobtrusive as possible.

The EPAO must give an apprentice 2 weeks' notice of the . practical assessment

The practical assessment must take 2.25 hours.

The independent assessor can increase the time of the practical assessment by up to 10%. This time is to allow the apprentice to complete a task or respond to a question if necessary.

The practical assessment cannot be split, other than for comfort breaks or to allow apprentices to move from one location to another. Where breaks occur, they will not count towards the total EPA time.

The EPAO must manage invigilation of the apprentice during the assessment, to maintain security of the EPA, in line with their malpractice policy. This includes breaks and moving between locations.

The independent assessor must explain to the apprentice the format and timescales of the practical assessment before it starts. This does not count towards the assessment time.

The independent assessor must observe the following during the practical assessment:

Apprentices must be observed by an independent assessor. The role of the 'Responsible Person' will be played by the independent assessor. The Responsible Person is an identified individual in control of a premises. They must have knowledge and understanding of the fire safety processes and procedures at their premises. They will interact with and respond to the fire safety advisor during an audit.

The practical assessment consists of 3 stages:

• practical audit - documentation review
• practical audit - visual inspection of premise
• post-audit debrief and questions

EPAOs will produce specification to outline in detail how the practical assessment will operate, what it will cover, and what should be observed. It is recommended that this is done in consultation with representative employers to gain the necessary occupational knowledge in this sector. EPAOs should maintain the security of their specifications if employers are consulted. Specifications must be standardised by the EPAO.

EPAOs must develop practical specification banks of sufficient size to prevent predictability and review them regularly (at least once a year) to ensure they, and the specifications they contain, are fit for purpose. The specifications for the practical assessment, including questions relating to underpinning knowledge, skills, and behaviours must be varied, yet allow assessment of the relevant KSBs.

The practical assessment must be conducted as follows:

Stage 1: practical audit - documentation review (60 minutes)

This stage can be conducted in a staged building environment, or IT based using simulation software.

The apprentice will be given access to the pre-inspection information pack (either hard or soft copy), produced and selected by the EPAO. The pre-inspection information pack will be based on a simple premises, as defined in the standard. It should include all the documents the apprentice would reasonably have access to when completing an audit of a simple premises, such as:

• previous audit information
• information on the building, including its construction
• information on the responsible person,
• fire risk assessment for the premise
• maintenance records for equipment
• fire instructions and procedures
• a plan of the building
• staff training records
• previous fire incidents in the area

Within the pack of information, the EPAO will insert deficiencies that will result in the following:

• major impact on safety
• minor impact on safety

The combination of deficiencies inserted within the pack of information will be decided by the EPAO. At least 2 deficiencies should be in the Fire Risk Assessment document (FRA). The EPAO should also insert an additional deficiency that would need intervention by a further agency requiring the apprentice to identify who they would seek help and advice from and why.

In addition, the EPAO must produce a plan of the building with detailed site-specific risk information (SSRI) for the independent assessor as well as a detailed brief of the staff training records included within the pre-inspection information pack for use in stage 2.

During this stage the apprentice will be observed reviewing relevant documentation required as part of an audit. The apprentice will have up to 50 minutes to study the pre-inspection information pack and make notes. Apprentices will be invigilated by the independent assessor during this time. The apprentice will be able to refer to their notes and the pre-inspection information pack throughout the rest of the practical assessment.

Following this, the apprentice will be given up to 10 minutes to answer a minimum of 6 questions from the independent assessor. The questions should be on the following themes:

• the status of the FRA
• maintenance and testing regime
• staff training records
• means of escape (MOE)
• means for detection
• significant findings requiring actions in the previous FRA
• the deficiencies identified within the pack of information
• cooperation or coordination between responsible persons in the building

Stage 2: practical audit - visual inspection of premise (45 minutes)

The apprentice will have 45 minutes to visually inspect the premises (either physical or simulated) to determine whether the responsible person has complied with their duties under the applicable fire safety legislation where the building is located, for example the Regulator Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 for premises in England and Wales.

The apprentice must introduce themselves to the independent assessor acting as the responsible person and employee at the inspection premises and explain the reasons for the audit, explain how the audit will be conducted, and confirm if staff can be questioned to validated staff training records.

Within this stage, the independent assessor acting as the responsible person and employee at the inspection premises will be questioned by the apprentice. When responding to questions from the apprentice, the independent assessor acting as the responsible person and employee must answer questions factually based only on the information contained in the information pack and the staff training records. Any questions asked and responses given must be included within the 45 minutes permitted for this stage. The apprentice would typically be expected to ask the independent assessor acting as the responsible person and employee up to 5 additional questions.

Stage 3: post-audit debrief and questions (30 minutes)

The apprentice will have 30 minutes to complete a verbal post-audit debrief with the responsible person. The independent assessor acting as the responsible person and employee may ask questions to clarify information provided by the apprentice during this stage. The themes to be covered for the debrief include:

• inspection and audit, including support and next steps
• challenging non-compliance

These activities provide the apprentice with the opportunity to demonstrate the KSBs mapped to this assessment method.

The independent assessor must ask questions. The purpose of the questions is to assess the level of competence against the grading descriptors. Questions must allow the apprentice to provide information against the themes identified in stage 1 of the practical assessment, and to clarify information if required during stage 3.

Questioning must occur during the practical assessment. The time for questioning is included in the overall assessment time.

The independent assessor must ask at least 4 questions during the practical assessment. To remain as unobtrusive as possible, the independent assessor should ask questions during natural breaks in work rather than disrupting the apprentice’s flow. The independent assessor must use the questions from their EPAO’s question bank or create their own questions in line with the EPAO’s training.

The independent assessor can ask follow-up questions to clarify answers given by the apprentice. These questions are in addition to the above set number of questions for the practical assessment.

The independent assessor must make the grading decision. The independent assessor must assess the practical assessment and responses to questions holistically when deciding the grade.

The independent assessor must keep accurate records of the assessment. They must record:

• the KSBs observed
• the apprentice’s answers to questions
• KSBs demonstrated in answers to questions
• the grade achieved

Assessment location

The practical assessment must take place in a simulated environment selected by the EPAO for example, the EPAO’s or employer’s premises. The simulated environment must relate to the apprentice’s natural work environment. Equipment and resources needed for the practical assessment must be provided by the EPAO, who can liaise with the employer to provide these.

Question and resource development

The EPAO must develop a purpose-built assessment specification and question bank. It is recommended this is done in consultation with employers of this occupation. The EPAO must maintain the security and confidentiality of EPA materials when consulting with employers. The assessment specification and question bank must be reviewed at least once a year to ensure they remain fit-for-purpose.

The assessment specification must be relevant to the occupation and demonstrate how to assess the KSBs mapped to this assessment method. The EPAO must ensure that questions are refined and developed to a high standard. The questions must be unpredictable. A question bank of sufficient size will support this. 

The EPAO must ensure that the apprentice has a different set of tasks and questions in the case of re-sits and retakes, to minimise predictability.

The EPAO must produce the following materials to support the practical assessment:

• independent assessor assessment materials which include:
  • training materials
  • administration materials
  • moderation and standardisation materials
  • guidance materials
  • grading guidance
  • question bank
• EPA guidance for the apprentice and the employer

The EPAO must ensure that the EPA materials are subject to quality assurance procedures including standardisation and moderation.

Overview

In the professional discussion, an independent assessor and apprentice have a formal two-way conversation. It gives the apprentice the opportunity to demonstrate the KSBs mapped to this assessment method.

The apprentice can refer to and illustrate their answers with evidence from their portfolio of evidence.

Rationale

This assessment method is being used because:

• it tests KSBs holistically and objectively
• it allows for the assessment of KSBs that do not occur on a predictable or regular basis
• it can be conducted remotely, potentially reducing cost

Delivery

The professional discussion must be structured to give the apprentice the opportunity to demonstrate the KSBs mapped to this assessment method to the highest available grade.

An independent assessor must conduct and assess the professional discussion.

The purpose is to assess the apprentice's competence against the following themes:

• legislation, policies, and procedures
• fire behaviour
• communication

The EPAO must give an apprentice 2 weeks' notice of the professional discussion.

The independent assessor must have at least 1 weeks to review the supporting documentation.

The apprentice must have access to their portfolio of evidence during the professional discussion.

The apprentice can refer to and illustrate their answers with evidence from their portfolio of evidence however, the portfolio of evidence is not directly assessed.

The professional discussion must last for 90 minutes. The independent assessor can increase the time of the professional discussion by up to 10%. This time is to allow the apprentice to respond to a question if necessary.

The independent assessor must ask at least 12 questions. The independent assessor must use the questions from the EPAO’s question bank or create their own questions in line with the EPAO’s training. Follow-up questions are allowed where clarification is required.

The independent assessor must make the grading decision.

The independent assessor must keep accurate records of the assessment. They must record:

• the apprentice’s answers to questions
• the KSBs demonstrated in answers to questions
• the grade achieved 

Assessment location

The professional discussion must take place in a suitable venue selected by the EPAO for example, the EPAO’s or employer’s premises.

The professional discussion can be conducted by video conferencing. The EPAO must have processes in place to verify the identity of the apprentice and ensure the apprentice is not being aided.

The professional discussion should take place in a quiet room, free from distractions and influence.

Question and resource development

The EPAO must develop a purpose-built assessment specification and question bank. It is recommended this is done in consultation with employers of this occupation. The EPAO must maintain the security and confidentiality of EPA materials when consulting with employers. The assessment specification and question bank must be reviewed at least once a year to ensure they remain fit-for-purpose.

The assessment specification must be relevant to the occupation and demonstrate how to assess the KSBs mapped to this assessment method. The EPAO must ensure that questions are refined and developed to a high standard. The questions must be unpredictable. A question bank of sufficient size will support this.

The EPAO must ensure that the apprentice has a different set of questions in the case of re-sits or re-takes.

The EPAO must produce the following materials to support the professional discussion:

• independent assessor assessment materials which include:
  • training materials
  • administration materials
  • moderation and standardisation materials
  • guidance materials
  • grading guidance
  • question bank
• EPA guidance for the apprentice and the employer

The EPAO must ensure that the EPA materials are subject to quality assurance procedures including standardisation and moderation.

Performance in the EPA determines the overall grade of:

• fail

• pass

• distinction

An independent assessor must individually grade the practical assessment and professional discussion in line with this EPA plan.

The EPAO must combine the individual assessment method grades to determine the overall EPA grade.

If the apprentice fails one assessment method or more, they will be awarded an overall fail.

To achieve an overall pass, the apprentice must achieve at least a pass in all the assessment methods. To achieve an overall distinction, the apprentice must pass the practical assessment and achieve a distinction in the professional discussion.

Grades from individual assessment methods must be combined in the following way to determine the grade of the EPA overall.

If the apprentice fails one assessment method or more, they can take a re-sit or a re-take at their employer’s discretion. The apprentice’s employer needs to agree that a re-sit or re-take is appropriate. A re-sit does not need further learning, whereas a re-take does. The apprentice should have a supportive action plan to prepare for a re-sit or a re-take.

The employer and the EPAO should agree the timescale for a re-sit or re-take. A re-sit is typically taken within 2 months of the EPA outcome notification. The timescale for a re-take is dependent on how much re-training is required and is typically taken within 3 months of the EPA outcome notification.

Failed assessment methods must be re-sat or re-taken within a 6-month period from the EPA outcome notification, otherwise the entire EPA will need to be re-sat or re-taken in full.

Re-sits and re-takes are not offered to an apprentice wishing to move from pass to a higher grade.

The apprentice will get a maximum EPA grade of pass for a re-sit or re-take, unless the EPAO determines there are exceptional circumstances.

The EPAO must have reasonable adjustments arrangements for the EPA.

This should include:

• how an apprentice qualifies for reasonable adjustment
• what reasonable adjustments may be made

Adjustments must maintain the validity, reliability and integrity of the EPA as outlined in this EPA plan.

Internal quality assurance refers to the strategies, policies and procedures that an EPAO must have in place to ensure valid, consistent and reliable EPA decisions.

EPAOs for this EPA must adhere to the requirements within the roles and responsibilities table.

They must also appoint independent assessors who:

• have recent relevant experience of the occupation or sector to at least occupational level 4 gained in the last 2 years or significant experience of the occupation or sector

Affordability of the EPA will be aided by using at least some of the following:

• utilising digital remote platforms to conduct applicable assessment methods

• conducting assessment methods on the same day

This apprenticeship is not aligned to professional recognition.