Nope, your mind’s not playing tricks on you…the supermarket Christmas aisles really are in full swing! So get the chocolate selection boxes ready and the yearly ITV screening of ‘Elf’ in your diary because it’s almost the most magical time of the year!

But before you scramble to the shops for those special Christmas treats, it’s time for us to let you know about our Christmas service times for 2021.

Be sure to carefully review the information below and if you have any questions, get in touch with us on support@tquk.org (for all things Awarding), epasupport@tquk.org (for all things EPA) or call us on 0333 358 3344.

Please click the link below to be taken directly to the suite of your choice.

Christmas Closure

Our head office will be closing for Christmas at 2pm on Friday 24th December 2021 and will remain closed until 8:30am on Tuesday 4th January 2022. No office-based staff will be working during this period and therefore phones and emails will not be answered/supported.

End-Point Assessment

With these dates in mind, the EPA team will not be available to access their emails during this period, and Gateways and Multiple-Choice Question (MCQ) exams will not be approved or booked.

Gateway & Assessor Allocations

If your Apprentice is successfully progressed through Gateway by Tuesday 21st December 2021 an End-Point Assessor will be allocated before Friday 24th December 2021 who will attempt to make contact with the Apprentice and Employer to arrange an Assessment Planning Meeting for January 2022.

If your Apprentice is successfully progressed through Gateway by Wednesday 22nd December 2021 an End-Point Assessor will be allocated by Wednesday 5th January 2022, and contact attempted by the Assessor by Friday 7th January 2022.

All Apprentices submitted for Gateway review from Thursday 23rd December 2021 onwards will be processed from Tuesday 4th January 2022.

Assessment Scheduling

Due to our office closure period from Friday 24th December 2021 to Tuesday 4th January 2022 it is unlikely that assessments will be scheduled during this time. Any assessments made during this period will be at the discretion of the Assessor to meet an extenuating circumstance, however, we encourage all Assessors to take the full break over the Festive period.

Should any assessments proceed during this time it should be acknowledged by all parties that as the TQUK office is closed, there will be no access to additional support. SLAs for completion and issuing of results will commence from Tuesday 4th January 2022.

Results

Assessment results are not processed until all EPA Assessments are completed. Where the Apprentice’s final assessment takes place on or before Tuesday 7th December 2021 their EPA result will be released by Friday 24th December 2021. Where the Apprentice’s final assessment takes place on or after Wednesday 8th December 2021 their EPA result will be released by Tuesday 4th January 2022.

If you have any questions in regard to any of the above please get in touch with the EPA team by emailing epasupport@tquk.org or calling 03333 583 344.

Assessment Bookings

Deadline dates for Assessment bookings can be seen below. Please note within these dates so you can ensure exams are booked or sat before Christmas if necessary.

General

  • The last day to book an online exam to guarantee results before Christmas is Tuesday 14th December 2021.
  • The last day that an online exam can be sat to guarantee results before Christmas is Tuesday 21st December 2021.
  • Regulated exams will be available to sit until Tuesday 21st December 2021 and will start again on Tuesday 4th January 2021.

Healthcare Assistant Practitioner

  • The last day to book a paper-based Healthcare Assistant Practitioner exam to guarantee results before Christmas is Thursday 9th December 2021.
  • The last day that a paper-based Healthcare Assistant Practitioner exam can be sat to guarantee results before Christmas is Thursday 16th December 2021.

Children, Young People and Families Manager

  • The last day to book a remotely invigilated Children, Young People and Families Manager exam by TQUK is Tuesday 14th December 2021.
  • The last day to book an online Children, Young People and Families Manager invigilated by the Training provider is Wednesday 15th December 2021.
  • The last day a Children, Young People and Families Manager exam can be taken is Tuesday 21st December 2021.
  • Results for Children, Young People and Families Manager will be issued after Christmas as exams require both components to be completed and an allowance of 10-12 working days following this for results distribution

Invigilation documents and declarations need to be submitted on the same day as the exam to ensure that there are no delays. A minimum of five working days’ notice must be provided between the date of Google Form submission and the date of the exam.

While the office is closed, we’ll be unable to offer support with any booked exams.

Quality Assurance

The Bank Holidays on Monday 27th December 2021, Tuesday 28th December 2021 and Monday 3rd January 2022, as well as the period between Wednesday 29th  December 2021 and Friday 31st December 2021 inclusive, will not count as working days when calculating the completion time for the following:

  • Sampling activities
  • Qualification Approvals
  • Direct Claims Status transfers
  • Reasonable Adjustments
  • Special Considerations

The final day in 2021 for issuing Annual Activities to EQAs will be Friday 24th December 2021. Re-allocation of this work will commence on Tuesday 4th January 2022.

If you have any questions in regards to any of the above dates and times please get in touch with the Quality team by emailing quality@tquk.org or calling 03333 583 344.

Appeals

When calculating the completion time for an appeal, Wednesday 29th December, Thursday 30th December and Friday 31st December 2021 will not count as working days.

If you have any questions in regard to any of the above dates and times, please get in touch with the Compliance team by emailing compliance@tquk.org or calling 03333 583 344.

Certifications

The last day for certification of our regulated qualifications will be Wednesday 22nd December 2021. Any claims submitted after Wednesday 22nd December 2021 will be certificated on Tuesday 4th January 2022

For endorsed certification, the final day for printing will be Tuesday 21st December 2021, so to ensure certification before Christmas, please make all submissions as early as possible. Any claims submitted will be printed on Wednesday 5th January 2022

Manuals and Assessment Records

For delivery before Christmas, we recommend that any orders are placed as early as possible. Our last day for shipment will be Wednesday 22nd December 2021 for guaranteed delivery before Christmas. Any orders placed after Wednesday 22nd December 2021 may be shipped before Christmas, but delivery cannot be guaranteed before.

We wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a fantastic New Year!

If you have any questions about any of these dates, please drop your account manager a line and they’ll be able to help out.