Accreditation
Recognising participant achievement is fundamental to the success of Outreach
Many of the young people referred to Outreach have never before received any kind of recognition or earned any qualifications. We believe some form of recognition is fundamental to the success of Outreach - it builds participants' confidence and sets the correct foundation for their future progression once the project is over.
We have put in place four different means of accreditation for Outreach participants:
Basic First Aid
First Aid forms part of many Outreach projects. This enables all participants to both learn a valuable life skill and also gain basic first aid qualification through the British Heart Foundation's Heartstart initiative.
OCN (Open College Network) Credit4Learning accreditation
OCN Credit4Learning is an accrediting organisation which supports providers who deliver training and educational programmes in a wide range of settings. ACFA Outreach is an approved OCN centre and a certified member of the Social Inclusion Support Network.
Under the heading Practical Team Skills, participants who successfully complete the Achiever Residential course can gain up to five credits towards qualifications from the Qualifications and Credit Framework. One credit is awarded for each of the subjects taken from the following list, up to a maximum of five:
- Cooking in the field
- Expeditions
- Hygiene in the field
- Load carrying
- Setting up a campsite
- Working with others
Those participants who are nominated to participate in the student mentor programme can gain three additional OCN credits under the heading of Introduction to Mentoring Skills.
Edexcel BTEC Level 1 Foundation Certificate in Teamwork and Personal Skills
Provided through our relationship with CVQO, this qualification is open to all those who successfully complete the Achiever Residential course. Enrolment fees are £100 per participant which must be paid by the partner organisation.
Edexcel BTEC Level 2 Extended Certificate in Teambuilding, Coaching and Mentoring with a Volunteering element
This is open to those who return for the Pathfinder course, having been selected as potential mentors for future Outreach projects. Enrolment fees are £175 per participant, payable by the partner organisation.