Below you will find a set of questions that are frequently asked by local authorities.

Is the Standard different for local authorities?

Is it right for us?

There are multiple areas of the local authority that are engaged in delivering training and development solutions, how would the Standard cope with this?

We deliver training to employees within the local authority and to external organisations, so which version of the Standard should we apply for?

We use sub-contractors to deliver our training programmes: can we still apply for the Standard?

How is the Standard different to other quality assurance processes?

For more general questions about the Training Quality Standard for Employers please see here, or for more general questions about the Training Quality Standard please see here.

Is the Standard different for local authorities?
The short answer is no. The Standard has been designed so that it is applicable to all organisations offering training and development solutions. The non-prescriptive framework sets out what a training provider will be doing in order to be high quality, which allows the training provider to state how they meet these requirements.  So whether you’re a local authority interested in applying for the Training Quality Standard for Employers, or the Training Quality Standard, you will be using the same frameworks as other organisations.

Is it right for us?
If you’re an internal training function providing training and development solutions to local authority employees then the Training Quality Standard for Employers could be of benefit to you.

If you’re a department offering training and development solutions to external organisations then the Training Quality Standard could be of benefit to you.

To see the numerous benefits associated with the Standard please see the benefits page here.

There are multiple areas of the local authority that are engaged in delivering training and development solutions, how would the Standard cope with this?
Because training isn’t the main purpose of a local authority, the Standard allows local authority applicants to decide if they want to apply at department or directorate level, or if they want to apply as an entire local authority.

The main point is that the scope of the assessment – where the badge will sit within the local authority – must be clear. If the local authority decides to apply at department or directorate level the badge can only be awarded to a named training function that can be easily identified within the local authority.

We deliver training to employees within the local authority and to external organisations, so which version of the Standard should we apply for?
In these situations it can difficult for local authorities to decide if they should be applying for certification against the Training Quality Standard for Employers or the Training Quality Standard.

One of the easiest things you can do is work out your motivations for achieving the Standard.

The headline differences between the two versions are laid out below:

The Training Quality Standard for Employers:

• assesses a local authority’s internal training function for its responsiveness in providing training and development solutions that meet customer needs
• assesses a local authority’s internal training function for its expertise in developing and deploying products and services that meet corporate aims and objectives
• can be used to promote the local authority’s training offer to customers within the organisation
• cannot be used to sell the local authority’s training offer outside of the organisation.

The Training Quality Standard:

• assesses a local authority’s responsiveness in providing training that meets the needs of its external employer customers
• assesses a local authority’s expertise in meeting the needs of a specific sector
• can be used to sell the local authority’s training offer outside of the organisation.

So if you want to use the badge to sell your training offer to people outside of your organisation, the mainstream version of the Training Quality Standard may be more appropriate. However, please see our ‘TQS Vs TQSE Decision Flowchart’ to help you further with this decision, which can be found on the Training Quality Standard for Employers eligibility page here.

Please also remember that dependant on which version of the Standard you decide is more appropriate to you, your organisation must be able to satisfy the eligibility criteria for the Training Quality Standard for Employers here, or the Training Quality Standard here.

We use sub-contractors to deliver our training programmes: can we still apply for the Standard?
Yes, but these arrangements should be explained in your Application and you must be able to show that you manage these contracts effectively to meet the needs of your customers, whether they are internal customers or external employer customers.

How is the Standard different to other quality assurance processes?
Whilst your local authority may have been through other quality assurance processes, it’s important to understand the difference between:

• Quality for the learner and quality for customers: the Standard is specifically about the quality of your delivery of training and development solutions to customers. Whether they are employer customers, who are the focus of the Training Quality Standard, or in the case of the Training Quality Standard for Employers, the quality of your delivery of training and development solutions to customers and the wider organisation.

To see comparisons between the Training Quality Standard and other assessment frameworks please refer to the Mapping Guide.