PSRAS and MCQ terms and conditions

Terms and conditions for the Police Station Representatives Accreditation Scheme, Police Station Qualification and Magistrates’ Court Qualification.

Definitions

‘School of Law and Politics’ or ‘School’ or ‘we’ or ‘Cardiff University’ or ‘us’ means Cardiff University or The School of Law and Politics.

‘Schemes’ means any of the following: Police Station Representatives Accreditation Scheme, Police Station Qualification, Magistrates’ Court Qualification.

‘Client’ or ‘you’ means the person, delegate, company or organisation booking or attending one of the Schemes. Please note that we can’t accept applicants from outside England and Wales.

‘Course’ means a course (online or face-to-face) or other event that is covered under any of the Schemes. These terms and conditions do not apply to bespoke or closed courses.

‘Assessment’ means an assessment (online or face-to-face) that is covered under any of the Schemes.

‘Package’ means a selected group of Courses or Assessments. These Packages are explained and itemised on our website. Package also refers to previously advertised selected groups of Courses or Assessments.

‘Voucher’ means the system by which a Client can purchase a Package. The voucher is valid for the price of a specific Package, and a Client draws down on this voucher each time they book a Course or Assessment within the Package.

‘Commencement date’ means the start date of the Course. ‘Assessment date’ means the date of an Assessment.

‘Assessor’ means any assessors, examiners, invigilators, or other staff involved with the Schemes.

‘Fees’ means the price of the Course, Assessment or Package.

‘Day’ means every day of the week except statutory holidays, and Cardiff University closures.

‘Working Day’ means every day of the week except Saturdays, Sundays, statutory holidays, and Cardiff University closures.

Scope

These terms and conditions are applicable to all Packages, Courses and Assessments within the Schemes.

Prices

Our website advertises the fees for Packages, Courses, and Assessments contained within the Schemes. We reserve the right to increase the fees from that advertised on the website or other forms at our discretion and for any reason prior to the course commencement. Fees include all handouts, pre-course materials or manuals, and examination or accreditation costs (if applicable) for UK-based clients unless otherwise stated.

If buying a Package, a Client will purchase a Voucher and will draw down on the value of the Voucher when booking Courses or Assessments.

If the Client fails an Assessment, there will be a resit fee equivalent to the cost of the Course or Assessment. These fees are advertised on our website (via the booking portal). The cost of re-sitting a Course or Assessment is not included in the cost of a Voucher and must be booked and paid for separately. This is explained on our website (via the booking portal).

Terms of payment

Fees must be paid in full before commencing the Course or Assessment. Special arrangements may be separately agreed upon in the case of late bookings.

Courses and Assessments

The School of Law and Politics provides Courses and Assessments in conjunction with selected Assessors. To the best of the School's knowledge, these Assessors are suitably qualified and accredited to deliver the courses offered.

The contents of schedules/outlines are intended for general guidance only and do not form any part of a contract. We reserve the right to make any reasonable variations to schedules/outlines, including the content and location, without notice.

The indication of availability and location shown on the Cardiff University website is for general guidance and does not form any part of a contract. Please contact us at law-pdu@cardiff.ac.uk before making any travel or accommodation arrangements as we will not be liable for any action that you may take in reliance on the information.

It is the responsibility of the Client to ensure they meet the prerequisites of the Course or Assessment on which they are booked, and that the Course or Assessment content meets their requirements.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Courses and Assessments are delivered in English, and all Clients must be sufficiently proficient in the English language before attending a course.

Package/Voucher expiry date

All Vouchers and Packages expire 18 months from the date of issue. Clients must redeem the value within this period. The Voucher/Package is valid up to and including the expiry date.

Unredeemed/partially redeemed Vouchers/Packages will not be extended. Exceptional circumstances will be considered by the Schemes’ lead academic.

Once the Client has redeemed part or all of the Voucher, we will not refund the remainder of the Voucher. Exceptional circumstances will be considered by the Schemes’ lead academic.

Cancellation, transfers and substitutions

Please note we will send details (such as location, timings, pre-course tasks and for online Courses or Assessments, Teams/other login details) and confirmation that the Course or Assessment is going ahead as follows:

5-10 Working Days prior to the commencement/assessment date.

Substitutions

We will endeavour to accommodate requests by the Client to substitute one delegate for another, but we're under no obligation to do so. Such requests are subject to the replacement delegate meeting the prerequisites for the Course or Assessment.

Where a blended Course or Assessment includes elements of eLearning, live online and/or face-to-face teaching, substitutions will not be permitted once you have accessed/downloaded the eLearning element.

Such requests are subject to the replacement delegate meeting the prerequisites for the Course or Assessment. The Client must submit requests for substitutions no less than 21 Days before the commencement date. If a substitution is requested within 21 Days, then the cancellation fee shall apply.

Transfers

In the event that a Client is unable to attend the Course or Assessment booked, we will endeavour to transfer the Client to an alternative course.

If this is requested 21 or more days from the commencement date of the original Course or Assessment, then the only charges applicable will be an administration fee of £50 plus any difference in the fees. If a transfer is requested within 21 Days, then the cancellation fee below shall be payable.

Where a blended Course or Assessment includes elements of eLearning, live online and/or face-to-face teaching, transfers will not be permitted once you have accessed/downloaded the eLearning element.

If a Client wishes to transfer to a cheaper Course or Assessment, there will be no refund issued.

Transfers must be to a course within one 12-month period. Clients may only transfer once. The Client must put the transfer request in writing to Law-PDU@cardiff.ac.uk.

Cancelling your Course or Assessment

The Client may cancel the Course or Assessment booking by notifying us in writing. The Client shall also be deemed to have cancelled their booking if a delegate does not attend.

Where a blended Course or Assessment includes elements of eLearning, live online and/or face-to-face teaching, cancellations will not be permitted once you have accessed/downloaded the eLearning element.

In all cases, the Client must confirm the cancellation in writing by emailing Law-PDU@cardiff.ac.uk accompanied by supporting evidence (if applicable).

Cancellation fees

The Client will be liable to pay a cancellation fee:

Exceptional circumstances will be considered by the Schemes’ lead academic.

If we cancel or postpone a Course or Assessment

We reserve the right to cancel or postpone any Course or Assessment. In such circumstances, fees will be refunded in full. We will not be liable for any other loss or expense arising from the cancellation of the Course or Assessment, including travel or accommodation costs.

If we cancel or postpone a Course or Assessment, Clients will be contacted via email and offered the opportunity to transfer to an alternative date (if available). Should a Client wish to transfer, they must inform us at Law-PDU@cardiff.ac.uk within 21 Days of the cancellation email or we will refund the Fees automatically.

Technical support and access

If you are unable to access an online Course or Assessment, we will use reasonable endeavours to provide a solution where we have direct control over the system, software or settings involved. If the issue lies with your hardware, systems, software, or settings thereof, we may, at our discretion, assist you to help you resolve the issue, but we cannot guarantee that any assistance provided will resolve your issue.

We will not be held responsible for any delay or disruptions to your access to an online Course or Assessment as a result of any firewall restrictions that have been placed on your network or the computer you are using, failures of telecommunication links and equipment, or updated browser issues.

Online Courses or Assessments (excluding face-to-face)

Unless otherwise stated, you will be issued with a web link/Cardiff University Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) account, which will enable you to complete any training, access handouts, and material and complete any Assessments. A VLE account will be active for 18 months.

Please note that your access to training modules will be removed two weeks after live delivery.

Copyright

Copyright and all other IPR (Intellectual Property Rights) in all materials, shall remain the property of Cardiff University. You are prohibited from making a copy or permitting the copying of Course of Assessment material, nor permitting their disclosure to a third party, nor using these materials to run your Course or Assessment.

Complaints, Appeals and Extenuating Circumstances procedures

For the Police Station Representatives Accreditation Scheme; Police Station Qualification; and Magistrates’ Court qualification.

It is your right to make the complaint and receive responses in Welsh if that is your wish.

Candidates’ Complaints Procedure

1. Scope of the complaints procedure

1.1 You are eligible to use this complaints procedure if you are registered with Cardiff University as a candidate undertaking the Police Station Representatives Accreditation Scheme (PSRAS) and/or the Magistrates’ Court Qualification (MCQ).

1.2 This complaints procedure may only be used to complain about:

a) assessment provision by Cardiff School of Law and Politics in respect of PSRAS and/or MCQ; or

b) provision of administrative or support services by Cardiff School of Law and Politics in respect of PSRAS and/or MCQ; or

c) provision of training in respect of any element of PSRAS and/or MCQ.

1.3 You should not use this procedure to pursue either of the following matters:

a) an appeal against a decision of the PSRAS and/or MCQ Test Board, which should be pursued in accordance with the scheme’s ‘Appeals Procedure’;

b) an extenuating circumstances application to extend the time for completion of the PSRAS and/or MCQ, which should be pursued in accordance with the scheme’s ‘Extenuating Circumstances Procedure’.

2. Submission of complaints

2.1 In order for a complaint to be considered it must be raised within 28 days of the candidate becoming aware that grounds for complaint exist. Any complaint must be in writing and must clearly state the basis of the complaint, the date(s) on which the relevant matters occurred, any steps that have been taken to try and resolve the complaint and the desired outcome. Any relevant documentary evidence must be provided.

2.2 The complaint must be submitted to:

The Head of Cardiff Professional Legal Studies School of Law and Politics
Law Building
Museum Avenue
Cardiff
CF10 3AX

2.3 Anonymous letters of complaint, which do not identify the complainant, will not be investigated.

3. Investigation of complaints

3.1 Complaints made under this procedure will be investigated by the Head of Cardiff Professional Legal Studies (‘the Head’).

3.2 The Head, or their nominee, will consider the complaint and supporting evidence and will reply within 28 days of receiving the complaint. Where appropriate, the Head will set out any intended or completed course of action to resolve the complaint and, if any further investigation is required, the time scale within which the investigation is expected to be completed.

3.3 If further investigation is required the candidate will be informed of the outcome after the investigation.

3.4 Any candidate considering pursuing a complaint under this procedure should note the following:

a) Those about whom complaints are made have a right to know what is claimed and who is making a complaint. Where you make a formal complaint your letter of complaint will normally be copied to the person(s) who is the subject of the complaint unless you can demonstrate that there are good reasons why this should not happen.

b) You will not be discriminated against or suffer recrimination as a result of making a complaint, irrespective of whether or not your complaint is upheld.

4. Review by Head of Cardiff School of Law and Politics

4.1 A candidate may request that the Head of Cardiff School of Law and Politics (‘the Head of School’) reviews the outcome of the Head’s investigation into their complaint.

4.2 An application for a review by the Head of School must be in writing and must be submitted within 14 days of the date of the letter informing the candidate of the outcome of the Director’s investigation. The application must be submitted to:

The Head of School
School of Law and Politics Law Building
Museum Avenue
Cardiff
CF10 3XJ

4.3 An application for a review by the Head of School may only be made where the candidate can demonstrate one or more of the following grounds:

a) the complaint has not been addressed;

b) the complaint has not been addressed within a reasonable time;

c) there is new evidence that was not available at the time of the formal investigation.

4.4 The Head of School, or their nominee, will consider the request for review and will reply within 28 days of receiving the request. The Head of School will set out their response to the request for review and, if any further investigation is to proceed, the time scale within which the investigation is expected to be completed. If further investigation is required the candidate will be informed of the outcome after the investigation.

The decision of the Head of School including a decision not to undertake a review shall be final.

Appeals Procedure

1. Request for appeal

1.1 Any candidate who wishes to appeal against a decision of the Police Station Representatives Accreditation Scheme (PSRAS) and/or Magistrates’ Court Qualification (MCQ) Test Board (‘Test Board’) must submit their appeal within 28 days of the date of the letter informing them of the result appealed against.

1.2 Any appeal must be in writing and must clearly state the grounds of appeal. Any relevant documentary evidence must be appended to the appeal.

1.3 The appeal must be submitted to:

Miss Kate Hawkins
Director: PSRAS and MCQ
Centre for Professional Legal Studies
Law Building
Museum Avenue
Cardiff
CF10 3AX

Or by email to: hawkinskv@cardiff.ac.uk

2. Grounds for appeal

2.1 The Test Board will only consider appeals which are based on evidence of prejudice or of bias or of inadequate assessment on the part of one or more of the assessors.

Appeals which question the academic judgement of the assessors shall not be admissible.

3. Appeal procedure

3.1 Any request for appeal submitted in accordance with section 1 above will be considered at the first meeting of the Test Board following receipt of the appeal.

3.2 The Test Board shall consider the appellant’s submission, together with any other evidence that it considers relevant.

3.3 In respect of every appeal submitted in accordance with section 1 above, the Test Board shall take either of the following decisions:

a) to disallow the appeal and take no further action;

b) to uphold the appeal and determine what action should be taken regarding the appellant.

3.4 In the absence of a unanimous verdict by the Test Board the decision of the majority shall prevail and in the event of equality of votes, the appeal will be upheld. The Chair shall be entitled to vote but shall not have a casting vote.

3.5 The Chair (or their nominee) shall inform the appellant of the decision in respect of the appeal as soon as possible after the meeting.

4. Head’s Review

4.1 An appellant may request that the Head of the Centre for Professional Legal Studies (‘the Head’) reviews the decision of the Test Board in respect of their appeal.

4.2 An application for a review by the Head must be in writing and must be submitted within 28 days of the date of the letter informing the appellant of the outcome of their appeal. The application must be submitted to:

The Head
Centre for Professional Legal Studies
Law Building
Museum Avenue
Cardiff
CF10 3AX

4.3 An application for a review by the Head may only be made where the applicant can demonstrate defects or irregularities in the conduct of the Test Board at which the appeal was determined and which are of such a nature as to cause reasonable doubt as to whether the Test Board would have reached the same decision had they not occurred.

4.4 Any application for a review by the Head must be accompanied by a fee of £150, which will be refunded in the event of the review being determined in the applicant’s favour in accordance with paragraph 4.5(b) below.

4.5 In respect of every application submitted in accordance with this section, the Head shall take either of the following decisions:

a) to dismiss the application which will complete the procedure and no further submission will be considered;

b) to uphold the application and refer the case back to the Test Board. The decision of the Head shall be final.

4.6 Where a case is to be referred back to the Test Board, the Head shall also specify:

a) whether or not the applicant is permitted to make any revisions to the assessment as originally submitted;

b) whether or not the applicant will be liable to pay a further examination fee;

c) the deadline for submission/re-submission.

4.7 The Head shall inform the applicant of the decision in respect of the review within 42 days of receipt of the application.

Extenuating Circumstances Procedure

1. Request for Extenuating Circumstances to be taken into consideration

1.1 To be accredited under the Police Station Representatives Accreditation Scheme or awarded the Magistrates’ Court Qualification Certificate, candidates must demonstrate competence in each of the assessment elements within the timescale for that scheme.

1.2 A candidate who believes that his/her ability to complete all of the assessment elements within the requisite period was affected by extenuating circumstances (such as illness), may ask the PSRAS and/or MCQ Test Board (‘Test Board’) to take the extenuating circumstances into consideration.

1.3 Any extenuating circumstances application must be submitted in writing. Any relevant documentary evidence (such as medical evidence) must be appended to the application, and each application will be determined on its merits. The application should be submitted at the time when the candidate becomes aware of the circumstances affecting their ability to complete the accreditation within the requisite period and must be submitted by no later than 14 days after the date the candidate is out of time for completion of PSRAS.

1.4 Any extenuating circumstances application must be submitted to:

Miss Kate Hawkins
Centre for Professional Legal Studies
Law Building
Museum Avenue
Cardiff
CF10 3AX

2. Extenuating Circumstances Procedure

2.1 Any extenuating circumstances application submitted in accordance with section 1 above will be considered at the first meeting of the Test Board following receipt of the application.

2.2 The Test Board will consider the application, together with any other evidence that it considers relevant.

2.3 In respect of every application submitted in accordance with section 1 above, the Test Board shall take either of the following decisions:

a) to allow the application and grant the applicant an extension of time for completion of the scheme, in which case the time for completion of the accreditation shall be specified;

b) to refuse the application, in which case the candidate will be advised regarding the elements of the accreditation which must be repeated in order to complete the accreditation and the timescales for completion.

Candidates should note that it is not possible for the Test Board to substitute an award of competence in place of a failed assessment, even where an application for extenuating circumstances is upheld.

2.4 In the absence of a unanimous verdict by the Test Board the decision of the majority shall prevail, and in the event of equality of votes, the extenuating circumstances application will be upheld. The Chair of the Test Board shall be entitled to vote but shall not have a casting vote.

2.5 The Chair (or their nominee) shall inform the applicant of the Test Board’s decision as soon as possible after the meeting.

Reasonable adjustment policy for PSRAS and MCQ candidates

1. Scope and exclusions

1.1 The University seeks to provide equal access for its disabled candidates through inclusive education and through additional reasonable adjustments. This commitment builds upon the legal obligations of the Equality Act 2010 and antidiscrimination guidance.

1.2 The Reasonable Adjustment Procedure provides a framework for the effective implementation of reasonable adjustments for all disabled candidates.

1.3 The Equality Act (2010) provides protection against discrimination, harassment, and victimisation on the grounds of disability and other protected characteristics.

1.4 A person is disabled if they have a long-term physical or mental impairment which has a substantial adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities. This encompasses individuals with physical or sensory impairments, mental health difficulties, specific learning difficulties, and a range of chronic or fluctuating conditions.

1.5 It is unlawful to discriminate against a disabled person in relation to the provision of education and related services. However, it is lawful to treat a disabled person more favourably because of their disability.

1.6 The duty to make reasonable adjustments is anticipatory: it requires the University to plan ahead and anticipate the likely needs of disabled candidates, rather than waiting until adjustments are proposed.

1.7 The purpose of the duty is to take reasonable steps to remove or avoid disadvantage so that disabled candidates can effectively participate in the assessments.  Failure to comply with the duty to make reasonable adjustments is considered discrimination under the Equality Act 2010.

1.8 The duty requires that only adjustments that are reasonable are made. What is reasonable will usually depend on the individual circumstances of the case. In assessing what is reasonable, the University should take the following into account:

1. the effect of the disability on the individual candidate
2. the effectiveness of the particular steps in removing or overcoming the relevant disadvantage
3. the relevant interests of other people, e.g. whether an adjustment would result in a significant disadvantage for other candidates
4. the practicality of the changes
5. any potential health and safety issues
6. the resources available
7. the financial and other costs of making the adjustment
8. the type of education/provision or other benefit, facility, or service being provided by the University
9. the extent to which aids and services will otherwise be provided to disabled candidates (e.g. local authority support)

1.9 Reasonable adjustments should not compromise the academic standards of the Police Station Representatives Accreditation Scheme or the Magistrates’ Court Qualification, as the Equality Act places no duty to make a reasonable adjustment to a competence standard.

1.10 A competence standard is ‘an academic, medical, or other standard, applied for the purpose of determining whether a person has a particular level of competence or ability’. A competence standard must apply equally to all candidates, be genuinely relevant to the programme, and be a proportionate means to achieving a legitimate aim.

1.11 There is however a duty to make reasonable adjustments to the way in which a competence standard is assessed so that disabled candidates are not disadvantaged as a result of their disability. Reasonable adjustments must not affect the validity or reliability of the assessment outcomes. However, they may involve, for example, changing the usual assessment arrangements or method, adapting assessment materials and providing a scribe or reader in the assessment.

2.       Policy

2.1 The purpose of this policy is to:

1. inform candidates about how to access support
2. support the University in complying with the requirements of relevant legislation
3. clarify where responsibility lies for the identification and implementation of reasonable adjustments
4. outline the necessary steps for the effective implementation of reasonable adjustments
5. inform candidates how to appeal a decision made in relation to a reasonable adjustment

2.2 The University requires Equality Impact Assessments (EIA) to be carried out on all new and existing policies and practices. These are helpful in identifying whether any policies or practices would disproportionately disadvantage certain groups of users, including disabled candidates, and enable the Professional Development Unit to consider anticipatory adjustments.

The University’s quality assurance processes ensure that the Professional Development Unit reflects on equality and diversity of training and assessment.

2.4 The University may not be able to make appropriate reasonable adjustments under certain circumstances unless candidates share the information about the relevant disability;  as a candidate you are expected to:

1. disclose a disability at the earliest opportunity
2. provide supporting documentation when requested (see 3.1, below)
3. attend meetings as requested to discuss your needs
4. disclose any changes such as increased impairment (e.g. because of a deteriorating condition) requiring new adjustments or a modification of existing adjustments

3. Procedure for identifying and implementing individual reasonable adjustments

3.1 The Professional Development Unit will take into account supporting evidence. This might include a GP’s letter, educational psychologist’s report, Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) needs assessment report, examination adjustments from previous educational institution, which could include (but are not limited to) documentation that details the provisions under the JCQ regulations for access arrangements, a copy of an NHS referral letter to an autism or ADHD assessment service and/or medical certificate confirming that a diagnosis is anticipated pending further assessment.

The Professional Development Unit will take into account information in supporting evidence to confirm the disability and/or to assess the impact of the disability. Recommended support will also be taken into consideration when identifying adjustments.

3.2 Applicants who have disclosed a disability are asked to provide more information about their disability together with supporting evidence, and to work with the Professional Development Unit to ensure that reasonable adjustments are in place as soon as possible.

3.3 You should also disclose a disability as soon as you become aware of it or its impact on your ability to access your assessments. You can tell us about your disability and support needs by contacting the Professional Development Unit.

3.4 The Professional Development Unit will consider whether some or all of the standardised University adjustments meet your specific needs, and will then consider whether individual adjustments are also required. In determining individual reasonable adjustments, the Professional Development Unit will take into account the factors set out in paragraph 1.8 relating to reasonableness, and in particular:

1. Your individual circumstances and the accreditation scheme
2. The effectiveness of the adjustment
3. Your previous experience of the adjustment, and the time and resource required to implement the adjustment

3.5 The University may not be able to offer the candidate their preferred adjustment when an alternative reasonable adjustment would be equally effective.

3.6 Once reasonable adjustments have been agreed, the reasonable adjustments will be recorded on the Candidate Record.

4. Reasonable adjustments: Professional Development Unit

4.1 Reasonable adjustments will be considered on an individual basis, which means that a broad and diverse range of adjustments may be recommended.

4.2 A number of reasonable adjustments to examinations that are commonly considered to be reasonable adjustments include:

• Extra time (up to 30 minutes per hour)
• Rest breaks (up to 10 minutes per hour)

5. Consultation process

5.1 If your needs change and the reasonable adjustments you have in place need to be updated, you can request a support review at any time with the Professional Development Unit.

5.2 The University recognises that your ability to access assessments may be hampered without your support adjustments in place, and will work with all parties to ensure adjustments can be made in a timely way.