Employer Charter

This Charter demonstrates our commitment to those who work with Orchard Training Solutions, and is intended to clearly indicate the standards and levels of service you can expect from us and our expectations of you as an employer or employee.

Our commitments to you

Enquiries:

We will respond to all enquiries in a professional and timely manner by:

Responding to telephone calls quickly and to telephone messages within 1 working day
Feeding back to telephone enquires within 1 working day
Acknowledging email or written enquires within three working days
Arranging for an interview or Organisational Needs Analysis (ONA) with Orchard Training Solutions within ten working days.

Before entry into any training contract:

A member of the Business Development Team will visit you to discuss and identify your business needs and undertake an Organisational Needs Analysis (ONA) to assist in this process.
Once your business need is identified, we will offer you appropriate solutions to meet that need, at a time and a place to suit you and your staff.
If we are unable to provide appropriate solutions to your organisation's training needs, we will refer you to either a brokerage service or an alternative provider.

At the start of a programme:

We will provide the employer and the employee with:

A designated Account Officer who will act as a ‘one stop shop’ throughout the training programme to deal with and resolve any potential queries or issues quickly and efficiently.
Clear and accurate information about the course content, duration, times, assessments/exams and costs.
Information relating to how progress is reviewed.
Information about Orchard Training Solutions, our College policies and procedures, accessing learning resources and the facilities available.
Additional learning support, should extra assistance be required.

During the programme

We will provide:

High quality training which takes into account individual learning needs.
Programmes which start and finish promptly.
Progress reviews and regular feedback from tutors at agreed intervals.
The opportunity for employers and employees to evaluate the impact of the training.

We ask employers to...

Provide members of the Business Development Team with the necessary information to assist in identifying the most appropriate solution to meet your business needs.
Sign the Organisational Needs Analysis Summary to ensure that we are able to measure impact from the underlying business needs that are initially identified.
Keep us informed of changes in circumstances of any employee who is undertaking a training programme with us, or if your training requirements change.
Inform us promptly if we have not provided the service standards expected, or if you have concerns about the progress of your employees.
Brief learners about the nature of the training and any pre-work required, the organisation’s objectives in sending them on the programme, and how they will be debriefed after the event.
Support your staff, allowing sufficient time for the employees to attend sessions, assessments and/or exams.
Pay invoices to the agreed terms and conditions.

We ask employees to...

Make a positive commitment to the programme and strive to achieve their individual learning goals.
Be punctual and attend all sessions.
Complete and submit work on time.
Agree to the observation plans in the work place.

Health & Safety

On our sites we will provide:

A positive, professional and accessible learning environment for learners.
Information about Health & Safety, in addition to other relevant policies and procedures of the College (copies available on request).
Risk Assessments, where appropriate.

We will also undertake risk assessments off-site.

Safeguarding

Orchard Training Solutions, as part of Hopwood Hall College, recognises that it has a duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of all learners. Both the College and its partners are committed to promoting the welfare of young people and vulnerable adults receiving education and training.

For more details, please visit Rochdale Borough Safeguarding Board http://www.RBSCB.org.

Equality & Diversity

Orchard Training Solutions, as part of Hopwood Hall College, is committed to achieving equality of opportunity for all those who study, work or are linked to the College. Both the College and its partners are committed to widening participation and to the removal of barriers to achievement.

If you have a problem or complaint…

In the first instance please speak to your designated Account Officer. If the problem or complaint cannot be resolved, please contact the Orchard Training Solutions Quality Manager Dan Ferrecchi on 01706 354496 ext 29 or email Dan.Ferrecchi@hopwood.ac.uk.

If you would like further information and advice, please contact the Executive Director for Skills, responsible for Orchard Training Solutions, Dr OJ. Rahim at:

Orchard Training Solutions
Sandbrook House
Sandbrook Park
Sandbrook Way
Rochdale
OL11 1RY

Tel No. 01706 354 496 ext 30
OJ.Rahim@hopwood.ac.uk

Continuous Improvement

To help us to continually improve the products and services we offer, we ask both the employer and employee:

To provide feedback on the products and services received through questionnaires, telephone surveys, employer focus groups, employer forums, or any other appropriate methods suitable for this purpose.
To let us know your thoughts on how programmes might be developed to meet the needs of other businesses in your sector.

This Charter is reviewed annually. We welcome your comments.

Orchard Skills Centre official opening

Orchard Skills Centre on Drake Street, Rochdale was officially opened on 23rd February, with a ceremonial ribbon-cutting by the Mayor and Mayoress, Councillor Keith Swift and Ms Sue Etchells.

Orchard Training Solutions; Hopwood Hall College’s Employer Engagement Arm developed the skills centre after the government launched the Response to Redundancy (R2R) initiative in mid 2009. The aim of the project is to help individuals who are unemployed or at risk of redundancy and make training available so they can broaden their skill range and increase their employability.

The College’s Vice-Principal for Finance & Corporate Services, John Spindler, and the College’s Vice-Principal for Skills, Dr O J Rahim, members of the College executive, local government representatives, partners, tutors and students attended.

The opening provided an opportunity for the many organisations who work with the skills centre to meet and celebrate the successes that the project has enjoyed so far.

Jane McAuley, R2R Project Co-ordinator said: “In just a short space of time since the skills centre opened in early November, we’ve already had learners who have completed training courses, secured job interviews and accepted job offers. In an area of high unemployment like Rochdale, this is a fantastic achievement.”

Siobhan Probert of Syke, a former hairdresser, had been unemployed for several months when she called in to the skills centre to enquire about the training opportunities available. Siobhan said: “The staff at the skills centre were friendly and really helpful. I wanted to get into office work and they put me on the office skills course followed by basic and intermediate IT. I got help updating my CV and was back in employment within 2 months of contacting them. I’d recommend anyone who is in my situation to contact the skills centre.”