Personal Development and Employability
Skills - Scotland
1
Qualification Aim ....................................................................................................................... 4
Award Qualification Structure ................................................................................................... 5
Certificate Qualification Structure ............................................................................................. 8
Structure .................................................................................................................................. 13
Assessment of Qualifications ................................................................................................... 14
Grading ................................................................................................................................. 14
Evidence ............................................................................................................................... 14
Authenticity.......................................................................................................................... 15
Assessment evidence formats ............................................................................................. 15
Recording Achievement ....................................................................................................... 17
Candidates with particular requirements ............................................................................ 20
Centre Requirements ............................................................................................................... 21
Staff requirements ............................................................................................................... 21
The assessor ......................................................................................................................... 21
The internal verifier ............................................................................................................. 21
Making claims ...................................................................................................................... 23
Retaining evidence ................................................................................................................... 23
External Verification ............................................................................................................ 23
Support for centres .............................................................................................................. 24
Units ......................................................................................................................................... 25
Employability units............................................................................................................... 25
Personal development units ................................................................................................ 26
2
Since 1976 The Prince's Trust has worked with over 750,000 young people giving practical
and financial support to develop key work skills helping them move into employment,
education and training.
Prince's Trust Qualifications seek to:
 Ensure young people have every opportunity to gain formal recognition of their skills and
achievements
 Develop qualifications that offer flexibility, choice and pathways to progression
 Provide excellent support and service to our partners to ensure they are best placed to
support young people
Recognising that many young people lack formal qualifications we actively promote our
qualifications to those who need them most; young people who have struggled at school or
are long term unemployed, those who have poor mental health, are addicted to drugs or
alcohol, have been in care, are homeless or have been in trouble with the law, single parents,
asylum seekers and refugees.
Quality of Service:
Prince’s Trust Qualifications believes that all young people should have the chance to
succeed. In order to ensure you have a positive experience when you work with us, we are
committed to ensuring that:
 You will be treated equally and with respect
 Your information will only be used in a way we’ve agreed with you, unless you tell us
something that places you or others at risk of harm
 You can expect to be treated by staff in a professional manner
 You can also expect our staff to be approachable, inspiring, enabling, passionate and
committed
Contact details:
Prince’s Trust Qualifications
9 Eldon Street
London
EC2M 7LS
020 7543 1391
qualifications.scotland@princes-trust.org.uk
www.princes-trust.org.uk/qualifications
3
Qualification Aim
The Prince’s Trust Awards and Certificates in Personal Development and Employability Skills
recognise a breadth of personal skills, qualities and attitudes required by employers across a
range of sectors. They have been developed with the aim of progressing candidates into
further education and/or employment and are available for use with pre and post 16
candidates:
They give candidates the opportunity to:
 Develop their own personal growth and engagement in, and through, learning
 Engage in learning that is relevant to them and support their development of personal skills
and attributes that are essential for working life and employment
 Prepare themselves for progression into further education programmes,
Modern
Apprenticeships or other work based learning
 Develop their English and mathematics skills
4
Award Qualification Structure
The Prince’s Trust Award in Personal Development and Employability Skills at SCQF Level 3 (R386 04)
Mandatory/ Optional/
Additional Unit
Unit Title
SCQF
Level
SCQF Credit
Candidates must complete a minimum of 6 credits in total, of which at least 3 credits must be taken from Group A1.
Group A1
UF94 04
UF95 04
UF96 04
UF97 04
Group A2
UF98 04
UF99 04
UG01 04
UG02 04
UG03 04
UG04 04
UG05 04
UG06 04
Optional
Optional
Optional
Optional
Career planning at SCQF Level 3
Interpersonal and self management skills at SCQF Level 3
Planning for personal development at SCQF Level 3
Work experience at SCQF Level 3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
6
Optional
Optional
Optional
Optional
Optional
Optional
Optional
Optional
Community project at SCQF Level 3
Managing money at SCQF Level 3
Participating in sport at SCQF Level 3
Planning for a healthy, active lifestyle at SCQF Level 3
Presentation skills at SCQF Level 3
Supporting others in the community at SCQF Level 3
Teamwork at SCQF Level 3
Undertaking an enterprise project at SCQF Level 3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
7
3
3
3
3
3
3
7
5
The Prince’s Trust Award in Personal Development and Employability Skills at SCQF Level 4 (R387 04)
Mandatory/ Optional/
Additional Unit
Unit Title
SCQF
Level
SCQF Credit
Candidates must complete a minimum of 6 credits in total, of which at least 3 credits must be taken from Group A1.
Group A1
UG15 04
UG16 04
UG17 04
UG18 04
Group A2
UG07 04
UG08 04
UG09 04
UG10 04
UG11 04
UG12 04
UG13 04
UG14 04
Optional
Optional
Optional
Optional
Career planning at SCQF Level 4
Interpersonal and self management skills at SCQF Level 4
Planning for personal development at SCQF Level 4
Work experience at SCQF Level 4
4
4
4
4
3
3
3
7
Optional
Optional
Optional
Optional
Optional
Optional
Optional
Optional
Community project at SCQF Level 4
Managing money at SCQF Level 4
Participating in sport at SCQF Level 4
Planning for a healthy, active lifestyle at SCQF Level 4
Presentation skills at SCQF Level 4
Supporting others in the community at SCQF Level 4
Teamwork at SCQF Level 4
Undertaking an enterprise project at SCQF Level 4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
7
3
3
3
3
3
3
7
6
The Prince’s Trust Award in Personal Development and Employability Skills at SCQF Level 5 (R388 04)
Mandatory/ Optional/
Additional Unit
Unit Title
SCQF
Level
SCQF Credit
Candidates must complete a minimum of 6 credits in total, of which at least 3 credits must be taken from Group A1.
Group A1
UG27 04
UG28 04
UG29 04
UG30 04
Group A2
UG19 04
UG20 04
UG21 04
UG22 04
UG23 04
UG24 04
UG25 04
UG26 04
Optional
Optional
Optional
Optional
Career planning at SCQF Level 5
Interpersonal and self management skills at SCQF Level 5
Planning for personal development at SCQF Level 5
Work experience at SCQF Level 5
5
5
5
5
3
3
3
7
Optional
Optional
Optional
Optional
Optional
Optional
Optional
Optional
Community project at SCQF Level 5
Managing money at SCQF Level 5
Participating in sport at SCQF Level 5
Planning for a healthy, active lifestyle at SCQF Level 5
Presentation skills at SCQF Level 5
Supporting others in the community at SCQF Level 5
Teamwork at SCQF Level 5
Undertaking an enterprise project at SCQF Level 5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
7
3
3
3
3
3
3
7
7
Certificate Qualification Structure
The Prince’s Trust Certificate in Personal Development and Employability Skills at SCQF Level 3 (R389 04)
Mandatory/ Optional/
Additional Unit
Unit Title
SCQF
Level
SCQF Credit
Candidates must complete 21 credits in total, of which at least 12 credits must be at Level 3. One unit must be taken from Group A1. Where
two units cover the same subject at different levels, only one may contribute to the qualification.
Group A - Candidates must achieve at least 12 credits from this Group, of which at least 3 credits must come from Group A1
Group A1
UF94 04
Optional
Career planning at SCQF Level 3
3
3
UF95 04
UF96 04
UF97 04
Group A2
UF98 04
UF99 04
UG01 04
UG02 04
UG03 04
UG04 04
UG05 04
UG06 04
Optional
Optional
Optional
Interpersonal and self management skills at SCQF Level 3
Planning for personal development at SCQF Level 3
Work experience at SCQF Level 3
3
3
3
3
3
6
Optional
Optional
Optional
Optional
Optional
Optional
Optional
Optional
Community project at SCQF Level 3
Managing money at SCQF Level 3
Participating in sport at SCQF Level 3
Planning for a healthy, active lifestyle at SCQF Level 3
Presentation skills at SCQF Level 3
Supporting others in the community at SCQF Level 3
Teamwork at SCQF Level 3
Undertaking an enterprise project at SCQF Level 3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
7
3
3
3
3
3
3
7
8
Group B - There is no minimum required number of units to be taken from this group
UG07 04
Optional
Community project at SCQF Level 4
4
7
UG08 04
Optional
Managing money at SCQF Level 4
4
3
UG09 04
Optional
Participating in sport at SCQF Level 4
4
3
UG10 04
Optional
Planning for a healthy, active lifestyle at SCQF Level 4
4
3
UG11 04
UG12 04
UG13 04
UG14 04
Optional
Optional
Optional
Optional
Presentation skills at SCQF Level 4
Supporting others in the community at SCQF Level 4
Teamwork at SCQF Level 4
Undertaking an enterprise project at SCQF Level 4
4
4
4
4
3
3
3
7
The Prince’s Trust Certificate in Personal Development and Employability Skills at SCQF Level 4 (R390 04)
Mandatory/ Optional/
Additional Unit
Unit Title
SCQF
Level
SCQF Credit
Candidates must complete a minimum of 21 credits in total, of which at least 12 credits must be at Level 4. One unit must be taken from
Group A1. Where two units cover the same subject at different levels, only one may contribute to the qualification
Group A - Candidates must achieve at least 12 credits from this Group, of which at least 3 credits must come from Group A1
Group A1
UG15 04
UG16 04
UG17 04
UG18 04
Optional
Optional
Optional
Optional
Career planning at SCQF Level 4
Interpersonal and self management skills at SCQF Level 4
Planning for personal development at SCQF Level 4
Work experience at SCQF Level 4
4
4
4
4
3
3
3
7
9
Group A2
UG07 04
UG08 04
UG09 04
UG10 04
UG11 04
UG12 04
UG13 04
UG14 04
Community project at SCQF Level 4
Managing money at SCQF Level 4
Participating in sport at SCQF Level 4
Planning for a healthy, active lifestyle at SCQF Level 4
Presentation skills at SCQF Level 4
Supporting others in the community at SCQF Level 4
Teamwork at SCQF Level 4
Undertaking an enterprise project at SCQF Level 4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
7
3
3
3
3
3
3
7
Group B - There is no minimum required number of units to be taken from this group
UG19 04
Optional
Community project at SCQF Level 5
UG20 04
Optional
Managing money at SCQF Level 5
UG21 04
Optional
Participating in sport at SCQF Level 5
UG22 04
Optional
Planning for a healthy, active lifestyle at SCQF Level 5
UG23 04
Optional
Presentation skills at SCQF Level 5
UG24 04
Optional
Supporting others in the community at SCQF Level 5
UG25 04
Optional
Teamwork at SCQF Level 5
UG26 04
Optional
Undertaking an enterprise project at SCQF Level 5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
7
3
3
3
3
3
3
7
Group C - There is no minimum required number of units to be taken from this group
UF98 04
Optional
Community project at SCQF Level 3
UF99 04
Optional
Managing money at SCQF Level 3
UG01 04
Optional
Participating in sport at SCQF Level 3
UG02 04
Optional
Planning for a healthy, active lifestyle at SCQF Level 3
UG03 04
Optional
Presentation skills at SCQF Level 3
UG04 04
Optional
Supporting others in the community at SCQF Level 3
UG05 04
Optional
Teamwork at SCQF Level 3
UG06 04
Optional
Undertaking an enterprise project at SCQF Level 3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
7
3
3
3
3
3
3
7
Optional
Optional
Optional
Optional
Optional
Optional
Optional
Optional
10
The Prince’s Trust Certificate in Personal Development and Employability Skills at SCQF Level 5 (R391 04)
Date of
Mandatory/ Optional/
SCQF
SCQF
Additional Unit
Unit Title
Level
SCQF Credit
Approval
Candidates must complete a minimum of 21 credits in total, of which at least 12 credits must be at Level 5. One unit must be taken from
Group A1. Where two units cover the same subject at different levels, only one may contribute to the qualification.
Group A - Candidates must achieve at least 12 credits from this Group, of which at least 3 credits must come from Group A1
Group A1
UG27 04
UG28 04
UG29 04
UG30 04
Group A2
UG19 04
UG20 04
UG21 04
UG22 04
UG23 04
UG24 04
UG25 04
UG26 04
Optional
Optional
Optional
Optional
Career planning at SCQF Level 5
Interpersonal and self management skills at SCQF Level 5
Planning for personal development at SCQF Level 5
Work experience at SCQF Level 5
5
5
5
5
3
3
3
7
Optional
Optional
Optional
Optional
Optional
Optional
Optional
Optional
Community project at SCQF Level 5
Managing money at SCQF Level 5
Participating in sport at SCQF Level 5
Planning for a healthy, active lifestyle at SCQF Level 5
Presentation skills at SCQF Level 5
Supporting others in the community at SCQF Level 5
Teamwork at SCQF Level 5
Undertaking an enterprise project at SCQF Level 5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
7
3
3
3
3
3
3
7
11
Group B - There is no minimum required number of units to be taken from this group
UG07 04
Optional
Community project at SCQF Level 4
UG08 04
Optional
Managing money at SCQF Level 4
UG09 04
Optional
Participating in sport at SCQF Level 4
UG10 04
Optional
Planning for a healthy, active lifestyle at SCQF Level 4
UG11 04
Optional
Presentation skills at SCQF Level 4
UG12 04
Optional
Supporting others in the community at SCQF Level 4
UG13 04
Optional
Teamwork at SCQF Level 4
UG14 04
Optional
Undertaking an enterprise project at SCQF Level 4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
7
3
3
3
3
3
3
7
12
Structure
Candidates do not have to achieve units in any particular order and teachers/tutors should
tailor learning programmes to meet individual candidate needs. It is recommended that,
wherever possible, centres adopt a holistic approach to the delivery of these qualifications
and identify opportunities to link the units and levels.
Candidates not able to complete a full qualification will have their achievements recognised
through certification at unit level.
If a candidate achieves units with the same title, for example, SCQF level 3 Teamwork
and SCQF level 4 Teamwork, only the credit value of the higher unit will count towards the
full Certificate qualification. The other unit can be recognised by unit certification, if
requested.
These qualifications provide a platform for candidates to progress onto further education
opportunities and/or employment, as they develop personal development and employability
skills.
13
Assessment of Qualifications
Grading
The qualifications are 100% centre assessed using portfolios of evidence and are graded
as pass or fail. The portfolios are internally assessed and externally moderated.
The assessment process is as follows:
 Activities are internally set by the centre to meet the requirements detailed in the unit
performance criteria
 The candidates are assessed internally at the centre by an assessor whilst they engage
in activities
 The candidate’s evidence is collated into a portfolio, which includes evidence tracking
sheets
 The centre undertakes internal quality assurance activities which includes sampling
portfolios assessed by each assessor.
 A further sample of portfolios is then externally moderated by Prince’s Trust
Qualifications
With these qualifications the best practice approach is to assess by ‘continuous
assessment’. This means that the candidate is assessed throughout their programme of
study, allowing for alternative activities to be set and further evidence produced while there
are still opportunities in the programme. Continuous assessment keeps candidates
motivated and engaged as it provides the candidate with opportunities to discuss progress,
check they are working at the correct level for their ability and producing sufficient evidence.
This open dialogue with the candidate should be recorded on their portfolio in some way,
either directly on the work or on the tracking sheet in the form of assessor feedback. The
writing of comments on candidates’ work, and tracking sheet, provides a means of
communication between staff during the internal standardisation and with the moderator if
the work forms part of the moderation sample.
Evidence
To achieve the units and qualifications candidates need to gather evidence from activities
which demonstrate they have met each of the performance criteria. Some evidence of a
candidate’s performance will also be derived from observation records and testimonies from
witnesses, who observe the candidate carrying out activities. Evidence can be in a variety of
forms as there is no pre-set format.
Through completion of activities on the learning programme, the candidates should generate
the right evidence to demonstrate they have completed the units sufficiently. It needs to be
clear from the evidence generated that the candidate has met the performance criteria.
Quality of written communication, although not directly assessed, is an important skill.
Candidates are expected to:
 ensure that text is legible and that spelling, punctuation and grammar are accurate so
that meaning is clear
 present information in a form that suits its purpose
 use a suitable structure and style of writing
 use specialist terminology, where applicable.
14
Authenticity
Tutors/assessors must be confident that the work they assess is the candidate’s own. This
does not mean that a candidate must be supervised throughout the completion of all
evidence produced, but the tutor/assessor must exercise sufficient supervision, or introduce
sufficient checks, to be in a position to judge the authenticity of the candidate’s work. This is
particularly important for the assessment activities/units that are completed in groups,
tutors/assessors must be confident that all candidates using the same source of evidence
have participated in its creation.
Candidates must not plagiarise. Plagiarism is the submission of another’s work as one’s
own and/or failure to acknowledge the source correctly. Plagiarism is considered to be
malpractice and could lead to the candidate being disqualified. Our policy on plagiarism
gives more detail about the procedures and sanctions.
Assessment evidence formats:
Product Evidence
Product evidence is the ‘natural’ evidence produced as candidates take part in individual
activities and the programme as a whole, and are completed regardless of whether the
young person is completing the qualification or not. Young people will generate a lot of
product evidence that will demonstrate how they have developed skills or identified areas for
improvement. Listing and referencing this evidence as it is produced is a beneficial way to
ensure that it can be located easily if it is needed for assessment.
Photographic Evidence
Photographs can make good evidence, either when individually or as a ‘storyboard’.
Photographs used will need to be annotated to identify who is shown and how it meets the
criteria. Also, it is good to be aware that photographs of the candidate doing things, e.g. in
the middle of a group activity, are better than photos of the finished product, e.g. group of
candidates waving at the camera after the activity has finished.
Note: If the photographs contain other people, including but not exclusively children and
young people, written consent needs to be obtained for it to be used as evidence. There is
further guidance about this on the qualifications web page.
Audio/Visual Evidence
Both DVD and audio recordings are great ways to evidence performance criteria for
candidates. When using this format consider the length of the recording and make sure that
it is as succinct as possible. To provide authenticity to the recording, the date and who is
involved needs to be stated at the beginning.
If more than one candidate is using the same recording as evidence they must each state on
their own evidence tracking sheet the time referencing for the recording which relates to
them. This way there only needs to be one recording provided for verification, with each
candidate referencing the source material, with their individual time references noted.
Flipchart Evidence
Flipcharts are often used to record discussions that have taken place as part of a group. If
used wisely they can be an effective source of evidence. The key point to remember with
qualifications is that there needs to be clear evidence of what the candidate has achieved by
completing the unit/qualification as a whole. Therefore if they were part of the discussion
being recorded by the flipchart, their contributions to that discussion need to be clear. A
candidate simply signing the flipchart is not sufficient, that only indicates they were there
when the flipchart was generated. However, their name/initials next to points made by them
15
is a stronger piece of evidence as it gives a clearer indication of the input they had to the
discussion.
An alternative way of presenting flipchart evidence is for each candidate to have a
photograph of the flipchart, which they annotate to show which contribution they made and
how this meets the criteria.
Worksheets
These are resources which have been designed to generate evidence from the candidate
which is specific to the unit criteria.
Worksheets are useful where criteria require candidates to be very specific about certain
points or which require a more personal approach, which is less easily captured in group
discussions. Worksheets, if used in isolation, can change the nature of a programme from
being dynamic to one which becomes too formal and paperwork driven.
Therefore the key to good worksheets is to not over use them and to ensure they are as
engaging as possible. Worksheets require the candidates to complete them appropriately
and therefore, as with all evidence; assessors must ensure that the criteria have been met
by the candidates’ responses.
Witness Statements
These statements can be completed to testify how a candidate has demonstrated skills that
meet their targets. Candidates should be encouraged to ask for witness statements from
people they have been working with such as volunteers, specialist agency staff, work
experience provider or other candidates on the programme. These statements provide
additional evidence of achievement. Pro-forma witness statements can be found here.
Observation
The tutor/assessor and candidate should plan observations together but it is the
tutor’s/assessor’s responsibility to record the observation properly. The recordings can be
used to support the candidate’s own experience and are particularly relevant for
units/performance criteria that require the candidate to demonstrate a skill or understanding.
Questioning
Questioning the candidate is normally an ongoing part of the assessment process, and may
in some circumstances provide evidence to support achievement of learning outcomes.
Questioning is often used to:
 test a candidate’s understanding of work which has been completed outside of the study
programme, for example the work experience reflection evidence could be completed via
questioning
 check if a candidate understands the work they have undertaken
 collect information on the type and purpose of the processes a candidate has gone
through.
If questioning is to be used as evidence towards achievement of specific learning outcomes,
it is important that tutors/assessors record enough information about what they asked and
how the candidate replied, to allow the assessment decision to be moderated.
Questioning witnesses is normally an ongoing part of validating written witness statements.
However, questioning witnesses can be used for other purposes. Teacher/assessors should
be able to speak to witnesses and record, in whatever way is suitable, the verbal statements
of these witnesses. A record of a verbal statement is a form of witness statement and could
provide valuable evidence
16
Recording Achievement
When candidates have gathered their evidence, Evidence Tracking Sheets are used to
record which piece(s) of evidence meets each performance criteria. Candidates are likely to
collect far more evidence than they need and it is therefore important that the Evidence
Tracking Sheets are only used to record the specific evidence needed to meet the criteria
and not every piece of work produced.
The Evidence Tracking Sheets must be signed and dated by the candidate and the
assessor. By signing the sheets the candidate and assessor are declaring that the portfolio
submitted is the candidate’s own work. The Trust does not require every piece of evidence
to be signed and dated.
Evidence Tracking Sheets can be downloaded from our website.
17
Many units are offered at
different levels, so be sure
to use the correct tracking
sheet
This is the title of the unit
Tracking Sheet - Teamwork
SCQF level 4
Candidate name
To do this you must
Candidate’s full names must be clearly written
as this is how they will appear on certificates
Centre name
Your evidence
1. Understand why teamwork is important
1.1 List the advantages of working as a
team
1.2 List the disadvantages of working
alone
1.3 Outline the problems that could occur
when working as a team
1.4 Identify two situations where
teamwork is essential to complete a
task
2. Understand roles and relationships within a team
2.1 Identify different roles for team
members
2.2 Describe the need for different roles
within a team
2.3 Outline different ways of making
decisions in a team
2.4 Give examples of ways to manage
and resolve conflict within a team
Page
Assessment
number date
The candidate writes the title of the piece of
evidence they have in their Portfolio which shows
they have achieved the performance criteria here
These are the learning outcomes. A statement of what a
candidate can be expected to know, understand or do as a
result of undertaking the programme activities
These are the performance criteria which state what the
candidate is expected to meet to demonstrate that a
learning outcome has been achieved
18
Tracking Sheet – Teamwork SCQF level 4 (continued)
To do this you must
Your evidence
3. Be able to take part in team activities
3.1 Identify objectives and purpose of
the team
3.2 Carry out individual and group
activities
Page
Assessment
number date
The candidate should write the page reference number
for where that piece of evidence is stored in the
Portfolio. The referencing needs to be clear and
precise so that the internal and external verifiers can
easily find it.
3.3 Give constructive feedback to a team
member
3.4 State how you would change your
actions/ behaviour in response to
constructive criticism from a team
member
Assessor feedback
The assessment date is the date when the
assessor confirms that the evidence the young
person has produced meets the performance
criteria. This will not necessarily be the same
for all the performance criteria, and may not be
the same date the activity took place
This is where the assessor gives feedback to
the candidate about their learning during this
unit
Assessor declaration I confirm that the details above are correct, that the evidence submitted is the candidate’s own work and
that the candidate meets all the requirements for the unit:
Candidate Name
Assessor Name
Candidate
Assessor Signature
Date
The candidate needs to sign and date the tracking
sheet once they have completed the unit. Their
Signaturesignature acts as the declaration that all the
evidence in the Portfolio is authentic to them. They
are not required to sign each piece of evidence. If
they have not signed the tracking sheet the unit
cannot be awarded to them
Date
Assessors sign and date the tracking sheets
once they have assessed the evidence, and
have judged it to meet the criteria. The date
should be later than all the individual
assessments elsewhere on the tracking sheet.
19
Candidates with particular requirements
The Prince’s Trust aims to facilitate open access to all our units and qualifications for
candidates, without compromising the assessment of the skills, knowledge, understanding or
competence being measured.
This will be achieved through:
 Reasonable adjustment
This is agreed at the pre-assessment planning stage and is any action that helps to reduce
the effect of a disability or difficulty that places the candidate at a substantial disadvantage in
the assessment situation.
Reasonable adjustments must not, however, affect the reliability or validity of assessment
outcomes, nor must they give the candidate an assessment advantage over other
candidates undertaking the same or similar assessments.
 Special consideration
This is a post-assessment allowance to reflect temporary illness, injury or indisposition that
occurred at the time of assessment. Any special consideration granted cannot remove the
difficulty the candidate faced at the time of assessment and can only be a relatively small
adjustment to ensure that the integrity of the assessment is not compromised.
The forms required to inform The Trust about candidates requiring either of these
arrangements can be found on our webpage.
20
Centre Requirements
Each Prince’s Trust centre needs to gain approval to offer these qualifications and sign a
Centre Approval Agreement.
Please refer to website pages for more information.
Staff requirements
To adhere to The Prince’s Trust quality assurance arrangements for these qualifications, the
centre must ensure that the following internal posts are adequately staffed:
 tutors
 assessors
 internal verifier/quality assurer(s)
 data officer
It is acceptable for the same person to be responsible for more than one task, i.e. the tutor
could also be the assessor, the internal verifier could also be responsible for submitting the
data. However, the same person must never internally verify work they have assessed.
The assessor
The responsibilities of the assessor are to:
 ensure that each candidate is fully briefed on the assessment process
 collect and assess evidence put forward by candidates to meet the unit’s learning
outcomes and performance criteria
 complete Evidence Tracking Sheets and any other necessary documentation and keep
accurate records
 provide advice and guidance to candidates on evidence to put forward and on the
construction of portfolios
 attend events and training workshops
Assessors should not compare one candidate’s performance with another’s, but rather with
the standards. As such they judge the candidates’ work against the performance criteria and
ensure the evidence is authentic, reliable, sufficient and valid. More detail about these terms
can be found in the Glossary.
The Evidence Tracking Sheets are used to record the assessment decisions.
The internal verifier
It is important that all tutors/assessors work to common standards. Centres must ensure
that, within each unit, internal standardisation across tutors/assessors and teaching groups
takes place using an appropriate procedure.
Verifiers are responsible for ensuring standardisation within a centre and that assessment
decisions and practices are consistent across all assessors and candidate cohorts within a
centre.
Internal quality assurance is more than just sampling completed portfolios, internal verifiers
need to have a position within the centre where they can be responsible for training and
supporting assessors, conducting standardisation activities with assessors and undertake
observation of assessors’ performance.
The responsibilities of the internal verifier are to:
 monitor the quality of assessor’s decisions
 complete the Internal Verification Report Form and keep accurate records
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 provide general assessment advice and guidance to groups of assessors to standardise
the assessments made within the centre
 undertake formative sampling to pick up problems at an early stage. Formative sampling
will also highlight individual assessors in need of more support or training which in turn
may be used to develop the assessment team as a whole.
 provide opportunities to identify and share good practice
As part of the continuous assessment for these qualifications it is strongly recommended
that internal verification/quality assurance is both formative (i.e. throughout the programme)
and summative (i.e. at the end). Formative verification is crucial to ensure candidates are
being fully supported by their assessor and if required, additional assessment activities can
be provided to meet performance criteria.
In terms of the number of portfolios to sample for internal verification, the sampling strategy
for each centre will vary according to the needs of the programme and the units being taken,
but in all cases this should include work from at least five candidates for each unit which
has been completed.
In defining a strategy the following should be taken into account and the sample must:
 be sufficient to ensure reliability, typically this will include work from at least 50% of
candidates
 include examples of all assessment methods used by centre and formats of the portfolio
(product evidence, observation, paper based, electronic etc)
 include examples from all assessors – taking into account number of candidates,
experience and workload of the assessors
 include examples from all assessment sites, if there is more than one
 be representative of the candidate cohort e.g. full-time/part time, different programme
start dates, gender, ethnic origin, age etc.
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Making claims
Centres should only claim units and qualifications for each candidate when they are satisfied
that their portfolio meets all the performance criteria and the work has been internally
verified/quality assured. Making Claims is the official stage of notifying Prince’s Trust
Qualifications that the young people are being submitted for external verification.
There will be an opportunities to submit candidate’s portfolios throughout the year. Dates will
be available on the web page.
Retaining evidence
Centres must keep complete and accurate records for all qualifications, for at least three
years from the end of year to which they relate. These must be made available to the
qualifications team on request.
Centres are required to retain the following records:
 Name of candidate, date of birth and contact address
 Title and accreditation number of each qualification and unit studied
 Name(s) of assessor(s)
 Assessment records, including assessment decision and reason for decision
 Name(s) of internal verifier(s)
 Internal Verification Reports
External Verification
This is the final stage of the quality assurance process for the units and qualifications offered
by The Prince’s Trust, it is carried out by external verifiers employed by The Trust.
The responsibilities of the external verifier are to:
 review the quality of assessment and verification decisions carried out within and
between centres by the use of systematic sampling
 review internal verification/quality assurance records which should include sampling
plans, internal quality reports and records of any standardisation activities undertaken
 advise assessors and internal verifiers on areas of best practice
 complete necessary documentation and keep accurate records
When carrying out external verification, the external verifier will receive a list of candidates
claiming certification and will then select a random sample of work to be reviewed at Prince’s
Trust Qualifications offices in London.
The sampling strategy for each centre will vary according to the needs of the centre and the
units being taken. In defining the strategy the external verifier will take the following into
account:
 size of sample needed to ensure reliability
 assessment methods used by the centre and format of the portfolio (paper based,
electronic etc)
 range (if any) of assessment sites, satellites centres, assessors
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 candidate cohorts e.g. full-time/part time, different programme start dates, gender, ethnic
origin, age etc
The sample size can vary but the ‘acid test’ is whether or not the sample represents a
sufficiently accurate picture of the quality of assessment in the centre to be confident that
those decisions not sampled also meet the performance criteria.
In addition to the candidate portfolios the external verifier will use the centre’s Internal
Verification Reports and other activities as evidence to confirm their quality assurance
procedures are sound. Once the external verifier is satisfied that the work in the sample
meets criteria, and there are sound decisions being made by assessors and internal
verifiers, the results from that centre will be endorsed and certificates will be issued.
Where a centre is identified as applying the performance criteria incorrectly or inconsistently
the external verifier will request some more or all of the remaining work from that centre and
will review it. Candidates results will be ‘pending’ during this time period, and no certificates
will be issued.
If the larger sample confirms that the performance criteria has not been fully met the external
verifier will not recommend certification and will give written feedback. Candidates can then
continue to work on the portfolios and resubmit during the next assessment window. If there
are individual units that have been correctly assessed and judged as passed, these can be
certificated separately while the candidates work on the outstanding units, once all units
have been judged as passed a full qualification certificate can be awarded.
After the centre’s work has been reviewed it will be returned, accompanied by the certificates
and a centre External Verification Report which highlights good practice found in the work
and recommendations for future submissions. There will also be an annual General External
Verification Report which outlines the findings from all submissions nationally.
To inform The Prince’s Trust Qualifications of the most appropriate address for certificates
and samples to be returned to centres must complete the relevant box on the External
Verification Portfolio Sample Coversheet.
Support for centres
Training
Prince’s Trust Qualifications offers training to support centres deliver and administer these
qualifications.
Website
Our website is regularly updated to ensure the latest information about the qualification is
available to centre staff, as too are best practice guidance notes and policies. The website
can be accessed via the following link: http://www.princes-trust.org.uk/qualifications
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Units
The unit summaries have been written to give tutors/assessors an understanding of the
content for each unit, the type of activities to be undertaken and whether they are suitable for
the learning programme. However, the performance criteria for each unit should be
consulted to confirm the evidence required by each candidate in order to achieve the
units/qualifications.
Literacy, language and numeracy are important skills for employment and as such The
Prince’s Trust has embedded these skills within certain units where there is a requirement to
gain a wider understanding, and/or skills development, of those topics. Units that have the
opportunity for candidates to develop these skills have been highlighted by the following
symbols:
numeracy
literacy
language
Please visit our webpage for more information about Literacy, language and numeracy.
Employability units
For an Award qualification a minimum of 1 unit must be achieved by completing one of the
following units
Career planning
The aim of this unit is to give the candidate an understanding of the job search, application
and interview process in order to equip them with the skills necessary to progress onto a
sustainable job/training opportunity that is suited to their interests.
With the high demand for jobs at the moment candidates need to be aware of where to
search for suitable jobs and how to best present themselves both, using their CVs or
applications, and in person when they get to the interview.
Interpersonal and self management skills
The aim of this unit is for candidates to develop an understanding of interpersonal and self
management skills and be able to recognise them in themselves and others.
In these units candidates will consider the body language used by themselves and others,
time management skills and passive, assertive and aggressive behaviour and when to use
them.
These are important employability skills and candidates who are able to acknowledge and
demonstrate these skills are in a more favourable position when it comes to interviews and
on the job performance.
Planning for personal development
The aim of this unit is for candidates to develop an understanding of how to assess their
strengths and weaknesses to set manageable, achievable goals for work and/or personal
life. In this unit, the candidate will consider their own strengths and weaknesses and how
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they might address areas of weakness. The candidate will find out how to set both long-term
and short-term goals, make and review their plans for achieving them.
When working towards the Certificates work experience is an additional unit in the
employability groups of units.
Work experience
The aim of the unit is for the candidate to develop their skills in, and understanding of, the
workplace by preparing for, attending and reviewing a work experience. Increasingly there is
more and more research demonstrating how important work experience is in helping
candidates move into paid employment.
While completing this unit candidates think about what they will gain by undertaking some
experience, how they can best prepare for that experience, and what they gained by
completing it.
Personal development units
These units are all optional and for the Awards there is no requirement for any units to be
taken from this group as long as two units from the previous group have been achieved.
Community project
The aim of this unit is for the candidate to plan, complete and review a community project in
their wider community. As part of the planning the candidates should have some
involvement in selecting the project undertaken. The community project can be completed by
an individual but is more likely to be undertaken by a group of candidates and as such they
will look at how the skills within the group can be used to complete the project by dividing up
the different roles and responsibilities.
The length and scope of the project will depend on the time and resources available.
Managing money
The aim of these units is to support candidates understand some of the basic principles
around personal money management.
Personal debt is a growing concern and candidates are taken through some of the basic
principles that they need to know when working out their take home pay and budgeting
principles for a household income so that they appreciate the value of money.
Participating in sport
This unit enables candidates to experience active participation in sporting activities.
Candidates will be able to develop their physical skills and their knowledge of the rules and
regulations of sporting activities as well as understand some of the reasons for, and benefits
of, participation in sport. For the purpose of this unit, the chosen sport should be both
competitive and involve physical exertion.
Preparing for a healthy, active lifestyle
The aim of this unit is to introduce candidates to ways in which they can contribute to a
healthy lifestyle and to encourage them to plan activities which will improve their own
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lifestyle such as a balanced diet e.g. food groups, risks of over/under eating; sufficient sleep;
taking regular exercise; alcohol and drug awareness.
A key part to this unit is the cooking of a healthy meal. The act of cooking supports the other
aspects of the unit, and encourages candidates to try out independent living skills.
Presentation skills
The aim of this unit is to support the candidate to develop their understanding and skills
needed to give presentations including preparation, delivery and reviewing their own
performance
Teamwork
The aim of this unit is to help the candidate develop team working skills, by understanding
the values, roles and procedures of teams and being able to work with others towards
achieving shared objectives.
The team activity should be collaborative and purposeful and give each candidate the
opportunity to meet all the criteria. This unit lends itself particularly well to being integrated
with other aspects of the candidate’s wider programme.
Undertaking an enterprise project
The aim of this unit is to help the candidate develop their enterprise skills by planning,
costing, producing, promoting and selling a product or service. An enterprise activity might
include a group activity (eg baking cakes, washing cars) or an individual activity (eg making
cards) which often (but not always) raises funds.
Supporting others in the community
The aim of this unit is to enable candidates to actively support and interact with others in the
community. Candidates will develop an understanding of the support needs of others as
well as the limitations of the support they can offer. A consideration of the health and safety
issues of supporting others is integral to the unit.
Candidates should consider their wider community, outside of their centre environment, and
support others who will benefit such as the elderly, people with disabilities etc.
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