Managing People
CG4008
Module Guide
2015
Module Tutor
Bethan Osborne
Phone
E-mail
Sponsored by
CONTENTS
Managing People
3
Assignment One: Get it Right from the Start
6
Assignment Two: Case Study
9
Occupational Standards
14
Making the most of the module
15
Resources
19
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Module evaluation
We asked students to assess the module and suggest improvements at the September day
school in 2014. This is a summary of feedback.
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Students found this an interesting module with good support from tutors and
mentors.
The module makes students think about things more in-depth and is highly relevant
to councils.
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MANAGING PEOPLE
What happens when you recruit the wrong person for the job? It can lead to a very
unhappy situation. It’s even worse when the employer doesn’t really understand what the
job entails or what sort of person they ought to be looking for.
Getting it wrong means that the organisation fails to achieve ‘good management’. Consider
a favourite definition from Sandy Adirondack
"Good management is a tool to ensure people give the best to and get the best
from any organisation, and to ensure the organisation is able to do what it wants
and needs to do, without wasting precious time, energy, money or other
resources". (Adirondack 1998:2)1
Good management means finding the right person for the job. And that the person helps
the organisation do what it wants and needs to do. If the new recruit can’t do that, then
you are off on the wrong track from the outset and the employer is then in great danger of
wasting time, money and many other resources.
Adirondack reminds us that managing people is part of “the overall management function”
involving long term goals, daily activities and resources (1998:96). Who, in your
organisation, is responsible and accountable for the overall management function? Who (if
anyone) works out which people are needed to help the organisation achieve its goals?
Recognising the skills, qualifications, experiences and attitudes of people for specific posts is
only the first step. Adirondack notes that there are many other tasks involved in managing
people. This is especially important when some of the people that you work with are
volunteers where you have less control; volunteers aren’t selected in the same way that
employees or contractors are chosen. Do you and/or the managers in your organisation?
 Understand what motivates people
 Help people feel valued
 Ensure that people are well-informed
 Involve people in decision making where possible
 Clarify who does what and how it fits into the whole
 Help people plan and prioritise
 Help people overcome difficulties that affect their work
 Give people opportunities to learn and develop
 Set and monitor deadlines and standards of performance
 Manage conflict and other instances when things go wrong
 Create a safe and pleasant physical and emotional working environment
(Adapted from Adirondack 1998:96-7)
By looking after these many aspects of managing people and their performance, you can
create a harmonious and constructive working environment.
1
The quote is taken from the 1998 edition; the resource list at the end refers to the 2006 edition. Always seek
the latest edition if you can.
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The first assignment asks you to consider how to appoint the right person for the job,
making sure that you comply with employment law and guidance on recruitment in the
process. This means having a full understanding of what the job entails. You can then be
sure what attributes the new employee should bring with them and what they will need to
learn ‘on the job’. You also explain how to find the best applicants and prove that they have
the qualities you seek.
The process of recruiting a new employee will demonstrate the principles of sensitive
management. So, for example, you help people to feel motivated, valued and well-informed
from the outset. You make it very clear what the job entails so that there are no
uncomfortable surprises when the new employee arrives. You will uncover more of these
guiding principles in your reading.
The second assignment considers what happens when a person is in post. It challenges you
to work out how to manage a situation so that a person’s performance is not undermined
by difficulties and tensions in the organisation during a period of change. You look at good
practice and apply this to the scenario we give you. There is no single right answer but
there are several wrong ones! Through your reading we hope you will understand more
about working relationships and their impact on performance.
Learning outcomes
This introduction provides a few brief clues to help you start thinking about managing
people. As you investigate the topic further and work on your two assignments you will
learn more. A ‘learning outcome’ is something you can expect to learn, so as a result of
studying this module you should be able to:
1. Identify and apply aspects of employment law to a specific organisation
2. Advise on human resource policies and recruitment for a specific organisation
3. Devise training and development policies
4. Reflect on the management of interpersonal conflict and recommend solutions
5. Manage volunteers and public relations
6. Write clear, practical policy documents
This information is taken the formal module descriptor approved at validation. You will find
the complete module descriptor at http://www.slcc.co.uk/content/formal-documents/458/.
CAT Points
15
Level of Study
4
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Brief Description
How can organisations serving local communities manage the diverse
interests of people? This module considers formal aspects of managing
people such as employment law, recruitment and human resource policies.
It suggests ways of developing staff, trustees or councillors and reflects on
the impact of personalities and the management of conflict. It also examines
ways of managing volunteers, service users and members of the public.
Indicative Syllabus Employment law
Human resource policies
Recruitment practice
Training and development policies
Personalities and power
Conflict management and mediation
Management of volunteers
Public relations
The External Examiner for this module is Professor Gary Craig, Professor of Community
Development and Social Justice at Durham University.
This guide provides a framework for your study. The assignments are central – the vehicle
through which you learn. To complete the assignments you investigate; you read, you
collect evidence and review your findings. The next section contains the assignment briefs
with submission dates, instructions and marking criteria. We explain in more detail what
you do and we point out further resources. You have until November to complete the
module; we explain it now so you can plan your time. We show how you can get help from
staff, from colleagues and fellow students and provide information about assignments
including how to reference correctly, how to get extensions if you are unable to submit on
time and how to obtain help if you have a disability or other difficulties. The final section
contains a resource list.
We suggest you glance through the next two sections – the formal assignment briefs – and
then check out the sections on support for learning, regulations and referencing – this
information will help you to be a successful student.
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ASSIGNMENT ONE: Get it Right from the Start
Module code and title
CG4008 Managing People
Module tutor
Tutor responsible for this
assignment
Bethan Osborne (with support from Lis Moore)
Number, weighting, type and
size of assessment
001: 50% of the assessment for this module
Coursework, individual standard written: 1500 words
Do refer to the Word Limit Policy to ensure that you
are not penalised for breaching word limits.
Submission deadline
Making the most of the
module
Monday June 8th 2015
Do refer to the Submissions Policy to ensure that you
are not penalised for late submission and to check
arrangements for submission.
You will find this section after the assignment briefs.
It contains the Word Limit Policy, the Submissions
and Return of Work Policies, Disability Support
Policy and reference to University regulations.
The requirements for the assignment
As a result of your successes on the Community Governance course you have got a new job
with a larger organisation and your current employer is recruiting your replacement. You
produce a report and supporting documentation for recruitment and induction. Your report
explains what is to be done and what law and best practice the organisation should follow.
Assessment criteria
When marking this assignment we are looking for:
1. A sound knowledge and application of aspects of employment law relevant to a
specific organisation
2. Constructive and well-justified advice on human resource policies and recruitment
for the specific organisation
3. Proposals for an appropriate induction
4. Clear, practical documents to support the recruitment process
5. A well-presented professional report addressed to your employing organisation
6. Accurate Harvard referencing and bibliography
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Markers use the grade descriptors included in The Elephant Guide to assess the extent to
which your work meets these criteria.
Here is some guidance to help you with this assignment.
We now unpack this assignment and provide more clues. In essence, your task is to review
your own job. You put together a pack of documents to support the recruitment and
induction of your own replacement and write a report to accompany the documents. If you
wish to review a post other than your own, you may; simply ask the Module Tutor.
Supporting documents
So first, we consider the documents you produce. Some documents should exist already – if
not, then this assignment is more urgent. The documents are tailored to your specific
organisation and a specific role. You review, update or create the documents in the light of
your reading and research and (possibly) your intimate knowledge of the role. Think with
care about what you do and how you do it. What skills, knowledge and experiences are
essential or desirable for the job? What would someone new to the job need to know?
Bear in mind that you will be writing a report to accompany the documents. You should be
able to justify the content and design of the documents to your employer. Keep notes on
any advice that you uncover in your reading. As a minimum, you are expected to produce:
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Notice(s) advertising the position
Briefing for candidates on the organisation
Job description
Person specification
Application form
Reference request
Note that the briefing about the organisation includes a diagram showing its structure.
Depending on the organisation this may cover departments and/or staff and committees.
Your report
Your report is addressed to your employing organisation and will be used by the
organisation in future as a record of good practice. It is concise but packed with useful
detail. The purpose of the report is to explain to your employer what actions should be
taken to recruit and induct your replacement and why. Remember that your organisation is
an employer and subject to the UK’s employment law, so when you justify your proposed
actions you refer to employment law and good practice.
Your report should include:
 Introductions to the relevant post and to the report
 Explanations of
o the recruitment process
o the supporting documents
o appropriate induction requirements
 A concluding paragraph
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We now look more closely at the assessment criteria for marking your work (in italics).
A sound knowledge and application of aspects of employment law relevant to a specific
organisation: You discover appropriate aspects of employment law as you investigate the
resources in the final section of this guide. As examples, we expect you to demonstrate an
awareness of legislation covering:
 Equality
 The right to work in the UK
 Pay
 The need for written particulars
 The Working Time Directive
Constructive and well-justified advice on human resource policies and recruitment for the
specific organisation: What does this mean? First you show a good understanding of human
resource policies. You might discuss on Moodle which policies are relevant. You also show
a good understanding of recruitment. Some points about recruiting the right person were
noted in the introduction to the module. You will discover other ideas about recruitment in
your reading. Again, you might share your findings on Moodle. You then present your
understanding of human resource policies and recruitment to your employing organisation.
You are giving them advice. This advice is constructive (it helps them achieve what they
want to achieve) and well-justified; this means that you make it clear to your reader why
you are giving this advice. Your advice must be tailored to suit the specific organisation.
Proposals for an appropriate induction: Why is induction important? What do the books
say? What form of induction is appropriate for this specific post? The books will advise you
on the types of activities that can be used to help with induction. It might be interesting to
share your experiences of induction on Moodle. You suggest a realistic induction process.
Clear, practical documents to support the recruitment process: The documents should be
easy to understand and follow. They are easy and straightforward to use in a real situation
and help your employer manage the process effectively.
A well-presented professional report addressed to your employing organisation: We expect
your report to be well-laid out with suitable headings. You aim for well-constructed sentences and
paragraphs and writing free of typos, grammar and spelling errors. If this is not your strength then
we advise you to seek advice from a friend or colleague who can help before you submit your work.
Accurate Harvard referencing and bibliography: You might not be used to doing this in a report
for your employer, but it is required for all University work. You always acknowledge sources; this
respects intellectual copyright while reliable and credible sources give your arguments real weight.
We hope you will find this assignment an interesting and practical task. Take every
opportunity to discuss your thoughts with a tutor or a mentor. The benefit lies in gaining
new insights into recruiting the right person for a job so that an organisation makes sure it
can achieve its objectives without wasting resources (Adirondack 1998:2).
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ASSIGNMENT TWO: Case Study
Module code and title
CG4008 Managing People
Module tutor
Tutor responsible for this
assignment
Bethan Osborne (with support from Lis Moore)
Number, weighting, type and
size of assessment
002: 50% of the assessment for this module
Coursework, individual standard written: 1500 words
Do refer to the Word Limit Policy to ensure that you
are not penalised for breaching word limits.
Submission deadline
Monday November 23rd 2015
Do refer to the Submissions Policy to ensure that you
are not penalised for late submission and to check
arrangements for submission.
Making the most of the
module
You will find this section after the assignment briefs.
It contains the Word Limit Policy, the Submissions
and Return of Work Policies, Disability Support
Policy and reference to University regulations.
The requirements for the assignment
Your task is to advise a ‘small council’ on ways of managing the performance of individual
members of staff including helping staff provide a better service for the community. You
read the case study below and identify the issues. You do some research and write a report
for the council explaining what it should do to achieve best practice.
The case study
Looking Glass Parish Council has 9 councillors, a precept of £47,000 and the Council employs
the clerk for 10 hours per week, an Admin Assistant, Kitty Black for 18 hours per week and
Jim Smith the Village Caretaker for 12 hours per week. You are the new clerk appointed in
March 2014. The previous Clerk and Caretaker both worked for the Council for 15 years.
The PC has just co-opted a new member. Mrs Cook is a very popular member of the
community and runs the local scouts, older people’s library service, line dancing classes and
the local fete. The Chairman is delighted to have such an enthusiastic new councillor and
thinks the Council has made a wise decision to co-opt Mrs Cook.
At the meeting that co-opted her as she was leaving Mrs Cook mentioned to Kitty that they
needed to “sort out the performance management issues in the Parish Council”. This has
caused some consternation among the Council – both staff and existing councillors. Neither
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Kitty or Jim have ever had an appraisal in the last 15 years and there have never been any
complaints about their work before although Kitty does sometimes feel that Jim can be
unreliable. Having looked around the office carefully you haven’t found any personnel files
and Kitty can’t remember ever seeing any.
Wondering what Mrs Cook meant Kitty has spoken to the Vice Chairman (he’s her brother in
law) who reassuringly has said that Mrs Cook means well but the Council is too small to
worry about things like appraisal and he’ll have a word with her.
You have noticed that Kitty usually arrives on the dot of nine and always takes her hour for
lunch and leaves promptly at the end of the day often leaving work outstanding. She is
unwilling to do additional work or new tasks. She regularly tells you that “we always do it
this way” and has long telephone conversations with her sister (the Vice-Chairman’s wife)
about what is going on.
The Council has a proactive In Bloom group however this year the group is refusing to work
with Jim because he put down weed killer and it killed the display for the autumn judging by
the well.
Kitty has recently received a complaint from Rev Rabbit that Jim had left his bags of rubbish
on his driveway instead of near the bin where they are normally collected and also he hasn’t
swept up the leaves on the path by the church. Kitty has spoken to Jim and he has told her
he can’t sweep any more because his doctor has told him not to.
The Chairman has asked you to suggest a suitable course of action for the Council to address
the issues. This includes appropriate documentation, a training plan for those involved and
justification of your suggested approach which can be linked back to best practice both in
this sector and more widely.
Assessment criteria
When marking this assignment we are looking for:
1. A sound knowledge and application of aspects of employment practice relevant to a
specific organisation
2. Constructive and well-justified advice on performance management for the specific
organisation
3. Clear, practical documents to support the performance management process
including training and development policies
4. Appropriate suggestions for helping staff to address a range of issues including
interpersonal conflict, working with volunteers and public relations
5. A well-presented professional report addressed to the organisation
6. Accurate Harvard referencing and bibliography
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Markers use the grade descriptors included in The Elephant Guide to assess the extent to
which your work meets these criteria. Your assignment is marked on its own merits but up
to 5 marks can be added for outstanding contributions to the group discussions which will
take place on Moodle in September 2015 and you can lose up to 5 marks for very limited or
no contributions. (More details to follow when Assignment One has been completed.)
Here are some more clues to help you with this assignment.
You put together a supporting document that can be used for the performance
management process and write a report to accompany the documents.
The supporting document
This document is not included in the word count but must comprise material appropriate for
their purpose. It contains, as a minimum, a training policy, a self-appraisal form for an
employee to complete and an appraiser’s feedback form. You can create other appropriate
papers if you wish (submitted in the single file). If you have similar policies or forms used in
your own organisation these provide a starting point. Study them in the light of your
reading about appraisals and adapt them to suit Looking Glass Parish Council. If your
employer doesn’t already have a performance management system in place, then use your
studies for both this assignment and your own workplace.
The report
You then write a report addressed to Looking Glass Parish Council, the employing
organisation. It is concise but packed with useful detail and will be used by the council as a
record of good practice. The purpose of the report is to explain to the employer the issues
that need to be addressed and how and why. You should be able to justify the content and
design of the appraisal documents to Looking Glass Parish Council. Remember that when
you justify your proposed actions you refer to good practice in terms of performance
management and explain its relevance to LGPC. Keep notes on any advice that you uncover
in your reading.
As a guide, your report (1500 words) should include:
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An Introduction
Explanations of
o current governance issues facing the council
o potential problems to overcome
o appropriate performance management processes
o the supporting documents
A concluding paragraph
Checking the assessment criteria
In this second assignment we want you to identify appropriate ways of managing and
developing both staff and volunteers. Remember the assessment criteria that we use to
mark your work (in italics)? We provide more clues here.
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A sound knowledge and application of aspects of employment practice relevant to a specific
organisation: You will discover appropriate aspects of employment practice as you
investigate the resources suggested in the final section of this module guide. In making your
proposals, you may, for example, consider the value and style of the appraisal process, the
value of motivating staff and the importance of training and training needs analysis. How
might you identify their training needs? How do you get to the bottom of any
underperformance by individuals? What are the differences between conduct and
capability issues?
Constructive and well-justified advice on performance management for the specific
organisation: Ways of managing the performance of others lies at the heart of this
assignment. You will discover some of the principles and practices of performance
management in your reading. What are the benefits of a good performance management
system and what should it contain? What are consequences of not managing performance?
What is the context that you need to consider in this situation?
Remember that, although the documents you design are for LGPC’s staff, you are also
concerned to maximise the performance of councillors and volunteers. This should emerge
from your reading of the issues facing the council and problems to overcome. Consider too,
the process of introducing a new performance management system to a council that hasn’t
been used to it. How might you approach this? How do you communicate expectations to
volunteers and staff? We are not looking for a grievance or disciplinary action although we
acknowledge that procedures for dealing with both of these are things that any employer
needs.
Clear, practical documents to support the performance management process including
training and development policies: Your supporting document should show how you intend
to apply good practice in the design of (at least) appraisal forms and a training policy. This
means explaining in your report how you know something is good practice and how it
supports performance management. To be of real practical use the documents must be
straightforward, concise and in a language that all councillors and staff can follow.
Appropriate suggestions for helping staff to address a range of issues including interpersonal
conflict, working with volunteers and public relations: You would be sensible to read through
the case study and identify all the problems suggested including those involving staff,
councillors, volunteers and members of the public. Your report should recognise that the
performance of staff and councillors can be affected by conflict wherever it occurs and
suggest ways of managing potential conflict. How will you manage the conflict between Mrs
King and Mrs Cook? Should you manage it or is it an entirely private matter? You might pick
up some useful tips on conflict management from your reading.
Performance is also affected by ways in which people exercise power and the extent to
which they can influence what happens. For example, the appraisal process is a way of
helping people to influence the activity of the organisation or of flexing the muscles of those
who control the organisation. See what the books say.
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A well-presented professional report addressed to the organisation: We expect your report
to be well-laid out with appropriate headings. You are aiming for well-constructed
sentences and paragraphs and writing that is free of typos, grammar and spelling errors. If
this is not your strength then we advise you to seek advice from a friend or colleague who
can help before you submit your work.
Accurate Harvard referencing and bibliography: Remember that this is required for all work
submitted to the University (even if LGPC isn’t up to speed with it)! It is important always to
acknowledge your sources; this respects intellectual copyright but also shows that your
arguments carry real weight (provided that your sources are reliable and credible).
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OCCUPATIONAL STANDARDS
This module helps you to develop skills, knowledge and understanding for community
development practice and for working as a local council clerk.
The National Occupational Standards (NOS) for community development practice are found
at www.fcdl.org.uk although these are to be reviewed in 2015. We explain here which NOS
this module will help to develop.
Managing people helps you to Integrate and use the values and process of
community development (Standard 1) and maintain community development practice
within your own organisation (Standard 5). You will gain ideas for supervising community
development practitioners (Standard 24) and managing your organisation on the inside
(Standard 25).
If you work as a clerk to a local council, the module helps you to meet some of the
Occupational Standards (OS) for local council clerks. So you can expect to develop the
following standards in CG4008.
The core role
S 1 Understand the roles, responsibilities and duties of the council and of the individuals
involved in the work of the council
S 4 Organise and maintain effective administrative systems, processes, policies and
records
Law and Procedures
S 7 Ensure that all statutory requirements are observed including employment law, Health
and Safety, Freedom of Information, Data Protection and Equality
Management
S 13 Manage the employment, performance and development of council staff
S 14 Manage effective relationships with contractors and service users
S 15 Advise the council on its performance as a corporate body ensuring councillors have
opportunities for training and development
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MAKING THE MOST OF THE MODULE
Here we explain help from tutors, students and colleagues –face-to-face and online. We
refer to support for students with disabilities and stress the value of your comments for
improving the experience of learning. We explain policies for assignments – including word
limits, submissions and extensions – and draw attention to the rules. To avoid the sin of
plagiarism we introduce you to referencing. Do read and re-read this section.
LEARNING TIME
Officially you spend up to 150 hours on CG4008 - a 15pt module. 40% of that time, 60
hours, is spent in your workplace. Another 10% (15 hours) is face-to-face or online contact
with tutors, students or mentors. Remaining time is carefully planned private study.
Module tutors provide course materials, national schools and a module website or
webinars. We mark your work and provide constructive feedback.
There are three national day schools including one in February to help you start studying,
one after Easter focusing on what you need to know and one in September to check
progress on assignments. In July we organise regional schools to help you on your way.
Schools deepen your experience of learning. Students say how valuable they are for
motivation, clarification and contacts. They are optional (but important).
The module has a website using an e-learning platform called Moodle where you find
course materials, activities and opportunities for written discussion. You find Moodle at
http://slcc.learningpool.com and you register with Learning Pool at the start of your studies.
We provide separate guidance on how to access Moodle.
You have a mentor who is an experienced local practitioner. You can ask your mentor for a
chat, ideas, discussion of a problem or inspiration; your mentor is not a tutor but someone
who can help relate your studies to your workplace. Your mentor makes contact by e-mail
and/or phone and may arrange face-to-face meetings.
You also benefit from study partnerships with one or more other students, known as
‘buddies’. Try finding a buddy soon – perhaps at a national or local meeting - for extra
support or discussion and to compare experiences.
Meetings: Meetings are face-to-face or supported by technology (eg Skype or webinars).
They are organised by the national team, by your mentor or by students and depend on
locations and demand. Meetings can be advertised on Moodle so that everyone can attend.
STUDENTS WITH A DISABILITY
There can be financial and practical support for students with registered disabilities such as
hearing, visual and mobility impairments, dyslexia, medical and mental health conditions.
Alternative assignments can be set; eg: dyslexic students have an extra week to get help
while audio recordings or interviews might be more appropriate assessment. Extra help is
implemented on the advice of the University’s Disability Advisor so if you want us to
consider this do notify the Course Leader at least two months before a submission date.
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COURSE MANAGEMENT and MODULE EVALUATION
We work hard to ensure the quality of your study so we urge you to tell us what works and
what doesn’t. We ask for views on national schools, module content, assignments and
support. You choose a student representative who can collect your views and report them
to tutors and the course board of studies. A response is reported back to you.
WORD LIMIT POLICY
All written assignments have a word limit. Where a word allocation is for guidance only, we
expect work to be concise, detailed and appropriate for the audience. Most limits must be
adhered to but you are normally allowed a 10% margin; so a 2000-word essay can go up to
2200. It is helpful to note the word count at the end of an assignment, but we are good at
judging how many words there are and you lose marks if a breach is noticed. We
deliberately set tight limits to encourage concise writing; however to help you, we permit:
 footnotes for legislation or brief explanations (but not for Harvard referencing) and there
is no need to put legislation in a bibliography
 boxed text with extra evidence that isn’t counted but is summarised in the main text.
You mustn’t put material directly required as part of the assignment in footnotes, boxed
text or appendices – except for legal references – because it won’t count towards marks.
You also select appendix material to illustrate a point – not just because it’s interesting.
SUBMISSIONS POLICY
You can submit work by post or electronically. Deadlines are generous to help you plan
study around commitments, but don’t leave assignments too late and expect an extension
because of a heavy workload; you plan study time and make it sacrosanct in your diary.
Tutors do like you to submit early! All marks go to an exam board early in the new year. A
second board is in the summer for late submissions or re-assessments.
All assignments must be labelled with your name and number, the module code and title,
the number of the assignment, the date of submission and the name of the module tutor.
Submissions by post: Please package your assignment so that pages can be extracted easily
for copying (no fixed bindings and no plastic folders). Post assignments to the Course
Administrator, Society of Local Council Clerks, 8, The Crescent, Taunton, TA1 4EA.
Assignments must be in the post by the submission date. Do keep proof of posting and a
copy of the assignment in case the original is lost in the post.
Electronic submissions: There is a secure area on the module’s website for assignment
submission which records the date and time; assignments can be submitted by e-mail if
there is no alternative. You are asked to contain an electronic submission in a single file; if
this is not possible (as in portfolios) then the assignment should be posted. Try not to use
PDFs as it is harder to write detailed feedback in this format. And returning work: You can
get feedback within 20 working days of the published submission or extension date.
Electronic submissions are returned on Moodle or by e-mail. Hard copy is returned by post
but a summary of feedback can be given by e-mail.
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EXTENSIONS POLICY
You ask for an extension only if you have a serious problem at a crucial time with evidence
of mitigating circumstances (MCs). MCs are the cause of an acceptable delay such as an
unexpected health matter for you or a member of your family or an unexpected increase in
workload. We will be sympathetic to your situation but note that general overwork is not
an acceptable MC as this should be taken into consideration when planning your studies.
There are three types of extension; you decide which is appropriate.
MC1
An MC1 gives you 48 hours and you can have just two a year across all modules. You
notify the Senior Tutor by e-mail giving your reasons; there is no need for evidence.
MC2
An MC2 gives you up to three weeks. You notify the Senior Tutor, explain the MCs
and give evidence (eg doctor’s note or an e-mail from your manager). You specify a
new submission date up to three weeks after the published date. The Senior Tutor
will grant or deny your request. If she denies it, she will discuss options with you.
MC3
An MC3 gives you more than three weeks. Again you notify the Senior Tutor, explain
the MCs, and give evidence. The Senior Tutor will discuss your options with you by
telephone; this could include setting a new submission date, deferring your studies
or withdrawing from the programme.
Important points to note are:
 Wherever possible apply for an extension before, not after, the deadline.
 If you mishandle the system or delay in asking for help, you risk mark penalties.
 A second extension is required if you cannot meet your revised submission date.
 If in doubt, contact the Senior Tutor, Lis Moore, lis.moore@slcc.co.uk .
UNIVERSITY REGULATIONS FOR ASSESSMENT
All assessments are subject to the University’s Academic Regulations for Taught Provision.
These include regulations relating to Errors of Attribution and Assessment Offences. In
exercising their judgement, examiners may penalise any work where the standard of
English, numeracy or presentation adversely affects the quality of the work, or where the
work submitted exceeds the published size or time limits, or where the work fails to follow
normal academic conventions for acknowledging sources. WARNING! Rules cover
Assessment Offences including plagiarism (implying that someone else’s work is your own)
and syndication (colluding with someone else so that work is not your own). Your attention
is drawn to the Academic Regulations for Taught Provision (sections 6.19 to 6.23) relating to
Academic Offences.
REFERENCING PROPERLY
In submitting an assignment you are asserting that it is your own work, that it has not been
submitted for assessment elsewhere, and that it does not infringe ethical principles. Careful
referencing is vital when using the work of others. You can commit plagiarism unwittingly
by failing to name sources so it is essential to reference properly using the Harvard system.
This is explained in a book to buy called Cite them Right (see resource list). So where you
take an idea or information from another source you:
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 cite a short reference in the text you are writing
 put the full reference in a bibliography
The short in-text version is linked to the entry in the bibliography. It gives the author and
date, eg Adirondack 1998, but includes a page number if you quote exactly from a source:
eg Adirondack 1998:26. The reference is put in brackets but if you paraphrase ideas only
the date goes in brackets eg Derounian (1995) argues that …. For websites you don't
include the web address in the in-text reference.
A bibliography is an alphabetical list of everything you have read placed at the end of the
document – it’s not just a list of quoted sources and it is not included in the word limit. Each
entry starts with the author’s name and then the date so that it links directly with the short
in-text version. Formats vary depending on a source but here are two examples: book
details include author, date, title, place of publication and publisher; a web reference is
more complex and always includes the date you accessed the website.
Adirondack, S. (1998 3rd edition) Just About Managing? Effective Management for
Voluntary Organisations and Community Groups London: London Voluntary Service Council
Department of Communities and Local Government (2012) The National Planning Policy
Framework available from
http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/planningandbuilding/pdf/2116950.pdf
[accessed 25.06.12]
These are some points to check:
 are all direct quotations acknowledged, placed in quotation marks or indented?
 have you given full details of the quotation’s source using Harvard referencing?
 have you given the source of ideas not your own, even if not quoting directly?
 have you used the words of others too closely - passing them off as your own?
 if you have prepared an assignment with others, is your submission really your own?
When you make a claim or assertion in your work, we need evidence – a reference preempts this. Please use reliable academic, policymaking and practice sources - not sources
like Wikipedia or ordinary dictionaries. Wikipedia tries to set standards of referencing, but
material is unregulated and may include unreliable information - although, like Google,
Wikipedia is a useful starting point for finding other sources. Next step – buy and read up
on this complex subject in Cite Them Right.
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RESOURCES
This section suggests some useful books and websites. We suggest that most books should
be obtained from a library for reference rather than bought. The best buy is Adirondack –
highly recommended as a practical guide for community organisations.
More tips on referencing here!

The booklist is written as an alphabetical bibliography. The first word of each entry is
the author’s surname (sometimes it’s an organisation). The surname is a direct link to
the in-text reference, eg Bevir 2008:26 so I can find Bevir in the bibliography quickly.

The name is followed by the date – making it quick to check with the in-text reference.
Following the title, you have the place of publication and the publisher – in that order.

Your bibliography contains all the sources studied for the assignment, even if you don’t
quote them. Build your bibliography as you go, writing the entry when you use a source.
ACAS (2014 online) Employing people: a guide for new employers available from
http://www.acas.org.uk/index.aspx?articleid=4231 [accessed 28.01.2014]
Adirondack S (2006 4th edition) Just About Managing? London, London Voluntary Service
Council
Equality Commission (online 2014) available from http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/
Gov.UK (2013) Employing Staff for the first time available from
https://www.gov.uk/employing-staff [accessed 28.01.2014]
Information Commissioner (online 2014) Guide to Employment Practices available from
www.ico.gov.uk
Handy, C.B. (1999) [1976] Understanding organizations, London, Penguin
KnowHowNonProfit (2012 online) available from
http://knowhownonprofit.org/people/volunteers/managing-volunteers
Lewis, D &Sargeant, M (2013 12th edition) Essentials of Employment Law, CIPD
McConnon, S & McConnon, M (2010 4th edition) Managing Conflict in the Workplace,
Oxford, How To Books
NALC (2010) Being a Good Employer, London, NALC available from
http://www.nalc.gov.uk/Publications/Booklets_and_Resources.aspx
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Pears R & Shields G (2010) Cite them right: the essential referencing guide, Newcastle,
Peartree Books
Peters, T.J. and Waterman, R.H. (1982) In search of excellence, New York, Harper and Row
Rayner, C (2009 2nd edition) Managing and Leading People, CIPD
SLCC Advisory Service (online 2014) Employment Advice Notes (please note this is a member
only resource) available from www.slcc.co.uk
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