Teacher Training Policies and Procedures

The following document sets out the Policies and Procedures for all those studying on any Yoga 2 Hear Teacher Training Course. 

Please contact Yoga 2 Hear ASAP with any questions, issues or concerns so that they can be rectified and resolved as quickly as possible, to ensure that your learning experience with Yoga 2 Hear is a positive and worthy one. 

Contents

• Appeals Procedure.
• Complaints Policy.
• Equal Opportunities and Diversity.
• Malpractice and Maladministration.
• Quality Assurance.
• Reasonable Adjustments.
• Medical Warning.
• Disclaimer.
• Copyright Warning. 

Appeals Procedure

The purpose of this appeals procedure is to ensure that every learner who is not satisfied with the outcome of an assessment decision has the right to appeal against the decision that has been made. 

Yoga 2 Hear learners will be assessed by the course founder and creator Sue Fuller, any additional assessors will possess a qualification equivalent to the course being taught, they will possess relevant industry experience and they will receive full training to assess learners by the course founder and creator. 

Examples of areas you may wish to appeal against.

• You feel you have not been given the correct support throughout the course.
• You found that there was not enough contact or feedback from the course leader during parts or all of the course.
• A marking decision was unfair.
• You feel that you have been unfairly treated by the course provider or a fellow learner.
• You experienced major delays with your course material, marking and feedback. 

To appeal please follow the following two stages. 

Stage 1

Appeal direct to Yoga 2 Hear as soon as the issue occurs. If still unresolved follow stage 2 of the process. 

Stage 2

Contact course founder and creator Sue Fuller, Sue will respond directly to you within 5 working days. 

This is a distance learning course, dates of all correspondence will be easily accessible through the data stored on the backend of the website, this will provide concrete evidence should the matter require further investigation. 

Please keep all correspondence from Yoga 2 Hear, until you have completed the course and received your certification. 

If you do not achieve a satisfactory result please note that any further investigation will incur fees. 

Complaints Policy

This document sets out Yoga 2 Hear’s complaints policy and procedure, it is aimed at our learners and all interested parties who encounter a direct or indirect service from Yoga 2 Hear. Yoga 2 Hear values all learners who undertake their courses. Our aim is to help you become a confident adaptable yoga teacher, we want you to experience reliable teaching to provide you the best results you can achieve.

We have spent many years researching and creating all our Yoga 2 Hear Yoga Teacher Training Courses so that they are relevant and achievable, we value honesty and our reputation and that of our learners. Therefore, it is important should you feel you have encountered a level of service that is below both yours and our expectations that you raise any concerns you may have with us immediately so that we may address them and learn lessons appropriate to improving service level expectations.

Scope of the policy

This policy covers complaints that learners and members of the public may wish to make in relation to the qualifications offered by Yoga 2 Hear. It is not to be used to cover enquiries about services offered by or appeals in relation to assessment decisions made by Yoga 2 Hear. These areas are covered by our Appeals Policy. 

Should a complaint be submitted which is in fact an appeal we will respond to inform the relevant party that the issue is being considered in accordance with our Appeals Policy. 

If you are unhappy about the way an examination or assessment was delivered and conducted and you suspect malpractice and/or maladministration may have occurred you should send your concern to us in accordance with the arrangements in our Malpractice & Maladministration Policy. 

This should occur as soon as possible to protect any associated evidence that may form part of your complaint. 

How should I complain? 

Stage 1

Yoga 2 Hear are keen to help, so you should first try to sort out any problem at the earliest opportunity by speaking to the person who dealt with your problem initially. 

Stage 2

If they cannot help or you wish to speak to someone else please contact our course founder and creator (Sue Fuller), who will email you a receipt for your complaint within 5 working days and will respond with a solution for your complaint within 20 working days. Where it is not possible to offer a solution within 20 working days you will be notified of the time scaled action plan. 

Confidentiality and Whistle blowing

Sometimes a complainant will wish to remain anonymous. However, it is always preferable to reveal your identity and contact details to us. If you are concerned about possible adverse consequences, please inform us that you do not wish for us to divulge your identity. 

What happens if my complaint is upheld?

If any part of your complaint is upheld we will of course respond to the complainant accordingly and give due consideration to how we can improve our service and arrangements. For example, by reviewing our procedures to assess the impact on our arrangements and assessment process (if relevant) or arranging for staff training. 

In situations where a complaint has been successful, or where an investigation following notification from indicates a failure in our processes, Yoga 2 Hear will give due consideration to the outcome and will, as appropriate, take actions such as:

• Identify any other learner, who has been affected by that failure.
• Correct, or where it cannot be corrected, mitigate as far as possible the effect of the failure.
• Ensure that the failure does not recur in the future.
• Compensate the learner if the complaint is valid and Yoga 2 Hear are unable to correct it satisfactorily. 

Equal Opportunity and Diversity Policy

• We promote a working environment in which diversity is recognised, valued and encouraged.
• We acknowledge the multi-cultural and diverse nature of the UK.
• We are committed to principles of fairness and mutual respect where everyone accepts the concept of individual responsibility.
• We recognise that discrimination in the workplace/provision of training in any form is unacceptable and in most cases unlawful. We view any breach seriously. We will investigate and potentially take appropriate action.

Definitions and Protected Characteristics Diversity

The concept of diversity encompasses acceptance and respect. It means understanding that each individual is unique and recognizing our individual differences. These can be along the dimensions of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, age, physical abilities, religious beliefs, political beliefs, or other ideologies. 

Protected Characteristics

No learner, or anyone our organisation deals with, receives less favourable treatment because of their protected characteristics. 

The protected characteristics are:

• Age.
• Disability.
• Gender Reassignment.
• Marriage and Civil Partnership.
• Pregnancy and Maternity.
• Race (including colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin).
• Religion or Belief.
• Sex.
• Sexual Orientation. 

Yoga 2 Hear ensures equality of treatment for all by aiming to:

• ensure that you are never discriminated against or receive less favourable treatment because of a protective characteristic.
• acknowledge any issues that could be defined as discrimination, victimisation or harassment with an appropriately sensitive and prompt investigation. 

Where You Encounter Discrimination

• If you feel subject to discrimination of any kind as identified within this policy, make clear to the individual concerned that you find it unacceptable. Person-to-person discussion at an early stage may be enough to resolve your concern without involving anyone else. Alternatively, seek the help of a trusted colleague (e.g. a fellow learner or a trusted member of staff) and ask them to approach whoever has caused you offence.
• If discrimination continues, or you consider an instance to be particularly serious, you should consider who to highlight the issue with. For the majority of cases this will likely to be the tutor or assessor. However we appreciate that this staff member may be implicated in your concern and therefore when this happens they should approach the course founder and creator Sue Fuller.
• The staff member approached will carry out a suitable documented investigation or where more appropriate will refer the issue to an appropriate individual responsible for this area within the company. In this instance it will be Yoga 2 Hear’s founder and creator Sue Fuller.
• The result of the investigation into alleged discrimination will be communicated to you with information including the action taken and outcome highlighted if applicable or appropriate. 

Malpractice and Maladministration Policy 

Definition of Malpractice

Malpractice is essentially any activity or practice which deliberately contravenes regulations and compromises the integrity of the internal or external assessment process and/or the validity of certificates and associated achievement. It covers any deliberate actions, neglect, default or other practice that compromises, or could compromise:

• The reputation and credibility of Yoga 2 Hear.
• The validity of a result or certificate. 

Examples of Malpractice

The categories listed below are examples of malpractice.

Please note that these examples are not exhaustive and are only intended as guidance on our definition of malpractice:

• Deliberate failure to continually adhere to our course approval and/or qualification approval requirements.
• Fraudulent claims for certificates.
• The unauthorised use of inappropriate materials / equipment in assessment settings.
• Intentional withholding of information from Yoga 2 Hear which is critical to maintaining the rigour of quality assurance and standards of qualifications.
• Deliberate misuse of logos and trademarks.
• Collusion in exams/assessments.
• A loss, theft of, or a breach of confidentiality in, any assessment materials.
• Plagiarism by learners or Yoga 2 Hear.
• Copying from another learner.
• Impersonation - assuming the identity of another learner, or having someone assume your identity during an assessment.
• Unauthorised amendment, copying or distributing of exam/assessment papers/materials.
• Deliberate submission of false information to gain a qualification.
• Reproducing course material and making it available to others.

 Definition of Maladministration

Maladministration is essentially any activity or practice which results in non-compliance with administrative regulations and requirements, including the application of persistent mistakes or poor administration within Yoga 2 Hear. 

The categories listed below are examples of maladministration. Please note that these examples are not exhaustive and are only intended as guidance on our definition of maladministration:

• Unintentional, but persistent failure to adhere to our approval or qualification requirements.
• Unreasonable delays in responding to requests and/or communications.
• Inaccurate claim for certificates made frequently, even if accidentally.
• Failure to maintain appropriate auditable records, e.g. certification claims and/or disposal. and/or forgery of evidence.
• Withholding of information.
• Misuse of logo and trademarks. 

Making an allegation of malpractice or maladministration

Anybody who identifies or is made aware of suspected or actual cases of malpractice or maladministration at any time must immediately notify Yoga 2 Hear. In doing so they should put them in writing/email and enclose/attach appropriate supporting evidence to Yoga 2 Hear including the following.

• Course name.
• Learner’s name.
• Personnel’s details (name, job role) if they are involved in the case.
• Nature of the suspected or actual malpractice or maladministration and associated dates.
• Any other information deemed relevant to the claim. 

If Yoga 2 Hear suspect an instance of malpractice or maladministration we will contact the learner concerned immediately via email/writing and enclose/attach supporting evidence and information regarding the nature or the claim and the date we suspect it occurred. 

It is highly likely that in the event of any accusation against malpractice and maladministration that an investigation will occur. 

To eradicate cases of malpractice/maladministration within Yoga 2 Hear, Yoga 2 Hear will ensure:

• All staff are aware of policies and procedures and receive all appropriate training/briefings on said policies and procedures.
• Staff have clear roles and responsibilities.
• Learners are informed of their roles and responsibilities in terms of not doing anything that may jeopardise their potential achievements.
• All learners will be required to sign a contract of learning that clearly explains Yoga 2 Hear’s terms and conditions, expectations and requirements before any course content is made available to them.
• All assessment activities are accurately recorded. 

Yoga 2 Hear procedure to investigate malpractice or maladministration 

To investigate instances of malpractice/maladministration each case will be dealt with accordingly. Yoga 2 Hear reserves the right to not investigate where reported information does not provide reasonable grounds or sufficient evidence on which to undertake an investigation. 

If necessary the following steps will be followed; - 

Stage 1: Briefing and record-keeping

• Anyone involved in the conduct of an investigation will receive clear written information describing the nature of the investigation and the cause.
• Anyone involved must maintain a clear record of every action during the investigation to demonstrate that they have acted appropriately. 

Stage 2: Establishing the facts

Issues to be determined are:

• What occurred (nature of malpractice or maladministration).
• Why the incident occurred.
• Who was involved in the incident.
• When it occurred.
• Where it occurred – there may be more than one location.
• What action has been taken to date. 

Stage 3: Interviews

Interviews will be thoroughly prepared and underpinned by clear records of the interviews.

Stage 4: Other contacts

In some cases, learners or employers may need to be contacted for facts and information. This may be done via face-to-face interviews, telephone interviews, by post or email.

Whichever method is used, the investigator will have a set of prepared questions. The responses will be recorded in writing as part of confirmation of the evidence.

Investigators will log the number of attempts made to contact an individual. 

Stage 5: Documentary evidence

Wherever possible documentary evidence will be authenticated by reference to the author; this may include asking learners and others to confirm handwriting, dates and signatures.

Independent expert opinion may be obtained from subject specialists about a learner’s evidence and/or from a specialist organisation such as a forensic examiner, who may comment on the validity of documents. 

Stage 6: Conclusions

Once the investigators have gathered and reviewed all relevant evidence, a decision on the outcome will be made by Yoga 2 Hear in a timely manner. 

If an individual or organisation is deemed to have participated in any acts of malpractice and/or maladministration following the investigation, they will be liable to repay all costs and fees incurred by Yoga 2 Hear and its agents during the investigation of the case.  

Any qualifications gained by means of malpractice and/or maladministration will be deemed null and void by Yoga 2 Hear. 

Quality assurance policy 

Yoga 2 Hear monitors and evaluates all its systems, policies and procedures for the delivery of all their teacher training courses. 

Continuous improvement is assured through ongoing monitoring, thus promoting public confidence in the quality of all Yoga 2 Hear qualifications. 

Prompt action is taken to address any weakness identified. 

Yoga 2 Hear will also monitor and evaluate the following to better inform our processes:

• Malpractice / maladministration events.
• Reasonable assessment adjustment and special consideration requests.
• The nature and number of enquiries and appeals.
• All feedback. 

Ensuring the standards of our modules, qualifications and audio products 

Yoga 2 Hear has a responsibility to all learners undertaking our qualifications, to maintain high standards and maintain their reputation and ours. We want to help you become a confident and adaptable yoga teacher able to deliver safe and relevant classes suitable for todays’ world whilst keeping the true essence of yoga alive and flourishing.

• Please be ensured that Yoga 2 Hear will remain up to date with all new findings and research regarding yoga, this is reflected throughout Yoga 2 Hear.
• Courses and content will be constantly monitored and updated as required, an annual review will take place of each course and revisions will be made if required.
• Quality control measures are carried out at various stages of pre and post-production of our audio content and all written content for all Yoga 2 Hear teacher training courses. This includes testing products and professional recording editing and mastering of all audio content.
• All content is tested and reviewed before being made available.
• All audio content is professionally recorded and edited by a professional sound engineer in a professional sound studio and tested prior to being made available through Yoga 2 Hear.
• Regular data clean-up projects are implemented as required.
• Our technical contractors are shopify approved and professional web designers and programmers they ensure Yoga 2 Hear are up to date on new systems available to us that might enhance our customer experience. These are applied as required.
• All Yoga 2 Hear assessments are overseen and monitored by Sue Fuller founder and creator of Yoga 2 Hear. Any additional staff will be fully trained by Sue Fuller and be required to extensive experience in the field of Yoga and Wellbeing and to have also completed the course that they are assessing.
• Yoga 2 Hear will request feedback with each assessment to make it easy for the learner to provide feedback.
• All feedback will be reviewed and any amendments required will be implemented and the learners will be informed of revisions.
• Yoga 2 Hear interact with all learners and customers regularly via newsletters notifying of new products or updates, whilst also requesting feedback and suggestions.
• All feedback is read and personally responded too and implemented if necessary.
• Yoga 2 hear is a small and caring business which makes maintaining the quality of the service important. 

If you have any queries about the contents of the policy, please contact us via email. 

Reasonable adjustment and special considerations policy 

Introduction

This policy is primarily for our learners who are undertaking a Yoga 2 Hear Teacher Training course.

It is also for use by our staff to ensure they deal with all reasonable adjustment and special consideration requests in a consistent manner. 

This policy outlines:

• Our arrangements for making reasonable adjustments and special considerations in relation to our qualifications.
• How learners qualify for reasonable adjustments and special considerations.
• The reasonable adjustments we will permit and those where permission is required in advance before they are applied.
• What special considerations will be given to learners. 

Our responsibility

It is important that all Yoga 2 Hear staff involved in the management, assessment and quality assurance of all Yoga 2 Hear teacher training courses are fully aware of the contents of this policy.

Review arrangements

We will review the policy in response to learner feedback and special or individual requests. 

Arrangements not covered by this policy

Circumstances for both internal and external assessment not covered in this policy should be discussed with Yoga 2 Hear before registering on a course, if your situation changes during the course please contact Yoga 2 Hear as soon as possible and before your next assessment takes place. 

Appeals

If you wish to appeal against our decision to decline requests for reasonable adjustments or special consideration arrangements, please refer to our Appeals Policy. 

Process for requesting reasonable adjustments and/or special considerations

If you wish to make a request, you should contact course founder and creator Sue Fuller at Yoga 2 Hear and in doing so supply relevant supporting information:

• learner’s name and course details
• nature of, and rationale for the request
• supporting information/evidence (e.g. medical evidence or a statement from the invigilator or any other appropriate information). 

Requests for reasonable adjustments and special considerations should be submitted as soon as possible. 

How Yoga 2 Hear will deal with requests

• We will aim to respond to all requests within five working days of receipt. If we are unable to respond within that time frame we will provide you with an estimated response date.
• Yoga 2 Hear will deal with each special request on an individual basis, please make sure you discuss your situation with Yoga 2 Hear. 

Definition of reasonable adjustments 

A reasonable adjustment is any action that helps to reduce the effect of a disability or difficulty that places the learner at a substantial disadvantage in the assessment situation. They are made to an assessment for a qualification to enable a disabled learner to demonstrate his or her knowledge, skills and understanding of the levels of attainment required by the specification for that qualification.

Reasonable adjustments must not affect the integrity of what needs to be assessed, but may involve:

• Changing usual assessment arrangements, for example allowing a learner extra time to complete the assessment activity.
• Changing the assessment method, for example from a written assessment to a spoken assessment.
• Using assistive technology, such as screen reading or voice activated software or asking for permission for copying to different coloured paper for paper-based assessments. 

Reasonable adjustments are approved or set in place before the assessment activity takes place; they constitute an arrangement to give the learner access to the programme. The use of a reasonable adjustment will not be taken into consideration during the assessment of a learner’s work. 

Yoga 2 Hear is only required by law to do what is ‘reasonable’ in terms of giving access. What is reasonable will depend on the individual circumstances, cost implications and the practicality and effectiveness of the adjustment. Other factors, such as the need to maintain competence standards and health and safety, will also be taken into consideration. 

Definition of special considerations

Special consideration can be applied after an assessment if there was a reason the learner may have been disadvantaged during the assessment. For example, special consideration could apply to a learner who had temporarily experienced:

• An illness or injury.
• Some other event outside of their control and which has had, or is likely to have had, a material effect on that learner’s ability to take an assessment or demonstrate his or her level of attainment in an assessment.

Special consideration should not give the learner an unfair advantage; neither should its use cause the user of the certificate to be misled regarding a learner’s achievements. The learner’s result must reflect his / her achievement in the assessment and not necessarily his / her potential ability.

Special consideration, if successful, may result in a small post-assessment adjustment to the mark of the learner. The size of the adjustment will depend on the circumstances and reflect the difficulty faced by the learner. 

Learners should note that:

• Where an assessment requires the learner to demonstrate practical competence or where criteria have to be met fully, or in the case of qualifications that confer a licence to practice, it may not be possible to apply special consideration.
• In some circumstances, for example, for on-demand assessments, it may be more appropriate to offer the learner an opportunity to take the assessment at a later date.

 Medical Warning.

Check with your doctor before starting this or any other Yoga 2 Hear teaching qualification in particular if you suffer from any heart problems or you think you may be pregnant. By registering and participating in our teacher training programs you are acknowledging that you have (a) satisfied yourself that you are fit and able to undertake the course and; (b) that you have sought prior medical advice from your doctor as to the suitability of these exercises and; (c) that you will hold Yoga 2 Hear harmless from any damages or claims that you may suffer as a result and; (d) that you have read and understood the terms and conditions contained in this Document and the Disclaimer wording below. 

Disclaimer.

To the fullest extent possible under English law Yoga 2 Hear excludes liability for any claims, loss, demands or damages of any kind whatsoever and howsoever arising (whether directly or indirectly) or may arise as a consequence of following or acting upon any information or performing any of the exercises contained in any of the content of the Yoga 2 Hear teacher training courses.

This disclaimer shall be governed by English law and each of the parties submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English Courts. 

Copyright Warning.

All Yoga 2 Hear Teacher Training Courses including all content is protected by international copyright laws. It may only be used for private use and must not be shared to the general public or resold. Any unauthorised broadcast, public performance, copying, hire, internet use or other distribution of all or any part of any Yoga 2 Hear Teacher Training Course is prohibited and may result in legal proceedings. All rights of the producer and owner of the work reproduced are reserved. © Yoga 2 Hear 2021. All rights reserved.