AWARDING AND ASSESSMENT ACADEMY

Supporting Excellence

The national learning and professional resource for the awarding and assessment industry, providing support for the provision of high-quality qualifications and assessments.

Legal Support

We have negotiated with Bates Wells and Bindmans to provide awarding and assessment specific legal support packages for our members.

Bates Wells

Bates Wells is a unique law firm combining a traditional legal practice with sector-specific consultancy services.

Bates Wells has for many years provided cost-effective and top quality advice to the qualifications sector through its multidisciplinary team. Bates Wells is uniquely positioned to advise awarding organisations on a broad range of regulatory, corporate, commercial, employment, education, property, governance, immigration, data privacy, charity, and contentious matters (including IP disputes, judicial review and appeals to the First Tier Tribunal).

We are delighted to announce that we have teamed up with Bates Wells to provide Federation members with a package of professional legal support.

Bates Wells has a large dedicated cross-departmental team of specialists providing legal and consultancy services to awarding organisations, the Head of the group being recognised for her expertise in this niche sector by the independent legal directory, Legal 500. Everyone in the Bates Wells team understands the day to day issues that concern awarding organisations, as well as the often complex corporate/charity structural and regulated aspects of an awarding organisation.

A document containing information about the services Bates Wells provides for awarding organisations and contact details for key members of its awarding organisations team can be found here: Bates Wells Awarding Organisations.

Further information can be found on the Bates Wells website.

The special arrangement for FAB members allows you to access, upon request:

  • two free initial 15 minute telephone calls per year to discuss any legal issues
  • a fixed fee (£300 +VAT) 1 hour consultation (including 30 minutes preparation time)
  • 5% discount on any subsequent work for first year
  • fixed fee offers in respect of particular areas of law made available from time-to-time in connection with pertinent legal developments
  • access to free webinars on relevant legal topics (suggestions on future topics welcome!)

If you would like professional advice or support email FABmember@bateswells.co.uk and a member of the Bates Wells awarding organisations team will call you

Bindmans

At the heart of Bindmans is a commitment to justice and our clients. We are a highly successful law firm offering a range of specialist legal services. We have a reputation for excellence and for being at the cutting edge of legal developments – particularly in relation to issues around human rights, discrimination and public authorities powers.

Outstanding expertise in apprenticeships and technical qualifications

The apprenticeships and technical qualifications sector is a complex one that has faced a number of profound regulatory and commercial changes over the past decade. The 2016 Skills Plan, the Apprenticeship Levy, the aim of 3 million apprenticeship starts by 2020, and, the rush to plug the skills gap in light of Brexit; all mean that the pace of change in the sector is relentless. Few practitioners have the depth of experience in the sector to truly understand how such major changes affect providers. Selman Ansari is a public and regulatory law specialist who has been retained by a number of Awarding Organisations over several years of advising the sector. He, therefore, has a unique understanding of the regulatory and commercial issues affecting Awarding Organisations.

Services for FAB members

Bindmans expertise is in understanding, advising on, and, where necessary, challenging public policy. Our involvement in the sector means that we can advise on all aspects of qualifications and apprenticeships policy. In particular, we have advised on the following:

  • The implications of the Skills Plan and the Technical and Further Education Act
  • Forward planning for Awarding Bodies under the new Skills Plan regime
  • Relations with the Education and Skills Funding Agency
  • The new apprenticeships framework, including commercial arrangements underneath it
  • The Apprenticeship Levy
  • Relations with Ofqual
  • Drafting of Centre agreements
  • Advice on Equality law, particularly in relation to assessments
  • Procurement law
  • Data protection and data sharing, particularly in relation to the handling of learner data

Special rates for FAB members

We value our involvement in the sector, we are therefore delighted to offer the following discounted rates to FAB members:

  • Initial free telephone consultation
  • Fixed fees for subsequent 5 hours of work or part thereof at £200 +VAT per hour. We are confident that most non-complex work (for which a fixed fee will not be suitable) should be covered by this rate, offering significant control of costs
  • 10% discount on subsequent hourly rate

Along with their standard legal offer to FAB members, Bindmans LLP have a further offer to provide a ‘once over’ in relation to EPA contracts that members have drafted using the Guide. The features of this offer are:

  • Initial free telephone consultation (where Bindmans LLP can advise if the EPA contract is eligible for the offer)
  • Fixed fees of £600+VAT for a standard review
  • If necessary, 2 further hours at £200+VAT per hour and 10% discount on subsequent hourly rate (any further fees shall only be incurred after discussion and agreement with the member)

Please call Selman Ansari, Senior Consultant at Bindmans LLP, on 020 7014 2080 (or email at s.ansari@bindmans.com) to discuss further.