Candidate Guide for City & Guilds Level 3 Qualifications
The purpose of the guide is to provide information about the qualifications available to you and to answer some of the questions you may have.
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Welcome
This qualification is for learners who work in the debt collection and recovery industry who wish to enhance their knowledge and skills in recovery/collection.
Learners will develop and practise the skills required for employment in the management of debt. The qualification covers how to prepare a case for debt recovery and collection, how to handle customer communication and monitoring payments with debtors.
All City and Guilds qualifications have been mapped to the existing CSL Learning Opportunities giving you a choice of on-line learning from the CSL and ODP pool of modules. As many of these courses have been mandatory at some point, you may find that you have already completed a large chunk of the learning required to obtain a City & Guilds qualification and all you need to do is to refresh your knowledge and sit the tests. There is no requirement to attend any face to face courses in order to complete the qualifications.
Structure of the qualification
To achieve this qualification learners must achieve three units from the mandatory unit group (301, 302, 303) and one unit from the optional unit group (304).
Further units will be added to the optional unit group in the future depending on your department.
| Level 3 Certificate in Debt Management | ||
|---|---|---|
| Unit 301DM | Preparation for Debt Recovery and Collection | Mandatory |
| Unit 302DM | Handling customer calls in a debt environment | Mandatory |
| Unit 303DM | Monitoring debtor accounts | Mandatory |
| Unit 304DM | Negotiation for debt recovery and collection | Optional |
Assessment
You will need to successfully complete some assessments for each unit. All assessments are detailed in the unit and are based on the assessment criteria listed in each unit. Please read the assessment criteria carefully to decide if you are ready for the assessment.
When you register for the qualification you have chosen you will be given log in details that will give you access to the assessment criteria for each unit.
This will also provide you with information on Learning Opportunities available through CSL Learning which will provide you with the knowledge to achieve the qualification.
To prepare yourselves for the assessment, it is recommended that you carefully read the step by step guide that accompanies each unit that will be made available to you following log in. Your line manager should be able to advise you on the choice of learning options. You may have already completed some of the learning options recommended, in which case, all you need to do is to refresh your memory before the assessment
Step By Step Learner Guide for each unit
By following the guidance below you will be able to make the most out of the study experience, prepare for the short answer assessment and develop the confidence required to sit the test.
When you have chosen your qualification and the units that you will be taking, your first step is to follow the booking guidance for Operational Delivery Qualifications on the CSL Portal.
Within 5 working days of your start date (indicated on the CSL Portal) you will receive joining instructions. These instructions consist of a welcome letter and a link to the log in page of the qualification support web site managed by Premier Partnership.
In addition you will be provided with a password that enables you to log into your own personal qualifications page. This page holds all the details and information that you will need to undertake your qualification.
Step 1 - Read through the requirements of the unit selected
Begin by reading the unit aim on the unit specification. This sets the scene and outlines what you will be expected to understand once the unit is complete. Take time to read through each learning outcome and assessment criteria. Learning outcomes state what you will be able to do, know or understand once the assessment criteria have been successfully completed. You will notice certain words appear in bold. These are the areas that may be covered in the test assessment.
Step 2: Take time to reflect on the unit content
Once you have read through the unit, identify the skills and knowledge you already have which relate clearly to the unit aims. Secondly, identify skills, knowledge gaps or aspects of the programme which require additional study. Use this information to decide on which learning and development opportunities you would like to pursue.
Step 3: Participate in formal learning opportunities
A range of learning opportunities has been selected for each unit. These learning opportunities range from short E-Learning courses which last an hour to full day training courses. The training is offered by Learning for Operational Delivery & Civil Service Learning (CSL). Select and participate in training to suit your needs and knowledge requirements. It may be useful to refresh your knowledge if you participated in training previously.
Step 4: Undertake informal independent learning in your own work area
Opportunities for independent learning have been identified for each unit. You must read through the list. It simply asks you to reflect on how you undertake certain tasks or look up policies and procedures specific to the subject area. The purpose is to make you think about how you undertake specific activities in your own work area and the organisational and legal requirements which underpin what you do. Don't forget to ask your colleagues or managers for support to understand aspects of topics, roles or responsibilities on which you are unsure. The independent learning is a great way of checking whether you are ready to take the short answer question paper.
Step 5: Undertake the assessment
Once you have reviewed the unit requirements, addressed skills and knowledge gaps and undertaken independent learning you should have the confidence to take the assessment. Good luck!What support will I have?
Premier Partnership
As well as handling the technical aspects of the accreditation process, Premier Partnership is committed to providing additional learner support, for example if you have any queries about your registration with C&G or if you have any special requirements.
You can contact Premier Partnership directly at quals@premier-partnership.co.uk or by telephoning the help desk on 01302 361226.
Telephone enquiries will be responded to in normal working hours (09:00 to 17:00 Monday to Friday) or for messages left outside of normal working hours within one working day.
Emails will normally be responded to within 48 hours.
Your Line Manager
Your Line Manager already plays an important role in your professional development. As you progress towards your qualification, your Line Manager will support you in a number of ways. These include:
- Approving your request to start the pathway
- Agreeing with you what are the most appropriate development opportunities
- Having regular discussions with you, including reviews of any workshops you have attended or learning activities that you have undertaken
The Line Manager Guide clarifies their role in supporting you through the qualification.
Civil Service Learning
You will already be aware of the wide range of learning opportunities available to you on the Civil Service Learning portal. These include:
- Workshops and events
- Workplace learning activities
- Workbooks and crib guides
- E-learning
Policies and Codes of Practice
Both C&G and Premier Partnership work in accordance with a number of policies and codes of practice to ensure that they carry out their responsibilities in a fair, equitable and legal manner.
Policies and procedures that are particularly relevant to you as a learner are:
C&G
- Complaints and Appeals Policy
- Complaints and Appeals Procedure
- Reasonable Adjustments Policy
- Diversity and Equality Policy
Premier Partnership
- Complaints and Appeals Policy
- Diversity and Equality Policy
Policies and procedures are based on ACAS guidelines and codes of practice. You may request copies of these by contacting Premier Partnership directly at quals@premier-partnership.co.uk