B67 Revised Booking Form Following NSAR Notification

Changes to the Sentinel Scheme Rules V5.1, Clause 3.2.3 f) has confused many Providers who have sought clarity from the QA Team on what the change means to the use of the booking form, required by the RTAS Rules, Clause 5.12.1, and accepting payment for training.

We have received the following guidance from the custodians of the Sentinel Scheme at Network Rail, who have confirmed the following.

• A sponsored individual can self-fund a training course if they wish to undertake the training for their own personal development and will not use the competence while working for their primary / sub sponsor.

• RTAS rule clause 5.12.1 still applies, and the primary / sub sponsor must continue to book the course even when the individual wants to pay for it.

• There are no circumstances where the individual should self-fund mandatory training such as PTS.

• For self-funded courses, it should be made clear to the individual by the Provider before the event that they won’t be able to use the competence on the railway without the required learning support and assessments.

• Providers are allowed to take the payment from the delegate as long as it’s booked by their sponsor and they have confirmed that they do not require the individual to hold the competence.

All Assured Providers should review the contents of their booking forms and processes for booking and accepting payment for training to make sure that they are in accordance with the above from the custodian of the Rules. Evidence of the checks made with Sponsors should be retained within any pack that a delegate has self-funded the training. Any changes already made to booking forms and processes that do not apply the above should be corrected.

Regards

QA Team