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Health and Safety Qualifications at Risk as NCRQ Rumoured to be Ceasing Trading

Health and Safety Qualifications at Risk as NCRQ Rumoured to be Ceasing Trading
05 October 2022
 

People studying for National Compliance and Risk Qualifications (NCRQ) courses are unable to access their student portal amidst rumours that the company has ceased trading.

Over the last 24 hours, several current students have taken to social media to complain that they were unable to log on to the usual student portal, raising doubts about the future of their qualifications. Many are also waiting for results from their assignments. 

NCRQ's website homepage contains an announcement message which reads"We are currently experiencing some technical issues which are affecting contact with our student support team. We are working to resolve this as quickly as possible."

The Companies House listing for NCRQ confirms the company’s status as active, but lists 7 out of the 8 directors as “resigned”. 

 

NCRQ “Not Able to Continue Delivering Qualifications”

 

Users logging in to the NCRQ site were met with a message stating that “NCRQ are currently not able to continue delivering qualifications to learners” and that the student portal is “undergoing maintenance” and is currently unavailable.

The message said that all learners would be contacted as soon as further arrangement have been made, and that NCRQ is working with AIM Qualifications to “find a solution”.

One user wrote:

 

NCRQ courses include diplomas in fire risk assessments, personal injury liability and general health and safety. The body works in partnership with AIM Qualifications and examinations regulator Ofqual. 

Kevern Kerswell, CEO of the AIM Qualifications and Assessment Group tweeted on Tuesday (4 October) night that users should email enquiries@aimgroup.org.uk for guidance.

 

Update – NCRQ Confirms Closure

 

NCRQ has updated its website with the following message:

"It is with great sorrow that we announce that NCRQ is no longer able to deliver qualifications to learners. NCRQ’s qualifications have re-defined the standards of heath and safety education, and our signature NCRQ Diploma rapidly became the most popular such qualification in the UK.

"We invested all of our profits, resources, and hearts in the last two years into developing a phenomenal new fire risk assessment qualification. This was going to exceed our even our existing qualifications in quality and innovation, and there was clearly a huge demand from our students. This development used up much of our reserves.

"IOSH has accrued six-figure legal fees following a trademark dispute from 2019, and despite any loss to them being trivial they are insisting that NCRQ pay the eye-watering legal fees. When combined with our recent investment in development, this demand has forcing us to commence insolvency proceedings.

"We have worked with AIM Qualifications to secure an agreement with another training provider, Hatten Education, to continue to deliver qualifications for our current and new students.

For further details, please refer to the Hatten Education website at www.hatten.org.uk

"We hope that some of our amazing team will be able to move over to Hatten Education, to provide some continuity to our students.

"We would like to express our heartfelt thanks to each and every one of our students, who have been incredibly supportive of us through the years. We hope that some of us will see you again at Hatten Education and that they can continue to deliver qualifications and training that makes a real difference to people every day.

"All of us at NCRQ"

 

NCRQ Director Opens Hatten Education

 

Hatten Education, an online learning platform, has published on its website that they have “recently taken on the NCRQ suite of qualifications and learners.”

Iain Evans, from NCRQ, is listed as a director of the business.

The body is now licensed to use the same training materials and assessments used by NCRQ and will register former NCRQ students without any additional charge.

However, The NCRQ Diploma in Fire Risk Assessment will not be transferred to Hatten Education and students are being advised to contact their bank to obtain refunds.

A LinkedIn post by the training provider states that NCRQ students should visit a dedicated page on their website to get the latest information.

Picture: a photograph of a person typing on a laptop. Image Credit: Unsplash

Article written by Ella Tansley | Published 05 October 2022

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