Course Competencies, National Occupational Standards, Meeting the required standards of competency.

All of our courses follow the principles and core competencies outlined within the National Occupational Standards shown below.

Our course material covers a multitude of learning modalities listed below to ensure our students meet the standards of competency required to practice professionally and meet the level of qualification awarded with this course. Course study hours, learning modalities and assessment processes are influencing factors when awarding levels of competence. All course material and course assessment follows these guidelines and markers stipulated by the UK's National Occupational Standards.

Course learning modalities include:

• Course structure
• Allocated study hours
• Course syllabus
• Course manuals
• Recommended reading
• Course material
• Course lectures and content
• Case studies
• Course dissertation
• Course video demonstrations
• Course assessments
• Course exam
• Course face-to-face assessment

What are National Occupational Standards?

NOS describe the skills, knowledge and understanding needed to undertake a particular task or job to a nationally recognised level of competence. They focus on what the person needs to be able to do, as well as what they must know and understand to work effectively. They cover the key activities undertaken within the occupation in question under all the circumstances the jobholder is likely to encounter. (Definition supported by UK Commission for Employment and Skills).

Each NOS contains an agreed set of knowledge and understanding and performance criteria that must be met before someone can be deemed competent. They describe the minimum standard to which an individual is expected to work in a given occupation.

Principles of Good Practice

These Principles of Good Practice are underpinned by the National Occupational Standards (NOS) and describe the ways in which practitioners should demonstrate good practice across all of their work.

Practitioners working in complementary and natural healthcare should demonstrate:

1.That they partake in regular and appropriate formal supervision

2. An understanding of the philosophy and principles underpinning their discipline

3. An understanding of current legislation and policy as it applies to their discipline

4. Respect for clients’ dignity, privacy, autonomy, cultural differences and rights

5. Regard for the safety of the client and themselves

6. That they learn from others, including clients and colleagues and continually develop their own knowledge, understanding and skills through reflective practice, and research findings

7. An awareness of their own and others' emotional state and responses, incorporating such awareness into their own practice

8. That they communicate clearly, concisely and in a professional manner

9. That they work with confidence, integrity and sensitivity

10.That they undertake systematic, critical evaluation of their professional knowledge

11. That they work within their scope of practice, experience and capability at all times

Source: Complementary and Natural Healthcare NOS 2011

Competency Based Assessments

All of our assessments work in tandem with the standards set by NOS and assess all students via:

1. Core knowledge at the end of each section by sitting a multi-choice exam
2. Various course case study exercises
3. Dissertations:
   1. Dissertation 1 – Talking Therapies and their role today as a medical alternative – 10,000 words
   2. Dissertation 2 – NLP in Business – 7500 words
   3. Dissertation 3 – Clinical Hypnotherapy – 2500 words
4. Clinical Hypnotherapy Script task
5. Case study one-day face-to-face skill assessment. NOS core competencies measured and assessed
6. Case study client session assessment
7. Practice and Feedback sessions
8. Monthly feedback to tutor

Course Coaching Modalities

• NLP – Personal and professional
• Behavioural Science – Mindspace influencing model
• Lifestyle medicine
• Clinical hypnotherapy
• Life coaching
• Coaching with EFT