Policies
The rules BETA works to, in brief. Each summary covers the main points of a fuller policy document.
Our policies in brief
- Appeals
- A candidate, operator, instructor or centre can appeal a test result, a malpractice finding, a sanction, a refused adjustment, the suspension or revocation of a card, or a decision on a centre or instructor approval. The appeal is first reviewed by someone at BETA who had no part in the decision, and can then go to a panel that includes an independent plant training specialist. How to appeal.
- Complaints
- Anyone can complain about an approved centre or about BETA. A complaint about a centre goes to the centre first and comes to BETA if it is not resolved. BETA acknowledges a complaint within 3 working days and gives its outcome within 20 working days, and a director who was not involved can review the outcome. How to complain.
- Malpractice and maladministration
- Malpractice is a deliberate breach of the scheme rules, such as impersonation, coaching a candidate during a test or recording a test that did not happen. Maladministration is a breach through error or poor systems. BETA investigates every report, from an audit, a complaint or a whistleblower, and can suspend a centre, an instructor or a card while it does.
- Reasonable adjustments and special consideration
- A candidate with a disability, a health condition or a difficulty with reading or language can ask, through their centre and before the test, for adjustments such as a reader, extra time on the theory test, large print or rest breaks. Adjustments never change the pass marks, the manoeuvres or the disqualifying faults. Special consideration covers a candidate affected on the day by illness or another event outside their control; it cannot turn a fail into a pass, but an accepted claim lets the candidate retake the test.
- Conflicts of interest
- Everyone who makes decisions for BETA declares any interest in a training centre, and a person with an interest takes no part in that centre's approval, audits, result reviews or sanctions. BETA keeps a register of interests. Where the same instructor trains and tests a group, the conflict is recorded on the test and BETA checks those tests more often.
- Data protection and privacy
- BETA Qualifications Ltd is the data controller for the BETA register. It holds operators' details and test results to issue and check cards and to run the register. The public card check never shows a date of birth, an address or a full identity document number. Read the privacy notice.
- Equality, diversity and inclusion
- BETA treats candidates, instructors, centres and its own people fairly and does not discriminate on any of the grounds protected by the Equality Act 2010. Tests measure safe and competent operation, and theory questions are written in plain English. Every approved centre must have its own equality statement.
- Safeguarding
- BETA tests adults, some of whom may be at risk. Approved centres must name a person responsible for safeguarding and give candidates a way to raise a concern that does not go through their instructor. Anyone who sees signs of exploitation, such as a third party holding candidates' identity documents, reports it to the centre and to BETA the same day.
- Fees
- BETA charges training centres for approval, instructors, card credits, extra audit visits and adding categories. Operators are not charged by BETA except for a replacement card they ask for. An appeal fee is refunded if the appeal is upheld. BETA does not set the price a centre charges for a course; ask us for the current fee schedule.
Full policies
Full policies are available on request from info@betaqualifications.com. Say which policy you would like and we will send it to you.