Qualifications regulator Ofqual has fined OTHM Qualifications
£25,000 after finding serious and repeated failures in the way
the organisation handled malpractice allegations.
The failures span more than 4 years and include allowing colleges
and training providers accused of malpractice to investigate
themselves, keeping chaotic and inconsistent records, and failing
to report serious incidents to Ofqual for the best part of a
decade.
Ofqual's investigation began in February 2024 following 12
allegations of malpractice involving OTHM qualifications.
That investigation found several cases where OTHM directed the
colleges at the centre of malpractice allegations to investigate
themselves, including cases where those colleges had been told
they could lose their accreditation if wrongdoing was found.
OTHM's record-keeping was found to be inconsistent. Each time
Ofqual asked for malpractice records, OTHM provided a different
register with inconsistent information. It also could not produce
investigation reports for 4 cases it was required to keep under
its own policy.
Between 2018 and 2024, OTHM submitted just one notification to
Ofqual about a potentially serious incident, despite its own
records showing dozens of malpractice and maladministration
events that met the threshold for reporting. This failure to
report meant the opportunity for early intervention was lost.
Since Ofqual stepped in, OTHM has put together a detailed action
plan and invested significantly in its systems, processes and
staff to make sure these failures do not happen again. OTHM has
also agreed to send Ofqual regular reports on how well these
improvements are working, and these reports will be checked by
independent auditors.
Amanda Swann, Ofqual's Executive Director for Delivery, said:
I'd like to remind awarding organisations that event
notifications are a sign of good governance, not a sign of
failure. When Ofqual is not kept informed, we cannot step in to
protect learners.
OTHM has acknowledged what went wrong and taken steps to put it
right. We will be watching. But a £25,000 fine is a significant
consequence, and it is meant to be. Qualifications only mean
something if people can trust them.
Notes to editors
