Improving Communications - Training and Developing Farriers of Tomorrow, Today

The National Farrier Training Agency, Sefton House, Adam Court, Newark Road, Peterborough PE1 5PP
Tel: 01733 319770 Fax: 01733 319771 www.farrierytraining.co.uk

Contact: Jane Kersley, Central Services Assistant, Sefton House, Adam Court, Newark Road, Peterborough PE1 5PP.
Tel: 01733 319911 Fax: 01733 319910 Email: [email protected] website www.farrierycpd.org
www.farrierycpd.org

Informing the FRC of changes to your contact details
The Council offices are continuing to receive returned mail that has been sent to Registered Farriers, stating, ‘Addressee has gone away’ and complaints from the public asking the Council to remove their address from the Register as this has not been changed by the farrier on selling or leaving the property.
Registered Farriers are therefore asked to check that the registered details held about themselves by the Council are up to date. To change/amend any details you can either:
✍ Fill in the online form ‘Contact Us’, available on the FRC website (www.farrier-reg.gov.uk/contact-us/)
✍ E-mail the office at [email protected] or write to us at Sefton House, 8-9 Adam Court, Newark Road, Peterborough, PE1 5PP
Please note that address changes must be made in writing by one of the above methods and cannot be accepted over the telephone.
Farriers should also inform the Council, in writing, if they wish to resign from the Register, for example, due to ill-health or if they are leaving the country – particularly at the end of the year when the Retention Fee is due. This will ensure that the Register is up to date and letters requesting payment of the annual Retention Fee are not sent and/or farriers are not removed from the Register unnecessarily.

 

 

As you may already be aware we have recently launched a survey on the FRC website to obtain information on the CPD activity undertaken by Registered Farriers in Great Britain.

The survey should only take about five minutes to complete. The results may be helpful in gaining an understanding of CPD in the farriery profession and whether there are more or less farriers taking part than recording their points.

The website is on our homepage (and CPD site) and links to the following page where some introductory text can be found:http://www.farrier-reg.gov.uk/information-and-resources/consultations/farriery-cpd-survey-making-it-count/

The survey itself is: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/frc-cpd can be found here.

 

ADVANCED LEARNING LOANS FOR 24+ LEARNERS
In the last issue of the Forge, the NFTA advised that the Government is introducing loans for apprentices aged 24 and over from 1 August 2013, and that this does not affect those currently on the apprenticeship. However, should an apprentice’s circumstances change, they may need to take out a loan to complete their apprenticeship.
The latest information the NFTA has is that VAT will be payable on the loan. ‘We are investigating how this will affect apprentices and their loan.
The NFTA will continue to provide ATFs and prospective apprentices with updates regarding these loans through Forge Magazine, Sefton House News, the NFTA website and Facebook.’

 

NFTA 2013 Roadshows
The National Farrier Training Agency Management Board will hold this year’s Roadshows at the three farriery colleges as requested by ATFs.
The majority of those who attended last year felt that such events should be held on a weekday rather than a weekend, and the general consensus was that they should be restricted to ATFs only. The topics to be covered at future Roadshows include:
◗ Pensions;
◗ Selection of apprentices;
◗ Standard setting;
◗ Employment law;
◗ Current issues;
◗ Syllabus and guides to targets at various stages of the apprenticeship;
◗ Training and conduct of ATFs and Apprentices;
◗ Changes to training.
One area where ATFs are continually asking for information is ‘Employment Law’ and the NFTA is in discussions with the arbitration service, ACAS, to make a presentation.
The open forum, which allows participants to clarify and discuss issues, has proved extremely successful in the past and ATFs are urged to come along, prepared with suggestions and ideas for improvement.
The NFTA is in the process of finalising venues, presenters, and so on, and by the time this article is published it is anticipated that all ATFs will have received an invitation to the 2013 Roadshows.
Those ATFs who have not yet attended a Roadshow are reminded that attendance is mandatory once every four years.

 

Chairman required for The National Farrier Training Agency Management Board

The National Farrier Training Agency is a division of the Farriers Registration Council, with responsibility for the management of the Advanced Apprenticeship in farriery.
The Chairman is supported by 7 non-Executive Board Members and the Operations Manager. The candidate must have previous experience of chairing Board Meetings, strong business development capabilities and communication skills. He/She must have an understanding of equine welfare and farriery, as well as the current educational process. Knowledge of the Advanced Apprenticeship requirements will be an added advantage.
The Chairman will be required to attend Board Meetings 3 times a year in Peterborough as well as Council & Finance Committee Meetings. A daily allowance and travelling expenses will be paid.
Applications should be submitted by 18/02/2013 to the Registrar, The Farriers Registration Council, Adam Court, Sefton House, Peterborough, PE1 5PP.
Interviews are likely to be held on 26 February 2013 in Peterborough.

 

As an Apprentice where can I get information and advice?

Advice and information can be found on the NFTA website
www.farrierytraining.co.uk or the NFTA staff are available between 0845 am and 5 pm, telephone 01733 319770. Requests can also be forwarded by e-mail to [email protected]. You may, however, find it easier to speak with one of the following people or organisations, depending on the information and advice you require:

◗ Field Officer You can contact your Field Officer, either by talking to them during a routine visit or contacting them at other times. You will have been issued with their phone number at your induction. The NFTA can also provide you with the number.

◗ NFTA College Coordinator You can contact the NFTA College Coordinator who works part-time at the college you attend, on the contact numbers below.
The School of Farriery, Hereford - 01432 365391 (Sandra Silcox)
Myerscough College - 01995 640611 (Debbie Homer)
Warwick College - 01926 318000 (Lorna Walters)

◗ College Student Services Each college has a Student Services Department that farrier apprentices can use:
The School of Farriery, Hereford www.hct.ac.uk/Student/learner-services.html
Myerscough College www.myerscough.ac.uk/?page=student-welfare
Warwick College www.warwickshire.ac.uk/help_and_advice/learning_support.aspx

◗ BFBA Every apprentice is a member of the British Farriers and Blacksmiths Association (BFBA) and as such you can contact them for advice. The BFBA provides contact details for an independent advisory service known as the Welfare Advice Reconciliation Service whose details can be found on the BFBA website. The service is a confidential helpline for sourcing employment law, advice and guidance on general employment issues and problems. Further information about the support the BFBA can provide to apprentices can be found at www.forgemagazine.co.uk.

◗ HM Revenue & Customs – See website for appropriate telephone number www.hmrc.gov.uk

◗ Childline - 0800 1111, http://www.childline.org.uk/Pages/Home.aspx

◗ Health and Safety Executive (HSE) – 0845 300 9923 (opening hours Monday to Friday 08.30am to 5pm)

◗ Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) – (852) 2511 8211 (Open Mondays- Fridays 8.45 to 5.45pm), [email protected]

◗ Advisory Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) - 08457 474747 (Monday-Friday, 8am-8pm and Saturday, 9am-1pm)

◗ Samaritans - 08457 90 90 90, e-mail [email protected], www.samaritans.org

◗ NHS Direct - 0845 4647, www.nhsdirect.nhs.co.uk/CheckSymptoms.aspx

 

Recording CPD points
The NFTA will shortly be issuing CPD certificates for 2012.
NFTA Recruitment and CPD Manager, Vicki Cooper, says that CPD points can be recorded on each farrier’s personal page on the CPD website, where points can be recorded throughout the year.
The website – www.farrierycpd.org – allows you to record all CPD events
you have participated in, as well as providing the opportunity to plan and manage future CPD activity.
Farriers who are unable to record CPD online, but with CPD points they wish to be recorded, should contact Vicki, telephone 01733 341393,
or send their completed CPD Record Card to the CPD Office.
Record Cards are available to download from the website.
The website calendar is constantly updated and all events that the NFTA has been told about will be recorded there. If you are holding an event in 2013 and you would like it advertised on the CPD website, contact Vicki on the number above or email [email protected]

 

A reminder to all ATFs from the NFTA
With effect from January 2013, CPD became mandatory for all ATFs.
The NFTA is aware that since the majority of ATFs already complete the required CPD each year, the introduction of mandatory CPD will have little effect, if any, on those ATFs.
The following points outline how mandatory CPD will be implemented:
◗ To avoid confusion, the recommended amount of CPD points remains the same for all registered farriers, currently 10 points per year.
◗ Initially, any CPD undertaken should be seen as relevant and no limitation is placed on the types of CPD expected of an ATF. However, this will be monitored to ensure continued relevance and suitability.
◗ In cases of non-completion of the required 10 points at the end of any given year, the ATF concerned will be reviewed and required to make up the deficit by the June of the following year, while still having to complete the annual requirement of 10 points as well.
◗ If an ATF fails to complete the total of 20 points for the two-year period, a formal ATF status review will be undertaken with a potential outcome being removal of ATF Status.
◗ CPD records will be used in all situations where a review is required, such as, but not limited to ATF Status, training and apprenticeship reviews.
◗ Following implementation, a full review of mandatory CPD will be undertaken at the end of year 2 to ensure relevance and compliance and make adjustments as deemed necessary

 

Contact: Jane Kersley, Central Services Assistant, Sefton House, Adam Court, Newark Road, Peterborough PE1 5PP.
Tel: 01733 319911 Fax: 01733 319910 Email: [email protected] website www.farrierycpd.org
www.farrierycpd.org

 

 

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