The Pet Industry Federation’s joint animal establishments inspector training course, run in collaboration with the City of London Corporation, has officially become an Ofqual-regulated City & Guilds Level 3 qualification.
Since October 2018, the new Licensing of Activities Involving Animals regulations require those carrying out inspections to be appropriately trained. The Professional Programme in Inspecting Licensable Activities Involving Animals has been running to full capacity since its launch after being specifically developed by animal health inspectors and education experts to meet this new legal requirement.
Until now, the course has been termed ‘Level 3 equivalent’. The formal qualification status adds weight to the course of study, ensures that it unequivocally meets the requirements in the legislation and enables inspectors who pass the course to add a regulated City & Guilds Level 3 qualification to their name.
TRAINING
Vicky Skinner, head of education at the Pet Industry Federation, said: “Becoming a qualification is testament to the quality of the original course formation, particularly in terms of teaching and assessment, and, in doing so, it strengthens the provision of this mandatory training in order to enable licensing officers to sufficiently discharge their duties under the new legislation.
“Licensing inspectors who have already completed the original course need not miss out either because they can convert to the qualification by undertaking an additional assessment to meet the qualification requirement. However this is not a requirement and the previous, accredited, course fully meets the training requirements.’
Further details about the Professional Programme in Inspecting Licensable Activities Involving Animals course and qualification, including course dates information on converting to the new qualification, can be found in the Education section of the Pet Industry Federation website (www.petfederation.co.uk).
