There are three programmes that apply to the bivalve purification sector that are joint awards between Seafish and REHIS. They are:

BVP Operations - all staff in a purification centre

BVP HACCP- all staff in a purification centre

and

BVP Inspections - a specialist course for EHOs and other audit/inspections staff.

Seafish / REHIS JOINT AWARDS

The Institute (REHIS) is the main awarding body in Scotland for food safety courses, and a major awarding body for health and safety courses. A wide range of courses are currently available. Where a standard REHIS qualification is not appropriate the institute works with a partner to develop a sector or organisation specific qualification which can be certified by the Institute.

Joint awards are qualifications which have been designed to meet the specific skills needed by the partner organisation. The partner organisation determines the skills required and the level; REHIS provides the certification for the course and the appropriate award. The Institute applies the same level of quality assurance to joint awards as it does to its own courses.

Most joint awards are initially developed by the partner organisation, who will need to undertake the initial needs analysis. For example,

• Is one of the standard courses suitable for their training need?
• What additional skills or knowledge is needed by the partner;
• How is the partner organisation going to organise the delivery of the course;
• What will be the content of the course;
• What will be the recognised level of the course, ie, introductory, elementary, intermediate, or
• Will the course require a unique level to be set; who will the partner organisation use to deliver the course.

The Institute works with the partner organisation to develop the syllabus and administrative requirements for the course. The administrative requirements are similar to the Institute’s own Regulations for its courses. The Institute’s role as an awarding body is to validate the joint award, ensure that the partner organisation sets and maintains the technical content of the award, and complies with the administrative requirements which have been agreed as part of the joint award agreement.

External verification and certification is always provided by the Institute.

Seafish have four joint awards with REHIS, Introductory food hygiene in the seafood industry and An introduction to HACCP in the seafood industry (includes BVP HACCP), BVP Operations and BVP Inspections.