LCL Awards tour of Scotland is a great success

14 Nov 2024

Neill Ovenden, LCL Awards Operations Director, and our new Business Development Manager, Reuben Davison, recently returned from a tour of Scotland, where they visited many of our approved centres North of the Border. 

With the adoption of a blended audit process, we don't interact in person with our centres as often as we would like. We are, therefore, keen to ensure that the close relationships we value continue to flourish and centres have the opportunity to meet more informally with key LCL Awards staff. 

Both Neill and Reuben were struck by the warm welcome they received across the board and the passion they encountered from those delivering LCL Awards’ qualifications. Neill explains:

“Some of our centres in Scotland weren’t able to make it to our forum in Leicester this year so we wanted to give them the chance to spend some time with us, and I was keen to introduce them to Reuben, who has begun developing links with centres across the country.

“The tour was an incredibly positive experience for us, and the engagement very worthwhile. Speaking with old and new centres about their experiences, challenges and hopes for the future was informative for me, and it was great to hear such positive feedback for LCL Awards.

“The centres talked about how helpful and friendly our admin team is, with nothing being too much trouble. The External Quality Assurance (EQA) and technical teams received similar praise from staff at centres, with many expressing how helpful the External Verifiers are during approvals and audits. The approachability and availability of the technical team was also commended.” 

“It was great to see the care and dedication our centres put into delivering our qualifications and the work we put into supporting them reflected back. One of the centres said our visit was like being given a hug. I like that!”

As part of his new role, Reuben will act as a bridge between the LCL Awards and centres – reporting back and responding to new ideas and concerns. He said: 

“I’ve greatly enjoyed meeting the people working in the Scottish centres. I think they value having a more informal, non-regulatory encounter with their Awarding Organisation. 

“The standards they work to are high; they’re proud of what they’ve achieved, and it’s been great to give them the opportunity to share that with us. We want to show them that we care – that our relationship goes beyond compliance and an annual audit.”

Mark Krull, Director, has been delighted with the feedback and the tour’s success: 

“The feedback from Scotland has been very positive and it’s super to see that all the hard work that LCL Awards staff put into working with and supporting our centres does not go unnoticed. Having been a great success, it is hoped that this tour will be the first of many.”