The Institute of British Sign Language (iBSL) has made the decision to surrender its status as an Ofqual-recognised awarding organization. The decision was communicated to Ofqual in January 2023, and the surrender will take effect from 3 March 2023, following the organization’s decision to cease trading.
Ofqual has been working closely with iBSL to ensure the interests of students are protected. To this end, Ofqual has put in place arrangements called saving and transitional provisions, which allow iBSL to continue issuing results and certificates to students who have a valid entitlement. These qualifications will remain Ofqual-regulated qualifications.
Special conditions have also been imposed on iBSL to protect the interests of its existing and potential students. One of these conditions is that iBSL is not permitted to register any new students to take its qualifications, and training providers should not enroll any new students on courses for iBSL qualifications.
While this decision may cause disruption and uncertainty for students, Ofqual has contacted iBSL’s training providers to provide details of alternative regulated qualifications that students can transfer to. A full list of currently recognized awarding organizations and regulated qualifications can be found on the Register of Regulated Qualifications. iBSL is required to provide assistance to any students who wish to transfer to another regulated qualification, and students should contact their training provider for further information.
It is important to note that Ofqual’s priority is to ensure that the interests of students are protected, and it will continue to work closely with iBSL to ensure that this is the case. The surrender of iBSL’s Ofqual-recognised status does not mean that its qualifications will become invalid or lose their value. Students who have already completed iBSL qualifications will still be able to use them to advance their careers and pursue their goals.
Source: Gov[Dot]UK
