Assessment of Learning and Development
- Holly S
- Jun 9
- 3 min read
Updated: 5 days ago
Assessments of learning and development can be done by your own self (as self-assessment), or done by someone else.
Leaders in adult care, registered managers, care business owners, and all care workers must understand the concept of assessment of learning and development, the different types of assessment and how they can contribute to safe and high quality care support.
Assessments are used to measure progress and achievements, and can be used for qualifications, courses, standards, workplace measures and practices, and more.
Self-assessment of learning and development
For self-assessment, a person can assess themselves against the required standards and use the identified gaps to plan their own professional development.
When you undertake any type of learning or training, you can assess yourself to determine whether you have met the goals you set for yourself.
If the learning activity has Standards that must be met, if you know those Standards, then you can assess yourself to determine whether you have met those Standards.
A lot of online courses are self-assessed by auto-marked Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs), especially if those courses are not regulated.
Assessment by someone else
In the workplace, the assessment of learning and development can be done by a Manager, a Supervisor, by a senior or more experienced colleague, or by a client, service-user, or by the individual receiving care support.
If the learning and development programme is connected to a formal, regulated recognised qualification, then the assessment will be done by an Assessor who is qualified to assess that qualification, by having full Assessor qualifications, as well possessing the required number of years of occupational competence related to the job role linked to the recognised regulated qualification.
Assessments can be informal or formal.
Informal assessment of learning and development
Informal assessments are often ongoing in the workplace, and involves work colleagues, team leaders, supervisors, managers, and often clients as well, who often comment on how the member of staff is progressing, for better or worse.
For example, a Supervisor or team leader may ask a member of the team how a new staff member is getting on. The response will be an assessment by the team member, often based on what they have witnessed, or even comments made by service-users. Although that assessment is informal, it still contributes to the 360-degree picture the manager is building of the new staff member.
Formal assessment
Formal assessments can take place in a variety of settings, including the workplace, the classroom, in an examination hall, remotely on an online system, etc.
Assessments for recognised qualifications are formal and are always done by a qualified assessor.
The reasons for formal assessment include:
identification of individual student needs (initial assessments)
ensuring learning and assessment activities are fit for purpose (ongoing reviews)
monitoring development of knowledge, skills, and understanding (ongoing reviews and work-based supervision activities)
measurement and recording of achievement,
to provide evidence for performance review during work-based appraisals,
to assess whether performance targets have been met, and
for industry benchmarking,
assessment against standards and performance criteria for knowledge, skills and behaviours for a recognised regulated qualification
Assessments must be done properly
It is important that everyone understands that assessments must be done properly if the results are to be reliable.
Decisions are made based on the results of assessments, for example, the decision to let someone undertake certain tasks unsupervised.
If the assessments were not done properly, there is a danger that a care worker may be asked to undertake tasks they are not competent to perform unsupervised, but they got signed off either because the care worker cheated in the assessments or the person who did their assessment didn't bother to do it properly but just ticked everything as completed. In such a scenario, the client receiving care from the care worker may end up harmed, with all sorts of consequences.
Understand how to deal with being assessed
All workers must understand how they will be assessed in any situation, and must know how to cope with assessments without panicking. This will enable the worker to use the assessment to understand themselves better, including knowing their own strengths and weaknesses.
What to do next
If you are studying with us, please carefully read the standards included in your learning programme, ensure you understand what each of them mean and how you ensure you meet the standards, both for your sake, and for the safety of the persons to whom you deliver care support.
If you are not yet enrolled to study with us, browse our advertised learning programmes and find what you need.
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