NW ENGLAND WINE ACADEMY - The Policy Page
Access, Diversity, Equality
New England Wine Academy (NEWA) is committed to upholding the principles of access, diversity and equality in all areas of its work, seeking to ensure that everyone involved in our programs, from students to educators, vendors and other partners, are treated fairly and equally, and there is limited friction to success in their studies. We are in compliance with all local, state and federal guidelines and regulations on diversity and equity.
NEWA will always work to ensure there is an equality of access and opportunity for our students by:
NEWA assures equal opportunity and access for any individual who can demonstrate that they meet the course standards and criteria to enroll.
Basically - all are welcome and encouraged to apply - we will work to ensure you have a place.
If you wish to report any accessibility issue or have questions about access, diversity, equality, please contact Brian Mitchell - [email protected]
Reasonable Adjustments
NEWA seeks to assess all candidates in a way that puts them at no advantage, or disadvantage, over other candidates. A reasonable adjustment is any action that helps to reduce the effect of a disability or difficulty that places the candidate at a substantial disadvantage in the assessment situation. Reasonable adjustments are submitted to and approved by WSET Awards and put in place before the assessment activity takes place; they constitute an arrangement to give the candidate access to the qualification. The use of a reasonable adjustment is not taken into consideration during the assessment of a candidate’s work. Reasonable adjustments will not give unfair advantage over candidates for whom reasonable adjustments are not being made or affect the reliability and validity of the assessment outcomes as detailed in the applicable Specification.
Reasonable adjustments may involve:
Applying for a reasonable adjustment
Candidates with special needs or requiring reasonable adjustments during the assessment should inform NEWA upon enrollment, and no later than 5 weeks prior to an exam date, by indicating such in the relevant space on the Booking/Registration Form. The Examinations Officer will contact said candidate to discuss the condition(s) for consideration and will request support evidence as required by WSET. Candidates and their advisors should be aware that it is not appropriate to make requests for reasonable adjustments where the candidate’s particular difficulty directly affects performance in the attributes that are the focus of the assessment.
Requests for reasonable adjustment(s) will then be forwarded to the Assessment Manager of WSET for consideration and approval. The specific arrangements for the examination process itself, or for marking, will be agreed in each case between the NEWA’s Examinations Officer and WSET Assessment Manager, and will vary according to individual circumstances. NEWA will maintain records of all reasonable adjustment applications as required by WSET, and we reserve the right to establish a new exam date for and in agreement with the candidate in order to make appropriate accommodations for reasonable adjustments.
Special Consideration
Special consideration is an action taken after an assessment to allow candidates who have been disadvantaged by temporary illness, injury, indisposition or adverse circumstances at the time of the assessment to demonstrate attainment. Special consideration will not give unfair advantage over candidates for whom special consideration is not being applied or alter the assessment demands of the qualification as detailed in the applicable Specification.
A candidate may be eligible for special consideration if:
Applying for Special Consideration
Candidates requesting Special Consideration must contact the Examinations Officer at NEWA within 5 working days of the assessment date for which special consideration is being sought (contact Brian Mitchell – [email protected]).
Eligibility will only be considered if accompanied by supporting documentation. Requests for Special Consideration will then be forwarded to the Assessment Manager of WSET for consideration and approval, and will be handled in accordance with WSET’s Data Privacy policy. Approval for Special Considerations will be made solely by WSET, and will vary according to individual circumstances. NEWA will maintain records of all Special Consideration applications as required by WSET. Candidates will be notified by NEWA once WSET approves or denies the request, and notifies NEWA.
Malpractice and Maladministration
The aim of this policy is to protect the interests of NEWA and WSET candidates and safeguard the integrity of WSET and other qualifications by ensuring compliance with NEWA and WSET Policies and Procedures. It provides a framework for identifying, reporting and managing any potential malpractice or maladministration.
Definition of Maladministration and Malpractice
Since the boundaries between maladministration and malpractice are not clear-cut, any potential instance of maladministration or malpractice should be reported to the Brian Mitchell ([email protected]).
Whether a situation is maladministration or malpractice will be determined by NEWA following an investigation.
Malpractice or maladministration may include:
From time to time a student may encounter or be the subject of some form of misconduct, wither in a classroom setting or in an exam setting.
All complaints should be brought to the attention of NEWA per the complaint policy as stated.
All notifications should be submitted in writing (see email addresses at the bottom of the page), and should include a detailed account of the circumstances surrounding the suspicions and allegations.
NEWA will then work with WSET to determine the:
NEWA will acknowledge receipt of a non-compliance notification via email within 3 working days.
NEWA will log the complaint and conduct and inquiry of the complaint.
If this is a WSET related complaint, NEWA will notify WSET per their guidelines of the complaint and submit any related information.
NEWA and WSET will conduct a full investigation and report back within 30 days. In some cases, the investigation may take longer; in such instances all concerned parties will be advised of the revised timescale.
Sanctions Applicable to Students for Misconduct
Students may incur sanctions for certain actions deemed to not be in compliance with NEWA and/or WSET policies, and may include: a written warning, exam results declared null and void, disqualified from qualification and/or student disqualification.
Conflict of Interest
A Conflict of Interest exists where an individual has interests or loyalties that could adversely influence their judgement, objectivity or loyalty to NEWA when conducting activities associated with NEWA or WSET qualifications. As a third-party provider of WSET qualifications, NEWA is required to monitor and manage actual, potential and perceived conflicts of interest. This is essential to safeguard the integrity of WSET qualifications and promote confidence in NEWA processes. This policy applies to all NEWA staff and to any individual acting on behalf of NEWA.
Examples of Conflicts of Interest include but are not limited to:
Any individual who is in knowledge of or has a conflict of interest with the administration of NEWA and / or WSET assessments, must make the details of the conflict known to NEWA in writing, prior to the course or examination date. NEWA will work to mitigate and eliminate any and all potential conflicts before there is an issue. In the event that a conflict of interest is discovered after an examination assessment, all parties, including WSET, will be notified and an investigation into the circumstances will be conducted. All parties of the investigation will be notified of the results of the investigation and any resulting actions, within 30 days. All conflicts of interest should be reported to NEWA and NEWA will determine if mitigation is possible with WSET (when dealing with a WSET course).
Some conflicts of interest can be managed and are therefore acceptable. For example, the marking of WSET Level 3 tasting assessments by Internal Assessors is verified by WSET to mitigate the risk of a Conflict of interest.
Some conflicts cannot be managed and are not acceptable. For example, it would be inappropriate for an individual involved in the authoring of examination questions or the compilation of examination papers to teach or coach students.
Complaints
New England Wine Academy has no agenda other than to provide drinks education services to the best of our abilities. We work very hard to provide and uphold any and all stated Services, answer all questions, and work with our student candidates to help them fulfill their educational plans to the best of their ability. If we, at any time, fail to achieve this goal, we want to hear from you. We will work with students to take corrective actions or remedy the situation to the best of our ability, up to and including refunding or subsidizing fees. If at any time a student wishes to notify us of a failure to achieve some aspect of our plan, make us aware of a compliance issue, or file a complaint, they should contact NEWA or, in the case of a WSET course - WSET directly - using the email addresses below. Please include all relevant information, including dates, times, service and or other details so that we can make a full assessment of the notice or complaint.
NEWA will respond to all notices and complaints within 3 business days, and then follow-up with any further corrective actions within 30 days or less, depending on the nature of the complaint.
Contact Information
For WSET Candidates who wish to discuss or clarify any issues regarding special adjustments or considerations, malpractice or potential conflicts of interest, or any other policies and / or complaints, please email NEWA directly - [email protected]
For WSET Candidates who are unable to resolve their complaint with NEWA and/or feel there is a conflict or compliance issue that should go directly to WSET, they may contact - [email protected]. Please note that all complaints and related inquiries must be exhausted through NEWA before a referral to WSET can be made.
New England Wine Academy (NEWA) is committed to upholding the principles of access, diversity and equality in all areas of its work, seeking to ensure that everyone involved in our programs, from students to educators, vendors and other partners, are treated fairly and equally, and there is limited friction to success in their studies. We are in compliance with all local, state and federal guidelines and regulations on diversity and equity.
NEWA will always work to ensure there is an equality of access and opportunity for our students by:
- Promoting open access to our programs and courses, including Academy, WSET, training and all other course offerings and qualifications (often the only limitation being age due to the legal minimum to purchase and / or consume alcohol in your region);
- Ensuring that the format and content of all websites, materials, exams and other related content do not discriminate unlawfully against anyone on the grounds of disability, age (except as it relates to the legal minimum to purchase and / or consume alcohol in your region), marriage and civil partnership, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation;
- Making sure that any student with special educational needs, disabilities or injuries can access our programs. We will never change or modify the demands of any coursework or assessments, and will make sure that all standards for each student are in line with our guidelines. If needed, we will address any situation based on individual needs for any reasonable adjustment (see below) or special considerations, which include, but are not limited to circumstances such as physical access, location, language, illness. And we will never ask you to disclose any personal information beyond what may be absolutely necessary to accommodate special requests or adjustments; any disclosure is kept in full confidence according to our Privacy Policy;
- We welcome feedback at anytime from all involved regarding this or any of our policies and standards and will work to respond to you requests and / or input within a reasonable amount of time;
NEWA assures equal opportunity and access for any individual who can demonstrate that they meet the course standards and criteria to enroll.
Basically - all are welcome and encouraged to apply - we will work to ensure you have a place.
If you wish to report any accessibility issue or have questions about access, diversity, equality, please contact Brian Mitchell - [email protected]
Reasonable Adjustments
NEWA seeks to assess all candidates in a way that puts them at no advantage, or disadvantage, over other candidates. A reasonable adjustment is any action that helps to reduce the effect of a disability or difficulty that places the candidate at a substantial disadvantage in the assessment situation. Reasonable adjustments are submitted to and approved by WSET Awards and put in place before the assessment activity takes place; they constitute an arrangement to give the candidate access to the qualification. The use of a reasonable adjustment is not taken into consideration during the assessment of a candidate’s work. Reasonable adjustments will not give unfair advantage over candidates for whom reasonable adjustments are not being made or affect the reliability and validity of the assessment outcomes as detailed in the applicable Specification.
Reasonable adjustments may involve:
- Changing standard assessment arrangements, for example allowing candidates extra time to complete the assessment activity;
- Adapting assessment materials, such as providing materials in large text format;
- Providing access facilitators during assessment, such as a sign language interpreter or reader;
- Re-organizing the assessment room to accommodate extra space or lighting.
Applying for a reasonable adjustment
Candidates with special needs or requiring reasonable adjustments during the assessment should inform NEWA upon enrollment, and no later than 5 weeks prior to an exam date, by indicating such in the relevant space on the Booking/Registration Form. The Examinations Officer will contact said candidate to discuss the condition(s) for consideration and will request support evidence as required by WSET. Candidates and their advisors should be aware that it is not appropriate to make requests for reasonable adjustments where the candidate’s particular difficulty directly affects performance in the attributes that are the focus of the assessment.
Requests for reasonable adjustment(s) will then be forwarded to the Assessment Manager of WSET for consideration and approval. The specific arrangements for the examination process itself, or for marking, will be agreed in each case between the NEWA’s Examinations Officer and WSET Assessment Manager, and will vary according to individual circumstances. NEWA will maintain records of all reasonable adjustment applications as required by WSET, and we reserve the right to establish a new exam date for and in agreement with the candidate in order to make appropriate accommodations for reasonable adjustments.
Special Consideration
Special consideration is an action taken after an assessment to allow candidates who have been disadvantaged by temporary illness, injury, indisposition or adverse circumstances at the time of the assessment to demonstrate attainment. Special consideration will not give unfair advantage over candidates for whom special consideration is not being applied or alter the assessment demands of the qualification as detailed in the applicable Specification.
A candidate may be eligible for special consideration if:
- Performance in an assessment is affected by circumstances beyond the control of the candidate. This may include recent personal illness, accident, bereavement or examination room conditions;
- Alternative assessment arrangements which were agreed in advance of the assessment proved inappropriate or inadequate;
- The application of special consideration would not mislead the user of the certificate as to the candidate’s attainment.
Applying for Special Consideration
Candidates requesting Special Consideration must contact the Examinations Officer at NEWA within 5 working days of the assessment date for which special consideration is being sought (contact Brian Mitchell – [email protected]).
Eligibility will only be considered if accompanied by supporting documentation. Requests for Special Consideration will then be forwarded to the Assessment Manager of WSET for consideration and approval, and will be handled in accordance with WSET’s Data Privacy policy. Approval for Special Considerations will be made solely by WSET, and will vary according to individual circumstances. NEWA will maintain records of all Special Consideration applications as required by WSET. Candidates will be notified by NEWA once WSET approves or denies the request, and notifies NEWA.
Malpractice and Maladministration
The aim of this policy is to protect the interests of NEWA and WSET candidates and safeguard the integrity of WSET and other qualifications by ensuring compliance with NEWA and WSET Policies and Procedures. It provides a framework for identifying, reporting and managing any potential malpractice or maladministration.
Definition of Maladministration and Malpractice
- Maladministration occurs when non-compliance is accidental rather than intentional; and
- Malpractice occurs when non-compliance is intentional or the result of negligence.
Since the boundaries between maladministration and malpractice are not clear-cut, any potential instance of maladministration or malpractice should be reported to the Brian Mitchell ([email protected]).
Whether a situation is maladministration or malpractice will be determined by NEWA following an investigation.
Malpractice or maladministration may include:
- Failure to adhere to the terms of WSET Centre Agreement or WSET Policies and Procedures;
- Failure to comply with the NEWA Code of Conduct;
- Failure to carry out course or assessment delivery in accordance with WSET Awards requirements;
- Failure to adhere to WSET Awards’ candidate registration and certification procedures;
- Late student registrations;
- Fraudulent claim for certificates/fraudulent use of certificates/reproduction or forgery of certificates;
- Withholding of information from WSET Awards which is critical to maintaining the rigor of quality assurance;
- Insecure storage of assessment materials;
- Submission of false or inaccurate information to gain a qualification;
- Cheating, including the use of unauthorized devices or materials;
- Disruptive behavior in an examination;
- Plagiarism of any nature by students;
- Impersonation (including forgery of signatures);
- Breach of confidentiality;
- Failure to disclose Conflict of Interest (see below);
- Issue of incorrect exam results/failure to issue results to students in a timely manner;
- Unauthorized reading/amendment/copying/distribution of exam papers;
- Failure to report changes in ownership/personnel/location/facilities;
- Denial of access to information, documentation, workforce, facilities;
- Failure to respond to WSET in a timely manner;
- Failure to return examination papers within the specified timeframe or to follow delivery and tracking regulations;
- Infringement of WSET copyright, trademarks, intellectual property rights and brand identity;
- Use of unqualified and/or unregistered educators or internal assessors;
- Misleading advertising/publicity.
From time to time a student may encounter or be the subject of some form of misconduct, wither in a classroom setting or in an exam setting.
All complaints should be brought to the attention of NEWA per the complaint policy as stated.
All notifications should be submitted in writing (see email addresses at the bottom of the page), and should include a detailed account of the circumstances surrounding the suspicions and allegations.
NEWA will then work with WSET to determine the:
- Details of the complaint;
- Details of any consequent actions or investigations carried out;
- Any extenuating circumstances (e.g. medical reports);
- Any unauthorized materials found during assessment;
- Written statements signed and dated by any individuals involved.
NEWA will acknowledge receipt of a non-compliance notification via email within 3 working days.
NEWA will log the complaint and conduct and inquiry of the complaint.
If this is a WSET related complaint, NEWA will notify WSET per their guidelines of the complaint and submit any related information.
NEWA and WSET will conduct a full investigation and report back within 30 days. In some cases, the investigation may take longer; in such instances all concerned parties will be advised of the revised timescale.
Sanctions Applicable to Students for Misconduct
Students may incur sanctions for certain actions deemed to not be in compliance with NEWA and/or WSET policies, and may include: a written warning, exam results declared null and void, disqualified from qualification and/or student disqualification.
Conflict of Interest
A Conflict of Interest exists where an individual has interests or loyalties that could adversely influence their judgement, objectivity or loyalty to NEWA when conducting activities associated with NEWA or WSET qualifications. As a third-party provider of WSET qualifications, NEWA is required to monitor and manage actual, potential and perceived conflicts of interest. This is essential to safeguard the integrity of WSET qualifications and promote confidence in NEWA processes. This policy applies to all NEWA staff and to any individual acting on behalf of NEWA.
Examples of Conflicts of Interest include but are not limited to:
- The undertaking of any assessment of candidates by an individual who has a personal interest in the result of the assessment for any or all individuals concerned;
- The undertaking of any moderation of assessment of candidates by an individual who has a personal interest in the result of the assessment for any or all individuals concerned;
- The tutoring of candidates by an individual involved in the assessment process;
- The undertaking of a WSET qualification by any individual employed by NEWA;
- The employment by an APP of individuals engaged in the delivery of taught programs or in the role of Internal Assessor in another APP;
- The investigation of a non-compliance incident by someone who is unable to act impartially.
Any individual who is in knowledge of or has a conflict of interest with the administration of NEWA and / or WSET assessments, must make the details of the conflict known to NEWA in writing, prior to the course or examination date. NEWA will work to mitigate and eliminate any and all potential conflicts before there is an issue. In the event that a conflict of interest is discovered after an examination assessment, all parties, including WSET, will be notified and an investigation into the circumstances will be conducted. All parties of the investigation will be notified of the results of the investigation and any resulting actions, within 30 days. All conflicts of interest should be reported to NEWA and NEWA will determine if mitigation is possible with WSET (when dealing with a WSET course).
Some conflicts of interest can be managed and are therefore acceptable. For example, the marking of WSET Level 3 tasting assessments by Internal Assessors is verified by WSET to mitigate the risk of a Conflict of interest.
Some conflicts cannot be managed and are not acceptable. For example, it would be inappropriate for an individual involved in the authoring of examination questions or the compilation of examination papers to teach or coach students.
Complaints
New England Wine Academy has no agenda other than to provide drinks education services to the best of our abilities. We work very hard to provide and uphold any and all stated Services, answer all questions, and work with our student candidates to help them fulfill their educational plans to the best of their ability. If we, at any time, fail to achieve this goal, we want to hear from you. We will work with students to take corrective actions or remedy the situation to the best of our ability, up to and including refunding or subsidizing fees. If at any time a student wishes to notify us of a failure to achieve some aspect of our plan, make us aware of a compliance issue, or file a complaint, they should contact NEWA or, in the case of a WSET course - WSET directly - using the email addresses below. Please include all relevant information, including dates, times, service and or other details so that we can make a full assessment of the notice or complaint.
NEWA will respond to all notices and complaints within 3 business days, and then follow-up with any further corrective actions within 30 days or less, depending on the nature of the complaint.
Contact Information
For WSET Candidates who wish to discuss or clarify any issues regarding special adjustments or considerations, malpractice or potential conflicts of interest, or any other policies and / or complaints, please email NEWA directly - [email protected]
For WSET Candidates who are unable to resolve their complaint with NEWA and/or feel there is a conflict or compliance issue that should go directly to WSET, they may contact - [email protected]. Please note that all complaints and related inquiries must be exhausted through NEWA before a referral to WSET can be made.
