11. What are the stages of the audit process?

1. Audit start up meeting.

Copies of the audit tool and handbook for the audit process will have been circulated via the link person prior to the start up meeting. This meeting will enable the audit process to be discussed and planned in detail. On completion of the start up meeting the audit team and organisation or learning environment will have outlined a timetable for the audit visit and have identified the persons who will need to contribute to the audit process.

2. Documentation review and audit visit.

On an agreed date an audit team will visit the organisation or learning environment. The audit visit will last from 0.5 - 2 days dependent on the size of the organisation or number of learning environments. The time taken to complete the audit can also be reduced if the organisation and / or learning environment has adopted a self assessment approach using the audit tool to collect evidence for continuous improvement purposes.

Using the relevant audit tool, (link), the capability of the organisation and learning environment to support practice based learning will be assessed collaboratively. How well the standards have been met will be determined through review of relevant policy, strategy and operational documents, and through dialogue with practice staff and with students.

Following the audit visit preliminary feedback will be given to the local audit link and other staff that are available to receive feedback.

3. Prepare draft audit results and action plan

The draft audit results and action plan will be prepared by the auditors and submitted to the organisation and to the relevant learning environment(s). The draft audit results will be submitted within three weeks of the audit visit.

4. Feedback meeting and final action plan.

At a pre-arranged feedback meeting the results and action plan will be discussed and any amendments agreed by the organisation or learning environment and the audit team. The meeting also enables feedback from the learning environments and organisation on the audit process.

5. Implementing action plan.

The action plan component of the audit identifies the persons or committees that will be charged with taking the actions forward and the timelines for implementing the actions. Examples of action plans and those identified to take actions forward can be seen in the pilot audit results (Link