The services were organised by the MOD’s Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre (JCCC), also known as the ‘MOD War Detectives’, and were held at various Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) cemeteries in France.

Louise Dorr, from MOD JCCC said:

“It’s wonderful that thanks to two of our regular researchers we have been able to confirm their findings and return these soldiers’ names to them.

“Although some of their families live overseas and have been unable to attend, each of them is well represented by their military family on behalf of a grateful nation. I’m honoured to have been able to be here to rededicate their final resting places.”

The Reverend Andrew Grant, Chaplain to 4 Scots, conducted the services.

Details of the soldiers identified are as follows:

Corporal (Cpl) William Lionel Court

The 1911 Census shows William at age 24 serving with the 1st Cavalry Brigade, 19th Hussars at Wellington Lines, Aldershot, Hampshire. He died on 8 August 1918 (aged 31) while serving with the 19th Royal Hussars (Queen Alexandra’s Own).

Cpl Court’s remains were originally found just south of a small wood to the east of Guillaucourt, although he was not identified at the time. He was buried as a “Soldier of the Great War – Unknown Corporal – 19th Royal Hussars”.

Cpl Alexander Mayes Thayne

Cpl Alexander Mayes Thayne was killed on 10 April 1917 (age 27) while serving with the 2nd Dragoons (Royal Scots Greys). His battalion’s war diary tells us that early that morning the Royal Scots Greys arrived in the village of Wailly, near Arras, before joining up with other regiments of the 5th Cavalry Brigade to make contact with other British units in the vicinity. Early that evening, the Royal Scots Greys moved on toward Wancourt and took up positions in shell holes on low ground. They stayed there throughout the night, although they were subject to periodical German artillery fire.

Second Lieutenant David Bell

Second Lieutenant David Bell was serving with the 13th (Scottish Horse) Bn. Black Watch (Royal Highlanders) when he was killed in action on 7 October 1918 (age 36). The war diary tells us that his battalion was in the vicinity of Gouy on the day he died, and it mentions his death specifically. The burial records tell us that the remains were originally recovered from the western slopes of Prospect Hill, close to the French village of Gouy.

Company Quartermaster Serjeant Charles John Niven

Company Quartermaster Serjeant Charles John Niven was serving with the 6th Gordon Highlanders when he was killed in action near Neuve Chapelle on 13 March 1915 (age 27). We now know that he is the unknown Staff Sergeant of the 6th Gordon Highlanders buried in a grave at Pont-du-Hem Military Cemetery.

Company Serjeant Major (CSM) William Henry Bax

CSM William Bax was a career soldier, having attested into the Regular Army on 1 July 1906 as a private soldier. He served with the 6th battalion and A Coy, 2nd battalion in France and Flanders. He died on 24 March 1918 (age 29) while serving with the 2nd Battalion Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry.

CWGC Commemorations Officer, David Royle, said:

“It’s an honour to have hosted these Services of Rededication at our sites across France this week. We thank the dedicated efforts of many in helping us to identify these five brave men. It is our privilege to care for their graves in perpetuity.”

Thank you Martin for the introduction.

I’ve just come from parliament, where the Chancellor has just delivered the Spring Statement: our plan to tackle the cost of living – including many of you and your businesses – and support the UK’s Recovery after Covid. So, it’s fitting to join you on this beautiful spring day to talk about “facing the future”.

Before I do, I want to take a moment to look back: we can’t face the future without acknowledging what has been, without question, the most testing and traumatic two years that any of us can remember. I’m under no illusion that, even with bright days ahead of us, the experience of the pandemic will live with us for many many years to come.

I spent my half-term travelling over 1,000 miles around the country on what we called the ‘Road to Recovery’ tour. The greatest honour of all was meeting phenomenal staff across the health and social care sector.

I went with Martin on a visit to Willows Care Home in Romford. One lady I met called Sarah, used to work at Deutsche Bank just like me. We joked about how we’d ended up working in the care sector, and she told me how rewarding she finds her new career, telling me: “I’d never go back”.

I also heard from care providers about the enormous pressures they’ve faced, especially over the last two years. The pandemic was fast-moving – it meant that our guidance had to change quickly too. I’m so grateful for the way you all responded. I cannot imagine a more challenging time than the last two years, thank you for all you have done and keep doing.

This afternoon I want to reflect on the months and years ahead of us as we learn to live with Covid in the care sector.

As with healthcare, the pandemic has taken us to a crossroads: a point where we can no longer ignore the major choices that have loomed large for so long. Neither can we kick them any further along the road.

I believe Recovery and Reform are now two sides of the same coin; we cannot have one without the other.

Turning first to Recovery, as we begin to think about what social care might look like in a post-pandemic world.

Vaccination remains crucial -and as we begin our Spring Boosters, I’m adamant we continue to build that wall of defence against Covid.

According to recent estimates from UKHSA, our boosters have already helped prevent around 160,000 hospitalisations since mid-December.

It matters because Omicron is serious. Just ask the health and care professionals on the front line in Hong Kong today, where the unvaccinated are sadly paying a very high price. Our jabs have saved tens of thousands of lives and will continue to do so.

‘Living with Covid’ doesn’t mean living with totally avoidable risks, and I’m adamant that vaccination is an essential part of the post-pandemic world too – and as part of that broader look ahead, we’ll set out our ‘Living with Covid’ plan for Social Care.

Even as we recover, there’s no time to lose to reform – and that work is already well underway. Ultimately, it’s about a 10-year vision for social care.

Realising that vision begins with our landmark Health and Social Care Bill – which, subject to parliamentary approval, will enable greater integration and better quality care.

April 1st will also be a significant turning point for our country: the introduction of the Health and Social Care Levy, something the Chancellor just talked about in parliament. Over time, an increasing share of funding raised will be spent on adult social care in England, helping put the sector on a sustainable financial footing for decades to come.

But I recognise there are more immediate needs, so we’re investing an additional £5.4 billion in adult social care over the next three years, including: £3.6 billion to move towards paying providers a fairer rate for care and protecting people from extortionate and unpredictable care costs; and we’re putting £1.7 billion to improve the social care system – including at least £500 million to support our biggest asset: the workforce.

It means we can accelerate a comprehensive programme of reform right now: moving us towards the vision I know we all share: of social care with greater choice and control; that supports people to lead independent lives; where people can access outstanding quality and personalised care; and one that is fair and accessible.

It’s a 10-year vision reflected across two recent White Papers: the “People at the Heart of Care” White Paper and the Health and Social Care Integration White Paper.

It’s also a vision that’s shared across government. It’s really is a cross-government endeavour. I’m grateful to the Levelling Up Secretary and his department for all the important work they’re doing with local government to integrate social care and health.

And I’m delighted we’re joined by so many other partners today, including, of course, Care England, who has been a pivotal player in developing these important plans.

We’ve worked with over 200 organisations on the adult social care White Paper plans as well as drawing on the vital expertise of people with lived experience of care. Our plans are stronger for it.

And equally, I think forums like this are stronger when we hear the voices of women and people with lived experience of care – the people who are at very heart of social care.

So, today I want to reflect on three areas of that work: workforce, housing and technology.

Starting with the workforce: because they are our greatest asset, and social care is nothing without them.

On my recent tour, I spoke to someone who made home visits to help an elderly man with dementia. She would help him go to bed each night. Because of his mental condition, he would swear and shout at the top of his voice. I asked her: “How do you put up with this every day?”. And she said to me, “He’s not well – and that’s just the job”.

I’m in awe of the professionalism and dedication of the social care workforce – and I’m determined for them to have more chances to develop and progress with their careers.

Our half a billion-pound workforce investment seeks to address that, including plans for portable care certificates, a new skills passport and leadership development and support.

Taken together, there will be hundreds of thousands of training places and certifications, helping deliver the professional and regulated workforce we all want to see.

And this must be equally true for those delivering care at home: home care and domestic care workers must have parity of esteem with others in the sector. It’s vital because I believe so much of health and care begins at home.

So, allow me to turning to Housing. I know the majority of people want to live in their own homes for as long as possible – and as independently as possible. I’m determined we help as many people as possible realise that ambition.

The truth is: so many of the decisions about care are, in reality, decisions about housing.

I want many more people to have the dignity and pride that comes with living behind your own front door.

The plans in the Social Care White Paper will ensure we embed housing into local health and care strategies and make funds accessible to increase the availability of supported housing. As part of this, we announced an investment of at least £300 million in housing over the next three years.

It’s also clear we simply need to build more units: and our continued investment of over £200 million in the Care and Support Specialised Housing Fund will accelerate the development of specialist affordable housing that meets the needs of older people and adults with disabilities or mental health challenges.

Even as we continue this vital drive on supported housing, I recognise that most people who draw on some form of care and support will continue to live in mainstream housing. To help with this we are committing a further £573 million per year to fund the Disabled Facilities Grant, so people can make the practical adaptations to their homes that they need.

Ultimately, whether it’s in the workforce or housing, all of this is about putting more power in people’s hands, the ability to make more choices.

Back when I was a student in Exeter, I’d visit a care home as a volunteer for a charity called Community Action on Saturdays. I kept residents’ company, especially a lady called Margaret who I became very fond of.

It’s over thirty years ago, but the experience left a real impression on me. What hasn’t changed since then is the importance of dignity and the dedication of care workers.

But what has changed, brings me to my third point, however, is the incredible new care technology with the potential to improve the quality of care. I’ve just seen some at the exhibitions here. I know you heard from Matthew Gould and Tim Ferris this morning, but I want to share some reflections of my own.

The £150 million we’re investing to drive digitisation in social care is not a ‘nice to have’; it’s an absolute necessity.

We know that digitising records brings huge advances, yet 40 percent of providers still have almost entirely paper-based records. I think Digital Records are basic responsibility, and that’s why I’ve set the target of 80 percent of social care providers digitising care records by March 2024. In doing that, you will have our absolute support.

I recognise that a lot of this also amounts to a culture change – and I know that’s something you’re all keen to embrace. This is happening in the health sector too, it’s similar challenges we face. As Matthew and Tim set out, we’re determined to support you in that endeavour, supporting providers with the connectivity and digital skills they will need to recover and reform in the years ahead.

A lot of this promising technology is already with us. Think about falls, for example. We know that 40 percent of admissions to care homes from the community are due to falls. We have the technology, not just for detecting falls but even to prevent some of them from happening in the first place.

I’m also excited about what machine learning and AI can offer in helping us deliver care that is personalised.

This Spring, we’ll publish our first-ever comprehensive Digital Health and Care Plan -which will help us to have joint health and social care records. It will be an essential stepping stone on our vital journal to transform social care through technology, drive unprecedented integration with the NHS and, ultimately, improve people’s lives.

All of this work, across the workforce, housing and technology, sits alongside our 10-year vision for social care, which also includes our vital mission to encourage innovation, to provide better information and advice, and to ensure unpaid carers are better supported.

I’m very proud of the work that we’ve already got underway, which I believe gives a sense of the scale of ambition for what we can achieve in the decade to come.

Together, we’ve risen to meet so many of the challenges of the last two years. We’re at a crossroads now and there’s no turning back. There’ll be no more kicking the can down the road.

I’m determined we meet the work of recovery and reform with the same sense of urgency we’ve shown over the last two years.

And on this important journey, it’s a privilege for me to have partners like all of you. Thank you all very much.

Hello everyone, thank you for inviting me. I’ve been working on, within, and around, the apprenticeships system for the past 15 years, and it’s good to see so many familiar faces in the audience.

As the qualifications regulator, it is our job to make sure that the apprenticeship end-point assessments that are in our purview are awarded consistently and fairly, with the apprentice’s interests protected as a priority. It is from this position that I bring you some perspectives today.

I’d like to focus on 3 key things.

Firstly, the value that high-quality assessment can bring to apprenticeships. I’m keen to consider some of the changes that have come into effect in recent years, and where they might take the sector next.

Secondly, and building on this, I’d like to reflect on the organisations delivering apprenticeship assessments. You will be aware that end point assessment organisations (EPAOs) were asked in 2020 to apply to be regulated by Ofqual, as part of the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education’s programme to streamline the quality assurance process. I’ll provide an update today on the progress we’ve made so far, and what the market might look like in the future.

And finally, I’d like to talk about our approach to regulating delivery, to ensure that apprentices get tested fairly, in a way that produces a result that employers can rely on. Where there is a choice, we will choose the route that best protects the apprentice – that, as we see it, is what our statute empowers us to do. This complements the work of the Institute who bring the perspective of employers. Working together, in strategic partnership, we can uphold quality.

1. High-quality assessment

So, to start with, let’s consider the role that high-quality assessment can play in apprenticeships. The reforms enacted have made the assessment approach for all apprenticeships synoptic, so apprentices are assessed holistically at the end point, rather than continuously throughout. All apprentices are now independently assessed at the end of their training, rather than only assessed by their centres. New grading approaches have also been introduced, to enable employers to differentiate better between apprentices entering the labour market. Overall, the reforms have aimed to introduce an assessment that truly assesses what an apprentice is capable of doing at the conclusion of their training.

We have now reviewed a proportion of the end-point assessments currently available in the market, delivered by a range of organisations. We are therefore getting a good idea of how EPAOs develop assessments, and how assessment could be improved per apprenticeship standard. To give you a few examples:

• The assessment plan, developed by employers and approved by the Institute, is an important blueprint. We would expect organisations to bring their own sectoral and technical assessment design expertise to bear in interpreting it.

• Overall, where we see better quality assessment, it is where EPAOs have considered where materials for different audiences – training providers, assessors, apprentices themselves – have to align and do not contradict each other, when a clear and simple method of grade aggregation is supplied, and when a clear and robust quality assurance process is in place.

• We expect EPAOs to take in to account the relevant employment context in their assessment design, as set out in the assessment plan, and to make sure that questions aren’t focused on a part of the industry that the apprentice may not have experience of where a standard covers multiple job roles.

• We expect multiple choice tests to provide only one possible correct answer where there is one mark available in the mark scheme. EPAOs must provide enough information to allow assessors to apply the mark scheme accurately and consistently.

• We want EPAOs to set clear parameters and expectations for how observations should be conducted, and to include some exemplification of the grading criteria to show what an assessor should be looking for in practice. We want to see examples provided of what an apprentice might do to demonstrate the different grade criteria.

• For assessments that use observation, and/or a portfolio, showcase or journals, we’d like to see the expectations of apprentices set out clearly, for example with the number of pieces of evidence required, the types of evidence to include and format required, and to have a clear and effective process for authenticating this evidence.

These are all examples of good practice to inform assessment development, which I know all of you will know about already, which have a direct read-across to the regulations that awarding organisations need to adhere to. We have published these examples as findings from our technical evaluation process, and it is all available to you if you search for Ofqual and apprenticeships on GOV.UK. The team are here delivering a workshop on this today too.

In the future, we’re looking forward to how the assessment reforms will give us more information about apprentices as cohorts of learners. As we collect more outcomes data, it will be interesting to see how grade profiles continue to mature in different sectors as the numbers of assessments increase, and how differentiation through grading is meeting the expectations of employers.

We are looking forward to researching more deeply how different assessment methods are used, as per broader work we are doing on vocational and technical qualifications, such as our recent ‘CASLO’ research that some of you will be aware of. We are keen, for example, to understand how best to assess ‘soft skills’, behaviours – the ‘highly valued competencies’ that employers demand. These are inherently difficult to assess but incredibly important to get right for employers.

And we are looking forward to the benefits that taking a more consistent approach to assessment can bring to individual industries and sectors, where delivery was perhaps patchy before.

2. Organisations

Moving on then to the organisations who deliver apprenticeship assessment, many of whom are in the audience and on stage today.

The decision that the Institute made in 2020 to ensure that all apprenticeship assessments are awarded by organisations that are subject to statutory regulation was an important development, an underpinning development. We are delighted that so many end-point assessment organisations, of all shapes and sizes, have met the necessarily high bar we set for entering the regulated community of awarding organisations in recent months. We continue to carefully evaluate applications from others, and to give proactive support and feedback. The more organisations engage with us, the more we can help them understand the process so, if this applies to you, please do make sure you’re keeping in close contact with your assigned Ofqual relationship manager.

By way of a specific update on progress, 111 new EPAOs have applied for Ofqual recognition to-date, and we are expecting a further 20 to apply by 16 May. We have recognised 41 new EPAOs so far, including 19 who did this on their first attempt. We have never received and approved so many applications for recognition in Ofqual’s 12-year history. This has been done without lowering the bar on quality.

This is not simply growth from already well-established awarding organisations, but organisations that are specialists in their respective fields, that have demonstrated they can meet our requirements, and we welcome them into the regulated community. They range from niche organisations like the Institute of Cast Metal Engineers, recognised for a single apprenticeship standard – the Metal Casting, Foundry and Patternmaking Technician, to those that are broader in scope offering popular standards such as Business Administrator and Associate Project Manager.

Together with established awarding organisations already in regulation, this brings the total number of organisations offering regulated end-point assessments to over 100, with many applications still to be considered.

There are 19 EPAOs who submitted their application by the January deadline, who are waiting for a decision on their latest application to us as we speak. They – you – will all have heard from us by 1 April.

The Education and Skills Funding Agency will be taking steps to remove end point assessment organisations from its register if they are not recognised by Ofqual after two applications. These organisations will have not yet demonstrated that they meet our requirements by providing sufficient evidence to us, almost two years after the announcement was first made. If that sounds a bit tough then it all comes back, for me, to the goal of protecting the quality of assessments for apprentices and their current and potential employers. There is absolutely nothing stopping organisations applying to us at any point in the future, as many times as they like.

I am alive to the risks in the market as it changes, and we remain in close dialogue with the ESFA and the Institute as they manage these developments. Our work together so far has brought more than 90% of apprentices in our first phase into the protection of regulation. We are united in our aims for quality and will continue to prioritise the apprentices themselves as we progress through the programme.

I’m confident that training providers and employers will continue to have a thriving market of end point assessment organisations to work with in the future. And, of course, I highly recommend that anyone makes an Ofqual-recognised awarding organisation their EPA provider of choice from this point on.

3. Regulatory approach

Finally today, I’d like to just touch briefly on the work that Ofqual is doing to regulate end-point assessments in delivery. Apprenticeship assessment is a particular form of assessment. Like many vocational qualifications, it is not done en masse in an exam hall but in the field, in workplaces, on site, and at multiple different points in the year. The delivery approach has changed following the reforms, with assessment now required to be delivered independently, outside the centre’s purview, with appropriate quality assurance in place.

Our regulatory approach therefore also has to be different and tailored to this unique set of circumstances. Over the past year we have established our new field team, whose job it is to engage EPAOs directly and take time to understand their approaches to assessment. An important and growing part of this team’s role is to travel to those places where assessments are carried out and observe apprentices being assessed. From manufacturing environments to hair salons, the team has been welcomed by both EPAOs and – most crucially – employers, who understand how important it is for Ofqual to see assessments first hand, so we can properly appreciate the hard work both they and the apprentice put into a meaningful apprenticeship programme. Through this work our aim is to better understand the quality of the assessments being offered to apprentices and their experience of them, and to support EPAOs with continuous improvement.

We are also establishing specific sector fora for EPAOs to collectively share and address issues. We have seen a real willingness to engage, and to work together to resolve problems, for example the EPAOs offering assessments in financial services, who recently agreed to work jointly on common grade descriptors. We have seen a welcome readiness from EPAOs to adjust their approach to accommodate common practice. This is critical to establishing consistency across EPAOs and strengthening comparability for apprentices and employers. We also have a close feedback loop with the Institute, to make sure that any adjustments needed to apprenticeship standards and assessment plans are fed back and acted on.

We call this collaborative working with awarding organisations co-regulation. Yes, we are the regulator, and yes, we have rules that they/you have to comply with. But there is no reason not to work co-operatively, if you have quality as your shared goal, and the interests of the apprentices themselves as your priority.

Conclusion

To conclude, therefore, I would just say one thing. We are clearly motivated by improving quality in the apprenticeship assessment system and, if you are too, please do talk to us. There are many ways you can get involved in our work, whether as a sector expert helping with our evaluations and observations, as an assessment expert informing our research, as a training provider on our centre reference group, or as an employer or apprentice providing us with feedback about how the system is working for you. We want you to help us continue to ensure that the assessments taken by apprentices and used by employers are as valid and reliable as they can possibly be.

Thank you.