Approval visit

The approval visit involves a group of peers, normally convened by a member of the Approvals sub-committee, meeting over one or two days at the university/ college/ organisation seeking approval. At this meeting the group will look at the programme documentation and formulate questions which will be discussed with members of the programme team.

It is normal for the approvals group to meet with staff delivering the course, students and fieldwork practitioners supervising placements.

At the conclusion of the approval visit, the panel gives a decision on whether the training programme has been approved. This often includes conditions, which must be met before the programme starts, and recommendations which are points of development for the programme team.

The process is based on dialogical and developmental debate and attempts to avoid the feeling of an inspection. More information on the visit can be found in the Guidelines.