Level 4 Award in Managing Food Safety in Catering/Manufacturing

Candidate guidelines

This qualification meets industry's need for a high-level practical training programme with external accreditation.

This training programme is delivered Online by DSI, a CIEH registered centre and trainer and consists of at least 36 hours of teaching time

To undertake and be successful in the assessment you must submit two workplace assignments, as well as taking a written examination.

Successful candidates will be able to:

  • guide and advise on the management of food safety in a catering business

  • contribute to the management of food safety in a catering business

  • identify further technical knowledge necessary in food safety management procedures

  • determine further training requirements

  • identify areas for legal compliance

  • determine good practice

  • design an improvement plan

  • outline a HACCP-type plan

  • promote and encourage good standards of food safety

  • liaise with enforcement officers

  • deliver level 1 and 2 food safety training (with appropriate training skills).

The programme is ideal for:

  • owners or managers of catering businesses

  • trainers

  • supervisors with level 3 food safety knowledge

  • those who monitor and audit food safety systems. 

The CIEH Level 4 Award in Managing Food Safety in Catering, Manufacturing programme is intended to help you develop knowledge and skills in key areas of food safety management, as described in the syllabus. This section provides you, the candidate, with advice on how to approach the programme, how to organise any extra study time you may need, how to plan and undertake the assignments, and how to prepare for the written examination.

All CIEH registered trainers work in accordance with the CIEH Trainers' Charter, so if during your programme you are unclear about how well you are learning or what is required, you should contact the trainer as soon as possible so that you can receive further assistance.

Whether you are used to studying or taking examinations or not, you should spend a few minutes to read these notes carefully and if there is anything you don’t understand you should ask your trainer for advice.

Try to remember that the purpose of the training programme, assignments  and examination is to help you to be more effective when you are at work.

How to approach the programme

Before the programme

If you have received this information in advance, you may have the opportunity to do some preparation for the training.

It is probably best to ask the person who booked you onto the programme to find out if any preparation is necessary. All programmes are different so it may be that the trainer does not require any pre-programme reading or other activity. However, it is always worth speaking to a line manager, if you have one, about what you want to get from the training, apart from the qualification of course! If you do not have a line manager, you could try speaking to the trainer or centre organisation directly, but in any event take some time to think through your objectives for undertaking the training and what you want to achieve.

During the programme

The CIEH Level 4 Award in Managing Food Safety in Catering, Manufacturing programme is delivered online over a period of time (minimum of 36 training hours) so there is plenty of time to develop your understanding. It is important to make sure that if you experience any difficulties in the material or subjects being presented, you contact your trainer as soon as you can. It is probably best to raise problems at the end of a training session, although you should also feel free to raise questions during any of the training sessions. 

Most programmes will either be accompanied by session notes or by a textbook chosen from several recommended titles. It is good practice to take your own notes so that you can look back and reflect on the discussions and learning points.

 

Programme information

Programme structure

The programme must cover the syllabus in a minimum time of 36 hours.

Training centres formulate the programme structure to suit clients’ needs. The training programme covers the whole syllabus.

In addition to the online training, you are required to submit two assignments.

The CIEH provides sample examination questions and answer information. This will form part of your online course

The assignments

You must complete two assignments and have them assessed by your trainer before you sit the examination.

You will be provided with the assignment titles at an early stage of the programme, and a session on selecting and undertaking assignments will form part of the training programme.

There are eight assignment topics – one is compulsory and you must select the second topic from the remaining seven.

Each assignment must contain the following sections:

i A description of how a food safety management procedure/control ensures effective compliance with current legislation and codes of practice in a catering business

10 marks

ii An explanation of how a manager in a catering business can establish, monitor and verify food safety management procedures/controls.

15 marks

iii A critical analysis of an incident when a food safety management procedure/control failed – including details of the corrective actions taken and an explanation of how these were communicated to ensure food safety in the future.

25 marks  

 The assignment topics are:

 

A   Food safety management procedures (compulsory)

B   Allergen contamination

C   Chemical contamination

D   Cleaning and disinfection

E   Personal hygiene

F   Pests

G   Physical contamination

H   Temperature 

 

 

The performance criteria are included on the marking grid on the candidate assessment record.

Each assignment must be related to a specific business or premises, which can be the same for both assignments.

The assignments require you to consider a workplace-based situation in practice so that you will need to carry out some practical research to produce the required report.

Assignments do not have to be lengthy nor do they need to be presented with an excess of photographs, diagrams and detailed appendices. Many assignments are successful between 1,500 and 2500 words. In any event, it is important that your work addresses the appropriate criteria and is readable, accurate and logical in its layout.

Your assignments will be marked by your trainer using the CIEH performance criteria and marking grids on the candidate assessment record. This helps to ensure that all candidates are marked consistently.

Assignments should be written in the style of a report and should include:

An introduction – outlining the purpose and scope of the report and explanation of context of the analysis (i.e. the nature of the business operation).

A full analysis of the topic structured according to three performance criteria

A conclusion – summarising the main findings

References – including full bibliographic details of all the sources used

Appendices – including only essential and relevant material to support key points of the report.

 

Reports should not exceed 2,500 words (excluding references and appendices).

Documents submitted for assessment cannot be returned to the candidate.

You should be encouraged to submit draft copies so that your trainer can give general comments before a final copy is submitted for marking.

Your trainer will provide support if you start work on your assignments after the end of the training programme. However, there is no reason why you cannot start planning during the training programme itself following the relevant topic being taught.

Before being entered for the examination you must first achieve 30 marks for each of the assignments.

Suitable feedback is essential. It should be helpful, constructive, positive and indicate areas where further improvement could be made.

You and your trainer should complete a candidate assessment record for each assignment submitted and sign the verification statement.

The examination

The examination is designed to test your knowledge and understanding of food safety so poor grammar and spelling mistakes will not matter. The questions are not designed to trip you up and there are no trick questions.

The examination paper consists of two parts:

Part 1 consists of five structured questions each consisting of several parts requiring short answers in spaces provided on the examination paper itself. You

are expected to answer all the questions in Part A.           Each question is worth 15 marks.

Part 2 consists of a free response or essay-type question where you answer one question from a choice of three. This question is worth 25 marks.

You will have 21/2 hours to complete the examination. The pass mark for the exam is 60%.

Each section of each question has a mark allocation shown in brackets e.g. (3 marks). Obviously a question with 3 marks will require more information than one with only 1 mark. Being aware of this may help you to plan your time better. 

The three most common reasons for losing marks are:

 i Not reading the question properly

Make sure you understand the question before you begin the answer. If you are asked to ‘Give three of ...’  give the best three you can think of rather than the first three that come into your head. In addition if you read the whole question first, you are less likely to miss the point or answer something that is dealt with elsewhere in the same question.

 ii Not giving enough detail

You should always provide the fullest answer you can in the space provided. The examiners who mark papers cannot give credit if the answers are not clear or do not have sufficient detail. One-word answers are rarely sufficient.

iii Leaving parts of questions unanswered

This might be because you aren’t sure of the answer but if you give no answer at all you will automatically lose those marks. In a case like, this and as a last resort, you should make an educated guess.

Some candidates do not manage their time well and find they cannot complete the paper in 21/2 hours. Keep a regular check on the clock and avoid spending too much time on one question.

Pass marks

Candidates who achieve an overall mark between 60–74% will achieve a pass grade, those achieving 75–89% will be awarded a merit grade and those achieving 90% and above will be awarded a distinction grade. Candidates who do not achieve at least 60% will be deemed to have failed.

If, for any reason, you do not achieve a pass grade, you will be referred. You will be given one opportunity to re-sit the examination upon submission of the appropriate candidate entry fee. If you do not re-sit within 12 months of the examination or fail your second attempt, you are required to complete the whole programme again re-sitting the examination and resubmitting the assignments.

The CIEH regrets that it cannot give results directly to individual candidates.

If, after the results have been verified, you are dissatisfied with your mark and grade, the CIEH has an appeal procedure. If you wish to make an appeal you must do so through your CIEH centre within 28 days of the results being received.

If you do not pass first time, you will receive feedback from your trainer on your performance that should help you prepare to re-sit the examination.

 

After the examination

It will take approximately eight weeks for you to receive your results. If you are successful, you will have achieved a level of food safety knowledge that is highly regarded not only in the UK, but also around the world. This will enable you to take on

responsibilities for managing food safety on behalf of your organisation.

You will need to keep up to date on a regular basis and especially if your area of industry is complex or rapidly changing. You may also be eligible to apply to be a CIEH trainer to deliver programmes leading to the CIEH level 1 and level 2 food safety qualifications, provided you have a training qualification and appropriate work experience. Please contact the Customer Support Team on 020 7827 5800 or e-mail customer support@cieh.org for more information.

We hope that you will find this information helpful and we wish you good luck in your current and future studies.

If you have any queries regarding aspects of the information provided in these guidelines, please contact your registered trainer or training centre.  (Dave Summers at DSI)

 

 

 

Download Catering Syllabus

 

 

 

Download Manufacturing Syllabus

 

 

 

The cost of the course is £299, which is fully inclusive of course, text book and CIEH certification.  You can pay by Debit/Credit card via Paypal as below or send a cheque made payable to DJ Summers.  On receipt of payment you will receive log-on details, text book and full backup during the course.  The previously identified responsible person will be sent the examination paper as soon as you have submitted 2 pass-level assignments.

In accordance with CIEH regulations you must complete the exam under supervision by the responsible person.

 

 

CIEH Level 4 Award in Food Safety in Catering             
CIEH Level 4 Award in Food Safety in Manufacturing   
CIEH Level 4 Award in Food Safety Exam Resit            
Level 4 Award Text Book                                                   

 

                                                                                              

 

 

 

 

 

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Last modified: May 16, 2008