Plagiarism Policy

Plagiarism Policy

We are committed to upholding the highest standards of academic integrity. As a training provider, we expect all learners to submit work that reflects their own understanding, effort, and progress. Plagiarism undermines these values and compromises the credibility of our qualifications.

What We Consider Plagiarism

Plagiarism occurs when a learner presents someone else’s work, ideas, or words as their own without proper acknowledgement. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Copying from any source without referencing it correctly
• Submitting work completed by someone else, including other learners
• Submitting work generated or completed by AI tools
• Paraphrasing content without citation
• Using information from websites, books, articles, or our training materials without giving credit
• Paying a third party to complete work on the learner’s behalf

AI tools such as ChatGPT, Bard, and others may be used for research purposes only, such as exploring topics or identifying references. However, AI must not be used to generate or complete any part of your assessment submission.

All submitted work must be your own original effort and reflect your personal understanding. Submitting AI-generated content—whether copied directly or paraphrased—is considered plagiarism.

All work submitted to us must be the learner’s own, unless clearly instructed otherwise (e.g. in collaborative tasks).

Why It Matters to Us

Maintaining the integrity of our training programmes is vital. Plagiarism not only affects the individual learner’s development but also devalues the achievements of all learners. We take all suspected cases seriously to ensure fairness across the board.

How We Detect Plagiarism

We may use a combination of plagiarism detection software, tutor review, and internal quality assurance processes. If we suspect plagiarism, we may ask learners to clarify or resubmit their work as part of our investigation.

What Happens If Plagiarism Is Identified

We apply consequences proportionately, depending on the severity and whether it’s a repeated offence:

1. First Offence (Minor or Unintentional):
   • The work is automatically marked a Refer (fail) grade
   • The learner must resubmit the amended work within 48 hours
2. Repeated or Serious Offences:
   • The work is automatically marked a Refer (fail) grade
   • The learner must resubmit the amended work within 48 hours
   • We reserve the right to suspend course access
   • We reserve the right to remove the learner from the course permanently (without refund)
   • We reserve the right to report the incident to the awarding organisation, where applicable

What We Expect from Learners

We expect learners to:

• Submit their own original work
• Reference all sources correctly, using the guidelines we provide
• Ask us for help if unsure about how to cite or reference properly
• Review work thoroughly before submitting it to us

How We Support Learners

We understand that mistakes can happen, especially when learners are new to academic writing or returning to study. That’s why we offer guidance and support from our tutors and Success Coaches. Learners can contact our Learner Success team at any time for help with referencing, paraphrasing, or understanding how to avoid plagiarism.