Reasonable Adjustments Policy

Company: Tyrogen Limited (16884876)
Owner: Quality Assurance
Approved by: Governing Body (or delegated authority per Delegation of Authority)
Status: Draft (controlled policy)
Version: 0.2
Last updated: 2026-04-05
Next review: 2026-04-30

1) Purpose

This policy defines how Tyrogen identifies, decides, implements, records, and monitors Reasonable Adjustments for learners with disabilities or other relevant support needs.

Tyrogen’s arrangements ensure that Reasonable Adjustments:

• reduce or remove avoidable disadvantage,
• are considered on a case-by-case basis,
• are supported by proportionate evidence,
• preserve the validity, reliability, and comparability of assessment,
• and remain auditable through retained records and review.

1.1 Policy ownership boundary

This file is the canonical policy owner for planned, pre-assessment Reasonable Adjustments.

This file does not own:

• Special Consideration for temporary adverse circumstances at or around the time of assessment, which is owned by Special Consideration Policy,
• the appeal process for challenging a Reasonable Adjustments decision, which is owned by Appeals Policy,
• the qualification lifecycle accessibility-review method, which is owned by Qualification & Assessment Lifecycle and supported by Accessibility & Equalities Review Record Template,
• or the malpractice / maladministration investigation route, which is owned by Malpractice and Maladministration Policy and Malpractice Process.

1.2 Ofqual and legal alignment

This policy supports Tyrogen’s compliance with requirements and expectations including:

• D2 (accessibility of qualifications),
• G6 (arrangements for Reasonable Adjustments),
• PR1 (fairness, integrity, and public confidence),
• and the Equality Act 2010.

2) Scope

This policy applies to Tyrogen qualifications, assessments, and associated assessment-administration activity where a learner may require an agreed adjustment in advance of assessment.

It applies to:

• assessments under controlled or exam conditions,
• assessments not under controlled conditions,
• centre-delivered and Tyrogen-delivered assessment activity,
• communication and administrative arrangements directly affecting assessment access,
• and the review, approval, implementation, and recording of Reasonable Adjustments.

This policy covers planned access arrangements agreed before or during assessment planning. Temporary post-event allowances are handled under Special Consideration Policy.

3) Principles

Tyrogen manages Reasonable Adjustments in a way that is:

• Accessible by design — avoidable barriers are reduced through qualification, assessment, and platform design where possible,
• Learner-centred — each request is considered on its own facts,
• Fair and consistent — comparable cases are treated consistently,
• Evidence-based and proportionate — evidence requirements are matched to the adjustment and the assessment risk,
• Confidential — information is shared on a need-to-know basis,
• and standards-safe — adjustments must not alter the construct being assessed or give an unfair advantage.

Taken together, these principles show that Reasonable Adjustments are an accessibility-and-standards control: Tyrogen removes avoidable disadvantage, makes case-specific and proportionate decisions, and preserves the validity and defensibility of assessment outcomes.

4) Definitions

• Reasonable Adjustment: an agreed change to assessment arrangements that reduces disadvantage for a learner with a disability or other relevant support need without compromising the validity of the assessment.
• Special Consideration: a post-assessment or time-of-assessment allowance for temporary adverse circumstances, owned by Special Consideration Policy.
• Access arrangements: a term commonly used for adjustments that support access to assessment.
• Normal way of working: the learner’s established and evidenced usual working arrangement, where relevant to the decision.

5) Roles and responsibilities

5.1 Learners

Learners are expected to:

• notify the relevant route as early as possible,
• provide information or supporting evidence reasonably requested,
• and use approved adjustments only in accordance with the agreed conditions.

5.2 Centres / providers / employers

Where Centres, providers, or employers are involved, they are expected to:

• identify support needs at enrolment and assessment-planning stages,
• submit or support requests accurately and on time,
• implement approved arrangements consistently,
• ensure staff understand the scope and limits of approved support,
• and keep records of requests, evidence, decisions, and implementation.

5.3 Tyrogen

Tyrogen:

• provides the published policy basis for Reasonable Adjustments,
• decides requests that require Tyrogen approval,
• sets conditions and implementation boundaries where required,
• communicates approved arrangements to relevant roles on a need-to-know basis,
• monitors the operation of the arrangements,
• and escalates misuse, control failure, or inappropriate implementation where necessary.

6) Decision criteria

When considering a Reasonable Adjustments request, Tyrogen assesses whether:

• the learner has a relevant disability or support need,
• the proposed adjustment addresses a genuine disadvantage,
• the evidence is sufficient and proportionate for the decision,
• the adjustment preserves the validity, reliability, and comparability of the assessment,
• the adjustment reflects the learner’s normal way of working where that is relevant,
• and any conditions or implementation controls are necessary to protect standards.

Tyrogen may:

• approve the request,
• approve it with conditions,
• approve an alternative adjustment,
• request further information,
• or refuse the request with a recorded rationale.

7) Request and decision route

7.1 Who may request

Requests may be made by:

• the learner directly, where the route allows,
• the Centre or provider on the learner’s behalf,
• or another authorised representative acting on the learner’s behalf where appropriate.

7.2 When requests should be made

Requests should be made as early as possible and normally before the relevant assessment event so that the adjustment can be considered, communicated, and implemented in a controlled way.

7.3 Evidence requirements

Evidence requirements are proportionate to the request and may include:

• professional evidence where appropriate,
• confirmation of normal way of working,
• a Centre or provider statement explaining the requested arrangement,
• and any assessment-specific information needed to judge impact on validity or delivery.

7.4 Decision outputs

Each decision records:

• the request,
• the evidence considered,
• the decision,
• the rationale,
• any conditions or limits,
• the decision-maker,
• and the assessment(s) or period covered.

The request route ensures that Reasonable Adjustments are identified early, supported by proportionate evidence, and resolved through a documented decision path with clear outcomes and conditions where required.

8) Centre discretion and Tyrogen approval boundary

Some lower-risk arrangements may sit with Centre discretion where the assessment model allows this and where the arrangement:

• is documented,
• remains valid for the qualification and assessment,
• does not alter the construct being assessed,
• and falls within any Tyrogen rules, guidance, or approval thresholds.

Tyrogen approval is required where the adjustment is higher risk, could materially affect assessment conditions, or requires a centrally controlled judgement to protect standards.

8.1 Assessments not under controlled conditions

For assessments not under controlled conditions, Centres may have greater flexibility to implement suitable arrangements such as alternative evidence format or assistive technology, provided the evidence remains assessable, authentic, and sufficient.

8.2 Assessments under controlled or exam conditions

For controlled, timed, externally set, proctored, or otherwise tightly specified assessments, adjustments require tighter definition and are more likely to require Tyrogen approval.

Examples likely to require Tyrogen approval include:

• material additional time,
• use of a reader, scribe, interpreter, or practical assistant,
• alternative venue or supervised delivery arrangements,
• modified assessment materials,
• or any departure from standard conditions that could materially affect validity, comparability, or security.

This distinction preserves standards while allowing proportionate flexibility: lower-risk non-controlled arrangements may sit with Centres where valid and documented, while controlled or higher-risk adjustments require clearer Tyrogen approval and tighter definition.

9) Illustrative adjustment types

Examples of possible Reasonable Adjustments include:

• additional time,
• supervised rest breaks,
• separate accommodation or reduced-distraction setting,
• assistive technology,
• alternative formats such as large print, Braille, or audio,
• and the use of a reader, scribe, interpreter, or practical assistant where permitted.

Examples are illustrative only. Approval depends on the assessment requirements, the evidence presented, and the standards implications of the proposed arrangement.

10) Timescales

• Tyrogen acknowledges a request within 2 working days.
• Tyrogen normally communicates a decision within 10 working days of acknowledgement, subject to receipt of sufficient information.

Centres and learners are expected to allow sufficient time for implementation before assessment.

11) Implementation controls and malpractice boundary

Approved adjustments must be implemented exactly as authorised, including any stated conditions or limits.

Where a Centre or other delivery route:

• applies an arrangement that was not approved where approval was required,
• provides assistance beyond the approved scope,
• fails to implement an approved arrangement,
• or keeps inadequate supporting records,

Tyrogen may treat the matter as a control failure and, where appropriate, as maladministration or malpractice under Malpractice and Maladministration Policy.

12) Monitoring, misuse detection, and review

Tyrogen monitors the operation and impact of its Reasonable Adjustments arrangements to ensure that they:

• remain compatible with Equalities Law,
• are applied fairly and consistently,
• preserve the validity of assessment outcomes,
• and are not being misused.

Monitoring activity may include:

• tracking request and approval patterns by qualification, assessment, and Centre where applicable,
• reviewing related complaints, appeals, enquiries, and incidents,
• targeted Centre monitoring or sampling,
• review of implementation failures or delivery issues,
• and periodic review of whether the policy remains fit for purpose.

Where Tyrogen identifies potential misuse, inappropriate application, or recurring control weakness, Tyrogen requires corrective action, increases monitoring where justified, and escalates the matter where a maladministration or malpractice route is engaged.

Monitoring therefore does more than count requests: Tyrogen reviews approval patterns, complaints, appeals, delivery failures, and potential misuse so that accessibility arrangements remain compatible with Equalities Law without drifting into inconsistent or invalid practice.

13) Records

Tyrogen and/or Centres retain records sufficient to show:

• the request,
• the supporting evidence,
• the decision and rationale,
• any conditions or limits,
• how the arrangement was implemented,
• the relevant dates and assessments,
• and any subsequent review, complaint, appeal, or corrective action linked to the arrangement.

The retained record set shows the request, evidence, decision, rationale, implementation, and continuing review basis for each adjustment so that accessibility decisions remain auditable.

Retention follows Data Retention Policy.

14) Appeals and associated documents

If a learner or Centre believes a Reasonable Adjustments decision is unfair, the matter may be appealed in line with Appeals Policy.

Associated controlled documents include:

• Special Consideration Policy
• Appeals Policy
• Malpractice and Maladministration Policy
• Complaints Policy
• Data Retention Policy
• Qualification & Assessment Lifecycle
• Accessibility & Equalities Review Record Template

15) Change log