What is the content and structure of CTU training? What are the assessment methods and what is the pass rate?

Hello

Trainees (Executive Officer (EO)/Higher Executive Officer (HEO) join CTU as part of a cohort and begin their ‘Learner Journey’ with a 2-week induction programme. This is followed by an introduction to compliance learning, after which they begin focusing on a specific head of duty such as VAT, Income Tax Self Assessment, or Corporation Tax.

All trainees are required to work full time for the first 12 weeks of the programme (this applies even if they are contracted as part-time). This requirement is clearly set out in the recruitment packs. Trainees spend a minimum of 9 months in CTU before moving to a specific line of business (LoB) within the Customer Compliance Group. There, they continue on the Civil Compliance Foundation Programme for a further 9 months before becoming fully-fledged compliance officers.

Streaming to LoB typically begins around week 30 and is dependent on a number of factors:

• Having six Compliance Professional Standards signed off and six in progress in their Quality Assurance Framework (QAF),
• Successfully passing the ‘Check and Challenge’ assessments (which take place at regular intervals),
• Being up to date with all e-learning and face-to-face sessions,
• Having a full case load allocation (this varies by head of duty),
• And demonstrating the required behaviours and values in line with the Civil Service Code.
  

The 9-month CTU programme consists of a mix of manager-led case studies, online learning, tutor-led sessions, QAF work, and real casework. While most trainees progress within the 9-month timeframe, in some cases learners may remain in CTU longer if additional development time is needed.

Regarding pass rates, these are held by Workforce Planning and vary by cohort. I’d be happy to reach out to someone in that team for further information, although my usual contact is now on leave.

I hope this gives a good overview – let me know if you need anything else!

Thank you Prudencia for the excellent overview! Is there any public documentation where I could read more about the the Quality Assurance Framework and the Check and Challenge assessments? ALso, I am assuming that the Civil Service Code you refer to is this: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-code/the-civil-service-code.

Lastly, do you have any information on the average pass rate for trainees at the EO level? And what happens if a trainee is not on track to succeed in their training?

Thank you again!

I don’t believe the Quality Assurance Framework (QAF) is a Civil Service-wide process, so I don’t think there’s any public documentation available on it.

I believe QAF may have recently been renamed, but whatever the current title, the principle remains the same: it’s a tool that enables trainees to demonstrate their technical knowledge and skills (capability), as well as their practical casework abilities (competency), by recording evidence of the tasks and work they’ve undertaken or been involved in. You’ll be expected to gather and submit this evidence throughout your training.

I don’t have the figures on how many people have passed through CTU, but trainees are well-supported and encouraged to build strong evidence to show they’re ready and qualified for the work.

And yes—that’s the Civil Service Code I was referring to earlier.