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What is NSAR Quality Assurance?
The NSAR Quality Assurance team work with the industry to ensure that a consistently high standard of training and assessment for safety-critical railway skills is maintained across all organisations and individuals providing these services.
NSAR quality assures over 90 training and assessment providers and awards grades to providers based on evaluations (gold, silver and bronze). The Quality Assurance team is also responsible for taking action to find providers that are failing to meet industry standards.
Rail Training Assurance Scheme (RTAS)
The Rail Training Assurance Scheme (RTAS) is a set of Network Rail training, assessment and competence solutions that must have Quality Assurance activities completed on them for any trainer/assessor/provider delivering them.
Underpinning the scheme are a set of Rules (RTAS Rules) and a Quality Assurance Framework for Delivery that support the application of Network Rail Policies, Procedures, Standards and delivery material. Together, they assure the safety of people working on or near Network Rail Managed Infrastructure (NRMI). Any organisation providing training and assessment services to companies and individuals who conduct work on the NRMI must meet the specific assurance criteria and requirements.
NSAR is the sole entity to assess and evaluate RTAS training providers on behalf of Network Rail. We are committed to providing a service that supports assured training providers to be equipped with the knowledge and expertise to provide high-level training and assessment across the sector, continually improving.
NSAR carry out both announced and unannounced visits to all providers to confirm that the level of Delivery and adherence to Rules & Network Rail Standards & materials is aligned with sector expectations. Breaches of the RTAS Rules can result in action being taken by NSAR, on Network Rail's behalf, to maintain workforce safety and compliance.
NSAR also delivers provider forums, host change briefings to update training providers on any changes to standards, training materials or rule book changes, provide industry expertise to Network Rail Training and invite providers to contribute to working groups and evolution of assurance visits and methods.
Meet the Team
Compliance
Adherence to Rules and Standards
Support
Reporting, Investigation and RTAS & Internal QA Team support
Delivery
Quality of Training Delivery