Vinspire Terms of Service and Policies

Vinspire Terms of ServiceOVERVIEW
This website is operated by Vinspire Wine and Spirit Academy. Throughout the site, the terms “we”, “us” and “our” refer to Vinspire Wine and Spirit Academy. Vinspire Wine and Spirit Academy offers this website, including all information, tools and services available from this site to you, the user, conditioned upon your acceptance of all terms, conditions, policies and notices stated here.

By visiting our site and/ or purchasing something from us, you engage in our “Service” and agree to be bound by the following terms and conditions (“Terms of Service”, “Terms”), including those additional terms and conditions and policies referenced herein and/or available by hyperlink. These Terms of Service apply to all users of the site, including without limitation users who are browsers, vendors, customers, merchants, and/ or contributors of content.

Please read these Terms of Service carefully before accessing or using our website. By accessing or using any part of the site, you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service. If you do not agree to all the terms and conditions of this agreement, then you may not access the website or use any services. If these Terms of Service are considered an offer, acceptance is expressly limited to these Terms of Service.

Any new features or tools which are added to the current store shall also be subject to the Terms of Service. You can review the most current version of the Terms of Service at any time on this page. We reserve the right to update, change or replace any part of these Terms of Service by posting updates and/or changes to our website. It is your responsibility to check this page periodically for changes. Your continued use of or access to the website following the posting of any changes constitutes acceptance of those changes.

Our store is hosted on Shopify Inc. They provide us with the online e-commerce platform that allows us to sell our products and services to you.

SECTION 1 - ONLINE STORE TERMS
By agreeing to these Terms of Service, you represent that you are at least the age of majority in your state or province of residence, or that you are the age of majority in your state or province of residence and you have given us your consent to allow any of your minor dependents to use this site.
You may not use our products for any illegal or unauthorized purpose nor may you, in the use of the Service, violate any laws in your jurisdiction (including but not limited to copyright laws).
You must not transmit any worms or viruses or any code of a destructive nature.
A breach or violation of any of the Terms will result in an immediate termination of your Services.

SECTION 2 - GENERAL CONDITIONS
We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone for any reason at any time.
You understand that your content (not including credit card information), may be transferred unencrypted and involve (a) transmissions over various networks; and (b) changes to conform and adapt to technical requirements of connecting networks or devices. Credit card information is always encrypted during transfer over networks.
You agree not to reproduce, duplicate, copy, sell, resell or exploit any portion of the Service, use of the Service, or access to the Service or any contact on the website through which the service is provided, without express written permission by us.
The headings used in this agreement are included for convenience only and will not limit or otherwise affect these Terms.

SECTION 3 - ACCURACY, COMPLETENESS AND TIMELINESS OF INFORMATION
We are not responsible if information made available on this site is not accurate, complete or current. The material on this site is provided for general information only and should not be relied upon or used as the sole basis for making decisions without consulting primary, more accurate, more complete or more timely sources of information. Any reliance on the material on this site is at your own risk.
This site may contain certain historical information. Historical information, necessarily, is not current and is provided for your reference only. We reserve the right to modify the contents of this site at any time, but we have no obligation to update any information on our site. You agree that it is your responsibility to monitor changes to our site.

SECTION 4 - MODIFICATIONS TO THE SERVICE AND PRICES
Prices for our products are subject to change without notice.
We reserve the right at any time to modify or discontinue the Service (or any part or content thereof) without notice at any time.
We shall not be liable to you or to any third-party for any modification, price change, suspension or discontinuance of the Service.

SECTION 5 - PRODUCTS OR SERVICES (if applicable)
Certain products or services may be available exclusively online through the website. These products or services may have limited quantities and are subject to return or exchange only according to our Return Policy.
We have made every effort to display as accurately as possible the colors and images of our products that appear at the store. We cannot guarantee that your computer monitor's display of any color will be accurate.
We reserve the right, but are not obligated, to limit the sales of our products or Services to any person, geographic region or jurisdiction. We may exercise this right on a case-by-case basis. We reserve the right to limit the quantities of any products or services that we offer. All descriptions of products or product pricing are subject to change at anytime without notice, at the sole discretion of us. We reserve the right to discontinue any product at any time. Any offer for any product or service made on this site is void where prohibited.
We do not warrant that the quality of any products, services, information, or other material purchased or obtained by you will meet your expectations, or that any errors in the Service will be corrected.

SECTION 6 - ACCURACY OF BILLING AND ACCOUNT INFORMATION
We reserve the right to refuse any order you place with us. We may, in our sole discretion, limit or cancel quantities purchased per person, per household or per order. These restrictions may include orders placed by or under the same customer account, the same credit card, and/or orders that use the same billing and/or shipping address. In the event that we make a change to or cancel an order, we may attempt to notify you by contacting the e‑mail and/or billing address/phone number provided at the time the order was made. We reserve the right to limit or prohibit orders that, in our sole judgment, appear to be placed by dealers, resellers or distributors.

You agree to provide current, complete and accurate purchase and account information for all purchases made at our store. You agree to promptly update your account and other information, including your email address and credit card numbers and expiration dates, so that we can complete your transactions and contact you as needed.

For more detail, please review our Returns Policy.

SECTION 7 - OPTIONAL TOOLS
We may provide you with access to third-party tools over which we neither monitor nor have any control nor input.
You acknowledge and agree that we provide access to such tools ”as is” and “as available” without any warranties, representations or conditions of any kind and without any endorsement. We shall have no liability whatsoever arising from or relating to your use of optional third-party tools.
Any use by you of optional tools offered through the site is entirely at your own risk and discretion and you should ensure that you are familiar with and approve of the terms on which tools are provided by the relevant third-party provider(s).
We may also, in the future, offer new services and/or features through the website (including, the release of new tools and resources). Such new features and/or services shall also be subject to these Terms of Service.

SECTION 8 - THIRD-PARTY LINKS
Certain content, products and services available via our Service may include materials from third-parties.
Third-party links on this site may direct you to third-party websites that are not affiliated with us. We are not responsible for examining or evaluating the content or accuracy and we do not warrant and will not have any liability or responsibility for any third-party materials or websites, or for any other materials, products, or services of third-parties.
We are not liable for any harm or damages related to the purchase or use of goods, services, resources, content, or any other transactions made in connection with any third-party websites. Please review carefully the third-party's policies and practices and make sure you understand them before you engage in any transaction. Complaints, claims, concerns, or questions regarding third-party products should be directed to the third-party.

SECTION 9 - USER COMMENTS, FEEDBACK AND OTHER SUBMISSIONS
If, at our request, you send certain specific submissions (for example contest entries) or without a request from us you send creative ideas, suggestions, proposals, plans, or other materials, whether online, by email, by postal mail, or otherwise (collectively, 'comments'), you agree that we may, at any time, without restriction, edit, copy, publish, distribute, translate and otherwise use in any medium any comments that you forward to us. We are and shall be under no obligation (1) to maintain any comments in confidence; (2) to pay compensation for any comments; or (3) to respond to any comments.
We may, but have no obligation to, monitor, edit or remove content that we determine in our sole discretion are unlawful, offensive, threatening, libelous, defamatory, pornographic, obscene or otherwise objectionable or violates any party’s intellectual property or these Terms of Service.
You agree that your comments will not violate any right of any third-party, including copyright, trademark, privacy, personality or other personal or proprietary right. You further agree that your comments will not contain libelous or otherwise unlawful, abusive or obscene material, or contain any computer virus or other malware that could in any way affect the operation of the Service or any related website. You may not use a false e‑mail address, pretend to be someone other than yourself, or otherwise mislead us or third-parties as to the origin of any comments. You are solely responsible for any comments you make and their accuracy. We take no responsibility and assume no liability for any comments posted by you or any third-party.

SECTION 10 - PERSONAL INFORMATION
Your submission of personal information through the store is governed by our Privacy Policy. To view our Privacy Policy.

SECTION 11 - ERRORS, INACCURACIES AND OMISSIONS
Occasionally there may be information on our site or in the Service that contains typographical errors, inaccuracies or omissions that may relate to product descriptions, pricing, promotions, offers, product shipping charges, transit times and availability. We reserve the right to correct any errors, inaccuracies or omissions, and to change or update information or cancel orders if any information in the Service or on any related website is inaccurate at any time without prior notice (including after you have submitted your order).
We undertake no obligation to update, amend or clarify information in the Service or on any related website, including without limitation, pricing information, except as required by law. No specified update or refresh date applied in the Service or on any related website, should be taken to indicate that all information in the Service or on any related website has been modified or updated.

SECTION 12 - PROHIBITED USES
In addition to other prohibitions as set forth in the Terms of Service, you are prohibited from using the site or its content: (a) for any unlawful purpose; (b) to solicit others to perform or participate in any unlawful acts; (c) to violate any international, federal, provincial or state regulations, rules, laws, or local ordinances; (d) to infringe upon or violate our intellectual property rights or the intellectual property rights of others; (e) to harass, abuse, insult, harm, defame, slander, disparage, intimidate, or discriminate based on gender, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, race, age, national origin, or disability; (f) to submit false or misleading information; (g) to upload or transmit viruses or any other type of malicious code that will or may be used in any way that will affect the functionality or operation of the Service or of any related website, other websites, or the Internet; (h) to collect or track the personal information of others; (i) to spam, phish, pharm, pretext, spider, crawl, or scrape; (j) for any obscene or immoral purpose; or (k) to interfere with or circumvent the security features of the Service or any related website, other websites, or the Internet. We reserve the right to terminate your use of the Service or any related website for violating any of the prohibited uses.

SECTION 13 - DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTIES; LIMITATION OF LIABILITY
We do not guarantee, represent or warrant that your use of our service will be uninterrupted, timely, secure or error-free.
We do not warrant that the results that may be obtained from the use of the service will be accurate or reliable.
You agree that from time to time we may remove the service for indefinite periods of time or cancel the service at any time, without notice to you.
You expressly agree that your use of, or inability to use, the service is at your sole risk. The service and all products and services delivered to you through the service are (except as expressly stated by us) provided 'as is' and 'as available' for your use, without any representation, warranties or conditions of any kind, either express or implied, including all implied warranties or conditions of merchantability, merchantable quality, fitness for a particular purpose, durability, title, and non-infringement.
In no case shall Vinspire Wine and Spirit Academy, our directors, officers, employees, affiliates, agents, contractors, interns, suppliers, service providers or licensors be liable for any injury, loss, claim, or any direct, indirect, incidental, punitive, special, or consequential damages of any kind, including, without limitation lost profits, lost revenue, lost savings, loss of data, replacement costs, or any similar damages, whether based in contract, tort (including negligence), strict liability or otherwise, arising from your use of any of the service or any products procured using the service, or for any other claim related in any way to your use of the service or any product, including, but not limited to, any errors or omissions in any content, or any loss or damage of any kind incurred as a result of the use of the service or any content (or product) posted, transmitted, or otherwise made available via the service, even if advised of their possibility. Because some states or jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion or the limitation of liability for consequential or incidental damages, in such states or jurisdictions, our liability shall be limited to the maximum extent permitted by law.

SECTION 14 - INDEMNIFICATION
You agree to indemnify, defend and hold harmless Vinspire Wine and Spirit Academy and our parent, subsidiaries, affiliates, partners, officers, directors, agents, contractors, licensors, service providers, subcontractors, suppliers, interns and employees, harmless from any claim or demand, including reasonable attorneys’ fees, made by any third-party due to or arising out of your breach of these Terms of Service or the documents they incorporate by reference, or your violation of any law or the rights of a third-party.

SECTION 15 - SEVERABILITY
In the event that any provision of these Terms of Service is determined to be unlawful, void or unenforceable, such provision shall nonetheless be enforceable to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, and the unenforceable portion shall be deemed to be severed from these Terms of Service, such determination shall not affect the validity and enforceability of any other remaining provisions.

SECTION 16 - TERMINATION
The obligations and liabilities of the parties incurred prior to the termination date shall survive the termination of this agreement for all purposes.
These Terms of Service are effective unless and until terminated by either you or us. You may terminate these Terms of Service at any time by notifying us that you no longer wish to use our Services, or when you cease using our site.
If in our sole judgment you fail, or we suspect that you have failed, to comply with any term or provision of these Terms of Service, we also may terminate this agreement at any time without notice and you will remain liable for all amounts due up to and including the date of termination; and/or accordingly may deny you access to our Services (or any part thereof).

SECTION 17 - ENTIRE AGREEMENT
The failure of us to exercise or enforce any right or provision of these Terms of Service shall not constitute a waiver of such right or provision.
These Terms of Service and any policies or operating rules posted by us on this site or in respect to The Service constitutes the entire agreement and understanding between you and us and govern your use of the Service, superseding any prior or contemporaneous agreements, communications and proposals, whether oral or written, between you and us (including, but not limited to, any prior versions of the Terms of Service).
Any ambiguities in the interpretation of these Terms of Service shall not be construed against the drafting party.

SECTION 18 - GOVERNING LAW
These Terms of Service and any separate agreements whereby we provide you Services shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of Ireland.

SECTION 19 - CHANGES TO TERMS OF SERVICE
You can review the most current version of the Terms of Service at any time at this page.
We reserve the right, at our sole discretion, to update, change or replace any part of these Terms of Service by posting updates and changes to our website. It is your responsibility to check our website periodically for changes. Your continued use of or access to our website or the Service following the posting of any changes to these Terms of Service constitutes acceptance of those changes.

SECTION 20 - CONTACT INFORMATION
Questions about the Terms of Service should be sent to us at philip.dunne@vinespireacademy.com.

 

SECTION 21 - TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR VINSPIRE ACADEMY

All bookings of all our events and WSET courses are processed on the understanding and basis that you have read and agreed to the terms and conditions.

Cancellations. There is a no refund policy on cancellations once booked.

If a WSET course is cancelled or postponed, there is no refund policy on cancellations once booked. However, all students will have their places secured for future courses without any expiration date. All transfer requests must be made by email to philip.dunne@vinspireacademy.com

Events or WSET courses fees will only be refunded in full – if Vinspire Academy cancels a course if enrolments do not reach the required minimum numbers – notification will be made in the 10 working days prior to the planned start date of the course.

All Vinspire Academy events or WSET courses are subject to minimum numbers. Vinspire Academy reserves the right to change tutors, reschedule, cancel, close or combine events or WSET courses if necessary at any particular time.

Full payment must accompany the booking form as we do not accept provisional bookings and places will only be confirmed once payment is received. Bookings will only be accepted on valid booking forms with a fully completed declaration. 

Payment methods - Debit/Credit Card or PayPal.

WSET courses and examination dates are fixed to the course onto which you book and any transfer to an alternative date will incur an administration fee of €100.00 plus vat per student. All transfer requests must be made by email to philip.dunne@vinspireacademy.com at least 10 working days before the original examination date.

All students are required to present authorised photographic identification at all examinations and may be refused entry to an examination if not produced.

Vinspire Academy has policies on complaints, conflict of interest, date protection, diversity and equality, reasonable adjustments, special consideration, malpractice and maladministration and cancellations & refunds. All the policy statements of Vinspire Academy are available on request from any student or client. 

If you have any enquiries send us an email to philip.dunne@vinspireacademy.com

 

Terms & Conditions for WSET Courses with Vinspire Wine and Spirit Academy

 
  • All bookings, cancellations and reschedules must be received in writing. Your booking is not secure until payment is received – all courses must be paid for in advance.

  • All vouchers need to be used as specified on the voucher and the booking must be made within the validity of the voucher.

  • All bookings and gift vouchers are non-refundable. However, the booking can be changed to another course or person.

  • You may choose to change the voucher towards another course of greater value and we will charge you the difference in price.

  • No date changes are allowed less than 14 working days prior to the course date. However, you are welcome to transfer your place to another person with at least 14 working days’ prior notice.

  • If for any reason you are unable to attend and the cancellation is made within 10 working days before the course, you can attend the future course on standby.

  • If you fail to attend any course, no refund will apply.

  • We reserve the right to cancel any course.  A full refund will apply if you cannot make the new date.

  • Vinspire Wine and Spirit Academy is not liable for any loss or damage incurred as a result of attending course or event.

 

WSET Cancellation Policy with Vinspire Wine and Spirit Academy

 

WSET Level 1 Cancellation Policy:

  • If the candidate notifies Vinspire by email that they wish to cancel the course not less than 14 working days before the start date, the candidate will be entitled to a 50% refund. Any cancellations made within 14 working days are non-refundable.

  • Refunds will be processed within 14 working days of receiving your request via bank transfer to the original payer.

  • There is no charge for transferring your booking to the same course on an alternative date provided you notify Vinspire in writing not less than 5 working days before the start of your current course booking.

  •  If the candidate fails to attend any course no refund will apply.

  • Candidates must request a cancellation, refund or transfer in writing by sending an email to philip.dunne@vinspireacademy.com

  • Cost of study material is non-refundable. Cost of the courier is non-refundable.

  • As of 1.1.2023 there is no exceptions for Covid-19 or general sickness related absences and should a candidate not be able to attend the course / exam, the full cost will be non-refundable.

WSET Level 2 Cancellation Policy:

  • If the candidate notifies Vinspire by email that they wish to cancel the course not less than 14 working days before the start date, the candidate will be entitled to a 50% refund. Refunds will be processed within 14 days of receiving your request via bank transfer to the original payer. Any cancellations made within 14 working days are non-refundable.

  • There is no charge for transferring your booking to the same course on an alternative date provided you notify Vinspire in writing not less than 14 working days before the start of your current course booking.

  • Candidates are not allowed to transfer between courses 14 working days before the course start date. If the candidate fails to attend any course no refund will apply.

  • Candidates must request a cancellation, refund or transfer in writing by sending an email to philip.dunne@vinspireacademy.com

  • Cost of study material is non-refundable. Cost of the courier is non-refundable.

  • As of 1.1.2023 there is no exceptions for Covid-19 or general sickness related absences and should a candidate not be able to attend the course / exam, the full cost will be non-refundable.

Exams and Re-Sits:

  • Candidates may only sit the exam with Vinspire, upon successful completion of the course.

  • Resits for exams completed with Vinspire Wine and Spirit Academy will be permitted upon approval. The cost of a Level 1 exam resit is €120. The cost of a Level 2 exam resit is €200. Fees must be paid in full at least 14 working days in advance of the exam and can be arranged by emailing info@vinspireacademy.com.

  • If the candidate notifies Vinspire by email that they wish to cancel the exam or re-sit not less than 14 working days before the start date, the candidate will be entitled to a 40% refund. Refunds will be processed within 14 days of receiving your request via bank transfer to the original payer.

  • Cancellation less than 14 working days will not be permitted a refund.

  • Candidates must request a cancellation, refund or transfer in writing by sending an email to philip.dunne@vinspireacademy.com

  • Cost of study material is non-refundable. Cost of the courier is non-refundable.

 

If you have any enquiries send us an email to philip.dunne@vinspireacademy.com

 

Complaints

 

Complaints against any action or practice which threatens the integrity of our courses, either APP centre staff or representative or student should in the first instance be discussed with APP centre contact. The APP undertakes to investigate all complaints in a thorough and professional manner. This includes, but is not limited to:

  • Notifying the complainant that their complaint will be investigated by a named individual within a given timescale

  • Informing the complainant of the outcome of the investigation in writing

  • Informing the complainant of the appropriate escalation of the complaint if the initial outcome is still unsatisfactory.

An outline of the problem and the main points should be documented and dated. If the problem is not resolved at this stage the candidate should con- tact a higher authority in the college or the WSET.

Examples of complaints would be:

  • Dis-satisfaction with teaching, facilities or administration of WSET courses

  • Allegations of discrimination or unfair treatment

  • Falsifying results, assisting candidates with answers

  • Allowing unauthorised material into the exam room e.g. phones, notes etc

  • Allowing candidates to copy from each other.

  • Disruptive behaviours e.g. talking during the exam

Complaints against the awarding body

Complaints against the Wine and Spirit Education Trust should, in the first instance, be discussed with the centre contact as above and documented evidence will then be forwarded to The Wine and Spirit Education Trust who have their own complaints policy.

Candidates who are unhappy with their exam results can appeal via the centre contact. The way in which the Wine and Spirit Education Trust will investigate the charges are on the website: www.wsetglobal.com.

 

Equal Opportunities

 

This APP fully supports the principles of Equal Opportunities. We strive to ensure that all candidates for our qualifications are treated fairly and on an equal basis.

Equal Opportunities are assured by:

  • the selection, recruitment and training of those working for this APP;

  • consideration at an early stage in the development of new schemes or qualifications;

  • ensuring that the format and content of all syllabi, examinations and other do not discriminate against anyone which is the responsibility of WSET Awards by whom we are approved to teach WSET qualifications;

  • ensuring there are no barriers to entry to units and qualifications, which we deliver and/or offer, for disabled people, women or men, or people from different racial groups, other than those directly related to the integrity of the units or qualifications. The nature of any barriers will be stated and the inclusion of the requirements that create the barrier justified only and explicitly in terms of the integrity of the unit or the qualification. De- tails of how the effect of any barriers will be mitigated will be recorded, including using access arrangements or including reasonable adjustments.

  • clarifying the responsibility of all members of staff and/or consultants, who are involved in the delivery of WSET courses within this APP, to comply with this policy. In particular external parties invited by this APP to con- tribute to these development arrangements must also, as representatives of relevant learners, ensure that the views of learners and others are taken into account in the development of QCF units and qualifications.

  • anonymous assessment of examination candidates wherever possible;

  • promoting practices and procedures that give equal opportunities to everyone;

  • being required to have equal opportunity policies in place;

  • the variation of any conventional rules and regulations for the conduct of examinations which might inhibit the performance of candidates with specific needs, provided that the standard, quality and integrity of the assessment is not compromised.

  • working as appropriate with relevant organisations and agencies to develop measures to identify and prevent inequality of opportunity;

  • making every effort to ensure that there is equality of opportunity in its assessment process, regardless of the candidate’s gender, age, racial origin, religious persuasion, sexual orientation or disability;

  • ensuring, to the best of our ability, that any documentation produced does not contain language or images which may be regarded as offensive or stereotypical, and that they reflect the diversity of contemporary society;

This APP is an equal opportunities organisation and will consider applications from any organisation or individual who can demonstrate that they meet our approval criteria. This policy is published on our website or Candidate Booking Form and will be provided to any student on demand.

Monitoring

This APP will comply with all current and relevant legislation and this policy will be monitored and reviewed annually. At the time of writing relevant legislation includes, but is not limited to:

  • The Equal Status Acts Ireland 2000-2018 

As part of the monitoring of candidates registering for a WSET® qualification we will collect information on diversity, requests for special consideration, access arrangements and feedback from learners, centres and other stakeholders.

All relevant issues identified as suggesting our provision or services have unnecessary impact on learners will be reported back to the Centre Registration and Quality Assurance Manager who will be responsible for leading on introducing amendments to provision and/or services where necessary and in accordance with our documented procedures for developing and reviewing units and qualifications. Details of the outcomes of each review will be made available to the qualification regulators upon request.

Candidates who believe they have been discriminated against should contact philip.dunne@vinspireacademy.com in the first instance for advice.

 

Conflicts of Interest

 

This APP is approved by WSET Awards which is subject to regulation by the UK Government’s regulator, OfQual. As a regulated awarding organisation, we are required to identify, monitor and manage all conflicts of interest which may have an adverse effect on the qualifications we offer and we must take all reasonable steps to mitigate such adverse effect where it exists.

This document offers guidance to individuals engaged in activities undertaken on behalf of WSET Awards (the awarding organisation of the Wine & Spirit Education Trust) which have potential to lead them to act contrary to the in- terests of WSET Awards in the development, delivery, assessment and award of its regulated qualifications.

It defines what is meant by conflict of interest, describes such conflicts of in- terest in the context of working with WSET Awards, identifies those conflicts of interest that can be managed and are therefore acceptable and those that cannot be managed and are therefore unacceptable. It also gives examples of potential conflicts of interest.

Scope of this policy

This policy is applicable to all members of staff employed by the Wine & Spirit Education Trust and to any individual acting on behalf of WSET Awards. This includes those involved in the development of WSET qualifications, question- setting, marking of assessments, delivery of WSET programmes of study leading to WSET qualifications, marketing of WSET qualifications, production of study materials, examination papers, qualification certificates and all other associated resources and services.

It relates to WSET regulated qualifications offered in the United Kingdom and international markets.

Definition of conflict of interest

A conflict of interest exists where an individual has interests or loyalties that could adversely influence their judgement, objectivity or loyalty to WSET Awards when conducting activities associated with our qualifications. These can arise in many different aspects of awarding organisation activity, such as:

  • An individual whose personal interests or loyalties conflict with their awarding organisation involvement.

  • An individual who receives remuneration for services that conflict with their awarding organisation involvement.

  • An individual whose acts put WSET Awards in a position of non-compliance with its regulatory responsibilities.

Whilst it would be impossible to give a definitive list of scenarios representing potential conflicts of interest, the following have been identified from WSET Awards’ Risk Management review as significant. However, other scenarios will constitute conflicts of interest, and we will take actions to redress any such instances that come to our attention other than by declaration from the individual concerned. Such actions may also include the imposition of sanctions, if deemed appropriate.

Specific examples of conflicts of interest include the following:

  • The undertaking of any assessment of candidates by an individual who has a personal interest in the result of the assessment for any or all individuals concerned.

  • The undertaking of any moderation of assessment of candidates by an individual who has a personal interest in the result of the assessment for any or all individuals concerned.

  • The tutoring of candidates by any individual involved in the assessment process.

  • The undertaking of a WSET-regulated qualification by any individual employed by an APP.

  • The undertaking of a WSET-regulated qualification by any individual employed by WSET Awards.

  • The invigilation of a WSET-regulated qualification by any individual involved in the delivery of training leading to the assessment.

  • The delivery of “coaching sessions” to examination candidates by any individual involved in the assessment of candidate scripts or the authoring of examination questions.

  • The employment by an APP of individuals engaged in the delivery of taught programmes or in the role of Internal Assessor in another APP.

Some of these examples can be managed and are therefore acceptable. For example, the marking of tasting assessments by Level 3 Internal Assessors is ALWAYS verified by WSET Awards as they have an interest in the results of the assessments of learners they have taught. Our verification process mitigates this conflict of interest. Similarly, where an employee of the WSET or one of its APPs undertakes a WSET qualification, we can put measures in place to maintain the integrity of the assessment, PROVIDED we are notified of this conflict of interest in advance of the assessment. However, it would be inappropriate for any individual involved in the authoring of examination questions or the compilation of examination papers to teach or coach learners un- der any circumstances as there are no options for us to mitigate the effect of this clear conflict of interest.

Guidance on handling conflicts of interest

Any individual engaged with WSET Awards in the provision of our regulated qualifications, as identified under the scope of this policy, is required to make a “Declaration of Interest” by informing WSET Awards of any potential conflict of interest. Certain individuals, such as those involved in the assessment process are also required to submit a signed declaration of “Non-disclosure”. It is essential that any conflict of interest is declared to WSET Awards immediately to ensure this does not compromise our status of compliance with our regulator, Ofqual. Any APP who fails to declare a potential conflict of interest is in breach of our criteria for approval, and sanctions may be applied to their approval status as a result.

WSET Awards has processes and procedures in place to manage actual or perceived conflicts of interest. These include the exclusive involvement of WSET Awards staff in the creation of all assessment materials, moderation of all internal assessment conducted by APPs and moderation of all written ex- aminations not marked by optical mark readers. There are of course many other instances of conflict of interest for which we do not have documented procedures in place. Such instances will be handled on an individual basis to ensure that the integrity of our assessments is not compromised.

Roles, responsibilities and procedures in the handling of actual or perceived conflicts of interest

The Director of WSET Awards and the Centres Co-ordination and Quality Assurance Manager have responsibility for the day-to-day managing of conflicts of interest relating to functions of WSET Awards. The members of the Senior Management Team of the Wine and Spirit Education Trust have responsibility for the day-to-day managing of conflicts of interest relating to functions of the Wine and Spirit Education Trust’s functions as a whole.

It is the responsibility of all individuals engaged in the provision of WSET qualifications to promptly report any potential for conflict of interest to the Centres Co-ordination and Quality Assurance Manager at WSET Awards.

All instances of conflict of interest will be recorded in WSET Awards Incidents Register, including details of steps taken to mitigate any adverse effect resulting from such conflict of interest. The Director of WSET Awards is responsible for determining what action needs to be taken to mitigate any adverse effect and for deciding when and how matters relating to actual or potential conflicts of interest should be escalated within the Wine & Spirit Education Trust, to the Board of Trustees or to the Regulator, Ofqual.

 

Candidates requiring Reasonable Adjustment

 

 

A reasonable adjustment is any action that helps to reduce the effect of a disability or difficulty that places the candidate at a substantial disadvantage in the assessment situation.

This APP seeks to conduct the assessment of all candidates in a way that puts them at no disadvantage, or advantage, over other candidates. However, whilst Reasonable adjustments must not affect the integrity of what needs to be assessed, but may involve:

  • Changing standard assessment arrangements, for example allowing candidates extra time to complete the assessment activity
    Adapting assessment materials, such as providing materials in large text format

  • Providing access facilitators during assessment, such as a sign language interpreter or reader

  • The WSET® courses will be provided at Media One Hotel, Media City, Dubai. Across the Financial Centre Metro Station. These facilities are easily accessible from the road and have access to any floor by lift and stairs.

  • Re-organising the assessment room, such as removal of visual stimuli for an autistic candidate.

Reasonable adjustments are approved or set in place before the assessment activity takes place; they constitute an arrangement to give the candidate ac- cess to the qualification. The use of reasonable adjustment will not be taken into consideration during the assessment of a candidate’s work. Out of fair- ness to all candidates, evidence of the individual circumstances giving rise to the request must be produced.

This APP will:

  • identify any special assessment needs at the time of candidate registration. - inform WSET® Awards at the earliest opportunity so that appropriate arrangements can be made.

  • agree the specific arrangements for the examination, or for marking with WSET® Awards, which will vary according to individual circumstances.

WSET® Awards reserves the right to seek the advice of independent agencies as appropriate in coming to a decision on specific arrangements and must agree before any reasonable adjustments are offered by this APP to its students.

Please submit any Requests for Reasonable Adjustments at least 5 weeks before the date of the examination. This APP will forward any Requests for Reasonable Adjustments to WSET® Awards within 5 working days of receipt and WSET® Awards will respond after 4 working weeks after giving the re- quest due consideration.

Candidates and their advisors should also be aware:

  • that it is not appropriate to make requests for special arrangements where the candidate’s particular difficulty directly affects performance in the actual attributes that are the focus of the assessment.

  • reasonable adjustments will not give unfair advantage over candidates for whom reasonable adjustments are not being made, or alter the assessment demands of the qualification as detailed in the qualification specification.

 

Candidates requiring special consideration

 

Special consideration is an action taken after an assessment to allow candidates who have been disadvantaged by temporary illness, injury, indisposition or adverse circumstances at the time of the assessment to demonstrate attainment.

A candidate may be eligible for special considerations if:

  • Performance in an examination is affected by circumstances beyond the control of the candidate. This may include recent personal illness, accident, bereavement or examination room conditions;

  • alternative assessment arrangements which were agreed in advance of the assessment proved inappropriate or inadequate;

  • the application of special consideration would not mislead the end-user of the certificate.

WSET® Awards must be notified in writing within seven days of the examination date where special consideration is being requested using the Request for Special Consideration Form Eligibility will only be considered if accompanied by supporting independent documentation, and please allow extra time for this APP to pass your request to WSET® Awards.

Where a candidate is unable to attend an examination due to recent personal illness, accident or bereavement, the APP will endeavour to transfer the candidate to an alternative examination date at no extra cost.

In cases of serious disruption during the examination, the Examinations Officer of this APP must submit a detailed report of the circumstances and candidates affected to the Examinations Administrator at WSET® Awards, in addition to the Examination Papers.

It should be noted that WSET® Awards does not offer aegrotat awards and that all assessment requirements of WSET® qualifications must be met. It is also our policy that special considerations will not give unfair advantage over candidates for whom special considerations are not being applied, or alter the assessment demands of the qualification as detailed in the qualification specification.

If a candidate is unable to attend an examination for which they have been registered due to circumstances outside their direct control, they should notify this APP as soon as possible, and complete the “Request for Special Consideration” form submitting written 3rd party evidence to support their application. Failure to attend due to work commitments does not qualify for “special consideration”. This APP will not charge an unused paper fee for applications where approval from WSET® Awards is granted

 

SommNinja® / Vinspire Wine and Spirit Academy Partnership

3 months complimentary access to SommNinja® Android / Apple mobile application is offered to students who book any WSET course with Vinspire Wine and Spirit Academy from August 1st 2023 until February 1st 2024.

This 3 month complimentary access to SommNinja® is provided by Vinspire Wine and Spirit Academy in the form of a discount code, which will be provided on the last day of the WSET course the student has booked.

After the 3 month complimentary period with SommNinja® access provided by Vinspire Wine and Spirit Academy expires, Vinspire Wine and Spirit Academy accepts no responsibility should there be recurrent subscription charges incurred from the student / subscriber after this time frame.

No cash or credit alternative is provided or accepted in lieu of this complimentary access to SommNinja®.

Complimentary access to SommNinja® must be requested by email to info@vinspireacademy.com upon booking your WSET with Vinspire Wine and Spirit Academy.

Gift voucher sales are exempt from receiving this promotion.