The National Examining Board for Dental Nurses (NEBDN), a Lancashire-based charity, achieved Ofqual recognition in January 2023. This means they are formally regulated as an awarding organisation by the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual). As a non-ministerial government department, Ofqual regulates qualifications, exams, and tests in England. Their purpose is to regulate the validity and safe delivery of all applicable qualifications and assessments. NEBDN has applied for Ofqual recognition primarily to become an End-Point Assessment Organisation (EPAO), which will allow the organisation to offer an apprenticeship in dental nursing. NEBDN plans on registering for EPAO status over the coming months.

Joining a list of over 178 Ofqual recognised institutions, NEBDN will now join the register as a regulated awarding organisation. Being recognised by Ofqual offers future potential benefits to the users of NEBDN qualifications through the Regulated Qualifications Framework, including attaining UCAS points, building credits, attracting public funding, and holding a qualification regulated by an internationally recognised organisation.

Kate Kerslake, CEO at NEBDN, comments, “This is a huge achievement for NEBDN, one which our team has worked very hard to achieve. This is a very exciting time for the organisation, as we not only grow and expand as a business in recruiting for new roles but expand in our vision to offer a dental nursing apprenticeship. This will allow us to give employers a choice of training routes for their trainee dental nurses, which is something we know is important to offer as an inclusive organisation.”

NEBDN offering an apprenticeship will provide two types of training routes to qualification and General Dental Council registration, the apprenticeship as one product and the National Diploma as the other. Through government apprenticeship funding, employers can now potentially offer a fully funded training package, removing the need for trainees to contribute financially to their course.

NEBDN will continue with developments to ensure it supports career development and wider opportunities for dental nurses across the profession. The organisation continues to operate their diploma and post-registration qualifications.

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