Break in learning at Gateway

No, they can't go a BIL if there's no learning left and no remaining funding to suspend. They should remain as 1/8 until they return to programme.

Ben James - I don't disagree, but is that written down anywhere? I've never seen that clarified. Just logically, what duration would you give a restart if they were already past gateway.

Ruth Canham-James - sadly not in the funding rules. I guess you could hang your hat on the below though;

You must not record a break in learning unless the employer and apprentice have agreed this, the apprentice is intending to return to learning at a later point, and you have evidence supporting this.

In they're in gateway, there's no learning to return to, so they can't intend to "return to learning at a later point"

Good point, happy with that as an explanation if anyone tried to challenge me on this, thanks :)

We do record them as BILs and were advised to do so by an auditor. If the learner is not making any progress and not involved in learning they expected them to be put on a BIL. 

When they return you just need to check with the EPAO as some will require them to go back in learning for a period depending how long they have been on the BIL.

That doesn't really make any sense though. If they've reached gateway and therefore finished all learning, there's no 'progress' to be made, they'd just remain as 1/8 until they either finished and pass, or finish and fail/retake EPA. Additionally, the service desk replied to this question previously and said;

Thank you for your query regarding the recording of a break in learning.

I can confirm that now the apprentice is no longer in the practical period of the apprenticeship, this should remain as outcomes 1 and 8 until they return to the programme.

You are not able to record a break in learning once all the learning activities have been completed.

I hope this confirmation is useful.

Appreciate that the responses we sometimes get from the service desk can differ, but that seems fairly clear. It's made doubly difficult when auditors give you different advice from the service desk.