NCC are in need of an Internal Moderator for the Teaching Faculty to moderate distance learning courses such as the Teaching Assistant Diploma and the Supporting Teaching and Learning in Schools (STALIS) QCF!

The Supporting Teaching and Learning in Schools QCF is currently one of NCC Home Learning’s most popular courses.  To keep up with this high demand, NCC are currently on the lookout for an Internal Moderator for our full range of Teaching Assistant related courses.

If you have relevant qualifications and work experience and are interested in this job opportunity, please send your CV to [email protected].

Please note that all applicants will be required to have Assessor/IV qualifications to be considered for this role.

NCC Home Learning are currently looking for new distance learning tutors to join our ever growing team in the following subject areas:

– Sports Psychology
– Child Psychology

If you have relevant qualifications and work experience and are interested in this job opportunity, please send your CV to [email protected].

Customers play a crucial part in your business and provide you with the profits you need to survive. This article will explore the ways in which to gain and retain customers

It is your customers that provide you with your reputation, which can either make or break you as a company. Many businesses find it a difficult task to retain customers and repeat their purchases. So make sure you figure out what it is your customers want and strive to meet their needs.

Remember your customers are at the heart of your business, so it really is essential that you treat them with the highest standard of care to gain their loyalty. There are a range of things that will have an impact on whether your customers return. It is just as important that you gain new customers whilst maintaining your existing customer base. This is vital when it comes to maintaining and boosting your businesses profits.

Key points to follow:

– Greet your customers
– Keep your existing customers satisfied
– Go above and beyond your customer’s expectations
– Train your staff to treat customers as well as you do
– Provide your customers with the opportunity to give feedback
– Ensure you always settle problems with customers in a timely fashion

As a business owner or a manager, you should be aware that to be successful in achieving your goals and objectives, you are required to keep a loyal customer base. Once you have managed to gain the loyalty of your customers, they will be more likely to go out of their way to purchase that particular product or service you offer. This is regardless of whether or not they have to pay a higher cost, or travel a little bit further.

There are a range of different methods you can use to attract and retain customers:

– Website – this is the ideal method of reaching a mass audience. A professional website has the potential to attract new customers. They are SEO optimised which is essential when it comes to people looking up your company on a search engine. The more people you can reach, the more potential sales you will gain.
– Advertisements – There are a range of different types of advertisements, all of which are essential when it comes to gaining new customers. This can include broadcasting, and outdoor advertising through banners etc.
– Blogs – You can engage with clients through blogging. Blogs are a great way to communicate with your clients. The comment section is the ideal way to really engage with your customers, and possibly attract new ones.
– Email – Emailing newsletters is a good way of reaching a large number of people, and making them aware of what you have to offer. What better way of targeting your customers other than email? It is a direct way of contacting them.
– Surveys – This is one of the best ways to retain old customers. Surveys are the ideal way to engage with clients, as they welcome feedback. Asking your customers for feedback will allow customers to talk about their experiences whether they are good or bad. This shows that you value your customers and what they think. With regards to customer service, this makes customers feel appreciated. Always remember the customer is always right and their needs must come first. If they’ve had a bad experience, it is important that businesses deal with it swiftly. Offering compensation is a good way to apologise and can maintain the relationship with the client, and so will benefit both parties. It is important that you engage with your customers. So build that special rapport with your clients today that can last a lifetime.

The staff at NCC have managed to raise £80 for the British Heart Foundation. Red and Hearts were the themes today, and the staff obliged. The NCC office were well and truly loved up today, all for a good cause!

This Valentine’s Day, NCC Home Learning are delighted to launch the Plan Your Own Wedding Course!

This exciting new course is perfect for if you are currently planning you own wedding or would be ideal for those newly engaged couples this Valentine’s Day who are looking to get their wedding preparations started!

The plan your own wedding programme will tell you everything you need to know about planning your dream wedding from venues to photography.  The course also covers tracking your wedding plans and preparing a task list and action plan, so that you can ensure every aspect is covered in the run up to your big day!

If you would like to view the full course description visit the Plan your Own Wedding course page.

5. David Beckham and Victoria Adams

 

 

The happy couple: the couple remain together after 15 years of marriage

 

No celebrity weddings list countdown is complete without the “it” couple of the late 90’s. The wedding was seen by many as relatively understated (for celebrities), held at Luttrellstown Castle in Dublin and attended only by 29 relatives and close friends. The extravagance wasn’t spared in other aspects of the event, such as the £60,000 Vera Wang dress and the £160,000 antique jewellery. The couple have since become a worldwide brand. Clothing lines, fragrances, car designs and also the small matter of setting up a new football team in Miami. Their vows have stuck through a number of re-locations dictated by David’s football career with Madrid, Milan, LA, and Paris all being on the list.

TOTAL COST: £500,000 

4. Madonna and Guy Ritchie

 

 

The Queen of Pop: Madonna’s marriage to grungy London film director, Guy Ritchie ended after 4 years.

 

The queen of pop made waves in the celebrity weddings world, marrying director and producer Guy Ritchie in 2000. Just like Posh and Becks, the choice of location was a castle but this time, Skibo in the Scottish Highlands. Madonna married Ritchie (10 years her junior) in front of star names such as George Clooney, Donatella Versace and Brad Pitt. The food and champagne bill alone came in at a massive £550,000 and the Stella McCartney gown costing around £50,000. The marriage didn’t end particularly well, with Ritchie claiming he felt like his marriage was one big soap opera.

TOTAL COST: £1.1 million

 

3. Liza Minelli and David Gest

 

 

Broadway Star: The Hollywood royalty is now on her fourth husband

 

The first all American affair on our list may come as a surprise, but when your best man is Michael Jackson and Maid of Honour Elizabeth Taylor the wedding becomes inherently extravagant. The Broadway star has been rocking red carpets all over the world for over 40 years. Her marriage to American Producer David Gest in 2002 was subject to huge media interest. The entertainment bill included international superstars. Stevie Wonder and Tony Bennet serenaded the guests who found the experience so incredible it was compared to the Grammy Awards. The couple lasted 16 months before splitting, meaning the $4.3 million spent averaged out at around £268,000 per month for the time they were together!

TOTAL COST : $4.3 Million

2. Prince William and Kate Middleton

 

 

The Royal Wave: The couple were the talk of the world in 2011

 

The priceless event was televised and reported in over 180 countries worldwide, making it the most viewed wedding in history. Kicking things off, Kate stayed in a £5,000 per night suite at the 5 Star Goring Hotel in the sought after area of Belgravia. Kate arrived in a Rolls Royce Phantom VI, but Prince William trumped that slightly with his specially designed 20 ft long Bentley. The extravagance was carried through the rest of the event with 300 ft red carpets, flowers from the Sandringham Estate and flyovers from the RAF. The reception, naturally, was held at Buckingham Palace and the Queen hosted 650 guests. Over 10,000 canapés were served at the wedding, washed down with £200 a bottle Pol Roger NC Brut champagne. 

TOTAL COST: £20 Million+

1. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid as Maktoum and Sheikha Hind Bint Maktoum

 

 

Al Maktoum Yacht: The Maktoum yacht tells you everything you need to know about their extravagance

 

Well this is the wedding of all weddings and the extravagance is completely unmatched. The Prime Minister and ruler of Dubai married his first wife in 1979. The Sheikh decided no venue was suitable for the grandeur he had in mind, so his solution was to purpose build his very own hall to accommodate 20,000 guests. A five day national holiday was declared in order to commemorate the event.  Mohammed bin Rashid rode on horseback to all of the local villages to provide food for the festivities. The marriage has stayed strong, even though the Sheikh married a new “junior” wife in 2004 (polygamy is legal in Dubai). The couple have been instrumental in the development of Dubai as one of the world’s strongest economies, with it now holding a number of world first’s and records. 

TOTAL COST – $137 million

Love is in the air, and who knows, this might be the year when you have to plan a wedding! NCC offer a Level 3 Wedding Planner Diploma that covers everything you need to know about planning the perfect wedding. 

Tinnitus Awareness Week 2014 will be running fro3-9 February and aims to help the public develop an understanding of the affects that Tinnitus can have on an individuals life.

Tinnitus is defined as any sound that a person can hear within their body rather than from an external source, it can manifest in a number of forms but is well known as a constant “ringing in the ears”. This can have a significant effect on a person’s life, often causing lack of sleep and making concentration very difficult. There is no known cure for Tinnitus, making research into the ailment increasingly important. Medical research on the subject has been surprisingly under reported for problem that affects around 1 in 10 people in the UK.

The story of Helen Gilbert has recently highlighted the dangers of sustained periods of loud music and the effects it can have on your hearing. Helen woke up “the morning after” with a maddening, high pitched din in her ears that wasn’t budging. This has since been diagnosed as tinnitus, now well into her thirties the clubbing days of her mid twenties are a distant memory, but the product of this indulgance still remains.

Raising the profile of Tinnitus is important in encouraging conversation about the condition, this will in turn encourage sufferers to become more involved in the discussions. There is a multitude of avenues for help and support that need to be expressed clearly in order to attract individuals to utilise the services. In a survey conducted by the BTA, it was discovered that 77% of participants had consulted their GP about Tinnitus, but only 13% were told about the BTA on doing so. Tinnitus Awareness Week aims to develop understanding of the problems people face living with a hearing problem, although it is often not linked with permanent deafness, the side effects can be equally as traumatic.

Hospitals across the UK have been supporting the event this week by displaying information about the condition, also local tinnitus support groups will be holding events countrywide.

This issue is becoming more and more relevant as the volume is turned up in daily life, you can learn more about the problems faced by those suffering from hearing loss with NCC Home Learnings Deaf Awareness Course.

Many people can relate to the recent news of former Formula 1 champion, Michael Schumacher and his fight to stay alive after a horrific skiing accident.

Accidents are common place, and life changing incidents can happen unexpectedly in a wide variety of situations. The complexity of the human brain makes it incredibly vulnerable to any sort of impact, although the shockwaves from smaller bumps are generally absorbed by the skull. The nature of a blow to the head makes initial diagnosis difficult, as suffers can seem completely unharmed immediately after the incident, only to feel the symptoms up to 48 hours later.

Acquired Brain Injuries can seriously challenge an individual’s quality of life, and there are many instances where a person’s abilities to be self-sustainable may have been lost. Re learning skills is an essential part of the process when dealing with an acquired brain injury, menial tasks such as tying shoelaces or cooking for yourself can become huge obstacles, and very frustrating for everyone involved. The diversity of brain injuries is vast in terms of severity, the Schumacher case has highlighted the true dangers of a high impact blow to the head.

Luke Griggs of the charity Headway had some insight into injuries such as Schumacher’s, “There is no hard and fast rule with head injuries. A seemingly innocuous injury can be fatal, as we have seen before with the sad situation with Natasha Richardson.” Griggs continued, “With severe head injuries one of the difficulties we have got is that the symptoms can be delayed. Bruising and swelling does not happen instantly and it may take time for the damage to occur. That’s why it’s important to seek medical help, even if there are no symptoms.”
NCC have an affinity with Headway, and have previously took part in a fundraising event to raise money for the charity. Michael Schumacher will no doubt be supported by the charity as well as family.

If you would like to learn more about Acquired Brain Injuries, NCC offer an Acquired Brain injuries course that focuses around a number of issues.

Recent research has shown that as many as 1 in 100 unborn babies may be harmed by even small amounts of alcohol consumption.

Current guidelines within the UK advise that women can drink 1-2 units, once or twice a week.  Women could now be urged to avoid drinking completely while pregnant and official advice may be tightened within the coming months based on this evidence.

The Department of Health has said there is increasing concern, with the Government requesting a more detailed investigation into the effects of alcohol on an unborn child.

The Department of Health has said there is increasing concern as it is currently not known what amount of alcohol can damage a baby during pregnancy, whilst the Government have requested a more detailed investigation into the effects of alcohol on an unborn child.

Similar studies in America have found that up to one in 100 babies could have suffered mild alcohol damage which can lead to later problems such as learning difficulties, hyperactivity and Attention Deficit Disorders.

Full Foetal Alcohol Syndrome affects around 1 in 1,000 babies and causes a range of problems including physical, behavioral, and cognitive but it is suggested that there may also be more subtle conditions that Scientists say could be ten times more common but would often go unrecognised.

Dr Raja Mukherjee from St George’s Hospital Medical School in London has said “There is only limited evidence, but it has been shown that if you drink even low levels when pregnant there is a permanent effect compared to women who don’t drink. I would suggest the safer option is not to drink.”

If you would like to learn more about FASD NCC Home Learning offers the Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) Level 3 course and the fascinating Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) and the Criminal Justice System Level 3 course.

Think Before You Drink While Pregnant

Recent research has shown that as many as 1 in 100 unborn babies may be harmed by even small amounts of alcohol consumption.

 

Current guidelines within the UK advise that women can drink 1-2 units, once or twice a week.

Women could now be urged to avoid drinking completely while pregnant and official advice may be tightened within the coming months based on this evidence.

The Department of Health has said there is increasing concern, with the Government requesting a more detailed investigation into the effects of alcohol on an unborn child.

The Department of Health has said there is increasing concern as it is currently not known what amount of alcohol can damage a baby during pregnancy, whilst the Government have requested a more detailed investigation into the effects of alcohol on an unborn child.

Similar studies in America have found that up to one in 100 babies could have suffered mild alcohol damage which can lead to later problems such as learning difficulties, hyperactivity and Attention Deficit Disorders.

Full Foetal Alcohol Syndrome affects around 1 in 1,000 babies and causes a range of problems including physical, behavioral, and cognitive but it is suggested that there may also be more subtle conditions that Scientists say could be ten times more common but would often go unrecognised.

Dr Raja Mukherjee from St George’s Hospital Medical School in London has said “There is only limited evidence, but it has been shown that if you drink even low levels when pregnant there is a permanent effect compared to women who don’t drink. I would suggest the safer option is not to drink.”

If you would like to learn more about FASD NCC Home Learning offers the Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) Level 3 course and the fascinating Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) and the Criminal Justice SystemLevel 3 course. 

Battle of the Inventors: Men vs Women

We have found some fun facts about the inventions that have changed the way we live!

 

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