AI and Academic Integrity Policy for Learners

Introduction

At Complete Training, we believe that learning is about more than passing qualifications — it’s about building real knowledge, skills, and confidence to make a genuine difference in Health and Social Care. Your integrity in your studies directly contributes to the trust placed in you as a future healthcare professional.

That’s why we are firmly committed to upholding academic integrity. Academic integrity means submitting work that is your own, being honest about your learning process, and respecting the efforts of others. We expect all learners to complete assignments independently, without unauthorised assistance from other people, websites, or Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools.

We expect you to submit original work that reflects your own understanding and effort. To support genuine learning and the development of your critical thinking skills, we design assignments that encourage personal reflection and the application of knowledge in ways that AI tools, websites, or copying from others cannot replicate.

We are here to support your learning journey every step of the way. Following this policy is a fundamental part of your commitment to honest, independent learning — and to protecting the value and credibility of your qualification.

Why Academic Integrity Matters in Health and Social Care

When you study Health and Social Care, you’re preparing for a career where your knowledge, judgement, and empathy will directly impact the lives and wellbeing of others. Academic honesty is paramount because it helps ensure that:

• You truly master the essential skills and knowledge needed for safe, compassionate, and effective care.
• Employers, service users, and colleagues can have full trust and confidence in your abilities and qualifications.
• The value and reputation of your qualification are preserved for you and all other diligent learners.

Using AI inappropriately — or copying from any source without proper acknowledgement — could undermine that trust, compromise the quality of care you provide, and ultimately harm your future career opportunities and the individuals you support.

Complete Training is also responsible for protecting the value and integrity of your qualification. We operate under the regulations of our awarding organisations and are overseen by Ofqual. This means we must demonstrate that every certificate we award is based on genuine learning and individual achievement. You can read more about our internal Company AI Usage Policy here.

By adhering to this policy together, we collectively maintain fairness, professionalism, and the strength and integrity of your qualification — for your benefit and for everyone who earns it.

What is Academic Misconduct?

Academic misconduct includes any behaviour that gives a learner an unfair advantage or undermines the integrity of the assessment process, including:

• Plagiarism: Presenting someone else’s ideas, words, or work as your own without proper acknowledgement.
• Collusion: Working with others on individual assignments when it is not explicitly permitted by the tutor.
• Using unauthorised materials or assistance: Accessing or using materials or help during assessments that are not allowed.
• Misusing AI tools: Using AI to generate, reword, or complete assignments in a way that does not reflect your own original work and understanding.

What is Plagiarism?

Plagiarism means presenting someone else’s ideas, words, or work as if they are your own. It is a serious academic offence and can take many forms, including:

• Copying and pasting text, data, or media from any source (books, websites, AI tools, other learners’ work) without using quotation marks and providing a clear citation.
• Rewriting someone else’s work by changing a few words or phrases without properly acknowledging the original source.
• Using images, videos, diagrams, or designs created by others without obtaining permission or providing appropriate credit.
• Submitting work that was created entirely or in part by another person, including essays, assignments, or projects.
• Using AI tools to write substantial portions of assignments, answer assessment questions, or complete tasks without proper disclosure (as outlined in the “What You Can Do” section).

We strongly encourage you to submit work that genuinely represents your own understanding, knowledge, and unique perspective. Your individual effort and critical thinking are what truly matter, and we are committed to supporting you in developing your skills and expertise. We also provide guidance on proper referencing techniques to help you acknowledge sources correctly.

What You Can’t Do

You must not:

• Use AI tools (like ChatGPT, Gemini, CoPilot, Jasper, or Copy.ai) to write, generate, or reword any part of your assessed assignments.
• Use AI-based grammar or paraphrasing tools (like QuillBot, Grammarly, or Wordtune) to significantly alter the substance or phrasing of your own written work for assessment. Basic spelling and grammar checks are usually acceptable (see “What You Can Do”).
• Submit any assignment that was written or edited by AI (beyond the limited scope outlined below with disclosure), or by another person.

Your assignments for assessment must always reflect your own knowledge, effort, and unique voice.

What You Can Do (With Disclosure)

You may:

• Use basic spelling and grammar tools (like those built into Microsoft Word or Google Docs) to proofread and correct your work.
• Use AI to brainstorm ideas or organise your thoughts — but only if you clearly declare it in your work and the AI does not generate specific phrases, arguments, or substantial content that you then directly use or closely paraphrase in your submission. If you use AI to support your thinking, please include a short disclosure either at the start or end of your assignment explaining how it was used.
  • Example of a disclosure you could include: “I used ChatGPT to help brainstorm initial ideas for this assignment and explore potential themes. I developed the arguments and wrote the final submission myself, ensuring the language and structure reflect my own understanding.”

If you are ever unsure about whether a particular use of AI is acceptable, please always ask your tutor for clarification – we are here to guide you.

How We Check Assignments

To ensure fairness and uphold academic standards for all learners, we utilise a multi-faceted approach to reviewing submitted work:

• AI Detection Software: We use tools like Turnitin AI Detection and GPTZero to help identify text that may have been generated by AI. It’s important to understand that these tools provide an indicator and are not always definitive proof of AI use; human review is always a crucial part of our assessment process.
• Plagiarism Detection Tools: We employ software to check for similarities between your work and a vast database of online content, academic papers, and other learner submissions.
• Manual Tutor Reviews: Our experienced tutors carefully review assignments for inconsistencies in style, tone, depth of understanding, or structure that might indicate academic misconduct.
• Verbal Assessments or Follow-Up Questions: In some cases, tutors may conduct verbal assessments or ask follow-up questions to gauge a learner’s understanding of the submitted work.

We are committed to approaching every situation with fairness, professionalism, and a focus on supporting your learning and development.

What Happens if the Policy is Breached

Our primary goal is to support your honest learning and success. However, breaches of this Academic Integrity Policy have serious consequences:

• First Instance of Inappropriate AI Use or Minor Plagiarism: You will typically be asked to resubmit your assignment, ensuring it is written entirely in your own words and properly referenced if necessary. You may also be required to undertake additional learning on academic integrity.
• Serious or Repeated Issues of Academic Misconduct: May lead to failing the specific unit or the entire course. In severe cases, it could also result in removal from the programme.
• Refunds: No refund will be provided if an academic integrity breach is confirmed.

Please remember that our tutors and staff are dedicated to fostering a fair and honest learning environment for everyone. Upholding academic integrity is part of their professional responsibility. You will always have the opportunity to discuss any concerns or explain your situation if an issue arises.

Support for Learners

Your wellbeing and academic success are of utmost importance to us. If you are ever struggling with an assignment, feeling unsure about what is permitted, or need any guidance on academic writing or referencing, please do not hesitate to reach out to your tutor. We are here to provide advice, support, clarification, and encouragement – not just to enforce rules. You are never alone in your learning journey at Complete Training.

Policy Governance

We review this policy at least once a year to make sure it stays up to date with sector standards and best practice.

Contact Us

If you have any questions about this policy, or need help with your studies, please contact your tutor or the Complete Training team here.