An Isle of Wight registrar has become 1 of only 44 people in England and Wales to gain a prestigious qualification from the government’s General Registrar Office (GRO).
Sofia Paonessa, registrar of births, deaths and marriages at the Isle of Wight Register Office, has successfully completed the GRO’s National Accredited Programme for Registration Officers, which is approved by City and Guilds. There are approximately 3,500 registrars in England and Wales, of which only 44 people, including Sofia, hold this qualification.
The programme was developed to promote quality and consistency within the registration service and gives accreditation of the broad range of competencies required for a modern registration officer operating in a customer focused environment.
After being awarded with her certificate, Sofia said:
“It’s been very useful to undertake this qualification. It has broadened my knowledge and understanding of registration and I feel I now deliver the service at a higher standard, with more confidence. I would also like to thank my manager, Janice Lord, for her mentoring and support throughout the qualification and for giving me the opportunity to undertake it.”
Proper officer for registration matters, Lee Matthews, said:
“The Council and the registration team are very proud of Sofia’s achievement and the fact that two of our registrars now hold this prestigious qualification”.
The study is NVQ-style modular programme of self-directed learning including e-learning, technical assessments, written answers and professional discussions and takes about 18 months to complete, most of it in the candidates own time.
