Yorkshire Training Partnership Limited

Published date July 2013 Inspection Number 420893 Unique reference number: 58132

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Type of provider: Independent learning provider

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Address:

Farfield Park Manvers Rotherham South Yorkshire S63 5DB

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Address:

Telephone number: 01709 871872 Yorkshire Training Partnership

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Re-inspection monitoring visit report

Re-inspection monitoring visit Yorkshire Training Partnership, 13 June 2013 2 of 6

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Context and focus of visit

Yorkshire Training Partnership (YTP) was established in 2000 to support and lead a consortium of work-based learning providers offering work-based training programmes mainly across the Yorkshire and Humberside region. YTP is represented by a board of directors; four are elected from the membership of the four area training associations (Doncaster, Sheffield, Barnsley and Rotherham) along with two independent seats allocated to the wider YTP membership. All the teaching, learning and assessment is subcontracted to other training providers.

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Context and focus of visit

At the previous inspection in November 2012, YTP’s overall effectiveness was judged to be inadequate, as was outcomes for learners, the quality of teaching, learning and assessment, and the effectiveness of leadership and management. Three subject areas were inspected. The provision in health and social care and in business management was judged to be inadequate. Provision in engineering was judged to require improvement. This report focuses on the themes explored during the visit.

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progress

At the last inspection, inspectors judged that YTP’s quality monitoring and improvement arrangements were weak. Although YTP recognised the majority of its significant weaknesses in its self-assessment report it had underestimated significantly the impact of these weaknesses on its learners. Since then, YTP has amended its self-assessment process to include moderation of judgements and grades. The self-assessment report (SAR) is now better informed through the collection and use of the views of learners, employers and subcontractors as well as the outcomes from mini-inspections of subcontracted provision introduced by YTP. The associated quality improvement plan is well structured and focused on improving the learner experience. Progress against actions in the quality improvement plan is monitored continually by managers and is formally reported at monthly board meetings.

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progress

Following identification that the SAR’s produced by subcontractors were insufficiently judgemental, YTP ensured that subcontractors received training in self assessment and supplied their own improved SAR as an example. Improved monitoring of the subcontracted provision has allowed YTP to apply an informed risk assessment rating to each subcontractor leading to up to three quality assurance visits annually followed by monitoring visits to measure progress against actions for improvement. The process for observing teaching and learning has been enhanced by the recruitment of two learning champions to carry out joint observations on subcontracted provision, support tutors and assessors and share best practice. A Re-inspection monitoring visit Yorkshire Training Partnership, 13 June 2013 3 of 6

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third learning champion is now being recruited. A standardisation group was introduced in May 2013 and will meet quarterly to moderate grades but it is too early to judge its effectiveness.

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progress

At the last inspection outcomes for learners were inadequate. Since then YTP have achieved high success rates in engineering, construction, retail and commercial enterprise but success rates in health, public services and care and in preparation for life and work remain low. The number of learners achieving their framework within expected timescales, although improved, remains below national rates in several areas.

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progress

YTP has greatly improved its use of data to monitor performance. Detailed, monthly reports are presented to the board but these could be more explicit with respect to some key performance indicators. YTP have greatly improved the monitoring of subcontractor performance and have introduced prompt interventions whenever necessary to help ensure learners achieve within expected timescales. Progress reviews have improved since the previous inspection and include specific targets for achievement.

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progress

In-year data show marked improvement when compared to the same period in the previous year. Apprenticeship success rates improved from 46% to 66% in-year when compared to same period, the proportion of apprentices completing their frameworks within the expected time improved from 41% to 43% in-year when compared to same period, apprenticeship achievement rate almost doubled from 42% to 81% in-year when compared to the same period in the previous year. Since the last inspection, of 361 learners who have left the programmes 341 have achieved and only 20 learners have withdrawn without achieving their full framework.

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progress

All teaching, learning and assessment is delivered by subcontractors. At the previous inspection, the quality of teaching, learning and assessment across subcontractors was judged inadequate. Since the inspection, YTP has taken a number of satisfactory actions to improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment. It has conducted 20 lesson observations, including the observation of the quality of teaching, learning and assessments in the subcontractors who train a significant number of learners. YTP has made satisfactory use of the information from this monitoring process to improve learners’ experience. For example, when the quality of teaching and learning sessions in one subcontractor was found to be poor, YTP Re-inspection monitoring visit Yorkshire Training Partnership, 13 June 2013 4 of 6

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agreed new training plans for the learners who were making slow progress. YTP has also offered a range of training and coaching sessions to subcontractors’ tutors and managers on aspects of teaching and learning, such as the effective use of initial assessments. Subcontractors’ trainers, tutors and managers are using these sessions increasingly effectively to improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment.

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progress

YTP has fully reviewed and revised the observation of teaching and learning process and has introduced new arrangements; observers are being trained to implement this new system. Although YTP has a reasonable knowledge of the quality of teaching and learning across all subcontractors, the pace of implementation of the revised system of observation of teaching, learning and assessment require improvement. Not all tutors have currently been observed.

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progress

At the previous inspection, subcontractors did not have sufficiently challenging performance targets. YTP did not have an adequate management-information system to collect and analyse the performance of subcontractors and the board of directors did not take effective and immediate action to address subcontractors’ underperformance.

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progress

Since the inspection, YTP has developed a comprehensive system to risk assess subcontractors according to 12 performance indicators. These indicators include learners’ success rates, retention rates, the quality of teaching, learning and assessment, and the percentage of employers and learners who are satisfied with the quality of training which they receive. YTP has made good use of the information: for example, it has informed five subcontractors that it will not renew their contractors due to poor performance. Subcontractors now have clear improvement targets and YTP monitors the progress of each subcontractor towards achieving their targets on a regular basis. YTP’s management-information system has improved significantly and is now used well to monitor the performance of subcontractors and progress of learners. At the last inspection, the board of directors did not receive vital reports and information on the performance of learners and

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subcontractors to enable the level of analysis and challenge to subcontractors required to improve the provision. The board of directors now receives much improved and highly detailed information about the performance of all subcontractors. They make good use of this information to plan and initiate programmes, for example, to identify new subcontractors with a record of strong performance. YTP has improved significantly the communication, challenge and support arrangements for subcontractors and, as a result, subcontractors recognise fully the need for them to make rapid progress and improvement. Re-inspection monitoring visit Yorkshire Training Partnership, 13 June 2013 5 of 6

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At the previous inspection, the quality of teaching, learning and assessment in health and social care and in business management was judged to be inadequate. In both subject areas the overall success rates and success rates within the planned time for apprentices were low. Since then, YTP have analysed their data to identify that the key area for concern in health and social care was low success rates on programmes for care of the elderly. Provision has been rationalised to no longer include three of the poorer performing subcontractors and many of the learners affected have been successfully moved onto other subcontracted provision to complete their qualifications. Some learners, however, had produced insufficient evidence for assessment and subsequently left without achieving. Currently, the in-year success rate for childcare programmes is 82%, for employment related services is 80% and on the NVQ certificate in management is 74%. The in-year success rate for elderly

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care intermediate programmes is 52% and on elderly care advanced programmes is 47%. On health and social care programmes the in-year apprenticeship success rate is 52%. Apprenticeship retention and achievement rates have both improved significantly when compared to the same period in the previous year. In May 2013, YTP employed a learning champion to support teaching, learning and assessment in health and social care but it is too early to judge the impact of this appointment.

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In business administration, YTP have focused on improving the quality of training. YTP have ceased using one poorly performing subcontractor and are managing a further two out of provision. The introduction of improved monitoring of subcontractor performance identified slow progress for many learners. YTP have ensured that the subcontractors now improve their own monitoring and take appropriate action to improve the progress of learners at risk. In-year apprenticeship overall success rates in business administration improved from 52% to 78% when compared to the same period last year. The proportion of business administration learners completing their programmes within expected timescales improved from 42% to 58% in-year when compared to the same period the previous year. In-year apprentice retention and achievement rates have significantly improved when compared to the same period in the previous year.

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achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231 or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way.

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T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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