Health & Safety Training Limited

Learning and Skills inspection report Date published: July 2013 Inspection Number: 408497 URN: 58219 Health and Safety Training Limited

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Summary of key findings for learners

 Success rates are consistently high.  Good progress is made by most learners.  Highly effective development of learners’ occupational skills takes place.  Good personal, social and mathematical skills are developed by learners.  Teaching, learning and assessment are highly effective.  The development of safe working practices is excellent.  High-quality training equipment benefits learners.  Leaders and managers identify improvements needed and take rapid action.  Clearly focused strategies are consolidating business and improving quality following a period of rapid growth.  Substantial investment to monitor and improve the quality of teaching and learning has been made.

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Summary of key findings for learners

 Not enough teaching, learning and assessment are outstanding.  Data are not used to full effect by managers and staff when planning training.  The self-assessment process does not systematically involve the views of all staff, learners and employers. Inspection dates 25  28 June 2013

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This inspection: Good-2

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good-2

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This inspection: Good-2

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good-2

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What does the provider need to do to improve further?

 Increase the proportion of teaching, learning and assessment which is outstanding by:  using information gained from initial assessments to plan, set clearly defined and measurable targets and support learning  ensuring English skills are always reinforced  providing more additional support in-house, improving take-up by learners and monitoring more closely external additional support  using the learning from internal verification of work to improve teaching and learning skills and set challenging targets for staff performance  promoting equality and diversity more explicitly in lessons.  Obtain the views of key people within the training programme teams to inform the self- assessment report and make it fully inclusive. Include also the views of employers and learners.  Improve the management information systems for collecting and interpreting data and for the planning of training. Ensure managers and staff are trained to be competent in data production

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Inspection judgements

Outcomes for learners Good  Overall success rates are consistently high. The proportion of learners completing within the planned duration of their courses has improved since the last inspection and is above the national averages. Inspectors found no significant differences in success rates for different groups of learners. Unemployed learners are as successful as employed learners.  Most learners make good progress from their starting point and over a three year period achievement gaps have consistently reduced. All learners now make equal progress. They enjoy their training and grow in confidence. They develop good occupational skills, for example in the preparation and safe operation of industrial counterbalance forklift trucks and other warehousing equipment. Learners on scaffolding programmes are taught to work to set installation levels and squares and also to develop an understanding of the centre of gravity. Learners gain confidence

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Inspection judgements

and their communication skills are enhanced.  Learners successfully develop and apply a range of personal, social and mathematical skills. Particularly good promotion of numeracy takes place with learners using model trucks and scaled pallets to understand the rated capacity of forklift trucks’ lateral and longitudinal instability. Net and gross pallet weights are routinely calculated in practical workshop sessions.  More than half of the learners achieve a range of useful additional qualifications and skills over and above the NVQ at level 2 in plant operations. These certainly enhance their career aspirations. For example, they gain nationally accredited certificates in operating other plant and machinery, together with health and safety and first-aid qualifications. These additional qualifications enable learners to work in a wide range of settings and increase their employability prospects. A growing number of unemployed learners obtain relevant jobs once

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Inspection judgements

they complete their training. The quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good  Teaching, learning and assessment are good, reflecting the outcomes for learners which are also good.  The quality of training is good with some outstanding features in practical sessions. Sessions are carefully planned to meet each individual learner’s needs. In the better sessions, there is good differentiated teaching and learning, and good use is made of group and peer learning. Learners are able to draw from their previous experience to contextualise their learning. However, in a minority of sessions, lesson planning is underdeveloped and lesson aims and objectives are not always clearly identified.  Effective open questioning gives learners adequate time for responses. Learners are encouraged to evaluate each session, which helps trainer/assessors to gauge learners’ understanding. However, in a minority of sessions there is an over-reliance upon trainer/assessor-centred

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Inspection judgements

instructions. In these sessions, insufficient use is made of directed questions to check learners’ understanding.  Trainer/assessors are very experienced. They demonstrate high levels of vocational expertise and are able to communicate these effectively to learners. Practical demonstrations are particularly thorough and clear and there is good checking of learners’ understanding. Practice in workshop tasks is closely supervised and learners receive excellent support from trainer/assessors.  All staff have high expectations of the learners. They engage fully with them and develop effective working relationships that support learning. Learners develop good skills, knowledge and understanding in their work activities. Attendance and punctuality on courses are good.  Trainer/assessors use a good range of materials to promote learning. For example, good use is made of models to demonstrate the potential hazards associated with forklift truck operation.

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Inspection judgements

The development of safe working practices is excellent. Great care is taken to maintain and promote awareness of safety at work and good use is made of video and anecdotal evidence. Learners enjoy working through video exercises demonstrating potential hazards encountered while operating plant and machinery.  All learners receive an initial assessment prior to commencing their programmes. This identifies support needs in English and mathematics although the level at which support is needed is not always clearly indicated. Suitable providers, such as local colleges, are requested to provide support for learners. However, this is not monitored well enough by the provider and the take up of additional support by learners is low. Where appropriate, individual coaching and support are provided and are much appreciated by the learners. Although there is some development of learners’ English skills these are not extended as successfully as mathematical skills.

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Inspection judgements

Trainer/assessors do not routinely correct learners’ grammatical errors and spelling mistakes in learners’ written work.  Progress reviews are regular and take place throughout the duration of the programmes. Targets are set to identify what is required to ensure good progress. However, these targets are not always specific. Assessment is thorough and flexible and it meets the needs of employers and learners. Learners are given thorough and timely feedback and, as a result, they know what they need to do to improve. Internal verification arrangements comply with the procedures of awarding organisations but are not sufficiently varied and do not sufficiently focus on helping assessors to improve their performance.  Although extensive staff development on equality and diversity has taken place, this is not always reinforced and promoted explicitly through teaching and learning. Learners and staff are

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Inspection judgements

aware of issues such as gender stereotyping and the needs of minority ethnic groups. However, these issues are not always promoted during induction. The theory sessions observed during inspection did not routinely promote issues around the impact of equality and diversity on the working environment. The effectiveness of leadership and management Good  Senior management have a clear strategy to consolidate business growth and improve the learners’ experience. Initiatives introduced to conform with business strategy, and also as a result of previous inspection activity, have led to improved success rates and high standards of training. Investments made to improve teaching and learning and investment in property and plant and machinery have benefited learners and allowed for flexibility in the range of qualifications offered.  Staff are highly motivated and value the personal development and formal qualifications

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Inspection judgements

provided by Health and Safety Training Limited (HSTL). Performance of training staff is rigorously managed by external and internal observation and learners benefit greatly from the industrial experience held by trainer/assessors. Identified development needs of trainer/assessors are swiftly implemented. Training is carefully planned and measures to remove barriers to training for disadvantaged learners are fully thought through and successful. Operational management is good with deployment of resources and staff skilfully managed to ensure learners are able to attend training and achieve their qualifications in a timely manner. While the staff appraisal system had become irregular it has now improved, although challenging and measurable targets remain to be set for all staff.  Self-assessment and quality improvement planning are an integral part of the organisation’s quality assurance system. A system for departmental quality improvement planning has recently

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Inspection judgements

been introduced. Identified actions from both the self-assessment and quality-improvement plans are monitored regularly by senior management. However, staff have yet to be involved systematically in the process. While the views of learners and employers are regularly collected and used to improve the training programmes they are not used most effectively to influence self-assessment.  Work with national logistics organisations, a range of awarding organisations and funding authorities has informed the focus of the training programmes delivered to ensure learners’ needs and interests are met and the local labour market requirements are being serviced. Employers highly value the range of plant training programmes offered, and the opportunity for learners to gain additional qualifications particularly assists unemployed learners in their search for work. Detailed subcontracting arrangements give HSTL access to development opportunities

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Inspection judgements

and the facilities of two large colleges.  New data management systems have recently been introduced. However, the use of statistical reporting or recording of data or their significance is not yet fully understood or utilised by managers or staff when planning training.  All staff have a very good understanding of equality and diversity. Regular external training takes place for equality and diversity, and materials to promote equality and diversity have recently been reviewed and renewed. However, opportunities to reinforce equality and diversity to learners at progress reviews are not always taken. Monitoring of participation, progress and achievement for different groups of learners is adequate and the gap in achievement between groups of learners narrowing.  HSTL’s arrangements meet statutory requirements for safeguarding learners. The provider effectively protects learners from harassment, bullying and discrimination. Health and safety are

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Inspection judgements

skilfully managed, with a designated, well-qualified safety specialist. Regular health and safety updates for all staff take place. Risk assessments are carried out for all key training provision aspects. Learners adopt safe working practices at all times.

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Inspection grades are based on a provider’s performance:

1: Outstanding 2: Good 3: Requires improvement 4: Inadequate

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Overall

The quality of teaching, learning and assessment 2 2

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Overall

The effectiveness of leadership and management 2 2

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Health and Safety Training Limited

Type of provider Independent learning provider

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full contract year

Principal/CEO Mr Phil Binks Date of previous inspection February 2009 Website address www.hst.uk.com

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programme level

Level 1 or below Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 and above

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Apprenticeship level and age

Funding received from Skills Funding Agency

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Additional socio-economic information

Health and Safety Training Limited (HSTL) is a private company founded in 2003. It provides training in health and safety and plant operations. Based in North Shields, HSTL operates from two training sites and on employers’ premises throughout the North of England. Staff numbers have increased since the previous inspection and HSTL now employs 30 staff. HSTL has a government- funded contract to provide both workplace learning and training for unemployed people. Approximately 65% of company income comes from government-funded training with the remainder from privately funded activity.

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Information about this inspection

Five additional inspectors, assisted by the quality manager as nominee, carried out the inspection with short notice. Inspectors took account of the provider’s most recent self-assessment report and development plan, and the previous inspection and monitoring visit report. Inspectors also used data on learners’ achievements over the last three years to help them make judgements. Inspectors used group and individual interviews and online questionnaires to collect the views of learners and employers; these views are reflected throughout the report. They observed learning sessions, assessments and progress reviews. The inspection took into account all of the provision at the provider. Inspectors looked at the quality of teaching, learning and assessment across all of the provision and graded the sector subject area listed in the report above.

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Grade Judgement

Detailed grade characteristics can be viewed in the Handbook for the inspection of further education and skills 2012, Part 2:

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Grade Judgement

http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/handbook-for-inspection-of-further-education-and-skills- september-2012

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Grade Judgement

guidance ‘Raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Grade Judgement

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Grade Judgement

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Grade Judgement

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Grade Judgement

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Grade Judgement

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