Rathbone Training

Further Education and Skills inspection report Date published: August 2014 Inspection Number: 441445 URN: 54071 Rathbone Training

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Summary of key findings for learners

 Learners develop very good vocational skills that help them to contribute effectively to their employer’s business.  Success rates for apprentices on most programmes are high. Current learners are making good progress towards completion of their qualifications.  Particularly effective workplace coaching by tutors enables learners to apply successfully their newly acquired knowledge in the workplace.  Exceptionally good pastoral care ensures learners overcome their barriers to learning and achieve their learning goals.  Employers work especially well with tutors to ensure learners have very good opportunities to meet their learning needs in the workplace.  Tutors use assessment extremely well to ensure learners are clear about their progress and improve their skills rapidly.  Rigorous performance management of staff and the improved accessibility and use of reliable data enable managers to deal swiftly with underperformance, including that of subcontractors.

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Summary of key findings for learners

 Self-assessment and quality-assurance processes provide senior managers with a clear understanding of improvements and developments that will benefit learners.  High aspirations and clear strategic direction from leaders and managers have contributed to significant improvements in the quality of provision.

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Summary of key findings for learners

 Although success rates for most programmes are high, they are not yet outstanding.  Tutors do not develop learners’ English and mathematics skills to a high enough level.  Teaching, learning and progress reviews do not sufficiently develop learners’ understanding of equality, diversity and inclusion.  A number of improvement actions accurately identified through self-assessment have yet to be completed. Inspection dates 14-18 July 2014

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This inspection: Good-2

Previous inspection: Satisfactory-3 Outcomes for learners Good-2 Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good-2 Effectiveness of leadership and management Good-2

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What does the provider need to do to improve further?

 Implement targeted actions for each subject area to deal with the specific barriers that are preventing more learners from being successful, so that an even higher proportion completes their programme.  Improve tutors’ skills in developing English and mathematics in the workplace and incorporate these subjects in learning sessions so that more learners are able to understand the importance and relevance to their work of these skills.  Make better use of lesson observation and other quality improvement processes to ensure that tutors help learners to develop further their understanding of equality, diversity and inclusion.  Improve the detail and clarity of improvement actions so that all staff understand what they must do and by when. Measure and review the outcomes of all improvement activities so that managers can take prompt action when the desired outcome has not been achieved.

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Inspection judgements

Outcomes for learners Good  Learners significantly develop their confidence, self-esteem and social skills. They enjoy their learning and the wider social and economic opportunities their enhanced confidence gives them. They gain confidence and develop new skills which improve their employability such as teamwork, volunteering and vocationally-relevant additional qualifications. Early years learners develop good skills which help them to work in nursery and other early childhood settings. Health and social care apprentices develop sound understanding of the care needs of elderly and vulnerable clients. Many learners gain additional responsibilities at work and become valued members of their employer’s workforce. Learners are confident, articulate and able to interact well with work colleagues.  Success rates for apprentices at level 2 and level 3 are high and have been rising steadily from just below national rates to well above in most cases, including in subcontracted provision.

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Inspection judgements

Provisional data for 2013/14 indicate that this trend is continuing in most curriculum areas. The proportion of apprentices who complete in the planned period of study has also been rising in most subject areas and is well above national rates in most cases. However, managers recognise that these proportions are not yet high enough.  Performance in the curriculum areas inspected and graded show good outcomes, especially in business administration, which is the largest curriculum area. However, advanced apprenticeship success rates on the business management pathway have fallen in recent years to around the national rate; in health and social care, performance dipped in 2012/13 but has recovered in 2013/14. Outcomes for information and communication technology (ICT) apprentices were very high in 2012/13, though current data for 2013/14 suggests that they have declined to around the national rate. Functional skills success rates are high. Current learners are making good

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Inspection judgements

progress with their English and mathematics qualifications.  The large majority of apprentices at Rathbone Training (Rathbone) have a history of disengagement from formal learning. The provider’s team of enthusiastic tutors and support staff work effectively with each learner individually to identify and overcome their diverse barriers to learning and achievement. Consequently, learners make good progress relative to their starting points.  Managers carry out regular analysis of achievement, success and retention across the range of curriculum areas. No significant performance differences exist between groups of learners. Rathbone managers have worked hard to eradicate the small differences between male and female apprentices, though males are slightly more likely to achieve within planned timescales. Apprentices from different minority ethnic groups perform equally well.  In 2012/13, managers identified significant underperformance for learners with a learning

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Inspection judgements

difficulty and/or disability. They established that this poor performance was largely attributable to two subcontractors with whom it has subsequently severed contractual relations. Current learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are making good progress. Though overall success rates are good, learners based in the South West region have historically performed less well. Rathbone has decided to remove the majority of provision in this region, leaving the residue to a trusted local provider.  The proportion of learners on Rathbone’s study programmes who go on to an apprenticeship with the company is good. Progression from level 2 apprenticeship programmes to level 3 is also good. Most apprentices remain in employment after they have completed their studies. Rathbone does not currently have detailed destination data on the extent to which successful apprentices go on to achieve promotion or increased responsibilities at work, or whether they go

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Inspection judgements

on to higher level study. It is too early to judge the impact of recent initiatives to improve the accuracy of this information.

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Inspection judgements

The quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good  Good teaching, learning and assessment lead to good outcomes for learners, including in subcontracted provision. Particularly effective workplace coaching ensures good progress and development of employability skills. Tutors and specialist pastoral staff support apprentices exceptionally well to overcome any barriers to their learning. Enthusiastic, skilled and experienced tutors ensure apprentices understand the progress they have made towards completion of their qualification, helped by the effective use of an electronic portfolio.  Pastoral tutors provide good care and effective support for learners with identified additional learning needs. High-quality pastoral support enabled one apprentice, who was experiencing anxiety and family issues, to complete successfully her qualification and progress to a higher level. Another apprentice, living independently and struggling with debt, received support to

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Inspection judgements

help her arrange a payment plan for the debts and to apply successfully for benefits to which she was entitled.  Particularly good team working between employers, tutors and learners helps apprentices to make good progress and to take advantage of additional learning opportunities at work. Tutors communicate regularly with employers to keep them fully aware of their apprentices’ progress. Employers support learners to achieve their framework targets and many take an active part in reviews and target setting for learners.  Initial assessment is effective in identifying learners’ functional skills needs as well as their aptitude for an apprenticeship programme. Tutors use assessment particularly well to set and review targets. They assist youth work apprentices to choose carefully optional units that match the requirements of their job and build on the skills they need to develop further. Learners know

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Inspection judgements

their targets and what they have to do achieve the apprenticeship framework.  Verbal feedback is good and helps learners to know how to improve. Feedback is prompt, aided by the electronic portfolio which records learners’ achievements, helping them to progress more rapidly. However, tutors do not make full use of the electronic portfolio to enhance and extend independent learning. Written feedback on marked work is satisfactory but in a small minority of cases, learners do not receive sufficiently detailed comments to help them improve.  Tutors plan sessions well and make good use of their knowledge and resources to support learners, in both directly delivered and subcontracted provision. They make good use of the ‘five minute plan’ tool to ensure sessions have a clear focus on the learning objectives, activities and resources that will help them to achieve their aims. Motor vehicle apprentices built a live circuit

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Inspection judgements

with their tutor’s help, using a diagram, to represent the vehicle’s electrical wiring. This planning and use of extra resources helps learners to develop problem-solving and fault-finding skills in a way they would not be able to if they were working directly on a complete motor vehicle.  Tutors inspire and challenge learners well to progress at a rate suitable for their individual needs, aided by frequent contact and regular visits. Learners work independently and confidently using a variety of learning resources. Tutors are highly effective in coaching and questioning to probe and challenge learners, and so extending their learning. They give sufficient time for learners to reflect on their learning and on how to apply theory to practice. However, they do not always sufficiently challenge and stretch the more able learners.  Tutors do not promote equality, diversity and inclusion themes sufficiently well in all subject

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Inspection judgements

areas. Learners are not always encouraged to reflect on wider aspects of equality and diversity and how it applies to their area of work or to consider how it might apply outside of their vocational area. Too few tutors plan learning to include relevant equality and diversity topics.  Specialist functional skills tutors give extra support to learners with additional needs making sure they reach the level required. Tutors stretch and challenge learners well so that an increasing number of learners are now achieving levels above those required by the apprenticeship framework. However, tutors do not always use activities naturally occurring at work for learners to practise and develop their functional skills.  The information, advice and guidance learners receive are good. Assessors spend individual time with learners, introducing them to the electronic portfolio and making sure they know what to expect from their apprenticeship and what is required of them. Learners receive impartial and

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Inspection judgements

helpful on-course advice about career choices and further learning opportunities.

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Apprenticeships

 Teaching, learning and assessment are good, as reflected in the good progress towards completion that current apprentices are making. Learners develop good personal, social and employability skills, and a minority have progressed to more senior support worker or management roles in the care sector or higher-level qualifications.  Tutors provide outstanding care and support for apprentices, motivating and encouraging them to complete tasks and assignments by challenging target dates. Tutors are extremely flexible in arranging learner assessment visits at times that meet the business needs of employers, and thereby contributing greatly towards timely completion of their qualifications.  Tutors use lesson plans effectively to plan and deliver learning to meet the needs of individual learners. Training opportunities are highly valued by staff and apprentices who develop skills and knowledge that they then apply to their work role. For example, a learner who attended

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Apprenticeships

training on meeting the needs of elderly and vulnerable people with dementia is now working specifically with this client group.  Tutors demonstrate good knowledge and skills relevant to the care sector. Apprentices take responsibility for their own learning and attainment and apply newly learned skills which their employers value. Apprentices value the support they receive from tutors, especially between planned sessions, which results in good progress towards completion and achievement.  Tutors have high expectations of apprentices and they work hard to meet individual needs. However, they do not always use questioning techniques effectively at level 3 to stretch and challenge learners. The pace of delivery in weaker sessions is too quick and results in a few apprentices not having sufficient time to reflect or consolidate learning.  Tutors make good use of the electronic portfolio to set targets and monitor progress.

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Apprenticeships

Apprentices are confident and competent in using the electronic portfolio. They value the opportunity to gain access to information and upload work outside of meetings, resulting in early completion of units and greater competence in completing tasks in care settings.  Tutors meet with apprentices every three or four weeks, and sometimes more frequently. Tutors are flexible and provide additional support for learners by telephone or email, which learners value. Apprentices receive comprehensive and helpful verbal feedback to aid progress.  Staff carry out initial assessment during induction to assess learners’ suitability for the apprenticeship framework. They ensure that all learners enrol on an appropriate programme according to their ability and individual needs. Regular review meetings with their assessor help apprentices make good progress in care settings, which tutors track and monitor well through

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Apprenticeships

the electronic portfolio.  Tutors liaise well with employers to report on apprentices’ progress. Employers support apprentices well and are effectively involved in reviews and in supporting practical activities for learners in care settings. However, no formal process is in place to communicate or formalise concerns about apprentices who fall behind with their work or who fail to achieve units by a specified target date.  Tutors have a good understanding of apprentices’ functional skills needs. Specialist functional skills tutors provide effective help for apprentices who need support with English or mathematics tailored to fill skills gaps and prepare them for external tests. However, tutors do not use assessment meetings effectively to develop English and mathematics skills.  Initial advice and guidance are good. A clear process for recruitment, induction and placement into care homes and residential settings is in place to meet the needs of learners and employers

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Apprenticeships

and for ensuring that learners enrol on the most appropriate programme.  A good ethos of mutual respect between apprentices, tutors and employers has a positive impact on learning. Recent initiatives to promote opportunities for male apprentices have been particularly successful. Tutors promote and reinforce effectively equality and diversity, particularly by exploiting naturally occurring opportunities to raise awareness. However, apprentices are not actively encouraged to apply their understanding of equality and diversity to the care setting in which they work.

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Apprenticeships

 Teaching, learning and assessment are good and this is reflected in the good outcomes for learners. Most learners achieve well on their programmes. However, success rates for the small number of adult advanced apprentices are just below the national rate. Current learners are making good progress.  Staff have high expectations and ambitions for learners and most rise to the challenge. The standard of learners’ work is high. Learners develop good personal, social and employability skills. Their communication and social skills improve substantially.  Tutors use questioning techniques particularly well to challenge learners to extend their knowledge and understanding. They encourage learners to question perceptions and stereotypes, reflect on and evaluate best practice in working with children and adapt their practices accordingly. Tutors support learners to become reflective practitioners and to engage

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Apprenticeships

in professional discussions with colleagues at work.  Assessment is good. Learners receive frequent and flexible support in the workplace from expert tutors. Planning for assessments is detailed and thorough, with very effective use of target setting to ensure completion within the planned time. Verbal feedback from tutors is detailed, constructive and highly effective in motivating learners to improve their skills and knowledge. In a minority of cases, written feedback lacks sufficient detail and clarity.  Promotion of equality and diversity is excellent. Learners have a high level of understanding of the matters they need to consider when working with vulnerable young children. Learners are able to give good examples of issues and interventions that might be required when working in the childcare sector. One learner and headteacher described how they had worked together, using the learner as interpreter, to talk to a parent about the religious and dietary needs of their

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Apprenticeships

child.  Tutors provide very effective support that helps learners successfully complete their qualification. For example, one learner who worked in a pre-school setting received permission and funding to enrol on a Makaton course so that she could better support a child who had severe communication difficulties.  Learners are highly motivated. Tutors support them well to develop a good range of skills. Employers recognise and value their professionalism. However, tutors provide insufficient challenge to a few higher-ability learners to develop their research and evaluation skills. These learners do not develop their independent learning skills sufficiently because they do not have access to textbooks and periodicals or detailed guidance about specialist early years resources.  Staff accurately and comprehensively identify learners’ starting points. Tutors use well the results of these assessments to design individual learning programmes and they provide

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Apprenticeships

specialist support to help learners complete functional skills qualifications. They put much effort into providing information, advice and guidance that helps prospective apprentices choose an appropriate pathway. A large majority of learners gain permanent employment following completion of their programme and go onto higher-level studies.  All employers are fully involved in apprentices’ training and attend feedback following assessor visits. They are actively engaged in target setting and know what they need to do to support learners’ development and progression. Consequently, employers provide their apprentices with extra support and training where needed. For example, a headteacher provided an apprentice with the opportunity to contribute to end-of-term observations and transition checks, even though this was not a normal part of the apprentice’s role.  Most learners successfully achieve functional skills qualifications in mathematics and English.

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Apprenticeships

Despite this, the teaching of functional skills requires further improvement because tutors rely too much on answering past papers to practice English and mathematics. For the minority of learners for whom English is a second language, the achievement of functional skills is challenging because insufficient specialist support is available to help this group. It is too soon to assess whether managers’ response to this area for improvement is effective.

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Apprenticeships

 Teaching, learning and assessment are good, which is reflected in the high proportion of apprentices who successfully completed their framework in 2012/13. Although the proportion declined in 2013/14, it remains similar to other providers nationally. Almost all successful apprentices progress into high quality, permanent roles with their employer.  Tutors and employers have high expectations of apprentices who enthusiastically devote a significant proportion of their own time to gaining new skills. As a result, the large majority of apprentices are highly effective independent learners and acquire a firm grasp of specialist subjects such as software development. Staff ensure that employment opportunities are of high quality and contribute to the development of apprentices’ good practical skills.  Frequent tutor contact helps keep apprentices on schedule. Tutors routinely set targets for their apprentices to complete between progress reviews. In a minority of cases, these targets are

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Apprenticeships

highly specific and help apprentices focus on the specific knowledge they need to acquire, such as computer misuse legislation. However, in most cases, these targets are too broad. As a result, a few apprentices do not prepare well for tutors’ visits.  Tutors work well with apprentices and their employers to plan the content of each apprentice’s programme. As a result, they are able to tailor programmes to apprentices’ work in such diverse disciplines as technical support and web development. Consequently, apprentices make good progress.  Tutors involve apprentices’ managers in progress reviews but the coordination of on- and off- the-job training is ineffective. As a result, most apprentices develop their skills and knowledge with only limited input from their manager or their colleagues. They do this well and in the large majority of cases, produce work of very high quality. For a few learners, however, this lack of

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Apprenticeships

guidance slows their progress.  Apprentices make effective use of a range of printed resources to prepare for short, intensive classroom-based learning sessions to gain industry qualifications. Classroom-based sessions are highly effective in supporting apprentices who need to gain functional skills qualifications in mathematics and English.  Staff evaluate apprentices’ mathematics, English and ICT skills before they start their apprenticeship. All prospective apprentices are required to demonstrate a basic level of ICT competence before employers interview them. This is effective in ensuring that only those who have a genuine interest in and aptitude for ICT embark on an apprenticeship.  Tutors successfully use a broad range of techniques to assess apprentices’ progress. They document assessment evidence carefully and give good advice on how to approach specific tasks. However, in a few cases, tutors are too eager to accredit learners’ competence and

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Apprenticeships

consequently make over-generous assessment decisions.  In a large majority of cases, written feedback is clear, precise and helps apprentices improve the quality of their work. Tutors make suggestions that help apprentices identify further activities that will help them achieve their learning outcomes. Tutors are meticulous in their use of feedback to help apprentices improve their writing skills.  However, the focus of feedback is on improving assessment evidence. Tutors do not provide enough guidance on how apprentices can improve their skills. For example, one learner produced a report on software development life-cycle models, but the tutor did not discuss the application of these models within the apprentice’s own software development role. Most apprentices are effective independent learners. In a few cases, tutors do not accelerate learning by directing learners to appropriate resources to develop their skills and understanding.

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Apprenticeships

 Learners who need to develop their mathematics and English skills attend additional classroom- based sessions and a specialist member of staff provides further one-to-one support. As a result, the large majority of apprentices successfully develop their mathematics and English skills. However, in a few cases, apprentices do not know how to gain access to this support and have found it difficult to improve their skills.  Advice and guidance are satisfactory. Staff give potential new apprentices useful information about the requirements of ICT apprenticeships and the expectations of employers. Most apprentices remain in employment at the end of their programme and many progress to higher- level apprenticeships, but guidance to support their decisions is not an integral part of programmes.  Apprentices demonstrate only rudimentary understanding of equality and diversity themes. Tutors do not routinely incorporate discussion of equality and diversity during progress reviews

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Apprenticeships

despite opportunities to do so. For example, tutors do not make use of opportunities to discuss accessibility of web-based applications despite the fact that tutors have frequent exposure to the work of a software house that produces applications for people with visual impairment.

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Apprenticeships

 Teaching, learning and assessment are good, as reflected in the good outcomes for apprentices. Apprenticeship success rates have been high for the last two years except for those following the business management framework, where performance was around the national rate in 2012/13. Current apprentices are making good progress and are expected to complete by their planned end date. The standard of apprentices’ work is good and their particularly effective development of employability skills in the workplace contributes positively to their employer’s business.  Apprentices actively engage in effective one-to-one workplace coaching sessions that help develop their individual career and learning needs. They receive particularly effective support to develop a wide range of administration, team-leading and fund-raising skills based on up-to-date knowledge and understanding of good practice in their working environment. For example,

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Apprenticeships

through good coaching, bid-writing skills are well understood and practised.  Tutors have qualifications and knowledge, skills and experience to plan very effectively workplace teaching, learning and assessment sessions and to provide good support that helps apprentices make rapid progress. Tutors visit frequently and support apprentices through very effective assessments, informative feedback and progress reviews with clear and often challenging targets. As a result of deeper questioning and discussions, apprentices further develop their knowledge, business and management-related skills.  Good use is made of information technology, electronic portfolios and laptop computers to support apprentices’ progress and target setting. However, tutors do not always cross-reference targets in progress review records to business qualification units in sufficient detail to help apprentices understand what they need to do next. Apprentices and employers appreciate the

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Apprenticeships

good workplace support and regular communication from tutors which motivate apprentices to explore new skills and knowledge and contribute effectively to portfolio evidence.  Employers’ support for apprentices is good, providing sufficient time for individuals to concentrate and develop knowledge and skills during working hours. Apprentices use on-the-job training very effectively to improve their workplace practice, occupational skills and technical knowledge which employers value. One employer confirmed the positive contribution made by an apprentice completing a qualification in fundraising to their work in the charitable sector.  Initial assessment processes are good, identifying apprentices’ starting points that tutors use well to measure progress and effective completion of targets. Highly effective feedback provides apprentices with detailed guidance that helps them to improve their work and make good

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Apprenticeships

progress. Thorough questioning and discussions promote learning and encourage level 3 apprentices in particular, to think independently and analytically. However, a minority of tutors do not provide sufficient opportunities for learners to extend knowledge and skills and apply these well in the workplace.  The standard of apprentices’ English, mathematics and ICT skills is high. Apprentices are making good progress in the early completion of their functional skills qualifications. Written work is of a good standard with spelling, grammar and typing mistakes accurately corrected. Apprentices are challenged to develop their writing skills and to use correct terminology when writing bids or considering planning for fund-raising activities as part of their job role.  Tutors provide very good advice, guidance and support during assessment to help apprentices make good progress and achieve. Tutors also provide good pastoral support for apprentices who

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Apprenticeships

are experiencing personal or social issues. Induction however, requires improvement and is inconsistent for a small number of apprentices, lacking in clear advice and good learning opportunities to ensure timely starts, progress and completions.  Tutors’ promotion of equality and diversity is good. Detailed discussions take place which reflect the apprentices’ understanding of respect and cultural beliefs, and the changes they can make to accommodate better physical disabilities that might affect learning. However, in a minority of assessment and review sessions, tutors do not effectively promote equality and diversity.

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The effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 Performance management of staff is rigorous and supported by frequent performance reviews, observations of teaching and learning and relevant audits. Managers’ use of data to evaluate the provision has significantly improved. They use data effectively to monitor individual and programme performance thoroughly against a comprehensive set of indicators. Managers rigorously challenge underperformance of staff and subcontractors, and take swift action to correct poor performance.  The management of subcontracted provision is good. The procurement of contracts is stringent. Managers carry out a thorough audit and assessment of prospective subcontractors’ capacity to provide high quality learning before contracting with them. Monthly contract performance reviews and quarterly visits that include joint observations of practice and documentation audits help to ensure that subcontractors’ work is carefully scrutinised. Monthly partnership meetings,

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The effectiveness of leadership and management Good

combined with subcontractors’ involvement in Rathbone training events, effectively promote the sharing of good practice.  All stages of the learner’s journey are quality assured effectively. The majority of observation records are suitably evaluative. However, a minority focus too much on teaching activities rather than on whether learners are learning. Tutors receive constructive guidance and support on how they can improve their practice, which regional managers regularly monitor. Managers effectively collate and evaluate observations of teaching and learning to establish themes which drive staff development activities and self-assessment.  Self-assessment is an inclusive process. Managers take into account the views of learners and employers and staff understand the judgements in the self-assessment report. The report presents an accurate analysis of the quality of provision, supported by a detailed and realistic

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The effectiveness of leadership and management Good

improvement plan. However, a few areas for improvement in last year’s self-assessment remain.  Leaders and managers have high aspirations and an ambitious vision to provide high quality learning that permeates all aspects of Rathbone’s work. The charity’s recent acquisition by Newcastle College Group (NCG) has provided Rathbone’s senior managers with well-established corporate services and procedures that are helping improve provision and benefit learners. Clear strategic direction and challenging performance targets are instrumental in enhancing the learners’ experience and raising success rates.  Governance is good. NCG’s corporate and executive board has a strong influence in providing clear strategic direction and challenge for the charity. Rathbone also has its own board of trustees which meets regularly to consider the charity’s performance. However, the board currently lacks external representation which limits its ability to provide independent challenge

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The effectiveness of leadership and management Good

to Rathbone’s senior leaders.  The extent to which Rathbone’s provision meets the needs of learners, employers and local communities is good. Senior managers use their extensive membership of external boards and agencies throughout the corporation, together with employer and learner forums to match curriculum planning to local and national needs. Working with the voluntary sector and awarding bodies, senior managers have developed a range of relevant learning programmes specifically for those working in the voluntary sector.  Newly appointed staff and those wanting to extend or improve their practice have access to and benefit from the newly developed ‘excellence academy’. Staff attend specific and relevant workshops to share good practice. Regional and national events effectively provide a forum for staff to exchange views, and discuss new initiatives and curriculum changes.  Managers and staff have cultivated a collaborative ethos of improvement with a particular

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The effectiveness of leadership and management Good

emphasis on enhancing learners’ experience and achievement. Members of the learner forums contribute to planning, recruitment and review. Learners elicited a range of pledges from senior managers, including the improvement of English and mathematics teaching.  Equality, diversity and inclusion are integrated well with Rathbone’s ethos and culture, as reflected in strategic planning. A learner participation adviser actively promotes the needs of all learners and the company has recently appointed an equality and diversity champion. Monthly review of data to monitor the retention and achievement of differing groups of learners is effective in identifying gaps in performance. However, the promotion of equality and diversity in teaching and learning requires improvement.  The provider meets its statutory requirements for safeguarding learners. Managers ensure that learners know how to contact the charity’s designated safeguarding officers if they want to

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The effectiveness of leadership and management Good

disclose any concerns about their safety or welfare. Two specialist safeguarding advisors provide appropriate staff training together with external agency training. Managers deal promptly with safeguarding disclosures and incidents and provide monthly reports to the NCG executive board.  Rathbone has an effective strategy for promoting apprentices’ English and mathematics skills. The recent appointment of specialist functional skills tutors supports this strategy well. It is too soon however, to judge how well apprentices can apply functional skills effectively in the workplace.

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Rathbone Training

Inspection grades are based on a provider’s performance:

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Rathbone Training

1: Outstanding 2: Good 3: Requires improvement 4: Inadequate Overall 14-16 part-time provision 14-16 full-time provision 16-19 study programmes Traineeships 19+ learning programmes Apprenticeships Employability Community learning

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Rathbone Training

Overall effectiveness 2 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 2 N/A N/A

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Rathbone Training

Outcomes for learners 2 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 2 N/A N/A

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Rathbone Training

The quality of teaching, learning and assessment 2 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 2 N/A N/A

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Rathbone Training

The effectiveness of leadership and management 2 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 2 N/A N/A

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Provider details

Type of provider Independent learning provider

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full contract year

Principal/CEO Linda Dean Date of previous inspection August 2010 Website address www.rathboneuk.org

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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

Intermediate Advanced Higher 16-18 19+ 16-18 19+ 16-18 19+ 146 585 212 687 3 3 Number of traineeships 16-19 19+ Total N/A 4 4 Number of learners aged 14-16 N/A Full-time N/A Part-time N/A Number of community learners N/A Number of employability learners N/A Funding received from Skills Funding Agency (SFA)

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following main subcontractors:

 BNG Training Limited  CFCS UK Limited  The Chartered Surveyors Training Trust  FIT Training Limited  The Learning Community Limited  TDM Limited  Nowskills Limited  NECC Limited

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Contextual information

Since the merger in January 2012, Rathbone Training now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of NCG. It is registered through NCG in the North East of England, though its head office is in Wigan. Rathbone has 47 training centres across England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. It retains its charitable status and provides apprenticeship training, study programmes and work- related training to young people aged 14 to 25. The company has developed a range of programmes designed to reach those young people with particularly complex support needs and who are farthest from participating in education, training or employment. The main activity of the organisation is to provide learning and training support to disadvantaged people, working mainly with the unemployed to improve their quality of life. Rathbone contracts directly with the SFA for the delivery of its apprenticeship programme. It delivers a large study programme for young

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Contextual information

learners through a subcontracting arrangement with NCG.

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Information about this inspection

Two of Her Majesty’s Inspectors (HMI) and six additional inspectors, assisted by the director of performance as nominee, carried out the inspection with short notice. Inspectors took account of the provider’s most recent self-assessment report and development plans, and the previous inspection report. Inspectors also used data on learners’ achievements over the last three years to help them make judgements. Inspectors used group and individual interviews, telephone calls and online questionnaires to gather 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 relevant provision at the provider. Inspectors looked at the quality of teaching, learning and assessment across all of the provision and graded the sector subject areas 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

Learner View is a website where learners can tell Ofsted what they think about their college or provider. They can also see what other learners think about them too.

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Grade Judgement

To find out more go to www.learnerview.ofsted.gov.uk

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Grade Judgement

Employer View is a new website where employers can tell Ofsted what they think about their employees’ college or provider. They can also see what other employers think about them too.

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To find out more go to www.employerview.ofsted.gov.uk 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, 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.

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If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, 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. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and provider inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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