Chamber Training (Humber) Limited

Further Education and Skills inspection report Date published: February 2015 Inspection Number: 429795 URN: 51104 Chamber Training (Humber) Limited

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Summary of key findings for learners

 a high proportion of apprentices and learners make good progress and achieve well, leading to sustained employment and positions of responsibility in their workplaces  apprentices and learners gain good vocational, personal and social skills; they value the importance of these for their future working life and progression opportunities  the quality of teaching, learning and assessment has improved since the last inspection and is good  staff provide good information, advice and guidance, and support apprentices and learners particularly well; as a result, they are employed in good workplaces which meet their aspirations and a good proportion progress to further or higher-level training when they complete their course  leaders and managers work closely with, and respond well to the priorities of local partners including the Local Enterprise Partnership, local councils and employers to establish a curriculum

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Summary of key findings for learners

that meets the existing and emerging skills development needs for the Humber area well  effective actions by leaders and managers, including the direct management of the subcontractor’s staff who train and assess Chamber Training (Humber) Limited’s (CTHL) apprentices and learners, have improved the quality of provision and outcomes for learners.

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Summary of key findings for learners

 the subcontractor has insufficient management capacity and requires improvement; as a result, CTHL managers devote time to the direct management of the subcontracted provision that they could otherwise use to bring about further improvements in their own business  targets for improvement set for trainers and assessors, following internal observations of teaching, learning and assessment, lack clarity; staff are not sufficiently clear on actions they should take to improve their practice, particularly in the way they plan to improve apprentices’ and learners’ English and mathematics skills  assessors’ written feedback does not always provide sufficient specific detail to challenge the most able learners or inform learners on how to improve the standard of their work. Inspection dates 12-16 January 2015

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This inspection: Good-2

Previous inspection: Requires improvement-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?

 Ensure the subcontractor takes action urgently to improve its leadership and management capacity. Be clear on the timescale that CTHL expects the subcontractor to make the necessary improvements so that leaders and managers can focus their attention on bringing about the further improvements required to move all aspects of the CTHL provision to outstanding.  Ensure that actions and development targets set for trainers and assessors following observations of teaching, learning and assessment provide clear guidance on the steps they should take to improve their practice. In particular, provide trainers and assessors with support to ensure they all plan activities in their training and assessment activities that will improve apprentices’ and learners’ English and mathematics skills.  Provide training and development for assessors to enable them to improve the quality of their developmental written feedback so that it is clear what the learners need to do to improve. Take

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What does the provider need to do to improve further?

steps to ensure assessors develop skills and confidence in negotiating and agreeing challenging targets for improvement with apprentices and learners.

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Inspection judgements

Outcomes for learners Good  CTHL offers apprenticeships at level 2 and 3 in health and care, engineering, retail and commercial enterprises, and business and administration. The provider also delivers a small number of higher apprenticeships in health and social care. Most learners are apprentices; the remainder being adults following workplace learning programmes in health and social care and administration. Over half of apprentices are aged 16 to 18, a quarter are aged 19 to 23 and the remainder are 24 years-old or older. One subcontractor delivers almost half of the learning programmes. The subject areas selected for grading on this inspection cover the learning programmes of around two thirds of learners.  The very large majority of apprentices and learners make good progress and achieve well. Already above the national averages in 2012/13, the proportions of apprentices and adults on workplace learning programmes that successfully completed their qualifications improved in

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Inspection judgements

2013/14 and were good. The proportions that completed in the planned timescale also improved and were good.  Success rates for apprentices following programmes with the subcontractor improved in 2013/14. Although now good, they remain lower than the high success rates of apprentices trained and assessed directly by CTHL. More female apprentices achieve their qualifications than males because of the high proportion who follow programmes in health and social care and administration. Success rates were higher in these subjects in 2013/14 than in the subcontracted manufacturing technology provision where all the apprentices are males. No other differences exist in the achievement of different groups of learners.  Learners and apprentices gain good vocational skills and a range of wider personal and social skills which prepare them effectively for employment. Employers value the skills learners gain. Trainers, assessors and workplace supervisors help apprentices and learners very well to value

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Inspection judgements

the importance of these skills for their future working life and progression opportunities.  Apprentices, who need to complete English and mathematics functional skills qualifications as part of their learning programmes, improve their skills well in dedicated lessons. Pass rates are high for apprentices taking English, mathematics, and information and communication technology (ICT) functional skills tests. The extent to which learners and apprentices improve their English and mathematics skills in vocational learning varies. Engineers develop good mathematical skills through very good contextualisation of the subject in engineering training activities. They do not improve their English skills to the same extent ho wever. This contrasts with health and social care where learners improve their English skills well. However, health and social care assessors plan insufficient activities to enable learners to improve their mathematics

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Inspection judgements

through subject specific training activities.  A good proportion of apprentices who complete at level 2 progress to level 3. A very high proportion of apprentices and other adult learners who successfully complete their programmes remain in employment with their current employer. Many gain promotion or enhanced responsibilities. A few learners who initially started as level 2 apprentices in health and social care followed higher-level apprenticeships and are now managers in care settings.

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Inspection judgements

The quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good  Teaching, learning and assessment are good, reflecting the improving and now good outcomes for apprentices and learners. Since the last inspection, the quality of teaching, learning and assessment has continued to improve due to managers taking firm action to identify, address and improve most of the weaker areas. Apprentices and learners enjoy the wide range of interesting, innovative and challenging tasks through which they develop good professional and industrial skills.  The large majority of trainers and assessors have high expectations for apprentices and learners. Trainers and assessors reflect on, and develop their skills and most use these effectively to raise the standard of their training and assessment for apprentices and learners.  Trainers and assessors support apprentices and learners particularly well. Staff have an extremely good knowledge of their apprentices and learners and they use this very effectively to

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Inspection judgements

determine and provide appropriate levels of support. As a result, they make good progress in gaining skills and achieving learning goals. Good support successfully helps apprentices and learners to overcome personal barriers to learning, for example relationship difficulties, financial problems, transport issues and housing needs.  In the most successful lessons and coaching sessions, trainers and assessors engage apprentices and learners in well-planned and highly purposeful activities that take account of their individual learning needs. They encourage apprentices and learners to make valuable contributions to discussions and to take responsibility for their learning. However, trainers and assessors do not always plan sufficiently varied additional activities to challenge the most able to develop or extend their learning further.  Good initial assessment of apprentices’ and learners’ attainment and needs places them on

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Inspection judgements

programmes that meet their and their employers’ skill development needs well. Staff make good use of the findings from the range of initial assessments in order to plan, support and meet individual learning needs. The tests thoroughly assess apprentices’ and learners’ aptitude and skills for the vocational area.  Assessors engage employers well in planning apprentices’ and learners’ training and assessment activities. They carry out frequent and good progress reviews that give apprentices, learners and their employers a clear understanding of how well they are progressing. The majority of targets that assessors set between reviews are challenging and clear. However, targets set by a minority of assessors on programmes delivered by the subcontractor are not sufficiently specific.  Assessment is good. For example, in business administration and management, assessors plan good holistic activities to confirm competence and knowledge through experience gained at

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Inspection judgements

work. Assessors in all subjects provide detailed verbal feedback to apprentices and learners following assessment of their work. Learners and apprentices find this particularly helpful in identifying what they have done correctly and where they can improve.  A minority of assessors’ written feedback is too brief and insufficiently specific or detailed to inform apprentices and learners how they could improve. Assessors’ feedback and the development targets they set for the most able apprentices and learners are not always sufficiently challenging.  The majority of staff plan learning and assessment activities well for either learners’ English or mathematics skills but not both. This is because not all trainers and assessors have the confidence or understanding of how to do this well for both subjects. Trainers in engineering thoughtfully plan learning activities that enable apprentices to complete complex calculations.

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Inspection judgements

They ensure that apprentices use and apply their improved mathematics skills well in practical situations. In hairdressing, trainers guide apprentices to calculate accurately the number of rollers required for hair weaves. In social care, trainers and assessors place a high emphasis on apprentices and learners improving their written and verbal communication skills, but this is not the case for mathematics. A few trainers and assessors in engineering, administration and business management do not always plan sufficiently well to help learners improve their English skills.  CTHL staff work effectively with a range of partners to provide apprentices and learners with good careers advice and guidance. As a result, the overwhelming majority of apprentices and learners start on programmes that meet their needs and interests and are at the right level. They receive clear and accurate pre-course information and attend a comprehensive induction

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Inspection judgements

that prepares them well to start their course. Further good guidance, provided when they are following their courses, ensures apprentices and learners are clear about further training and employment opportunities.  Trainers and assessors promote equality and diversity well within lessons and during reviews. They plan activities and questions that relate well to apprentices’ and learners’ particular vocational contexts. For example, staff ensure that learners and apprentices in administration and business management understand the diverse and often very different needs of customers from different backgrounds. Hairdressing apprentices have learned the importance of being sensitive to customers’ different cultural and religious backgrounds when conducting client consultations.

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Teaching, learning and assessment in health and social care are good because:

 trainers and assessors plan good coaching and assessment sessions; high proportions of apprentices and learners successfully complete their courses, make good progress and work to a high standard in their workplaces  well-qualified and experienced assessors have high expectations of apprentices and learners; they motivate them well to reflect on and adapt their approach when working with clients with different care and treatment requirements  assessors conduct regular and good reviews of progress with apprentices and learners, often working outside of their normal working hours to accommodate shift patterns; these enable apprentices, learners and their employers to have a good awareness of their progress and to consider actions they could take if this is too slow  assessors provide particularly good support for apprentices and learners experiencing personal barriers to learning; learners who speak English as an additional language are advised to take

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Teaching, learning and assessment in health and social care are good because:

English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) courses to better enable them to cope with the care apprenticeship and in particular, English functional skills  assessors collaborate particularly well with employers to ensure assessment is well planned to take account of apprentices’ and learners’ regular work; when employers know in advance that learners will be carrying out assessed care activities, they support them well to gather additional evidence and arrange for an assessor to visit  assessors effectively ensure that apprentices and learners have a good understanding of how to keep themselves, and those they care for, safe; after discussing a Chinese client’s fears about her treatment with her assessor, a care apprentice now helps her to use an internet tool to translate into her own language, aspects of her condition and the treatment she is receiving.

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because:

 assessors do not always plan activities to challenge more able apprentices and learners sufficiently; these apprentices and learners who often have ambitions to become care home managers make slower progress than they otherwise could  assessors do not follow up their comprehensive verbal feedback with sufficiently good quality written feedback; apprentices and learners receive insufficiently specific or detailed written guidance on how they could improve  assessors do not plan sufficient activities to help apprentices and learners improve their mathematical skills in care training and assessment tasks.

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good because:

 trainers and assessors plan and deliver good quality training and assessment resulting in the large majority of apprentices making good progress and achieving well; apprentices learn quickly how to carry out engineering tasks in their workplace and make contributions that their employers value  trainers plan practical sessions particularly well; in practical lessons on air conditioning, as a result of the trainer planning a good range of progressively more complex tasks, all apprentices make very good progress in improving their skill and understanding of air-conditioning system design and installation  trainers reinforce health and safety very effectively; they have created an expectation and culture where all apprentices routinely carry out risk assessments and ensure they wear correct protective equipment prior to undertaking tasks  trainers integrate mathematics into engineering learning and assessment activities particularly

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good because:

well; apprentices in heating, ventilation and refrigeration correctly use enthalpy calculations to determine system pressures and manufacturing technology apprentices have learned how to use formulae to convert fractional imperial measurements into decimal metric units  trainers and assessors carry out thorough reviews with apprentices that ensure they make good progress; they provide detailed verbal feedback on how well they have performed and what they need to improve  trainers and assessors monitor apprentices’ progress well; if they identify that an apprentice is falling behind, they agree swift action with both the apprentice and their employer so that they can catch up  CTHL managers and staff use very effective partnerships with heating, ventilation and refrigeration employers to design courses that provide apprentices with good career prospects; employers contribute well by donating high value equipment.

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not yet outstanding because:

 some aspects of theory training delivered by trainers at the subcontractor require improvement; trainers do not ask sufficiently specific or challenging questions to confirm apprentices’ understanding and they make slower progress in improving their knowledge in theory than they do in practical training sessions  trainers and assessors do not plan sufficient activities to help apprentices improve their English skills in engineering training and assessment tasks.

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good because:

 as a result of well-planned training and assessment, apprentices make good progress and a high proportion complete their qualifications; most apprentices and learners progress to higher-level qualifications and sustained employment  trainers and assessors work very effectively with employers to design training and assessment activities that are tailored well to employers’ particular circumstances; administration learners are given responsibility for designing and creating high-quality marketing leaflets using publishing software which are then used by their employers  trainers and assessors plan and deliver good one-to-one coaching sessions which challenge learners and apprentices to improve their techniques well; administration apprentices develop good call-handling techniques and improve their confidence when dealing with customers and colleagues  staff carry out good, frequent and accurate assessments of apprentices’ and learners’ work; they

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good because:

make good use of well-planned holistic observations of evidence from the workplace to confirm competence and knowledge, providing constructive and supportive verbal feedback to help apprentices and learners improve  assessors and trainers provide apprentices and learners with very good career advice and guidance before and throughout their courses; when young people apply for apprenticeships they receive good interview technique advice helping them considerably to gain employment and towards the end of their programmes assessors provide good advice on how learners can broaden their skills further at work to progress to higher-level qualifications  trainers and assessors integrate topics covering equality and diversity well into their administration and business management training and assessment activities; apprentices and learners develop a good understanding of how to deal sensitively with the diverse needs of

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not yet outstanding because:

 learning targets set by assessors do not sufficiently guide apprentices and learners to consider how they should plan and take responsibility for their own learning and progress  arrangements for assessors and trainers to establish the English and mathematics skills development needs of learners and apprentices require improvement; only the apprentices who need to do functional skills undergo diagnostic assessment and as a result, trainers and assessors do not plan sufficiently well to help all apprentices and learners improve their English and mathematics skills.

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The effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 Since the previous inspection, leaders and managers have successfully improved many aspects of the provision. A clear strategic plan now sets out the mission and priorities for the organisation. Managers have developed a detailed business plan setting out specific targets that enable them to plan successfully the development and improvement of the provision.  Governance of the provision through a sub-committee of the Chamber board is good. Committee members now hold senior managers to account very effectively for aspects of training performance and contract delivery including recruitment, success rates and subcontractor performance. Members provide natural links to the wider chamber of commerce and to employers across the region although these links are not yet fully utilised within committee meetings to support curriculum planning.  Senior leaders are particularly proactive within the Humber area. Managers use their extensive

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The effectiveness of leadership and management Good

external links well to plan and provide a range of provision that meets local employers’ and partners’ requirements. The head of training is a member of the Humber Local Enterprise Partnership employment and skills board and plays an active role in promoting skills development opportunities for employers and young people across the Humber area. Managers maintain good and often long-standing links with local authorities and employers in the area that they use well to increase opportunities for young people to enter apprenticeships that lead to long-term employment.  Managers involve employers well in designing programmes. For example, close collaboration with employers from the heating, ventilation, and refrigeration sector has enabled CTHL to design an apprenticeship programme that is specific to their skills development requirements. Employers have made a significant contribution to the establishment of a well-resourced

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The effectiveness of leadership and management Good

practical training facility. The apprenticeship has created good opportunities for school leavers to train as heating, ventilation and air-conditioning engineers. Pass rates on the course are very high.  Performance management of CTHL’s own staff is good. Managers use a good range of performance measures during appraisals and regular one-to-one meetings with staff to set them clear targets related to learner progress and employer engagement. In order to improve the quality of English and mathematics training within vocational training and coaching sessions, all staff have been set specific targets to improve their own skills and qualifications in these subjects; however, a minority of staff are making slow progress.  Managers have improved the process for observing teaching, learning and assessment since the previous inspection. Staff carrying out observations, including the subcontractor’s quality

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The effectiveness of leadership and management Good

manager, make accurate judgements about the quality of training and focus well on learning and learners’ progress. However, development targets set for trainers and assessors following internal lesson observations lack sufficient clarity on the action staff should take to improve their practice. In particular, they are not sufficiently clear on the action they should take to plan more effectively to improve apprentices’ and learners’ English and mathematics skills.  Senior leaders go to great lengths to monitor the work and performance of the one remaining subcontractor. Management capacity within the subcontractor requires improvement. CTHL managers recognise this and it has high priority in their strategic and operational planning. In addition to supporting the subcontractor’s quality manager, CTHL managers directly supervise and monitor the performance of the subcontractor staff who deliver on their behalf in order to

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The effectiveness of leadership and management Good

ensure apprentices and learners on programmes with the subcontractor experience high-quality teaching, learning and assessment and achieve good outcomes.  Success rates and the quality of teaching, learning and assessment in subcontracted provision are all improving. However, CTHL managers spend time mitigating the subcontractor’s limited capacity to manage and improve its own work that they could otherwise use to make further improvements across all of the provision.  CTHL’s self-assessment report continues to be overly descriptive; however, the process involves all staff and the subcontractor and results in clear actions and targets that managers use well to implement and bring about improvements to the provision. Managers regularly collect and analyse learners’ and employers’ views. They respond to these well, for example by revising visit arrangements to employers to accommodate shift patterns.

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The effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 Managers ensure they resolve quickly any isolated incidents of bullying or harassment. Managers make very regular and useful comparison between CTHL performance and national or regional rates, for example, when considering participation or achievement of different learner groups. A single equality plan now outlines strategy and refers to more detailed actions in the quality improvement plan.  The provider’s safeguarding of all apprentices and learners is good. CTHL managers maintain a comprehensive and up-to-date central register of staff, including those employed by the subcontractor, cleared to work with young people and vulnerable adults. All staff are trained to an appropriate level. Managers ensure staff update their safeguarding training on a regular basis, including how to identify and tackle extremism. Learners demonstrate good understanding of safeguarding and feel safe in their workplaces.

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Chamber Training (Humber) Limited

Inspection grades are based on a provider’s performance:

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Chamber Training (Humber) Limited

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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Chamber Training (Humber) Limited

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

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Chamber Training (Humber) Limited

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

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Chamber Training (Humber) Limited

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

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Chamber Training (Humber) Limited

The effectiveness of leadership and management 2 N/A N/A N/A N/A 2 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 Ms Rachel Mendham Date of previous inspection July 2013 Website address www.cthl.co.uk

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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+ 123 51 57 94 N/A 10 Number of traineeships 16-19 19+ Total N/A N/A N/A

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Number of learners aged 14-16

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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Contextual information

Chamber Training (Humber) Limited (CTHL) is a wholly owned subsidiary company of the Hull and Humber Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Shipping. CTHL delivers apprenticeships and a small number of 19+ learning programmes within learners’ workplaces. Based in Hull, CTHL delivers programmes across the Humber area. Four local authorities make up the Humber area. Although containing large rural areas, the Humber area includes the city of Hull, which is the tenth most deprived local authority in England. The Humber area also contains a number of towns, some quite large, such as Grimsby, Cleethorpes and Scunthorpe where levels of deprivation are similar to those of Hull.

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Information about this inspection

One of Her Majesty’s Inspectors (HMI) and five additional inspectors, assisted by the head of training 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

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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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Grade Judgement

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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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