Yorkshire Training Partnership Limited

Further Education and Skills inspection report Date published: July 2015 Inspection Number: 443134 URN: 58132

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Summary of key findings for learners

 outcomes for learners are good; most success rates are high and learners develop very good vocational, employability and personal skills with most progressing to sustained employment  the large majority of teaching, learning and assessment are good, with some inspirational lessons  learners make rapid progress in their understanding and application of English and mathematical skills and confidently use these skills in their job roles  learners receive good quality and useful information, advice and guidance which support their learning and help their progression  leadership and management of the provision are good; managers take effective action to eliminate any areas of underperformance  very effective partnerships enable Yorkshire Training Partnership (YTP) to meet the needs and interests of learners and employers  safeguarding arrangements are comprehensive and well managed.

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Summary of key findings for learners

 trainers do not always provide sufficient detail in their written feedback to help apprentices identify what they have to do to improve; the short-term targets set are not sufficiently challenging to enable apprentices to realise their full potential  too few apprentices have routine access to computers or mobile technology that would allow them to take full advantage of the good quality online learning resources  quality improvement planning does not cover all aspects of leadership and management; the views of employers are not routinely collected or analysed in order to evaluate how well YTP’s training programmes meet the workforce development needs of local employers or to inform self-assessment. Inspection dates 1–5 June 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 tutors provide apprentices with detailed written feedback so that they have a precise understanding of how well they are doing, and how their work could be improved. Develop the confidence of all tutors to set challenging short-term targets that are specific to each apprentice, enabling them to plan what they have to do further to succeed and make more rapid and timely progress.  Ensure that all learners and apprentices have good access to online learning resources both in the workplace and at subcontractors’ training centres, enabling them to learn at a pace that suits their individual needs.  Develop an effective system to collect and analyse employers’ feedback; where survey results indicate employers’ needs are not being met, leaders should take swift corrective action. Ensure that the judgements in the self-assessment report include employers’ views.

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Inspection judgements

Outcomes for learners Good  YTP offers a wide range of apprenticeships in health and social care, sports fitness, education and training, administration and business management to 467 learners, the large majority being adult apprentices. Two thirds of the apprentices are following programmes in health, social care and early years, the majority at intermediate level. A very small minority of YTP’s provision is composed of classroom-based and workplace learning courses for the few adult learners. YTP uses a range of subcontractors to deliver all training. The inspection sampled all aspects of the provision.  Outcomes for learners are good. Learners on apprenticeship programmes achieve well. Success rates have improved significantly over the past two years and are above national rates. The proportion of apprentices who complete within their planned timescales has also improved but only to around that of similar providers. YTP’s in-year performance data indicates that a large

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Inspection judgements

majority of current apprentices now make good progress. Outcomes for the few learners on classroom-based courses are good. Success rates within the planned time for the very small cohort of workplace learners are well below the national rate and require improvement.  There are few differences in the achievement of various groups of learners because of the prompt and effective actions taken by managers; however, not all gaps have been successfully eliminated. The small minority of apprentices aged 19 to 23 do not achieve as well as other apprentices, while success rates for adult female learners on workplace learning programmes are much lower than for male learners.  Learners’ achievement of qualifications in both English and mathematics is high. Most apprentices successfully achieve their functional skills qualifications at the first attempt. A minority of apprentices work towards functional skills qualifications at a level above that

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Inspection judgements

required for their qualification; outcomes for these learners are also good.  Learners quickly increase their self-confidence and skills in English and mathematics within the workplace. Employers comment positively on the good communication and numerical skills that the learners rapidly acquire, and that are essential to their job role. For example, in health and social care learners demonstrate good listening and speaking skills when dealing with clients. In administration and business management, apprentices confidently use mathematical formulae to calculate accurately the different levels of value added tax and discount rates that apply to business and non-commercial sales invoices.  Apprentices understand the importance of good attendance and punctuality in the workplace, and they produce work that is of a good standard. Consequently, they are highly valued by employers and almost all gain permanent employment upon successful completion of their

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Inspection judgements

programme. A small minority of apprentices progress from intermediate to advanced level courses, while a few learners have gained early promotion to job roles with greater levels of responsibility.  YTP responds well to local community and employers’ needs, offering appropriate courses that are well matched to local priorities. Learners’ achievements are celebrated well at an annual awards and recognition event.

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Inspection judgements

The quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good  Teaching, learning and assessment are good which is reflected in the much improved success rates for apprentices that are now high and the good levels of skills and confidence they quickly demonstrate.  Learners receive high levels of personalised support from trainers; this assists them in successfully overcoming any personal barriers to learning. Trainers have high expectations of learners; they use their extensive industry experience to plan a wide range of learning activities that take good account of individual learners’ needs.  The majority of teaching and individual coaching sessions are at least good and some are outstanding. In a lesson for learning assistants, the trainer skilfully explained how Maslow’s hierarchy of needs related to supporting the different needs of young children. As a result of the trainer’s guidance, the apprentice’s confidence quickly improved and the children received more

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Inspection judgements

effective personalised support.  Good communications with employers ensure learning and assessment is tailored well to the individual learner. Trainers carefully liaise with employers to select appropriate units of study to develop learners’ knowledge and meet the needs of the business; as a result, the large majority of learners make good progress.  Too few learners have sufficient access to good quality information and learning technology. Despite trainers routinely guiding learners to a good range of online resources, apprentices, particularly in health and social care, do not have routine access to computers or mobile technology to take full advantage of these resources. Managers recognise this as an area for development, and are at an early stage of planning to improve learners’ access.  Trainers accurately assess apprentices’ initial starting points and use this information well to ensure they are placed on programmes which meet their vocational aspirations. This includes

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Inspection judgements

good use of additional assessment for those learners who have learning difficulties. However, too often, targets set for apprentices focus too much on overall completion dates rather than individual units of learning; as a result, not all apprentices have a clear understanding of their progress.  Assessment is good. Trainers visit the workplace frequently and make good use of employers’ contributions to plan learning and schedule assessments that maximise learning and skill development opportunities. This helps apprentices develop quickly the competencies needed to perform their job well. For example, on an advanced management programme, the trainer used a professional discussion on ‘role models at work’ very effectively to further develop the apprentices’ understanding of how this could be successfully related to other settings.  Most learners produce portfolios that are detailed, containing a good range of evidence that is

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Inspection judgements

neat and well ordered. Trainers provide learners with a good oral feedback on their work. However, in health and social care and administration, trainers’ written feedback is not always sufficiently detailed in setting out what has been done well or precisely identifying areas for further development.  Development of learners’ English and mathematics skills is good. Trainers integrate English and mathematics well into the vocational context of learners’ programmes. As a result, learners quickly gain confidence and make good progress in using their literacy and numeracy skills within the workplace and beyond. For example, in health and fitness, apprentices accurately calculate the calories used as part of different fitness training routines. Apprentices develop good skills in their use of English. Spelling journals ensure learners correctly recognise the meaning and spelling of commonly used vocational and technical words. However, a minority of

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Inspection judgements

trainers do not always correct punctuation and grammar in learners’ work.  Learners benefit from good information, advice and guidance and a comprehensive induction so that most join the right programmes best suited to their needs. Specialist guidance staff provide helpful advice to learners who wish to progress to higher-level courses including those intending to progress to university. However, a few of the most able learners are working towards qualifications which do not challenge them enough to further develop their knowledge and skills.  Learners’ understanding of equality and diversity is good. Tutors ensure that apprentices have a good understanding of tolerance and respect and celebrate differences including gender and heritage. For example, during an information technology session, a tutor successfully challenged stereotypical attitudes by encouraging learners to design a poster that promoted inclusion and

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Inspection judgements

cultural diversity. Learners understand how to keep themselves safe in lessons and in their workplaces; they feel safe and work safely.

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because:

 outcomes for apprentices have improved significantly and are now good; learners make good progress and enjoy their programme, and a significant majority complete within the planned timescale  apprentices develop a wide range of skills essential for employment within the sector, such as good time-keeping, following instructions and developing research skills that enhance their confidence to challenge and contribute to improved standards of care; for example, a health and social care intermediate level apprentice researching different types of dementia recognised the early signs and symptoms for Lewy body dementia in a resident  trainers motivate apprentices well to consider future career options, encouraging good progression to the next level of study or to gain promotion as senior care or room leader; a small minority of health and social care apprentices progress to higher education to study nursing

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because:

 assessment is good and enables apprentices to demonstrate frequently their competence, skills and knowledge to a high standard; trainers work well with employers and fully involve apprentices in the regular evaluation of their progress and provide timely and clear oral feedback  knowledgeable and experienced trainers use very effective coaching and questioning techniques that enable apprentices to demonstrate deeper understanding and implications for practice; for example, advanced level early years apprentices ably considered a range of factors including the importance of close collaboration with parents and carers when promoting healthy eating  trainers skilfully ensure apprentices appreciate the importance of developing skills in English and mathematics for work within the sector; as a result, they enhance their opportunities to progress further in their careers  apprentices have a sound understanding of how to keep themselves and those they care for

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because:

safe; they demonstrate the importance of celebrating individual differences through person-and child-centred care.

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outstanding because:

 trainers’ written feedback on apprentices’ work often lacks sufficient detail in precisely setting out why their work meets the standards and what they need to do to improve their practice and achieve their full potential  few apprentices in health and social care have routine access to computers or mobile technology that would allow them to learn independently and broaden their understanding of current issues affecting the sector  not all apprentices have a detailed understanding of their progress, as target-setting is underdeveloped and concentrates solely on completion of work within a specified timescale.

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Teaching, learning and assessment in foundation English are good because:

 a high and increasing proportion of apprentices successfully complete their qualifications in foundation English at the first attempt and within the planned timescale; current apprentices are making good progress and achieve rapid gains in both their spoken and written English  an increased focus on the development of learners’ English skills across the entire partnership through an appropriate range of actions and quality assurance processes has successfully raised the profile of English for the benefit of all learners, resulting in much improved success rates  apprentices quickly develop a wide range of skills in English that they use effectively in a variety of employment settings; this improvement adds to their confidence in taking on more demanding tasks at work  apprentices, many of whom were unsuccessful when studying English previously, now enjoy their learning and see the relevance of these skills to their everyday lives and future

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Teaching, learning and assessment in foundation English are good because:

employment opportunities  trainers accurately use the results from initial and diagnostic assessment to identify learners’ initial starting points and what help and support they need to be successful in using English confidently in a range of settings  the majority of trainers use their good vocational knowledge and skills to create good and regular opportunities for apprentices to develop their English skills further in the context of their vocational programme; they attend regular professional development and work closely with dedicated functional skills tutors to further develop their confidence in how to integrate English into planned learning successfully  learners receive good flexible support to develop their skills in English; most trainers regularly schedule individual coaching sessions around learners’ changing shift patterns which ensures that regular contact is maintained; close monitoring of individual progress and a strong focus on

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Teaching, learning and assessment in foundation English are good because:

examination preparation is contributing well to apprentices’ success.

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because:

 trainers do not always set and make apprentices aware of their short-terms targets for English  a minority of trainers do not consistently check apprentices’ work for errors in spelling, grammar and punctuation, and they provide minimal feedback on how learners can improve further their English skills  a minority of trainers rely too heavily on the use of generic online resources to develop apprentices’ English skills.

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good because:

 a high proportion of apprentices successfully complete their qualifications; current learners are making good progress towards completing their qualifications within the planned time  trainers encourage and inspire apprentices to develop and apply good work-related, personal, communication and social skills in their job roles; apprentices benefit from trainers’ extensive administrative and business experience, and they rapidly gain confidence and produce work of a good standard  trainers and workplace managers collaborate well to provide good care and support that motivates and helps apprentices to succeed; trainers meet the needs of individual apprentices through well-planned learning activities and access to flexible assessment and good learning support  trainers use robust and comprehensive initial assessment to tailor training to meet the needs of apprentices and to help them to fulfil their job roles to a good professional standard

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good because:

 apprentices show good commitment to learning and actively participate in planning their programmes, identifying the most suitable optional administrative modules to match their job roles and career aspirations  apprentices in administration and business quickly developing a broad and effective range of vocational skills as a result of the good and better teaching that they receive  assessment is regular and thorough; apprentices submit written evidence, use recorded discussions and increasingly present evidence online; tutors and managers provide good oral feedback which helps apprentices to improve their skills and standard of work  trainers regularly integrate both English and mathematics well within learners’ programmes; most tutors regularly promote high standards in the development of learners’ written and oral skills, including the accurate use of relevant business-specific vocabulary in documents and

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good because:

during business meetings; they routinely encourage apprentices to practise and improve their mathematics skills when completing daily tasks and activities in the workplace such as analysing client data  virtually all apprentices secure sustained employment and a minority successfully progress to higher level courses.

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not yet outstanding because:

 trainers do not consistently provide detailed written feedback or challenging activities that help apprentices to broaden and deepen their knowledge and understanding, exceed targets or to become fully independent learners  trainers very occasionally fail to correct apprentices’ written English consistently or comprehensively; standards are not always set high enough to enable apprentices to improve their written English skills to a higher level and in a few instances trainers’ written comments and feedback in portfolios contain errors.

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The effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 Leadership and management are good. Highly effective actions taken by leaders since the previous inspection have led directly to significant improvements both in learners’ success rates and the quality of teaching, learning and assessment.  Leaders and managers at YTP demonstrate a clear and strong ambition to improve the quality of provision to give learners the best chance to succeed. The board exercises good governance and close oversight, setting challenging targets for improvement.  YTP manages all its provision through good and supportive subcontracting arrangements with a range of carefully selected partners. Leaders and managers have carefully balanced capacity building and firm performance management very successfully, resulting in effective contract management and good outcomes for learners.  Management information is accurate and performance reports are informative and clear. Managers use data well as part of regular subcontractor monitoring meetings and, where

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The effectiveness of leadership and management Good

underperformance is evident, challenging improvement actions are set and closely monitored.  Managers have successfully improved teaching, learning and assessment through rigorous performance management and appropriate professional development for staff. Leaders have developed a well-managed and effective observation system which forms a key part of staff appraisal. YTP works closely with all subcontractors to improve staff competence through careful monitoring of detailed performance data and provision of good training.  Evaluation of the quality of provision is good. The self-assessment process is highly inclusive and suitably evaluative. YTP supports subcontractors well to develop their own self-assessment reports and all contribute fully to the overall partnership self-assessment. Managers use a wide range of performance and quality data well to inform the evaluation. YTP sets clear targets for

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The effectiveness of leadership and management Good

those aspects requiring improvement through an effective quality action plan. Managers use this action plan well to monitor progress closely and accurately judge the effectiveness of their actions. However, YTP does not yet have an appropriate system to gather and analyse the full range of employers’ feedback. Managers recognise this as a key area for improvement.  Leaders have rapidly improved the overall quality of provision including English, mathematics and functional skills, resulting in high and improving pass rates for learners. The board has invested wisely in additional functional skills resources that are valued by subcontractors and learners.  YTP successfully plans and manages learning programmes that meet the needs and interests of its learners and employers. Board members and senior staff in partner companies have good working links with the local enterprise partnership. YTP also has close involvement with a range

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The effectiveness of leadership and management Good

of local and national bodies, including the Association of Learning Providers and sector skills councils.  Leaders have responded well to the recommendation from the previous inspection to improve learners’ understanding of equality and diversity. Managers swiftly provided all staff with good training resulting in trainers being more confident in promoting equality and diversity themes throughout the provision. Learners now have a good understanding of the importance of respect and fair treatment and how these values relate to the classroom, the workplace and in their personal life. All employers receive clear information about YTP’s expectations for behaviour, respect and tolerance.  Managers monitor the impact of equality and diversity arrangements carefully through close scrutiny of indicators that form a key element of regular quality review meetings with subcontractors. Managers and the board routinely analyse recruitment, participation and

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The effectiveness of leadership and management Good

attainment of particular groups of learners and have successfully narrowed most achievement gaps between different groups of learners. Leaders acknowledge the need for more rapid action to increase participation on YTP programmes from under-represented groups.  YTP’s safeguarding arrangements for learners are good; they meet statutory requirements and staff manage risk appropriately. Procedures for identifying learners at risk and managing safeguarding disclosures are effective and robust. Competent nominated staff manage and record all safeguarding concerns and incidents well. YTP carries out appropriate checks with the barring and vetting service and holds this information for all subcontractors. The safeguarding officer maintains good high-level contact with the Local Safeguarding Board.  YTP is very proactive in developing knowledge and understanding in its staff and partners about radicalisation and extremism, both through the ‘Prevent’ agenda and other available materials.

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The effectiveness of leadership and management Good

Managers have developed an appropriate risk assessment to ensure learners are kept safe. Learners have good access to information and support on any safeguarding issues or concerns.

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Yorkshire Training Partnership Limited

Inspection grades are based on a provider’s performance:

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Yorkshire Training Partnership 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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Yorkshire Training Partnership Limited

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

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Yorkshire Training Partnership Limited

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

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Yorkshire Training Partnership Limited

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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Yorkshire Training Partnership Limited

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 Mrs Lisa Scott Date of previous inspection December 2013 Website address http://www.ytp.org.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+ 14 180 12 169 N/A 1 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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following main subcontractors:

 CTS Training Services Limited  DC Training & Development Services Limited  Excel Training Limited  Grow Learn and Develop GLAD Limited  Morthyng Group Limited  Portland Training Company  Prospects Training (YORKS) Ltd  West London College of Business & Management Sciences  XTOL Development Services Limited  Yorkshire Care Training Limited  First Step Education and Training Limited  First Avenue Training

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Contextual information

YTP was established in 2000 to support and lead a consortium of work-based learning providers offering apprenticeships and work-based programmes mainly across the Yorkshire and Humber region. The company’s members of board of directors are elected from the membership of the four local area training associations which cover Doncaster, Sheffield, Barnsley and Rotherham. A further two independent seats are allocated to the wider YTP membership. All teaching, learning and assessment are carried out by subcontractors. The main employment sectors in Rotherham are public administration including health and education, finance and business services, and retail. The proportion of the local population qualified at foundation and intermediate level is similar to the Yorkshire and Humber regional average, but at advanced level it is much lower.

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Information about this inspection

One of Her Majesty’s Inspectors (HMI) and six additional inspectors, assisted by the Director of Operations 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

www.gov.uk/government/publications/handbook-for-the-inspection-of-further-education-and-skills- from-september-2012

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Grade Judgement

guidance ‘Raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted . 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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Grade Judgement

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 and 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

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 https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/user.

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Grade Judgement

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

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