YMCA Derbyshire

Further education and skills inspection report

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YMCA Derbyshire Not for profit organisation

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Overall effectiveness Good Effectiveness of leadership and management Good 16 to 19 study programmes Good

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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Summary of key findings

 Most learners make good progress with their learning and the large majority go on to further education and training or jobs after their study programme.  Good-quality teaching, learning and assessment supports learners’ progress well; tutors use information about learners to plan learning that effectively meets their needs.  Staff provide a caring and supportive environment for learners, enabling them to overcome barriers to learning, raising their aspirations and life chances.  All learners quickly improve their attitudes and behaviour and adopt the commitment required to be successful in a job.  Excellent partnerships with local employers, community leaders and specialist organisations, enable vulnerable learners to overcome significant barriers to getting work.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective and learners feel safe while at the provider’s training centres.  Learners benefit from participating in a good

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Summary of key findings

range of enrichment and work experience opportunities that equip them with useful skills that improve their employability.  The proportion of learners who achieve their functional skills qualifications in English and mathematics is not yet good.  Though the use of performance data is improving, managers’ analysis often lacks sufficient focus on the actions that they need to take to ensure rapid improvement.  Although improving, learners’ attendance at lessons is too low.

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Information about the provider

 YMCA Derbyshire is an independent Christian charity, affiliated to the national and international YMCA movement that is committed to helping disadvantaged people. Learners have significant and often complex barriers to employment. YMCA’s head office is in Alvaston in Derby. It delivers the study programme at another site in Derby, as well as from centres in Ilkeston and Chesterfield. Learners undertake vocational programmes in health and social care, retailing, and hospitality and catering. They also work towards qualifications in functional skills and employability and personal development.  The percentage of children living in poverty in Derby is 26% compared to 22% in England. Minority ethnic communities represent approximately 25% of Derby’s total population, with a significant number of migrants from Eastern Europe. The city has considerably more residents with no qualifications than either the regional or the national

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Information about the provider

average. The unemployment rate is currently 1.4%, in line with regional averages.

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What does the provider need to do to improve further?

 Increase the proportion of learners who achieve their functional skills qualifications in English and mathematics by ensuring that tutors identify the specific skills that learners have yet to master and help them to develop these skills to a high standard.  Ensure that the performance data reports produced by managers do not simply summarise the data but identify clearly the improvement actions that they need to take and the timescales in which they should complete them.  Further improve attendance by closely monitoring the attendance of individual learners and providing support to improve attendance when necessary.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 Senior leaders and managers have high aspirations for learners and staff. They have established a culture of continuous improvement and tackled successfully the key areas for improvement identified at the last inspection. Strategic plan objectives provide a strong framework for further development based on the needs of the local economy, in vocational areas such as construction, nursery care and engineering.  Managers have used their excellent relationships with employers, local authorities, the local enterprise partnership, the Chamber of Commerce, the High Sheriff and third sector organisations to develop a responsive curriculum that meets local and regional priorities. These relationships have also helped managers to increase the number and quality of work experience placements for learners, as well as a number of high-quality work-related learning opportunities. All learners have completed a work placement at the YMCA and

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

the large majority have completed high-quality commercial external work placements, for example by participating in fund-raising events for the High Sheriff of Derbyshire and working in Toyota’s engineering workshop in Derby.  Senior leaders and managers focus their energies on helping young people to develop work skills and enter the labour market regardless of previous educational, social or home background. Tutors provide high-quality support and are ambitious for their learners to achieve. They raise learners’ aspirations by involving them in high-profile events and local activities which allows learners to rub shoulders with influential people, talk to local employers and support charitable organisations. As a result, learners overcome significant personal barriers to achieve qualifications and progress into further education or work.  Senior and middle managers support teaching staff well to develop the expertise they

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

need to provide a high-quality service to learners. Leaders positively encourage managers and tutors to learn from mistakes, so that they better understand where improvement actions are required. Professional development and support for tutors to improve their classroom practice and support learners with very complex barriers to learning is effective. Teaching and learning have improved as a result of robust performance management. In a few cases, tutors who were unwilling or unable to make the required improvements have left the organisation.  Senior leaders, board members and managers make good use of learner surveys and learner representatives to improve the opportunities and experiences available to them.  Managers monitor closely the performance of different groups of learners and take effective steps to eliminate gaps in achievement. As a result, few significant gaps exist.  Leaders place significant importance on the development of learners’ English and

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

mathematics skills. They have provided staff development that has helped tutors promote skills in these subjects and arranged valuable additional classes in English and mathematics for learners. However, these actions have not yet led to consistently high performance of learners in functional skills tests.  Leaders, managers and tutors promote a positive culture, celebrating equality and diversity through the curriculum, as well as through learner progress reviews and monitoring of schemes of work. Leaders have established a clear set of values and tutors and learners model these well. Learners demonstrate mutual respect and rapport for peers and tutors within their learning programmes. This prepares learners well for life in modern Britain, supporting them to lead independent and healthy lives within their communities.  Leaders and managers have strengthened quality improvement, resulting in more

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

accessible and robust information about performance and accurate monitoring of learners’ destinations. Quality reviews help managers to monitor the impact of continuous improvement actions and ensure consistency across all of the provider’s training centres.  Managers do not yet, however, make full use of management data to analyse performance to achieve more rapid improvement. Performance reports often summarise the data but do not go on to identify the improvement actions that managers need to take. For example, managers can accurately summarise the data on learners’ attendance but they do not always identify clearly the actions necessary to tackle low attendance.

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The governance of the provider

 Governors know the provider well. They have supported leaders effectively in tackling the weaknesses identified in the last inspection and they have a good knowledge of current challenges. Governors receive helpful and timely performance data, which they scrutinise carefully to hold senior leaders and managers to account.  Governors play a full and active role in shaping the YMCA’s strategic direction. They participate in strategic planning and review local labour market intelligence to evaluate the extent to which the curriculum meets regional needs. They regularly visit learning sessions and listen carefully to the views and opinions of learners to improve their understanding of the provision.  Governors provide good support and challenge for senior leaders. They have challenged leaders about the quality of resources in hospitality, resulting in them investing in high- quality catering and restaurant training facilities at one centre, leading to improved

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The governance of the provider

retention and learner satisfaction. Governors have also challenged aspects of the provider’s curriculum strategy, resulting, for example, in the recent cessation of provision in travel and tourism as it did not meet local priorities.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  Staff follow safer recruitment procedures. All staff have the required pre-employment checks and appropriate risk management is in place for the rare occasions when staff begin work before the completion of checks. The single central record is complete, accurate and up to date.  New staff benefit from safeguarding training, reinforced at frequent intervals through team meetings and briefing updates. They follow clear guidance on conduct, including professional behaviour and online communications with learners.  Learners and staff use the well-understood processes for reporting safeguarding concerns, including those that arise from suspected abuse, radicalisation and extremism. Safeguarding officers investigate cases thoroughly, and the safeguarding lead refers cases to other organisations where appropriate. Relationships with other agencies are effective.

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Safeguarding

 Leaders and managers have met their responsibilities under the ‘Prevent’ duty. Effective mechanisms are in place for monitoring learner internet activity and for the vetting of guest speakers. Safeguarding leads are highly qualified and work well with national ‘Prevent’ leads to develop and deliver training for the Home Office. Learners benefit from bespoke up-to-date training materials using national case studies relevant to young people.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 Teaching, learning and assessment are good. Tutors use a wide range of learning materials and teaching approaches to engage and inspire learners. Well-paced lessons build upon previous learning, which helps learners to overcome barriers to learning.  Tutors use their subject knowledge and professional experience well to plan learning. As a result, learning activities relate to workplace settings and help develop learners’ employability skills and awareness of industry practice. This consistently develops learners’ knowledge about safe working practices. For example, learners on the culinary skills pathway are able to articulate the rules relating to the safe storage of raw and cooked meats.  Tutors make good use of questioning to check and confirm learners’ understanding in lessons. They provide clear explanations of topics and regularly probe learners’ responses to check that they can apply their learning in the workplace. Tutors mark work and assess

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

learners’ knowledge and skills regularly. They provide clear and constructive comments on learners’ work that helps them to improve.  Learners make productive use of their time in class and demonstrate high levels of concentration. They are motivated and participate purposefully and enthusiastically in learning activities. This enables most learners to make good progress within lessons, complete tasks on time and produce work of a good standard in order to move to the next stage of their learning. Learners enjoy their learning and are proud of their work, as demonstrated by the detailed and colourful posters produced by care learners.  Tutors create positive and caring working relationships with learners, who they know well, which foster high standards of behaviour in classes. Tutors offer praise when learners make contributions and motivate them to learn and make progress. They value learners’ diverse backgrounds and experiences.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 Tutors are caring and very supportive. Learners receive support in the classroom and for any problems they may have at home. As learners’ confidence increases, they are better able to talk to their tutor about difficulties and make better progress in their studies.  Tutors liaise closely with learning support workers. Learners receive help during sessions and reasonable adjustments are made to allow them to achieve their learning goals. Tutors use information from initial and diagnostic assessments to track learners’ achievement on individual learning plans, which supports the planning of learning. However, a very few tutors fail to monitor learners’ progress and, consequently, a few learners do not fully know their targets or are insufficiently challenged in their learning.  The study programme prepares learners well for the workplace. Learners learn how to write good quality CVs, develop interview skills and understand the importance of

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

teamwork. Efficient arrangements are in place for planning of work experience, with a clear expectation that all learners will participate in and benefit from placements.  Initial advice and guidance enable learners to make informed choices before starting their course. Learners receive good-quality impartial information about the range of career options available to them, both with the YMCA and with other learning and employment providers.  Tutors promote equality and diversity well in learning sessions. They create a positive working atmosphere and encourage learners to learn from each other, which helps to build mutual respect. Learners have a good awareness of how to keep themselves safe and how to spot signs when others are potentially in danger or at risk.  Tutors are skilled at promoting English and mathematics skills through the curriculum, making sure to contextualise these skills to the workplace so that learners find them

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

relevant and meaningful. Tutors routinely identify and correct spelling and grammatical mistakes in learners’ work. In childcare courses, tutors skilfully take advantage of opportunities to encourage note-taking and building on suggestions for extended reading. In functional skills lessons, tutors engage learners by carefully selecting topics that are relevant to them, such as the use of decimals and percentages to calculate discounts on a shopping trip.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

 Learners benefit from the positive culture nurtured by staff at all levels that promote high aspirations and achievement regardless of individual starting points or previous experiences of formal education. As a consequence, learners thrive, achieve well and take responsibility for their behaviour. Most develop good personal and social skills that enable them to contribute well in learning sessions. Learners make the most of the wide range of opportunities provided for them, for example enrichment activities, work experience and external visits and speakers. Learners are respectful of staff and of each other.  Learners develop a good understanding of the options available to them upon completion of their study programme. They develop good employability skills, largely as a consequence of the provider’s commitment to promoting a positive work ethic and setting high expectations of learners’ behaviour. The very large majority of learners who

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

complete their study programme go on to do well in their chosen further education course or work role.  Learners have a good understanding of how to keep themselves safe online and they are aware of the dangers of radicalisation and extremism. Tutors regularly reinforce safety messages regarding the use of social media and the internet. The large majority of learners have a good understanding of their rights and responsibilities in a democratic society. They understand why they should be tolerant and respectful of different cultures.  Learners receive good-quality impartial careers advice. The provider employs a specialist careers adviser and learners benefit from individual consultations. Tutors work well with a large number of local organisations, for example training providers, such as DART Training and Skills Made Easy, local further education colleges, Derby University and Erewash chamber of commerce partnership, to ensure that learners understand and

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

develop the skills they need for their next steps.  Tutors promote effectively respect for health and safety in the workplace, especially for those interested in careers in catering, hospitality and care.  Learners’ attendance has improved in the current year, but requires further improvement, as acknowledged in the self-assessment report. A number of recent actions, including the opening of two new accessible city centre training centres, have contributed to an increase in attendance. However, managers acknowledge that more work is required to support improved attendance for all learners across all of the organisation’s training centres.

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Outcomes for learners Good

 Learners make good progress from their starting points. Almost all learners have a significant and diverse range of barriers to learning and employment when they join the study programme, including mental health difficulties, Asperger syndrome and autistic spectrum disorder. Few have achieved a good grade in any GCSE subject at school. Most have English and mathematics skills at pre-entry level. YMCA’s tutors work well with these young people to help them gain the skills and confidence they need to enter the labour market and to become productive members of their communities.  Progression rates are good and much improved since the previous inspection. The very large majority of learners who completed their study programme in 2015/16 progressed into further education, training or employment. Provisional in-year data for 2016/17 indicate that progression rates continue to be good. Many of those who leave the

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Outcomes for learners Good

programme early go on to a college course or into employment.  As a result of good quality work experience opportunities, learners demonstrate particularly good skills in catering, customer service, hospitality and care.  Few performance differences exist between different groups of learners. Learners previously in care are slightly more likely to leave the programme early, though the number in this category is small. Learners previously eligible for free school meals perform as well as their peers, while those with special educational needs perform slightly better than those without. Girls outperform boys by a slight margin. Managers produce detailed quarterly performance reports that identify promptly performance gaps and they implement swift actions to tackle any significant disparities.  Achievement in external functional skills tests in English and mathematics require improvement, especially in mathematics, as acknowledged in the self-assessment report.

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Outcomes for learners Good

Tutors work hard to help learners cope with the demands of the external online tests but learners’ previous experience of formal testing in these subjects is a significant barrier to achievement. A range of management actions in 2016/17 has resulted in in-year improvements, especially in mathematics, though managers acknowledge that more work is required to sustain these improvements.  Tutors promote the development of learners’ skills in English and mathematics through the curriculum to a level that matches learners’ career aims. As a consequence, learners progress very well into employment or further education and training, even if not all of them achieve their functional skills qualifications.

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Provider details

Type of provider Not for profit organisation

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Provider details

Approximate number of all learners over the previous full contract year Principal/CEO Gillian Sewell

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Provider information at the time of the inspection

Main course or learning programme level Level 1 or below Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 or above Total number of learners (excluding apprenticeships) 16–18 19+ 16–18 19+ 16–18 19+ 16–18 19+

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Provider information at the time of the inspection

60 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 Number of apprentices by apprenticeship level and age Intermediate Advanced Higher

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Provider information at the time of the inspection

16–18 19+ 16–18 19+ 16–18 19+ 0 0 0 0 0 0 Number of traineeships 16–19 19+ Total 0 0 0 Number of learners aged 14 to

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Provider information at the time of the inspection

Number of learners for which the provider receives high- needs funding Funding received from: Education Funding Agency

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Provider information at the time of the inspection

At the time of inspection, the provider contracts with the following main subcontractors: N/A

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Information about this inspection

The inspection team was assisted by the head of training and education, as nominee. Inspectors took account of the provider’s most recent self-assessment report and development plans, and the previous inspection report. Inspectors used group and individual interviews, telephone calls and online questionnaires to gather the views of learners and employers; these views are reflected within the report. They observed learning sessions, assessments and progress reviews. The inspection took into account all relevant provision at the provider.

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Inspection team

Jai Sharda, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Tracey Mace-Akroyd Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Jaswant Mann Ofsted Inspector guidance ‘Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-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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Inspection team

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

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Inspection team

Employer View Employer View is a 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. To find out more go to www.employerview.ofsted.gov.uk .

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Inspection team

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, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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

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