Team Enterprises Limited

Further education and skills inspection report

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Team Enterprises Limited Independent learning provider

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Inspection dates 30 January–1 February 2018

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate Adult learning programmes Inadequate

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Apprenticeships Inadequate Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Inadequate

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

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Summary of key findings

 Too many apprentices and adult learners do not achieve their qualifications and complete their programmes.  Teaching, training, learning and assessment are weak. Consequently, too few apprentices and adult learners acquire new vocational knowledge, skills and understanding.  Leaders and managers do not have sufficient information to ensure that the provision they offer meets fully the needs of all apprentices and adult learners.  Leaders and managers have not made the required improvements identified at the previous inspection.  Weak quality-improvement measures have hindered leaders’ and managers’ understanding of what they need to do to rectify the key weaknesses.  Too many apprentices and adult learners do not have a good understanding of the risks associated with extremism and radicalisation.  Leaders and managers have not been successful in ensuring employers’ full commitment to their apprentices’ training.

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Summary of key findings

Apprentices do not receive sufficient time for their on- and off-the-job training and, as a result, too many apprentices make slow progress.  Too many apprentices and adult learners do not receive effective impartial information, advice and guidance.  Leaders and managers do not have accurate information about apprentices’ and adult learners’ progress because the information that training consultants provide is often inaccurate and incomplete.  Governance is inadequate; consequently, leaders and senior managers are not challenged and supported to tackle staffing issues and key weaknesses in the provision swiftly and effectively.

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Summary of key findings

 The proportions of apprentices who complete their business management and supporting teaching and learning apprenticeships are high, and many complete on time.

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Information about the provider

 Team Enterprises Limited is located in St Helens, Merseyside. The company operates from two training centres – one in St Helens and one in Liverpool. It offers provision in apprenticeships and adult learning programmes, with the highest proportion of apprentices in business management. The company stopped recruiting apprentices in health and social care in September 2017.  Most apprentices and adult learners are recruited from Merseyside and are employees of public organisations.

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What does the provider need to do to improve further?

 Take effective and rapid action to improve the progress of current apprentices and adult learners and the development of their new knowledge, skills and understanding by ensuring that: – training consultants use information about apprentices’ and adult learners’ existing knowledge and skills appropriately to plan their development, based on high expectations – training consultants set challenging individual learning targets for apprentices and adult learners and use these to monitor progress accurately – training consultants provide clear feedback on assessments so that apprentices and adult learners know what they need to do next – employers support fully their apprentices by attending their progress review meetings and providing them with time during working hours to complete on- and off-the-job learning that is part of their apprenticeships – all training consultants are competent and confident in using English and mathematics

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What does the provider need to do to improve further?

to support apprentices and adult learners to develop and improve their English and mathematical knowledge, skills and understanding – all training consultants are competent and confident in the subjects they teach to develop apprentices’ and adult learners’ knowledge, skills and understanding further, particularly at higher levels.  Provide accurate and reliable information to leaders and managers about the time apprentices spend in on- and off-the-job training. Use this information to ensure apprentices receive their teaching, training and learning entitlements.  Ensure that all adult learners who are recruited to courses are the ones who will get the most benefit from them.  Develop and implement effective quality-improvement measures that provide leaders and managers with accurate evaluations of the strengths and weakness in the provision. Use the resulting information to eradicate weaknesses swiftly.

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What does the provider need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that the self-assessment of the provision is accurate and that the resulting action plan focuses on improving outcomes for learners.  Ensure that training consultants have the knowledge, skills and confidence to help apprentices and adult learners to develop a good understanding of the risks associated with radicalisation and extremism.  Ensure that all training consultants provide apprentices and adult learners with useful and clear information, advice and guidance about their current programmes and courses and their progression opportunities so that they can plan their next steps confidently.  Ensure that governors receive accurate information about the quality of provision and outcomes for learners so that they can support and challenge leaders appropriately to bring about swift improvements.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

 Leaders and managers have not been successful in eradicating the key weaknesses identified at the previous inspection. They have been too slow to tackle significant staffing issues that distracted their attention from developing and implementing effective arrangements for making improvements. For example, they do not have reliable information to monitor apprentices’ and adult learners’ progress or effective quality- improvement measures. As a result, the quality of provision has deteriorated.  Managers do not have an accurate understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of teaching, training, learning and assessment. They observe teaching and training but their findings are not accurate. This is because they do not evaluate accurately the impact of teaching practices on learning. They check the quality of apprentices’ and adult learners’ learning plans and progress reviews but they do not recognise weak practices because

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

they lack knowledge and suitable experience. As a result, their feedback to training consultants is inaccurate, hampering improvements in their teaching practices.  Leaders and managers do not have reliable and comprehensive data to monitor the progress of current apprentices and adult learners towards achieving their qualifications. They do not take effective measures to improve adult learners’ and apprentices’ pace of learning and progress.  Leaders’ and managers’ planning, implementation and monitoring of the provision are weak. This has resulted in apprenticeships and courses for adults that do not meet the requirements of apprentices and adult learners. For example, they have been unsuccessful in ensuring that employers have sufficient commitment to apprentices’ training. As a result, too many employers do not attend apprentices’ progress review meetings to contribute to their learning and development. Leaders and managers have

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

not recruited disadvantaged adult learners to courses.  Managers have not taken effective action to improve apprentices’ and adult learners’ use of English and mathematics. For example, higher apprentices in business management are not encouraged to develop their use of English beyond their starting points at intermediate level or lower.  Leaders and managers have provided an extensive range of training events to improve teaching, training and assessment practices of training consultants. These include training on setting effective learning targets and reviewing them. However, they have not monitored training consultants to assess the extent to which they have improved.  Leaders and managers have a strong focus on accepting the differences between people and promoting fair treatment.

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The governance of the provider

 Governance is inadequate.  Information that governors receive about the quality of provision and progress of apprentices is inaccurate. They have not been successful in supporting leaders and managers to resolve staffing issues swiftly and have failed to hold leaders and managers to account for not taking effective and rapid action to improve the provision. Consequently, the quality of all aspects of provision, including apprentices’ and adult learners’ outcomes, has declined.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  All staff are checked for criminal records and safeguarding concerns. Staff receive regular safeguarding training and know how to report any concerns. Training consultants focus appropriately on helping apprentices and adult learners to apply safe working practices at work, for example to be vigilant about unmarked packages.  All staff have received training about their responsibilities in keeping apprentices and adult learners safe from the threats of radicalisation and extremism. Their training includes a strong focus on the signs of extremism, for example changes in behaviour and those with whom people associate. However, managers have not ensured that training consultants are confident enough to help all apprentices and adult learners to develop further their understanding of the potential risks of holding radical views or taking extreme actions.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

 Although training consultants work hard and are dedicated, they do not have high enough expectations of apprentices and adult learners and what they can achieve. Because expectations are not high enough, training consultants do not ensure that apprentices and adult learners, most of whom have years of experience in employment, achieve their full potential.  Teaching, training and learning are weak. This is because training consultants do not assess and use apprentices’ and adult learners’ existing knowledge and skills to plan their individual training and development. They do not set specific and challenging learning targets; the learning targets refer merely to the elements of the main qualifications and the minimum criteria to complete them. Consequently, most apprentices and adult learners do not develop the range of knowledge and skills that help them towards the higher-level skills needed by employers.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

 Training consultants’ reviews of apprentices’ and adult learners’ progress, although mostly regular, make little contribution to their learning. They do not ensure that employers make sufficient and meaningful contributions to apprentices’ and adult learners’ learning and development targets and learning tasks. Training consultants do not complete the review documents accurately and, as a result, apprentices and adult learners do not have an accurate understanding and record of their progress.  A minority of training consultants do not have the competence and confidence to teach English and mathematics. Consequently, apprentices and adult learners do not extend sufficiently their English and mathematical knowledge and skills they need for work.  Managers do not ensure that all training consultants are sufficiently competent and confident in the subjects they teach. As a result, when apprentices and learners answer a

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

question correctly, the less confident training consultants do not ask further questions to deepen their knowledge and understanding. This results in too many apprentices and adult learners who cannot recall what they have studied.  Training consultants have good working relationships with apprentices and adult learners. They arrange additional coaching and assessment visits to help apprentices and adult learners to stay on their courses.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Inadequate

 Apprentices and adult learners do not receive effective impartial information, advice and guidance before they start their courses and before they complete them. Consequently, too many do not benefit sufficiently from their training. Training consultants do not ensure that employers are involved fully in the identification of apprentices’ and adult learners’ existing knowledge and skills. As a result, too many do not start on the most suitable programmes and courses to help them to be more productive at work or to develop their knowledge, skills and understanding for moving into new job roles.  A significant minority of apprentices do not know and understand what their apprenticeship programme consists of and how their training helps them with their current or future job roles. Consequently, they lose motivation and do not prioritise their learning. Despite training consultants’ insistence and support, these apprentices do not

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Inadequate

attend their lessons or progress review meetings regularly.  Apprentices’ and adult learners’ oral and written English skills do not improve sufficiently from their starting points. Training consultants do not focus sufficiently on developing apprentices’ and adult learners’ job-related vocabulary, spelling, punctuation and grammar. As a result, apprentices and learners repeat grammatical, spelling and punctuation errors and do not extend their technical vocabulary.  The vast majority of apprentices and adult learners do not have a clear understanding of the risks associated with radicalisation and extremism in their work and lives. Although they have completed an online course on the risks of extremism, they cannot recall what they have learned from the course. This is because training consultants do not evaluate and expand apprentices’ and adult learners’ knowledge and understanding about these

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Inadequate

risks in lessons and progress review meetings. Nevertheless, learners and apprentices feel safe and have an appropriate understanding of how to keep themselves safe at work and in lessons. They know to whom they need to report any concerns that arise.  Most apprentices and adult learners increase their self-confidence. For example, apprentices on advanced management programmes discuss with their training consultant how they manage sensitive situations at work. Apprentices’ and adult learners’ behaviour is good; they are courteous and respectful to each other and to staff.  A minority of apprentices develop the knowledge and technical skills they need for work. For example, higher-level apprentices are able to research and analyse leadership styles and reflect on how they can use these effectively at work.  Apprentices and adult learners are not sufficiently aware of how British values impact on their roles in the workplace and in their everyday lives.

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Outcomes for learners Inadequate

 Too many apprentices and adult learners do not make sufficient progress and develop new knowledge, skills and understanding from their starting points. They do not extend significantly their understanding of important vocational principles, for example in providing learning and development support for their employers’ staff. A small group of intermediate business administration apprentices who started more recently make better progress and develop relevant knowledge and skills.  Since the previous inspection, the proportion of apprentices and adult learners who completed their qualifications by the planned end date declined and was low. These rates were low partially because of the poor performance of approximately 40% of apprentices and adult learners who were on health and social care courses.  Not all apprentice and adult learner groups are equally successful. For example, in 2016/17 male apprentices achieved better than female apprentices. Most apprentices

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Outcomes for learners Inadequate

completed their qualifications in functional skills English and mathematics successfully.  The large majority of apprentices who complete their apprenticeship remain with their apprenticeship employer. Leaders and managers do not monitor whether apprentices’ training helps them to gain promotion or increased responsibility at work.  In 2016/17, the proportion of apprentices on business management and supporting teaching and learning apprenticeships who gained their qualifications by their planned end date was good.

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Adult learning programmes Inadequate

 At the time of the inspection, 62 adult learners were studying on a range of courses. These were mostly at intermediate level. The majority of learners were enrolled on equality and diversity courses. The remainder were working towards qualifications in English, mathematics, and information and communication technology (ICT). A few adult learners were working towards a diploma in health and social care.  Leaders and managers do not ensure that the objectives of the adult-learning provision are met fully. Learners are not always enrolled on the appropriate courses and so they do not gain new knowledge and skills.  Training consultants do not use information about learners’ existing knowledge and skills sufficiently to plan their individual learning. Too often, adult learners work on the same tasks at the same level. For example, learners complete work on aspects of equality of opportunity despite their existing experience, knowledge and skills. As a result, many

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Adult learning programmes Inadequate

learners do not make the progress they are capable of, particularly the most able.  Training consultants do not evaluate routinely what learners have learned and in which areas they require further help and so they are unable to evaluate learners’ progress. In too many lessons, training consultants provide learners with the answers to questions too quickly. Training consultants do not check that learners have understood new concepts before moving to the next activity.  Training consultants do not use the results of the assessments, designed to find learners’ starting points in English and mathematics, to plan their individual learning. Learners’ progress in developing their English and mathematical knowledge and skills is poor.  Training consultants do not set high expectations for learners. The standard of learners’ work is not good enough. Too often, training consultants set learning targets that focus

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Adult learning programmes Inadequate

on meeting minimum competency levels. Consequently, many learners do not achieve their full potential.  Too many training consultants do not provide feedback that is precise enough to help learners to extend their knowledge and understanding of important concepts, such as diversity. Training consultants’ feedback to learners is not precise enough. They fail to identify the good features of learners’ work and what they need to do to improve it. This weak practice hinders learners’ skills development.  Attendance is low. Too many learners do not attend their lessons regularly. Consequently, they fall behind and do not complete their qualifications on time.  A very small minority of learners on social-care programmes develop good vocationally relevant knowledge and skills. These learners confidently support clients in recovering from substance misuse or individuals with complex behaviours.  Learners on ICT courses use a wide range of editing techniques successfully, such as

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Adult learning programmes Inadequate

different coloured font and backgrounds, when producing leaflets. Training consultants coach these learners very effectively during lessons, demonstrating how to use software techniques appropriately.

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Apprenticeships Inadequate

 During the inspection, 177 apprentices were on health and social care, supporting teaching and learning, and business management programmes. Most apprentices were on advanced and higher-level programmes. Apprenticeships in health and social care are no longer offered.  Management of apprenticeship provision is weak. Leaders and managers have not ensured that the requirements of apprenticeship programmes for all apprentices are met. For example, most apprentices do not have the required allocation of time during their working hours for on- and off-the-job learning.  Managers do not plan the curriculum effectively. For example, knowledge for the technical certificate is delivered towards the end of the programme. This results in too many apprentices not being able to link theory and practice and use the theory to guide their practical work. In too many cases, training consultants deliver the employment rights and

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Apprenticeships Inadequate

responsibilities element of the apprenticeships too late to be of benefit to apprentices, especially for those who are starting their first job or moving to new job roles.  Leaders and managers do not ensure that training consultants develop apprentices’ knowledge, skills and understanding. They put too much emphasis on the completion of qualifications. They do not use information about apprentices’ existing knowledge and skills to plan individual learning programmes and to set them challenging learning targets.  Training consultants’ assessment practices are weak. Many apprentices have had long periods of employment in administration and care settings and too many of them are not acquiring new knowledge, skills and understanding. Training consultants spend too much time assessing apprentices’ existing knowledge, skills and understanding rather than those which they have recently acquired.  Training consultants’ planning of lessons in mathematics is poor. In class, they do not

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Apprenticeships Inadequate

ensure that apprentices’ answers are correct. When training consultants do not calculate accurately, for example the calculation of the mean average, they confuse apprentices. Apprentices’ ability to apply mathematics to work-related situations is weak and their progress is poor. Training consultants and functional skills specialists do not record apprentices’ progress in mathematics comprehensively and accurately, with the result that learning tasks are repeated or not covered.  Apprentices progress too slowly from their starting points in English. They often misspell common and vocationally relevant words. Although apprentices can write complex sentences, their punctuation is very weak.  In too many instances, apprentices do not make the required progress. Training consultants work hard to help apprentices to catch up as their planned end date approaches by rushing learning tasks. Consequently, the standard of apprentices’ work

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Apprenticeships Inadequate

declines and their depth of knowledge and understanding is impaired.  A minority of training consultants in business administration and team leading have poorly developed knowledge. They do not challenge apprentices sufficiently to develop higher levels of knowledge, skills and understanding, and apprentices’ superficial responses to questions are accepted and not extended.  Teaching and learning for intermediate business administration apprentices who started most recently are effective. These apprentices receive sufficient off-the-job training and support which are helping them to make good progress.

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Provider details

Type of provider Independent learning provider

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Provider details

Approximate number of all learners over the previous full contract year CEO Julie O’Brien

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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

- 9 14 53 - - - - 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+ - 32 - 98 - 47 Number of traineeships 16–19 19+ Total - - - 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 -

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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: -

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Information about this inspection

The inspection team was assisted by the chief executive, 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

Shahram Safavi, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Maggie Fobister 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

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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

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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