Setting

T R A I N I N G S T A N D A R D S C O U N C I L

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I N S P E C T I O N R E P O R T O C T O B E R / N O V E M B E R 2 0 0 0

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London Borough of Barnet I N S P E C T I O N R E P O R T : L O N D O N B O R O U G H O F B A R N E T O C T O B E R / N O V E M B E R 2 0 0 0

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The training and development unit of the London Borough of Barnet provides satisfactory training for modern apprentices in sport and recreation. The training is well planned. Trainees have the opportunity to work towards a wide range of additional qualifications. On the business administration programme, the modern apprentices’ NVQ achievement rate is high. Training in business administration is not planned to meet the individual needs of trainees. The modern apprentices do not understand their framework. No modern apprentices in the two occupational areas inspected have yet completed their framework. The promotion of equal opportunities is highly effective. Trainees receive good support. Aspects of management, such as staffing arrangements and the management-information systems, are unsatisfactory. The quality assurance process is inadequate and there is no action planning for the improvement of training.

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OCCUPATIONAL AREAS GRADE GENERIC AREAS GRADE Business administration 4 Equal opportunities 2 Leisure, sport & travel 3 Trainee support 2 Management of training 4 Quality assurance 4

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KEY STRENGTHS ♦ trainees’ excellent understanding of NVQ process ♦ high NVQ achievement rate on the business administration ♦ good opportunities to work towards additional sport and recreation qualifications ♦ trainees’ good understanding of equal opportunities issue ♦ wide range of resources for trainee support

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KEY WEAKNESSES ♦ little use of observation as a means of assessment ♦ insufficient identification of trainees’ needs ♦ no clear objectives for progress reviews ♦ failure of any modern apprentice to complete the framework ♦ ineffective implementation of training in key skills ♦ lack of understanding of the modern apprenticeship framework by staff and trainees ♦ inadequate quality-assurance system I N S P E C T I O N R E P O R T : L O N D O N B O R O U G H O F B A R N E T O C T O B E R / N O V E M B E R 2 0 0 0

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 Training Standards Council INTRODUCTION

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1. The borough of Barnet was originally formed in 1965 and is located in north London. The council employs over 9,000 people and provides services to 331,500 residents. It is the largest employer in the area and the second largest borough in Greater London. The training and development unit is situated in premises belonging to Barnet college of further education in Colindale. The manager of training and development has responsibility for the unit. A senior training consultant manages the day-to-day running of the unit and is assisted by a recently appointed full-time training consultant and two part-time training consultants and one full-time administration assistant. The unit has held a contract with North London Training and Enterprise Council (TEC) for the past five years. Originally, it was contracted as an employer to provide modern apprenticeship training through the TEC’s direct contract unit. Since June this year, the unit has held a

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contract as a training provider to offer modern apprenticeships in amenity horticulture, engineering, business administration, customer service, sport and leisure and care of the elderly. Apprentices work towards national vocational qualifications (NVQs) at levels 2 and 3. At the time of inspection, there was only one modern apprentice training in heating and ventilation, one in electrical installation and one in care of the elderly. There were three trainees on customer service apprenticeships and nine on amenity horticulture apprenticeships, six of whom had started two weeks before the inspection. None of these vocational areas was inspected. There were 13 business administration apprentices and eight apprentices working towards qualifications in sport and leisure. All the apprentices are employed at the start of their programme. The council also offers training to two New Deal clients under the subsidised employment option.

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2. The borough is an affluent area although it has pockets of deprivation. The proportion of people in Barnet from minority ethnic groups is 18.4 per cent, compared with 6.2 per cent in England as a whole. The unemployment rate in the borough in August 2000 stood at 3 per cent, which is slightly lower than the national average of 3.5 per cent. Of unemployed people in Barnet 19. 4 per cent are in the 18 to 24 age group. The main sectors for employment in the area are business services, retailing and manufacturing. The majority of employers are small or medium sized. Currently, there is growth in the business services, health and social work and retailing sectors. In 1999, the proportion of school leavers achieving five or more general certificates of secondary education (GCSEs) at grade C and above was high at 56.9 per cent, compared with the national average of 47.9 per cent. The proportions of 16 year olds and 17 year olds who stay on in

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full-time education are 83 per cent and 66 per cent, respectively, compared with the national averages of 69 per cent and 57 per cent, respectively. I N S P E C T I O N R E P O R T : L O N D O N B O R O U G H O F B A R N E T O C T O B E R / N O V E M B E R 2 0 0 0

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 Training Standards Council INSPECTION FINDINGS

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3. The training and development unit produced its first self-assessment report in September 2000 for the inspection. A member of staff attended a workshop on the self-assessment process run by the TEC. The report was produced with help from a consultant recommended by the TEC. The senior training consultant consulted with training and assessor staff before, and following, the writing of the report.

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4. Three inspectors spent a total of 12 days at the provider’s site in Colindale in October/November 2000. They visited 14 apprentices at five council sites, held eight interviews involving managers, trainers, assessors and internal verifiers. They looked at a wide range of documents, including management files, written procedures for quality assurance, the TEC contract, data on trainees’ progression and achievements, and trainees’ personal files and portfolios. Inspectors evaluated resources for on- and off-the-job training. They inspected one training session in each of the two occupational areas and graded both of them 3.

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Business administration Grade 4

5. The London borough of Barnet offers training in administration to 13 modern apprentices. Two trainees are working towards NVQ level 2 and five trainees are working towards NVQ level 3. Six trainees have already completed work for an NVQ at level 3. Young people are recruited onto the programme when suitable vacancies arise within the council and all trainees are employed from the start of their training. Training consultants induct trainees in groups and individually during the trainees’ first week, and modern apprentices are included in the council’s corporate induction and 18-week staff assessment process. Line managers are also the trainees’ assessors. Trainees collect evidence of their competencies for their portfolios through their everyday work. They now attend half-day workshops once a month to collect evidence for specific units of the NVQ in administration. These workshops have recently been reintroduced after a five-

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Business administration Grade 4

month break following staff shortages. Modern apprentices can take part in the council’s programme of staff training courses. Training consultants visit the trainees in the workplace every two weeks to review progress, problems and development needs. Inspectors agreed with one of the strengths stated in the self- assessment report but they found both strengths and weaknesses which the training and development unit had not identified. Inspectors awarded the same grade as that given in the self-assessment report. I N S P E C T I O N R E P O R T : L O N D O N B O R O U G H O F B A R N E T O C T O B E R / N O V E M B E R 2 0 0 0

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Business administration Grade 4

 Training Standards Council STRENGTHS ♦ trainees’ excellent understanding of NVQ process ♦ high number of trainees progressing to permanent jobs ♦ trainees’ high NVQ achievement rates

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Business administration Grade 4

WEAKNESSES ♦ trainees lack of understanding of modern apprenticeship framework ♦ little use of observation in assessment ♦ unqualified assessors ♦ failure to plan training to meet individual trainees’ needs

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Business administration Grade 4

6. Trainees have a good understanding of the NVQ process. They are able to identify and collect evidence during the course of their everyday work and to explain how the evidence collected from the workplace matches NVQ criteria. They are able to cross-reference evidence from one unit to another. All trainees know which units of the NVQ they have achieved and which units and elements they need to undertake to complete the qualification. They are also clear about the purpose of internal verification.

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Business administration Grade 4

7. Trainees are employed from the start of the programme and all those who have obtained an NVQ at level 3 have now progressed to permanent jobs. Three trainees have been promoted to more senior positions. NVQ achievement is high. Fifteen trainees joined the programme between 1997-98 and 1999-2000. Of these, one trainee achieved an NVQ at level 2 and has progressed to work towards an NVQ at level 3. Two trainees have achieved NVQs at level 2 and 3 and 10 trainees have achieved an NVQ at level 3.

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Business administration Grade 4

8. Trainees have a poor understanding of the modern apprenticeship framework. Some trainees who have completed work for their NVQ at level 3 are under the impression that their training programme is finished. They are unclear why they are now required to work towards key skills certification. Trainees are not aware that in order to complete the new business administration framework they must complete two further units or achieve further qualifications. No trainee has completed a full modern apprenticeship.

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Business administration Grade 4

9. There is very little assessment by observation in the workplace. Trainees collect evidence for each unit from their day-to-day work activities, compile a portfolio and then submit work for the completed unit to their line manager or supervisor for assessment. The unit has not taken any initiative to enable workplace supervisors to become trained assessors. Trainees are not assessed through observation of their work. Trainees collect a disproportionate amount of paper-based evidence for their portfolios and make slow progress towards achieving their NVQ. I N S P E C T I O N R E P O R T : L O N D O N B O R O U G H O F B A R N E T O C T O B E R / N O V E M B E R 2 0 0 0

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Business administration Grade 4

 Training Standards Council 10. Line managers or supervisors who are all working towards the assessor awards assess trainees. At the time of the inspection, none of them had qualified as an assessor. Some have been working towards their assessor awards for more than 18 months. Job descriptions for line managers and supervisors do not include any reference to their role as assessors. Staff who are training to become assessors have difficulty finding the time to work towards their awards. Some do not assess enough candidates to enable them to collect sufficient evidence of their competence as assessors.

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Business administration Grade 4

11. Trainees do not have a training plan setting out the training activities they need to meet their learning goals. Trainees are usually given one year to complete work for the NVQ at level 2 and level 3, respectively. There is little systematic identification of trainees’ skills and abilities at the start of the modern apprenticeship programme. The results of trainees’ initial assessment, and any assessment of trainees’ prior learning, are taken into account when drawing up the trainees’ individual training plans. Learning in the workplace is not planned systematically. The necessity for trainees to carry out work which enables them to develop the competencies that they need to obtain their NVQ, is not reflected in their job descriptions. Trainees are eligible to take part in a variety of training courses run by the council. No special arrangements are made, however, to enable them to attend these courses and their attendance at them is not recorded in their

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Business administration Grade 4

individual training plan. Details of off-the-job training, including theory work and training in key skills, are not included in trainees’ individual training plans.

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Leisure, sport & travel Grade 3

12. The council appoints young people seeking careers in the sports and recreation industry to posts in its leisure and recreation department. The young people have employed status and undertake modern apprenticeships from the outset. There are currently eight modern apprentices. Three are working towards an NVQ in operational services. Those who obtain this then work towards an NVQ in facility operations at level 3 and currently, five modern apprentices are registered for this. None of the trainees has achieved certification in key skills. In addition to their main qualifications, trainees are required to achieve qualifications such as the pool lifeguard award, and other work-related qualifications, including those in first aid. Most trainees achieve more than the three required additional qualifications. Most trainees take part in a wide range of additional training courses offered by the council including those in information technology, drugs awareness and customer

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Leisure, sport & travel Grade 3

service. The trainees are employed in one of the two sports and recreation facilities operated by the council. In most cases, the trainees’ line managers are also their NVQ assessors. Inspectors did not agree with some of the strengths and weaknesses stated in the self-assessment report. One of the strengths was more relevant to trainee support. Inspectors awarded the same grade as that given in the self-assessment report. I N S P E C T I O N R E P O R T : L O N D O N B O R O U G H O F B A R N E T O C T O B E R / N O V E M B E R 2 0 0 0

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Leisure, sport & travel Grade 3

 Training Standards Council STRENGTHS ♦ well-planned training ♦ good opportunities for trainees to undertake additional training ♦ assessment on demand ♦ well-qualified assessors ♦ trainees’ excellent understanding of the NVQ process

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Leisure, sport & travel Grade 3

WEAKNESSES ♦ too much paper-based evidence in portfolios ♦ trainees’ inadequate understanding of the industry ♦ lack of clarity in some feedback on assessment

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Leisure, sport & travel Grade 3

13. There are two staff training sessions each week at both sports and recreation centres. At both centres, there is a 12-month training plan for staff. This aims to ensure that staff acquire new skills and update their existing skills. Training is relevant to the jobs that staff do and to the competencies they need to acquire in order to obtain their NVQ. Training is arranged flexibly to ensure the specific training needs of each trainee are met.

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Leisure, sport & travel Grade 3

14. Trainees receive significantly more additional training than that specified in the modern apprenticeship framework. This additional training aims to make them more employable and give them the skills they need in order to progress to positions of greater responsibility.

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Leisure, sport & travel Grade 3

15. Trainees have frequent contact with their assessors, who are usually their line managers. There is more than one assessor at each sports and recreation centre. If trainees’ shift patterns make it difficult for the trainees to make contact with the assessor assigned to them, they can turn to other assessors for guidance, support or assessment. The availability of assessors in the workplace facilitates trainees’ progress towards achievement of the NVQ.

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Leisure, sport & travel Grade 3

16. In addition to holding the required assessor qualification, all assessors have extensive experience in the industry including working in all the job roles their trainees have. They also have a wide range of vocational qualifications. Many have obtained an NVQ at level 3 and some have also completed a modern apprenticeship. Their knowledge and experience enables them to provide trainees with effective support.

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Leisure, sport & travel Grade 3

17. Trainees have an excellent understanding of all aspects of their NVQ is excellent. They have detailed knowledge of their roles and responsibilities, and the roles of the internal and external verifiers, the appeals procedure, and of how to cross-reference evidence to NVQ units. Both trainees who have been working towards their NVQ for a relatively short time, and those who have been on the programme over a year have this comprehensive understanding of the NVQ process. I N S P E C T I O N R E P O R T : L O N D O N B O R O U G H O F B A R N E T O C T O B E R / N O V E M B E R 2 0 0 0

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Leisure, sport & travel Grade 3

 Training Standards Council 18. Witness testimony of trainees’ competence is used as evidence for the trainees’ portfolios. There is, however, virtually no assessment of trainees through direct observation of their performance at work. There is a disproportionate amount of paper-based evidence in trainees’ portfolios. Although the evidence is valid, the production of it is unduly time-consuming. Assessors are not aware of the difference between witness testimony and direct assessment of the trainee by observation. Assessors constantly observe trainees carrying out tasks in the workplace to ensure they perform them correctly, but they do not take the opportunity to assess them at the same time.

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Leisure, sport & travel Grade 3

19. Staff are not aware that one of the key requirements of the modern apprenticeship framework is that trainees should have a thorough understanding of their industry. Although trainees are well informed about the council and the sport and recreation services it provides, they have little understanding of the nature and scope of the leisure industry as a whole.

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Leisure, sport & travel Grade 3

20. Assessors complete feedback reports for the trainees on the extent to which the evidence they provide meets the requirements of the NVQ. These reports, however, are insufficiently detailed to be of much help to the trainee or the internal and external verifiers. They provide little guidance for the trainees on whether the evidence, and the way it has been gathered, is appropriate. The assessors’ comments are often bland and perfunctory.

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Equal opportunities Grade 2

21. The London borough of Barnet has an equal opportunities policy, a harassment and dignity-at-work policy and statements on the employment of people with disabilities. There are formal grievance procedures. The training and development unit is responsible for the modern apprenticeship programme and the council’s equal opportunities action plan covers the work of the unit. Modern apprentices are recruited according to the policies and procedures used for the recruitment of all council staff. Potential trainees are sent a copy of the council’s equal opportunities statement when they apply. Equal opportunities is covered during the trainees’ induction to the modern apprenticeship programme, during the trainees’ induction to the workplace and at their corporate induction. Inspectors identified different strengths and weaknesses from those identified in the self- assessment report. Inspectors awarded the same grade as that given by the unit.

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Equal opportunities Grade 2

STRENGTHS ♦ comprehensive equal opportunities policies and procedures ♦ extensive equal opportunities training for staff ♦ detailed corporate plan to promote equality of opportunity ♦ trainees’ good understanding of equal opportunities issues I N S P E C T I O N R E P O R T : L O N D O N B O R O U G H O F B A R N E T O C T O B E R / N O V E M B E R 2 0 0 0

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Equal opportunities Grade 2

 Training Standards Council WEAKNESSES ♦ insufficient analysis of equal opportunities data on the modern apprenticeship programme ♦ no recruitment of under-represented groups

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Equal opportunities Grade 2

22. The equal opportunities employment policy clearly states the council’s commitment to promoting equal opportunities through all aspects of its work. The personnel procedures manual contains a harassment and dignity-at-work policy which clearly explains forms of harassment and the responsibilities of line managers and employees for countering it. The personnel and procedures manual also includes specific guidance on the employment of people with disabilities and the implications of The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 it sets out and job share and part-time working arrangements for people unable to work full time. There are also comprehensive recruitment and selection policies and procedures. Grievance and disciplinary procedures are explained in the staff handbook.

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Equal opportunities Grade 2

23. All new staff attend a corporate induction which includes a session on the council’s equal opportunities strategy. Trainees joining the modern apprenticeship programme receive the corporate induction. Equal opportunities policies are covered in trainees’ induction to the programme and the workplace. The staff induction and assessment pack includes a checklist to help new staff familiarise themselves with the grievance, disciplinary and equal opportunities policies and procedures during their 18-week assessment period. The council runs a structured training programme for managers which includes courses on managing diversity, recruitment and selection and handling complaints. The managing diversity training session covers the operation of the harassment and dignity at work procedures, the law and policy on equal opportunities and the benefits of promoting diversity. The council has recently introduced a programme to combat

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Equal opportunities Grade 2

racial harassment and promote equality in Barnet.

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Equal opportunities Grade 2

24. There is a detailed corporate plan to promote equality of opportunity. This year, a questionnaire for staff included questions relating to the treatment of minority ethnic staff, people with disabilities and women and the existence of harassment, bullying and victimisation within the council. Another questionnaire related to the use of the council’s services by minority ethnic groups. Action on responses to these questionnaires has led to the development of a new strategy to meet diverse needs and remove barriers to equality of opportunity. An action plan to improve data collection and monitoring of the upholding of equal opportunities is being prepared. The need for additional cultural and equality awareness training has been identified.

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Equal opportunities Grade 2

25. Trainees have a good understanding of the wider equal opportunities issues and are aware of their rights and responsibilities. Trainees are able to talk confidently about the arrangements the council makes for people with disabilities. Staff of the training and development unit provide related training to equal opportunities for all council staff and have an in-depth knowledge of the equal opportunities issues. I N S P E C T I O N R E P O R T : L O N D O N B O R O U G H O F B A R N E T O C T O B E R / N O V E M B E R 2 0 0 0

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Equal opportunities Grade 2

 Training Standards Council 26. The council reviews the fairness of its central recruitment and selection process carefully. It does not, however, fully analyse data relating to the gender, ethnicity and disabilities of trainees on the modern apprenticeship programme. All persons holding grade 1 - 4 posts with the council are referred to the training and development unit where they are assessed to see if they are suitable to take up a modern apprenticeship. Suitable posts are advertised and all applicants who return an application are guaranteed to be shortlisted against the job specification. In line with council policy, young people with disabilities or learning difficulties are guaranteed an interview. Data relating to the gender, ethnicity and disabilities of applicants and successful candidates are not analysed. No systematic comparison is made between the proportion of modern apprentices from minority ethnic groups

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Equal opportunities Grade 2

and the proportion of persons from these groups in the local population.

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Equal opportunities Grade 2

27. Council policy does not allow the targeted recruitment of persons from under- represented groups. Advertisements for modern apprenticeship posts display the council’s equal opportunities statement but job advertisements are not placed in the local minority ethnic press or community centres.

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Trainee support Grade 2

28. Trainees are recruited to specific posts within the council in exactly the same way as other council employees. Training and development staff determine the training and support needs of trainees through the interview process, by making an initial visit to them in the workplace, and studying the findings of their 18-week assessment period reports and the outcomes of their two-weekly progress reviews. All trainees have an induction to their NVQ, an induction to their work-role, and a corporate induction. The training and development unit’s training consultants and line managers share responsibility for monitoring trainees’ progress and the effectiveness of the learning and pastoral support trainees receive. The training consultants, and particularly the senior training consultant, take primary responsibility for providing career and progression counselling. Other personal counselling is available from specialist counsellors employed by the council.

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Trainee support Grade 2

Inspectors broadly agreed with the judgements in the self-assessment report but they did not agree with some relating to individual training plans. They found both strengths and weaknesses the organisation had not identified and awarded a grade higher than that given in the self-assessment report.

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Trainee support Grade 2

STRENGTHS ♦ highly effective induction process ♦ guaranteed time for trainees to carry out NVQ tasks at work ♦ rigorous initial monitoring of trainees’ performance ♦ wide range of resources for trainee support I N S P E C T I O N R E P O R T : L O N D O N B O R O U G H O F B A R N E T O C T O B E R / N O V E M B E R 2 0 0 0

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Trainee support Grade 2

 Training Standards Council WEAKNESSES ♦ insufficient diagnostic element in initial tests for trainees ♦ fragmented records on trainees ♦ no clear objectives for trainees’ progress reviews

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Trainee support Grade 2

29. The three induction sessions trainees receive are carefully structured and carried out well. Trainees understand and remember what they are told during induction. Both trainees who are newly appointed and those who have been employed for several years, have a good understanding of NVQs, their rights and responsibilities, the structure of the council and its general policies, and the complaints, appeals and grievance procedures.

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Trainee support Grade 2

30. The organisation has a firm commitment to furthering the personal development of the young people it employs. Trainees are allowed six hours a week in work time to gather evidence for their portfolios and undergo assessment, in addition to time allowed for training or attendance at NVQ workshops. During busy periods in the summer, it may not be possible for trainees to take their allowance of six hours off work for training purposes. In this event, however, the time due to them is logged and they may use it later, sometimes in block periods of up to a week.

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Trainee support Grade 2

31. The council carries out an assessment of the performance of all new employees over an 18-week period. Line managers report in detail on employees after one week and then after four, nine and 18 weeks, and then discuss their progress with them. Assessment focuses on the trainees’ attendance and responsiveness to instruction. Line managers also check that trainees are receiving the support they need. They identify employees’ broad training needs and set them targets of a general, rather than job-specific nature. This continuous assessment over the 18-week period, and the twice-weekly progress reviews of trainees carried out by training consultants aim to ensure that trainees are well supported during the early stage of their employment.

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Trainee support Grade 2

32. Trainees have access to a wide range of sources of support, not the least of which are the various staff they can call upon. This includes their line manager, other assessors in their workplace, and the training consultants whom they can contact at any time, and whom they meet with at least every two weeks. The training consultants, and in particular the senior training consultant offer confidential pastoral and career counselling. In some instances, staff visit trainees’ homes and hold discussions with trainees’ parents to resolve particularly difficult problems. Where necessary, trainees are referred to specialist counsellors employed by the council. In addition to this, all trainees have the opportunity to undergo a wide variety of additional training and most choose to do so. Unlike other staff, trainees can undertake any internal training they feel is appropriate to their needs. They can also use the open learning centre, which contains a wide

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Trainee support Grade 2

variety of learning resources, including computers. I N S P E C T I O N R E P O R T : L O N D O N B O R O U G H O F B A R N E T O C T O B E R / N O V E M B E R 2 0 0 0

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Trainee support Grade 2

 Training Standards Council 33. Staff apply criteria when deciding whether a trainee should work towards an NVQ at level 2 or an NVQ at level 3. The criteria are known to, and understood by staff, but they are not written down. New staff are not given any specification of the criteria in writing. There is no systematic process for checking that the criteria are carried out consistently.

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Trainee support Grade 2

34. New trainees undergo initial assessment. Staff devote a considerable amount of time to identifying trainees’ needs through discussion and interviews with the trainees themselves. The initial assessment process, however, is fragmented and it is not co-ordinated systematically. It is council policy that new employees shall not be subjected to testing that is too diagnostic. In some instances, however, trainees are recruited to posts for which they do not have the necessary skills. Once in post, the council has to spend a great deal of time identifying the support the trainees need and in ensuring they receive it.

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Trainee support Grade 2

35. Information about the trainees and their training programme is held by line managers, on trainees’ files or on other files. It is not brought together and recorded on one document to give a clear picture of the training programme and learning support each trainee receives, the progress each trainee has made, and the training courses each trainee has attended.

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Trainee support Grade 2

36. Most trainees receive reviews of their progress every two weeks. The reviews are carried out by training consultants. Some of the consultants are qualified in the occupational area related to the NVQ towards which the trainees are working. They are able to advise the trainees on ways of collecting evidence of their competencies. Other consultants, however, do not have qualifications relevant to the trainees’ occupational interests. Many trainees are unclear about the purpose of their reviews. They are uncertain whether the reviews are a means of monitoring their progress, or an opportunity for them to receive pastoral care and advice. The records of the reviews are unclear and insufficiently detailed.

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Management of training Grade 4

37. The senior training consultant runs the individual development unit and is responsible to the head of training and development. The council employs five members of staff to run the training centre, of whom three are full-time and two are part-time. The senior training consultant has sole responsibility for looking after the fabric of the training centre. She and her team are responsible for the apprenticeship scheme and NVQ training carried out by the council. This training involves a total of nearly 200 employees. The training and development unit comes within the personnel function of the council. The training and development unit achieved the Investor in People award in 1997 and is due to be reassessed for it in 2002. All staff employed in running the apprenticeship scheme are in frequent contact with each other, and meet to discuss individual trainees’ progress. Staff are employed under the same conditions as other local authority employees. All new

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Management of training Grade 4

staff undergo an induction. All staff receive an annual appraisal. During this, an I N S P E C T I O N R E P O R T : L O N D O N B O R O U G H O F B A R N E T O C T O B E R / N O V E M B E R 2 0 0 0

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Management of training Grade 4

 Training Standards Council assessment is made of the extent to which they have met their performance objectives and their training needs are identified, discussed and recorded. Staff work with a substantial number of workplace assessors who are the apprentices’ line managers in the council’s divisions. The self-assessment report identified three strengths and two weaknesses in the management of training. Inspectors agreed with one of these strengths but considered the other two to be no more than normal practice. They agreed with one of the weaknesses but considered the other more relevant to quality assurance. Inspectors awarded the same grade as that given in the self-assessment report.

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Management of training Grade 4

STRENGTHS ♦ well-established staff policies and procedures ♦ many qualified work-based assessors ♦ clear operating procedures for the modern apprenticeship scheme

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Management of training Grade 4

WEAKNESSES ♦ failure of any modern apprentice to complete the framework ♦ poor implementation of training in key skills ♦ insufficient understanding of the modern apprenticeship framework on the part of staff ♦ significant staffing shortages ♦ inadequate management-information system

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Management of training Grade 4

38. The council has clearly written staff policies and procedures on recruitment and selection, induction, appraisal and staff development. These are based on the borough council’s policies and are well presented in procedure manuals given to staff and trainees. Guidelines on recruitment and selection are clear. There are person specifications and job descriptions for all positions. New staff attend induction to council procedures as well as the training and development unit. New employees serve an 18-week probationary period. During this, their training needs are identified. The newest member of the training staff, in post for only six weeks at the time of the inspection, was receiving a well-structured induction into the unit. This included observing his colleagues being trained, the observation of his own performance while assessing trainees in the workplace, the monitoring of his performance and the provision of appropriate support. The senior training

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Management of training Grade 4

consultant uses the scheme of annual staff appraisal as a means of setting the staff targets and identifying their training needs. The appropriateness of these targets is reviewed after six months. Staff are enthusiastic about training and clearly understand their roles. The council constantly provides staff with continual training in response to local and national initiatives or changes in policies and procedures. Trainees are able to benefit from this extra training. The day-to-day management of training is organised through regular informal meetings of staff. At these, progress towards reaching performance targets is discussed. However, meetings do not have set agendas and are not usually minuted. I N S P E C T I O N R E P O R T : L O N D O N B O R O U G H O F B A R N E T O C T O B E R / N O V E M B E R 2 0 0 0

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Management of training Grade 4

 Training Standards Council 39. The unit has about 70 work-based assessors carrying out NVQ assessment across the council. The majority of the trainees have a work-based assessor who is also their line manager. The work-based assessors are able to offer the trainee guidance on ways of collecting appropriate evidence through everyday work, for the purposes of NVQ assessment. All assessors in the sport and recreation are qualified. However, all six assessors in business administration are still working to become qualified assessors. Two of these have been assessing for 18 months or more and have not yet completed their portfolios. To help them, the unit introduced in May this year a two-day training programme plus three half-day follow-up individual training sessions for all trainee assessors. The training is carefully structured and well designed.

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Management of training Grade 4

40. The operating procedures for the modern apprenticeship scheme are clear. They cover trainees’ recruitment, induction, 18-week assessment period, training and compliance with the TEC contract. Some of the procedures are set out in the form of flow charts to help staff understand them. All staff are familiar with the procedures.

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Management of training Grade 4

41. In the five years during which the council has held a contract with the TEC, no trainees in sport and business administration have completed the modern apprenticeship framework in full. The unit has suffered staffing shortages since the spring. Some trainees, who completed work for their NVQ in 1999 or earlier this year, have not started work on key skills. They have been given a year in which to achieve certification in key skills. This timescale reflects the problems over staffing rather than the trainees’ individual aptitude.

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Management of training Grade 4

42. The unit has very recently re-introduced workshops on key skills, with the aim of ensuring that more trainees complete the full apprenticeship. However, training in key skills is not implemented effectively. There is no systematic identification of trainees’ individual training needs in relation to key skills. There is little planned key skills training. Training and assessment in key skills are not an integral part of the trainees’ overall programme. The trainees only collect evidence of their competence in key skills after they have completed work for their NVQ. No member of staff is qualified to carry out training in, or assessment of, key skills. The unit has recently introduced assessment and recognition of trainees’ prior learning of key skills. It is intended that trainees with appropriate qualifications will be exempt from some work in key skills. It is too early to judge the effectiveness of this recent initiative to accredit trainees’ prior learning. The

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Management of training Grade 4

unit has begun to use assessment of prior learning with regard to the new key skills standards. Trainees with the appropriate qualifications are exempt from some of the key skills. This process is new and the impact on the progress of trainees in gaining the full apprenticeship is yet to be determined.

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Management of training Grade 4

43. Some staff are not fully aware of the requirements of the apprenticeship framework. In business administration trainees had not been registered for assessment against the new standards in September, as required. Some staff did not realise that modern apprentices have to take additional vocational qualifications and that these must be approved by the TEC. Some were under the I N S P E C T I O N R E P O R T : L O N D O N B O R O U G H O F B A R N E T O C T O B E R / N O V E M B E R 2 0 0 0

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Management of training Grade 4

 Training Standards Council misapprehension that all modern apprentices must obtain certification in the key skill of problem solving, whereas such certification can constitute an additional recognised qualification. Charts showing the requirements of the framework are incomplete and inaccurate.

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Management of training Grade 4

44. The management-information system is inadequate. Accurate information on trainees is not readily available. Data are on a range of spreadsheets and have not been collated. Managers have no clear overview of the progress trainees make towards achieving their qualification. Individual trainers keep information on trainees’ progress but this is not collated to assist decision-making by management.

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Quality assurance Grade 4

45. The council’s corporate plan includes quality assurance procedures which also cover the training and development unit. These meet TEC and awarding bodies’ requirements. Responsibility for monitoring and evaluating quality assurance practices and procedures rests with the senior training consultant. She and two of the team are qualified internal verifiers. Feedback from trainees and assessors is obtained at regular intervals through interviews and questionnaires. Feedback is discussed at staff meetings. Trainees’ achievement rates and destinations are monitored. The sports and recreation programme complies with the requirements of ISO 9002 which the unit obtained in 1998. The self-assessment report identified two strengths and two weaknesses. Inspectors agreed with the strength relating to the effective action on feedback from trainees, and the two weaknesses relating, respectively, to the lack of quality assurance procedures and the lack of action-

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Quality assurance Grade 4

planning for improvement. They awarded the same grade as that given in the self- assessment report.

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Quality assurance Grade 4

STRENGTHS ♦ effective use of target-setting and performance indicators ♦ systematic collection of feedback from trainees and assessors

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Quality assurance Grade 4

WEAKNESSES ♦ insufficient understanding of quality assurance among staff ♦ some weak internal verification practices ♦ inadequate quality assurance system ♦ no action-planning to achieve improvement

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Quality assurance Grade 4

46. The training and development unit uses target-setting and performance indicators effectively. Targets are set for recruitment to the modern apprenticeship programme and for trainees’ achievement of NVQs and key skills certification. I N S P E C T I O N R E P O R T : L O N D O N B O R O U G H O F B A R N E T O C T O B E R / N O V E M B E R 2 0 0 0

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Quality assurance Grade 4

 Training Standards Council These targets relate to income targets and the TEC contract. All staff understand the targets. Monitoring of progress towards achieving the targets is carried out through regular discussion between trainers and the senior training consultant. The unit submits a quarterly performance report which feeds into the personnel division’s report. Trainees’ NVQ rates are monitored. Feedback from trainees is used as a means of evaluating training. In 1999-2000, an average of 88 per cent of trainees was more than satisfied with the training they had received. Feedback from trainees and assessors is collected routinely. Trainees provide written feedback after induction, after each workshop and at the end of the scheme. At standardisation meetings, assessors are encouraged to give feedback. Staff from the unit inform assessors of trainees’ responses to questionnaires and, where appropriate, action is taken on them. The unit has made improvements to provision

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Quality assurance Grade 4

in response to this feedback. For example, alterations to the premises are underway to reduce noise in the training rooms.

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Quality assurance Grade 4

47. There is an updated written procedure for assessment and internal verification. There is, however, poor practice in internal verification. In the sport and recreation programme, a matrix is used to record internal verification. However, this is completed retrospectively and not planned in advance. There are no internal verification sampling plans. The unit has established clear criteria for deciding whether an assessor is experienced or not. Assessors who are working to become qualified have all their assessments internally verified. For two years after gaining their qualification, 66 per cent of their assessments are internally verified. The assessors are then considered to be experienced and only 33 per cent of their assessments are internally verified. Assessments made by trainee assessors on the business administration programme are countersigned, but those on the sport and recreation programme are not. In practice, internal verifiers do not observe

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Quality assurance Grade 4

assessors. Assessors themselves do not carry out sufficient assessment of trainees through observation of their performance. There is a disproportionate amount of paper-based evidence in trainees’ portfolios.

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Quality assurance Grade 4

48. The unit carries out quality assurance in various ways. These include some observation of training, obtaining feedback from trainees and assessors, self- assessment and internal verification. There is not, however, one, coherent quality assurance system that generates an action plan for continuous improvement. Insufficient priority is given to ensuring that quality assurance procedures are effective and lead to the improvement of training or assessment practices. There is a list of aspects of the modern apprenticeship scheme that are in need of continuous improvement. However, there are no procedures to ensure the action- planning of such improvement. Some quality assurance arrangements are informal and unsystematic. For example, criteria for judging training through observation have been established, but such observation is not carried out regularly. There is little monitoring of the quality of standard training practices and procedures.

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Quality assurance Grade 4

Quality assurance practice has failed to identify: weaknesses in the process for carrying out reviews of trainees’ progress; incomplete training records in trainees’ files; the lack of agendas for, and minutes of, meetings; the infrequency of assessors’ meetings on standardisation of assessment. In May 1998, an external verifier’s report stated that all trainee assessor’s assessments should be I N S P E C T I O N R E P O R T : L O N D O N B O R O U G H O F B A R N E T O C T O B E R / N O V E M B E R 2 0 0 0

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Quality assurance Grade 4

 Training Standards Council countersigned. This recommendation was not acted upon. The countersigning of assessments was introduced in May 2000 after staff had attended training run by the awarding body. There are forms for recording the assessment of the performance of trainee assessors. These are not used systematically.

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Quality assurance Grade 4

49. There is no systematic action planning of continuous improvement. The self- assessment report is not accompanied by an action plan. It merely contains action points. There is no specification of timescales within which requisite improvements must be carried out, who has responsibility for the improvements, priorities for improvements, arrangements for monitoring implementation of action and how the effectiveness of the improvements will be judged. The unit has identified 32 key strategic priorities for 2000-01, and these include the modern apprenticeship scheme. There is no action plan for ensuring these priorities are met. The self-assessment report contains little quantitative data to substantiate the strengths and weaknesses stated in it. Although inspectors agreed with most of the strengths and weaknesses identified by the unit, several of these were in the wrong section of the report. Inspectors agreed with all the grades in the self-assessment

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Quality assurance Grade 4

report except one. They gave a higher grade for trainee support than that given in the self-assessment report.

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