KT Associates

Type of provider: Independent learning provider

p.1

Address:

Surtees Business Centre Bowesfield Lane Stockton-on-Tees Cleveland TS18 3HP Monitoring visit: KT Associates, 1 May 2018

p.1

Context and focus of visit

Inspectors carried out a one-day visit to the provider as, at its previous inspection, it was judged to be inadequate and arrangements for safeguarding were judged to be ineffective. The visit considered leaders’ implementation of safeguarding procedures. Inspectors met with the provider’s staff, reviewed documentation relating to safeguarding and spoke with learners and employers.

p.2

Reasonable progress

Following the previous inspection, leaders swiftly revised their policies and procedures relating to safeguarding and these are now compliant with the most recent legislation. All current policies are fit for purpose.

p.2

Reasonable progress

The new lone-working policy ensures that staff and learners are safe during assessment visits. The use of mobile phone tracking software enables leaders to check the location of their staff and provides an automated welfare check that staff must respond to within a given timeframe to indicate that they are safe. This means that managers have a better understanding of whether staff are safe or not and can respond quickly if required.

p.2

Reasonable progress

Leaders recognise the challenges of working across a range of different local authorities and have recently included the direct contact details for all local authority safeguarding boards on the company’s website. These are accessible to staff who have any concerns when working in an area that they are unfamiliar with. Staff ensure that learners know where they can find this information should they have any concerns.

p.2

Reasonable progress

In response to the findings at the previous inspection, leaders now carefully risk assess staff visiting learners in workplaces and private homes. Comprehensive risk assessments consider possible risks to staff and learner safety, as well as broader risks to property and personal possessions. Staff apply a rating to each risk and determine whether it is low, medium or high, and put in place suitable control measures to reduce the risks. However, in too many cases, the risk rating is too subjective and relies on the manager’s own opinion rather than being determined by an underpinning methodology.

p.2

Reasonable progress

Leaders have a ‘Prevent’ risk assessment and action plan document that is compliant with legislation. However, it is too generic and does not reflect well enough the risks of radicalisation and extremism in the areas that learners live and work. Monitoring visit: KT Associates, 1 May 2018

p.2

Reasonable progress

Following the previous inspection, leaders quickly held a series of workshops for staff and learners around conflict resolution, staying safe at work, broader safeguarding issues and the ‘Prevent’ duty. Good-quality training materials supported these workshops and have had a positive impact on the ability of staff to hold meaningful conversations with learners as part of their learning programmes.

p.3

Reasonable progress

As a result of the training, almost all learners can articulate a better understanding of safeguarding and how it relates to their job roles in the health and social care sector. Most learners can give examples of how they have considered the welfare of their service users and they know how to report any concerns that they might have about their well-being or that of others. Learners can recall information from the resources that they use to gain a better understanding.

p.3

Reasonable progress

Leaders support the employers that they work with to improve their understanding of the ‘Prevent’ duty. As a result, employers feel more confident in supporting their employees to understand the risks of radicalisation and extremism.

p.3

Reasonable progress

Despite the best efforts of leaders, not all learners have an improved awareness; a few learners are not fully aware of the risks of radicalisation and extremism local to their home or work. A small number could not articulate the training that staff provide or the impact that the training has had on their understanding of safeguarding and the risks of radicalisation. Monitoring visit: KT Associates, 1 May 2018 the 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 . 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

p.3

Reasonable progress

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 .

p.4

Reasonable progress

regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, 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. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to

p.4

Reasonable progress

the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.4

Reasonable progress

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.4

Reasonable progress

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.4