SCCU Ltd

Name of lead inspector: Maria Navarro HMI

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Type of provider: Independent learning provider

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Address:

7 Orchard Court Binley Business Park Coventry CV3 2TQ Monitoring visit: SCCU Ltd, 6–7 June 2018

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Context and focus of visit

This monitoring visit was undertaken as part of a series of monitoring visits to a sample of new apprenticeship training providers that are funded through the apprenticeship levy. Ofsted’s intention to carry out monitoring visits to these new providers was first announced by Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector in November 2017. The focus of these visits is on the themes set out below.

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Context and focus of visit

SCCU Ltd was founded in 2010 and has been since then a subcontractor to colleges and training providers. The provider was registered to receive public funding for the delivery of training in its own right in May 2017. The first cohort of apprentices was enrolled four months later. The first learners to take a course via the adult education provision joined in May 2018. At the time of the inspection, there were some 87 apprentices on frameworks and three on standards in teaching and learning within the sports area in schools and communities. Some 190 adult learners were following an online mental health awareness course.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have built, over time and through their previous experiences as sub- contractors, very good and close relationships with their employers. These are mostly schools and community centres in the Coventry and Warwickshire areas. They have utilised these relationships well to identify the training and development needs of employers’ staff. Leaders have ensured that employers’ needs determine the apprenticeship programmes and development pathways that they have established.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders spent a considerable period of time reshaping their organisation from being a subcontractor to ensuring that it can deliver training programmes in its own right. This reshaping included a considerable investment in systems and technology to aid learners’ recording of learning, and the administration and data collection in relation to contractual requirements. An extensive restructure followed to secure the necessary operational capacity in the senior team. As a consequence, senior managers are now experienced in their field and equipped to fulfil their roles. Nevertheless, the provider has rightly acknowledged the need to establish a line of governance that supports leaders and managers and holds them to account for delivering high-quality training programmes.

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Reasonable progress

The provider has set up apprenticeship programmes that comprise all the required learning components. However, leaders and managers do not yet monitor that all apprentices receive the agreed off-the-job training. They have accurately identified Monitoring visit: SCCU Ltd, 6–7 June 2018 that aspects of their strategy need further planning and implementation, such as ensuring the smooth transition from frameworks to standards in the near future. Currently, there is no confirmed end-point assessment for the three apprentices on standards. Leaders and managers have not set up the necessary contingency plans to ensure that apprentices are not disadvantaged by this.

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Reasonable progress

The provider recruits learners with integrity on to the programme with the sole objective of ensuring the best match between candidates and jobs. The provider structures the process of recruitment clearly. It includes a useful opportunity to assess learners’ attitudes and to set clear job role expectations by observing candidates at work during the selection stage. All learners from the first cohort remain on their programme.

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Reasonable progress

Learners receive comprehensive information, advice and guidance at the start, highlighting clearly what the apprenticeship entails. The provider offers them support throughout the programme by providing information on progression pathways and preparing references for university courses.

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Reasonable progress

Staff use initial assessment correctly to identify apprentices’ starting points in their learning. Assessors use this information well to plan for apprentices’ development needs in mathematics and English up to level 2, but they do not set targets for apprentices exempt from these subjects to continue developing these skills. Apprentices join the most appropriate level of course that links closely to their job role.

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Reasonable progress

Assessors ensure that learning relates well to roles and responsibilities in the workplace, so that apprentices are able to apply theory to practice. However, in their written work, apprentices do not receive encouragement to demonstrate how they apply theoretical concepts in their job roles.

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Reasonable progress

Most assessors are well qualified, have relevant industry experience, and hold appropriately high expectations of their apprentices. They share best practice and gain new ideas to improve their assessment practice. However, too often, assessors do not set apprentices sufficiently individualised targets to help them extend their knowledge and skills and ensure that they make the progress of which they are capable.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices have a good understanding of the qualification they are doing and they see how the newly learned skills and behaviours can help them in their work. Most apprentices make their expected progress. They are able to use their current job roles effectively to demonstrate their skills. Employers value their apprentices and help them develop their experience. For example, one apprentice supported three Monitoring visit: SCCU Ltd, 6–7 June 2018 residential trips with pupils, by planning and delivering a range of sporting and fun activities.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers have devised delivery models that allow apprentices to learn the knowledge, skills and behaviours that their employers demand. In the case of the apprenticeship that is currently delivered via standards, the necessary assessment structures are in place to prepare apprentices for their gateway assessment.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers monitor apprenticeship performance closely, identifying any issues that prevent learners from making at least their expected progress in the development of skills and behaviours. However, managers do not yet measure the progress that apprentices make in acquiring new knowledge in relation to their starting points.

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Reasonable progress

The provider has developed robust arrangements to assure the quality of assessment practice. However, managers monitor less well the extent to which assessment aims to maximise apprentices’ learning potential, considering their starting points. Managers do not focus sufficiently on measuring learning when they carry out their teaching observations. Managers’ subsequent actions, therefore, do not focus sharply enough on ensuring that tutors plan and design learning strategies sufficiently well to help all learners progress as well as they might, including in English and mathematics.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers have capitalised on their strong links with the local schools and community centres to offer their teachers and sports coaches a well-considered and informative programme. By gaining this knowledge, teachers are more able to identify and support pupils or colleagues who may have stress and anxiety, eating disorders, depression, or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

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Reasonable progress

Coaches gain the trust of young people by displaying a confident and greater understanding of the stresses they can face. As a consequence, young people engage well into a range of activities to help them develop into self-assured young individuals.

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Reasonable progress

Work-based tutors ensure that learners enrol on the course after having undertaken a thorough discussion about the course and its benefits, but they do not make them aware of the existing progression routes on completion of their programme. Teaching staff do not ascertain the support needs of learners from the outset, particularly for those who may not have done any formal learning recently or may need support. However, tutors do provide useful study support to community sport coaches through a regular weekly workshop in their local settings. Monitoring visit: SCCU Ltd, 6–7 June 2018 Staff structure the course well and present it in a language that is easy to understand. Although most learning takes place online, the provider has made good arrangements for learners to access weekly support with a tutor face to face. The programme covers a broad range of mental health topics with sufficient depth to enhance learners’ understanding. However, tutors assess only the theoretical

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Reasonable progress

knowledge gained by learners and do not ask them to demonstrate how they would apply the knowledge and skills gained to their work context or their daily lives. Consequently, learners are not able to relate theory to practice and reflect sufficiently on their learning to identify how it benefits them.

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Reasonable progress

Tutors’ feedback to learners on their assignments is constructive. In some cases, tutors request learners to explain concepts more clearly and so set and demand higher standards of written work.

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Reasonable progress

Tutors share good practice among themselves, but do not yet evaluate the programme at various stages to ensure that the quality of provision is continually improving.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers have established a set of comprehensive safeguarding policies informed by the latest legislation and best practice with regards to safeguarding topics. Staff and learners receive clear and extensive information on the mechanisms available to raise concerns and keep themselves safe, including a whistleblowing policy.

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Reasonable progress

An appropriately trained safeguarding designated officer acts as the main point of call for learners who wish to raise a safeguarding concern. The officer’s availability, however, is insufficient to cover the timescale required. The provider addressed and rectified this during the monitoring visit by procuring appropriate training for an additional two members of staff. Leaders are also about to implement a 24-hour helpline for learners to raise any safeguarding concerns.

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Reasonable progress

All tutors and assessors have undertaken the mandatory disclosure and barring service checks. Staff have undertaken appropriate training on safeguarding, and a senior manager has very recently undertaken training that is commensurate with their safeguarding accountability. Leaders and managers have so far shared the ownership of safeguarding matters. However, they have agreed that a senior manager should take responsibility for overseeing the further development of their safeguarding strategy.

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Reasonable progress

Staff and managers have participated in training events designed to raise their awareness of the ‘Prevent’ duty. The provider has developed effective links with the local authority’s designated safeguarding officer that have resulted in staff receiving further training and developing a greater knowledge of safeguarding matters. Monitoring visit: SCCU Ltd, 6–7 June 2018 Learners have a very good understanding of safeguarding and feel safe in the work environment. No accidents in the workplace or safeguarding concerns in general have been reported to the provider by learners. Most of the apprentices aged 16 to 18 are in workplaces that have comprehensive safeguarding policies – such as schools – and learners are required to adhere to these. However, the provider has not yet ascertained whether their own extensive safeguarding procedures are fully appropriate to meet any specific safeguarding needs presented by the younger

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Reasonable progress

The provider uses a comprehensive online learning programme to develop learners’ awareness of safeguarding risks and to help them understand how to keep themselves safe. This includes being aware of, for example, the dangers of extremism and radicalisation. However, the provider has not yet begun to measure the impact of this package in raising learners’ knowledge of how to protect themselves from these risks. Monitoring visit: SCCU Ltd, 6–7 June 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

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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 .

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

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Reasonable progress

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