Moy Park Limited

Moy Park Limited Monitoring visit report

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Address:

The Food Park 39 Seagoe Industrial Estate Craigavon Northern Ireland BT63 5QE Monitoring visit: Moy Park Limited, 1–2 August 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 three themes set out below.

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Context and focus of visit

Moy Park Limited launched its apprenticeship programme in July 2017, with the first apprentices beginning their studies in September 2017. All apprentices are employees of Moy Park and all are working towards the standard for food and drink process operators at level 2.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders initially decided to operate a pilot programme with a relatively small number of apprentices at the Grantham site. They did this to ensure that their approaches and systems are robust and fit for purpose before expanding the programme to other sites and to new recruits. This is a measured and sensible approach that helps ensure that apprentices receive appropriate training of a good standard. Managers have plans to launch a programme at level 3 in due course but they recognise that they do not have the capacity within the company to provide this training. Consequently, they plan to subcontract it to an outside provider.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers have established a relevant programme that fulfils the apprenticeship requirements. Although apprentices are established employees, the programme helps them to develop a good range of new knowledge, skills and behaviours that lead to increased productivity for Moy Park and increased job satisfaction for apprentices. Apprentices find their studies rewarding and managers can see tangible benefits in the workplace. Managers find it difficult to release apprentices from the workplace on a regular basis because of operational requirements. However, they work with training staff to overcome this difficulty and to ensure that apprentices receive the required off-the-job training within working hours.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have provided appropriate resources for the apprenticeship programme. They have made a substantial investment in staff, having recruited 10 assessors to support a cohort of 89 apprentices. Assessors have appropriate skills and qualifications and they have a good understanding of their roles. They use their expertise effectively to help apprentices to make the progress expected of them. Monitoring visit: Moy Park Limited, 1–2 August 2018 Training rooms are of a good standard. Apprentices have access to suitable information and communication technology (ICT) resources, an appropriate range of printed learning materials and a limited quantity of online learning resources.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices’ line managers have an adequate understanding of the different components of the programme. They are enthusiastic about the apprenticeship programme and provide on-the-job mentoring and help apprentices to apply their new knowledge, skills and behaviours in the workplace. Although line managers are involved in monitoring the progress of their apprentices, they do not have a fully developed understanding of the end-point assessment requirements. As a result, line managers are not ready to make a full contribution to the approaching gateway process.

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Reasonable progress

Staff recruit apprentices with integrity. Many apprentices put themselves forward for the programme while others are approached by their line manager. In all cases, their participation is voluntary. All prospective apprentices take assessments and only those who are likely to benefit from the training are recruited. All apprentices interviewed are very happy with the arrangements.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices take appropriate English and mathematics assessments at the start of their programme. To complete their apprenticeship successfully, the large majority need to pass functional skills examinations at level 1 and to work towards qualifications at level 2. This poses an additional challenge as a substantial number of apprentices speak English as an additional language. A subcontractor provides apprentices with relevant support and individualised help with their English and mathematical knowledge and skills. A member of the subcontractor’s staff provides this support on a full-time basis at Moy Park’s premises. Although managers at Moy Park monitor the quality of this provision and most apprentices make good progress, a minority have not yet improved their English knowledge and skills sufficiently and managers have yet to decide how to resolve this.

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Reasonable progress

All apprentices are in occupations that allow them to fulfil the requirements of their programme. Managers have matched the standard operating procedures that govern each apprentice’s employment to the requirements of the apprenticeship standard. This ensures that apprentices’ work roles offer adequate opportunities to enable them to complete their programme successfully.

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Reasonable progress

Assessors know their apprentices well. They have a good understanding of their strengths and barriers to learning. They provide good care and support that helps apprentices to build on their strengths and overcome any difficulties. This motivates Monitoring visit: Moy Park Limited, 1–2 August 2018 apprentices to strive for high standards. Consequently, most make at least the expected progress towards their learning goals.

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Reasonable progress

All apprentices receive an appropriate assessment of what they know and can do, when they start their apprenticeship. This includes identification of their work-related knowledge, skills, experience and confidence levels. Assessors make good use of this information to plan individualised learning programmes that help apprentices to develop their knowledge, skills and behaviours quickly. Managers do not, however, ensure that apprentices’ ICT skills are adequately assessed at the start of their programme.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices undertake on- and off-the-job training that helps them to develop new knowledge, skills and behaviours. Subsequently, they become more efficient and effective in dealing with workplace tasks. For example, an apprentice was able to demonstrate how she would correctly respond to a production line machine error while maintaining colleagues’ safety. Assessors challenge apprentices effectively to extend their understanding of how their work affects that of their colleagues.

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Reasonable progress

Assessors make good use of workplace projects to aid apprentices’ development. For example, apprentices undertake an investigation of their work activities to identify improvements that lead to less waste or enhanced yields. Apprentices’ training ensures that they develop an excellent understanding of health and safety practices that they demonstrate routinely within their work roles. In a few cases, apprentices do not recognise that they have developed new knowledge and skills. This limits their ability to apply their learning to improve their work practices.

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Reasonable progress

Assessors are particularly adept at scheduling work-based assessments so that they maximise apprentices’ learning while minimising production-line disruption. They encourage apprentices to demonstrate their competencies through regular and frequent assessment opportunities.

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Reasonable progress

Training managers have planned thoroughly for apprentices’ end-point assessment. Apprentices undertake a good range of activities to prepare them for the test, observation and professional discussion. Consequently, apprentices grow in confidence as they develop their understanding of the process.

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Reasonable progress

Assessors have a strong commitment to raising the standard of their own professional practice. They have responded quickly and effectively to the recent improvement suggestions made by the awarding organisation. However, other quality-assurance processes are less effective in securing improvements. Managers use direct observation of training sessions and data about apprentices’ progress to assess the standard of the programme. They recognise that the observation process needs strengthening so that it provides a more detailed and accurate assessment of quality and leads to effective professional development for assessors. Rather than making effective use of their electronic portfolio system, managers rely on paper reports about apprentices’ progress. These reports do not always provide the most up-to-date view of apprentices’ development or show data in ways that make it easy Monitoring visit: Moy Park Limited, 1–2 August 2018

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Reasonable progress

to identify emerging concerns. This limits managers’ ability to intervene when difficulties arise.

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Reasonable progress

Bi-monthly reviews of apprentices’ progress are not fully effective. Assessors do not place enough emphasis on setting appropriate targets for apprentices to improve their occupational, personal and social skills or on ensuring that apprentices achieve these targets within agreed timescales. Apprentices do not have access to review documentation and this makes it difficult for them to reflect on their own progress. Although managers contribute to progress reviews, their input does not focus sufficiently on how they can support their apprentices.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers place great importance on the safety and welfare of all staff, including apprentices. As this is a manufacturing business, managers and staff give top priority to health and safety. Managers also strive to assure the well-being of apprentices. For example, they have provided telephone helplines to support employees when workplace and personal difficulties arise.

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Reasonable progress

As an employer provider with no apprentices under 19 years of age, there is no requirement for staff to undergo disclosure and barring service checks or for managers to record staff information in a single central record. Nevertheless, managers follow appropriate processes for recruiting assessors and check their identity, employment backgrounds and qualifications.

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Reasonable progress

Moy Park’s safeguarding policy is brief but adequate for current purposes. Managers are aware that if they extend their apprenticeship programme to include 16- to 18- year-old apprentices they will have to enhance this policy. Although guidance for dealing with such things as safeguarding disclosures exists within other policies, such as the bullying and harassment policy, there is no single reference for staff to help them deal with safeguarding concerns. Similarly, there is no clear code of conduct in place that provides guidance on how training staff should interact with younger apprentices. However, the subcontractor has a suitable safeguarding policy.

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Reasonable progress

Assessors undertake training in safeguarding, including topics related to radicalisation and extremism. They all know what action they should take if a safeguarding concern arises and to whom they should report such concerns. Apprentices also know with whom they should raise concerns.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices are safe and feel safe. They receive training and develop an appropriate understanding of safeguarding themes including radicalisation and extremism, about which they are well informed. Although they are enthusiastic about the activities they have undertaken on British values, they nevertheless struggle to articulate them clearly. Monitoring visit: Moy Park Limited, 1–2 August 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 www.learnerview.ofsted.gov.uk .

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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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Reasonable progress

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Reasonable progress

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