The Business Portfolio (UK) Limited

The Business Portfolio (UK) Limited Monitoring visit report

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Name of lead inspector: Ken Fisher, Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection date(s): 31 January–1 February 2019

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Type of provider: Independent learning provider

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Address: Partnership for Learning Building South Road Speke Merseyside L24 9PZ Monitoring visit: The Business Portfolio (UK) Limited, 31 January–1 February 2019

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Context and focus of visit

From October 2018, Ofsted undertook to carry out monitoring visits to all newly directly funded providers of apprenticeship training provision which began to be funded from April 2017 or after by the Education and Skills Funding Agency and/or the apprenticeship levy. This monitoring visit was undertaken as part of those arrangements and as outlined in the ‘Further education and skills inspection handbook’, especially the sections entitled ‘Providers newly directly funded to deliver apprenticeship training provision’ and ‘Monitoring visits’. The focus of these visits is on the three themes set out below.

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Context and focus of visit

The Business Portfolio (UK) Limited (TBP) was formed in 2007. It provides consultancy services to businesses to help them develop their staff and improve their organisational efficiency. In November 2017 TBP started receiving public funding to deliver apprenticeship training. It currently has 32 apprentices, all of whom are working towards a standards-based leadership and management programme at level 5. All the apprentices are science graduates. Apprentices are employed by a government-owned and operated scientific organisation.

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Insufficient progress

Directors do not use the apprenticeship funding appropriately. They do not deliver a full, flexible and high-quality individualised apprenticeship programme with integrated on- and off-the-job learning. Directors are aware that the apprenticeship is only a subsidiary part of the employer’s graduate training scheme. The employer acknowledges correctly that the apprenticeship is broadly aligned to courses which TBP previously delivered commercially and which can now be funded through the apprenticeship levy.

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Insufficient progress

Directors do not ensure that the programme is planned to meet the principles and requirements of an apprenticeship. They do not ensure that apprentices receive their full entitlement to frequent and high-quality off-the-job training for the apprenticeship part of the graduate training scheme.

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Insufficient progress

Directors’ curriculum planning is poor. They give insufficient attention to apprentices’ previous training and career aspirations when designing the curriculum. Directors do not design the curriculum to ensure that apprentices develop substantial new vocational knowledge, skills and behaviours. All apprentices study the same topics despite their previously acquired knowledge and skills. As a consequence, too many Monitoring visit: The Business Portfolio (UK) Limited, 31 January–1 February 2019 apprentices do not make the rapid progress of which they are capable. A few apprentices rightly acknowledge that learning is not at a high enough level for their job role.

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Insufficient progress

Directors do not have a clearly defined strategy to develop apprentices’ knowledge and skills in English, mathematics and information and communication technology. They assume, incorrectly, that because the apprentices are highly qualified graduates no further training is needed. Apprentices’ ongoing development in these subjects is poor.

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Insufficient progress

Governance arrangements are inadequate. The directors are not held to account for the relevance of the curriculum and its impact on apprentices. They do not receive any supervisory oversight for the quality of the training, apprentices’ progress or apprentices’ achievements. Directors’ effectiveness in improving the relevance and quality of the programme for apprentices is poor.

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Insufficient progress

Directors and tutors have not yet made the necessary arrangements for apprentices to complete the end-point assessment. They have not made any arrangements for discussing apprentices’ readiness for assessment with the employer. Apprentices have insufficient information about what they need to do to obtain pass, merit or distinction grades.

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Insufficient progress

Directors do not have an accurate oversight of the progress that individual apprentices make. Although tutors track unit completion, they do not monitor and record the new knowledge, skills and behaviours that apprentices develop.

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Insufficient progress

Tutors do not use the results of the assessments that apprentices complete at the start of their programme to plan individual learning. Apprentices study the same generic units despite their varying starting points. Apprentices’ on- and off-the-job learning are not coordinated effectively.

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Insufficient progress

Tutors do not set apprentices challenging individual targets to guide their learning and against which to measure their progress. Apprentices are not challenged sufficiently and encouraged to excel. Too many apprentices make slow progress, despite their high achievements at university.

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Insufficient progress

Apprentices do not receive off-the-job training frequently enough, which impedes the progress they make on their programme. Furthermore, tutors do not liaise sufficiently with apprentices’ line managers and apprentices to ensure that new knowledge, skills and behaviours are integrated into apprentices’ working practices. Monitoring visit: The Business Portfolio (UK) Limited, 31 January–1 February 2019 Apprentices are not aware of all the ways in which they will be assessed at the end of their programme. Tutors have not yet discussed the substantive work project that is used for assessment with the employer.

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Insufficient progress

Tutors’ comments in progress reviews are cursory and unhelpful. They place a disproportionate focus on the completion of units as opposed to the development of substantial new vocational knowledge, skills and behaviours.

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Insufficient progress

Tutors provide useful feedback to apprentices on the work they submit for assessment. Apprentices are very appreciative of this support as it helps them to improve the standard of the work they produce. However, tutors take too long to provide feedback. A few apprentices wait over two months for feedback after they submit their work. This limits their vocational and personal development.

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Insufficient progress

Directors, managers and tutors do not take sufficient responsibility for ensuring that all apprentices are safeguarded. They do not ensure that all apprentices know how, and to whom, they should report a safeguarding concern.

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Insufficient progress

A director at TBP is the designated safeguarding officer (DSO) but apprentices are unaware of this. When the DSO is absent, there is no other named person to deal with a safeguarding or safeguarding-related issue if one arises.

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Insufficient progress

The employer carries out risk assessments of apprentices’ work areas and provides security training to them. However, TBP staff do not check the rigour and accuracy of the risk assessments or the relevance and quality of the security training. They do not check apprentices’ safety in the workplace and their knowledge of what to do if a problem arises.

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Insufficient progress

Apprentices do not receive safeguarding training from TBP staff. Apprentices’ knowledge of safeguarding and safeguarding-related topics is poor. Apprentices are unaware of the dangers associated with radicalisation and extremism. Their knowledge about safe use of the internet and digital devices, data protection, and the General Data Protection Regulation is limited.

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Insufficient progress

Directors and consultants receive appropriate checks through the Disclosure and Barring Service at three-yearly intervals. The provider has a range of relevant safeguarding and safeguarding-related policies and procedures. However, directors and managers do not implement these rigorously enough and this is a cause for concern. Monitoring visit: The Business Portfolio (UK) Limited, 31 January–1 February 2019 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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Insufficient 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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Insufficient 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

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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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Insufficient progress

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

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