The Business Portfolio (UK) Limited

The Business Portfolio (UK) Limited Monitoring visit report

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Name of lead inspector: Anita Pyrkotsch-Jones, Her Majesty's Inspector

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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, 29 June 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 ESFA and/or the apprenticeship levy. This follow- up safeguarding monitoring visit has been carried out consequent to the provider being found to be making insufficient progress with respect to safeguarding at their previous monitoring visit. It follows the arrangements outlined in the Further education and skills inspection handbook.

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Context and focus of visit

The focus of this visit is only on the safeguarding theme below.

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Context and focus of visit

The Business Portfolio (UK) Limited (TBP) currently has 31 apprentices, all of whom are working towards a standards-based apprenticeship in leadership and management at level 5. A government-owned and operated scientific organisation employs all the apprentices.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers have taken seriously the significant weaknesses identified at the previous monitoring visit. They have worked hard to ensure that they safeguard apprentices effectively. Following the previous monitoring visit, leaders and managers conducted a rigorous review of safeguarding arrangements. They produced swiftly and implemented quickly a thorough action plan to address the weaknesses. Consequently, leaders and managers have addressed all the weaknesses through their diligent actions.

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Reasonable progress

Safeguarding and safeguarding-related policies and procedures remain relevant. Leaders and managers now implement these rigorously. For example, safeguarding- related incidents are now recorded clearly and have specific timelines and actions.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers have appointed a deputy designated safeguarding officer to support the director who is the designated safeguarding officer (DSO). The DSO and deputy DSO have appropriate experience and training. As a result, a safeguarding officer is always available to deal with safeguarding and safeguarding-related issues if they arise. The DSO and deputy DSO have booked to attend advanced safeguarding training to improve their practice further.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices now benefit from face-to-face and online training for safeguarding and the ‘Prevent’ duty. Apprentices articulate clearly how and to whom they would report a safeguarding concern, both at TBP and their place of work. Apprentices have a good understanding of safeguarding and safeguarding-related topics. They have a Monitoring visit: The Business Portfolio (UK) Limited, 29 June 2019 thorough understanding of the threats associated with radicalisation and extremism and how these may affect their professional and personal lives. Apprentices are particularly vigilant in the workplace.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices benefit from mandatory training from their employer that covers topics such as safe use of the internet, data protection and General Data Protection Regulation. Apprentices receive regular update training from their employer as they are working for a high-security government-owned organisation in the nuclear industry. TBP staff complement this training, working closely with the employer to ensure that apprentices have a good knowledge and understanding of these topics.

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Reasonable progress

Employers carry out comprehensive risk assessments of apprentices’ work areas. Apprentices are fully aware of the hazards of working in the nuclear industry. In- depth security training, through the employer, ensures that apprentices are aware of the risks associated with their job roles. TBP staff now check carefully the suitability of the risk assessments and the quality of security training. For example, all apprentices have suitably qualified and experienced person checks. However, leaders and managers do not record these sufficiently, which means that it is unclear when the workplace checks took place and when they need updating.

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Reasonable progress

Health and safety in the workplace are stringent. Apprentices can articulate clearly the processes they would follow in reporting a health and safety incident or a near miss should they occur.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices benefit from frequent reviews. While they discuss safeguarding, the ‘Prevent’ duty and fundamental British values during the reviews, the recording of the reviews is too brief. Reviewers merely identify if apprentices have completed their safeguarding and ‘Prevent’ duty training and if they have any concerns regarding themselves or their peers. They do not record discussions accurately, such as the rich examples about safeguarding-related issues that apprentices can clearly recall, nor do they record learning points.

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Reasonable progress

All staff continue to receive appropriate checks through the Disclosure and Barring Service at three-yearly intervals. Leaders and managers are currently in the process of subscribing to the update service, which will enable them to conduct annual checks of staff suitability for working in a high-security industry.

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Priorities for improvement

 Ensure that the DSO and the deputy DSO attend advanced safeguarding training to gain a deeper understanding of safeguarding and safeguarding-related issues.  Formalise the checking and recording of risk assessments, health and safety, and security checks so that leaders and managers know the dates of the workplace checks and when updates are due.  Improve the recording of apprentices’ progress reviews to ensure that each review records accurately safeguarding discussions and learning points. Monitoring visit: The Business Portfolio (UK) Limited, 29 June 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

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Priorities for improvement

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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Priorities for improvement

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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Priorities for improvement

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Priorities for improvement

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

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Priorities for improvement

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Priorities for improvement

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

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