Prospect Training (Yorkshire) Limited

Prospect Training (Yorkshire) Limited Monitoring visit report

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Name of lead inspector: Jonny Wright, Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Type of provider: Independent learning provider

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Address: Prospect House 48 Doncaster Road Mexborough South Yorkshire S64 0LU Monitoring visit: Prospect Training (Yorkshire) Limited, 5–6 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 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

Prospect Training (Yorkshire) Limited (Prospect Training) began to deliver apprenticeships in November 2018. At the time of the monitoring visit, 68 apprentices were on standards-based apprenticeships and 44 were on apprenticeship frameworks. Eighty-six apprentices were on programmes at levels 2 and 3, and 26 were on programmes at levels 4 and 5. Vocational areas included business administration, customer service, health and social care, management, and warehousing and storage. Prospect Training works with an extensive range of levy- paying and non-levy paying employers in Yorkshire, Greater Manchester and North Lincolnshire to provide apprenticeship training for their employees. Prospect Training also provides courses for 25 adult learners in spectator safety, employability, and functional skills English and mathematics. The large majority of adult learners are on spectator safety courses.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders do not have a clear oversight of the performance and progress of apprentices. The information that they collect about apprentices’ progress is incomplete and inaccurate. Consequently, they are unable to take appropriate action to improve apprenticeship programmes.

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Insufficient progress

In too many instances, apprentices do not receive their entitlement to off-the-job training. They do not receive enough time away from their job during working hours to develop their knowledge, skills, understanding and behaviours. Apprentices and employers do not understand the requirements for off-the-job training.

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Insufficient progress

Too many apprentices are not aware that they are on an apprenticeship, and often their employers do not know. In too many instances, staff at Prospect Training do not involve employers in progress reviews, particularly in the care sector. However, Monitoring visit: Prospect Training (Yorkshire) Limited, 5–6 June 2019 employers who have begun to work with Prospect Training recently participate appropriately in the planning and reviewing of apprentices’ progress. Leaders and managers do not evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the provision accurately. They observe teaching, learning and assessment and identify actions that assessment coaches need to take to improve their practices. However, their observations and improvement actions do not have a beneficial impact on the quality of teaching that apprentices receive or on their learning.

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Insufficient progress

Learning and assessment coaches have appropriate experience and qualifications to deliver apprenticeships at levels 2 and 3. They undertake frequent training to enhance their knowledge and skills. However, too few learning and assessment coaches are appropriately qualified to deliver management apprenticeships at levels 4 and 5. Consequently, apprentices on these programmes do not receive the quality of teaching and learning that they need to develop their higher-level skills.

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Insufficient progress

Apprentices, learning and assessment coaches and employers have a poor understanding of off-the-job training requirements. Learning and assessment coaches do not plan off-the-job learning effectively with employers and apprentices.

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Insufficient progress

Too many activities that apprentices carry out as part of their training do not constitute off-the-job training. For example, apprentices who work in care homes complete a handover at the end of a shift to another member of staff as part of their job role and record this as off-the-job learning.

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Insufficient progress

Apprentices on programmes at levels 4 and 5 do not develop their knowledge and skills to a sufficiently high level. Apprentices on standards-based apprenticeships do not develop the required behaviours in preparation for their end-point assessment. Most apprentices at levels 2 and 3 develop their vocational knowledge and skills effectively.

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Insufficient progress

Apprentices do not receive sufficient support from learning and assessment coaches to develop their knowledge and skills in English and mathematics. Learning and assessment coaches mark work and return it to apprentices in sessions but fail to identify common spelling, punctuation and grammatical errors. Apprentices studying functional skills English and mathematics make slow progress towards gaining their qualifications, including those near their planned end date or preparing for end-point assessment.

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Insufficient progress

Learning and assessment coaches do not provide sufficient challenge to apprentices to develop their independent learning skills. They do not encourage apprentices to take responsibility for their own development. Learning and assessment coaches do Monitoring visit: Prospect Training (Yorkshire) Limited, 5–6 June 2019 not liaise effectively or routinely with employers when reviewing apprentices’ progress.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders and managers do not ensure that adult learners achieve their qualifications. Learners on spectator safety courses believe, incorrectly, that they have achieved their qualification and that they can now apply for jobs.

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Insufficient progress

Most learners on spectator safety courses make very slow progress towards achieving their qualification. Too few achieve their qualifications within the planned timescale. For example, many learners were due to complete up to nine months ago but have not yet done so.

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Insufficient progress

Most learners on spectator safety courses gain new knowledge about their subject. However, learners have insufficient opportunity to apply their new knowledge and improve their skills in real work settings.

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Insufficient progress

The very small number of learners on English and mathematics courses gain appropriate knowledge and skills and pass the relevant examinations. As a result of the support from Prospect Training staff at a local community centre, adult learners on these courses improve their self-confidence and their oral and written communication.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers promote a culture of safeguarding effectively in the organisation and with employers. They carry out health and safety checks with employers and update them when required. Leaders and managers place a high priority on apprentices’ and learners’ safety.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers ensure that clear and detailed safeguarding and ‘Prevent’ duty policies, procedures and guidance are in place. Guidance is helpful and includes how to recognise signs of abuse and radicalisation, reporting concerns and promoting online safety.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers follow safe recruitment practices when they appoint new staff. They carry out appropriate background checks, including enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service checks, and obtain references from previous employers. Monitoring visit: Prospect Training (Yorkshire) Limited, 5–6 June 2019 The designated safeguarding officer and deputy officer receive appropriate training. All staff complete relevant safeguarding, ‘Prevent’ duty, and equality and diversity training.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers fulfil the requirements of the ‘Prevent’ duty. However, they do not consider sufficiently local issues in the geographical areas where they work with apprentices, including honour-based crime and ‘county lines’ activity.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices and adult learners have a sound understanding of safeguarding, how to stay safe online and how to report any concerns. However, they do not have a sufficient understanding of the risks associated with radicalisation and extremism. Monitoring visit: Prospect Training (Yorkshire) Limited, 5–6 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 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

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 looked after children, 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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Reasonable progress

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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Reasonable progress

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