CSA (Services) Ltd

CSA (Services) Limited Monitoring visit report

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Name of lead inspector: Andrea Shepherd, Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Type of provider: Independent learning provider

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Address:

2 Esh Plaza, Sir Bobby Robson Way, Newcastle upon Tyne NE13 9BA Monitoring visit: CSA (Services) Limited, 9 to 10 July 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 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 themes set out below. CSA (Services) Limited is part of the Credit Services Association, a trade association that represents the debt collection and debt purchase industry. The provider secured a contract for direct delivery to levy-funded apprentices in 2017 and began their first programme in November 2017. At the time of the monitoring visit, there were 119 apprentices on standards-based apprenticeships at levels 2, 3 and 4, with an

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Context and focus of visit

additional three who have recently completed their end-point assessment. Around half of the apprentices were following the level 4 regulatory compliance officer standards-based apprenticeship. The large majority of the level 3 apprentices were following either advanced credit controller/debt collection specialist or compliance/risk officer standards-based apprenticeships. CSA (Services) Limited also delivers the level 2 credit control/collector and level 3 team leading standards-based apprenticeships.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have a clear vision to provide specialist training to the debt recovery sector. They focus successfully on their role as a trade association. The apprenticeship programmes that they deliver contribute very well to professionalising the debt collection and debt purchase industry.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders are building the capacity of the apprenticeship team successfully. They have recruited highly qualified and experienced tutors from a variety of backgrounds. Managers and tutors use their industry-relevant experience very effectively to plan the curriculum.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers regularly monitor the development of apprentices’ knowledge, skills and behaviours. Governors effectively hold managers to account for the progress of apprentices. Managers intervene quickly when apprentices fall behind. As a result, the very large majority of apprentices are on track to achieve their apprenticeship on time. Monitoring visit: CSA (Services) Limited, 9 to 10 July 2019 Leaders recruit apprentices with integrity. They make thorough checks on the suitability of the job role for each apprentice and they ensure that employers are fully aware of their responsibilities. This helps to ensure that apprentices are able to develop new knowledge, skills and behaviours through effective on- and off-the-job training.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers make sure that appropriate end-point assessments are in place for all apprentices. However, a small minority of apprentices and employers are not fully prepared for the end-point assessments and do not know exactly what will be expected of them.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers have been too slow to improve teaching on English and mathematic functional skills courses. They have not developed a strategy to increase the level of support for the small minority of apprentices who need to achieve functional skills qualifications.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders do not make enough use of information about the quality of apprenticeship delivery to identify training and development activities for tutors. While there is a commitment to staff training, leaders focus continuing professional development mainly on industrial updates. The strategy for improving teaching practice to ensure that apprentices continue to receive high-quality training is not clear.

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Reasonable progress

Tutors work successfully with employers to enable apprentices to carry out high- quality off-the-job training. Apprentices benefit from a broad range of meaningful activities such as coaching from managers in other departments and industry-specific e-learning courses. As a result, they develop new and occupationally relevant knowledge, skills and behaviours.

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Reasonable progress

Tutors use their industrial experience very well to deliver effective apprenticeship programmes. They provide helpful case studies that support apprentices to apply knowledge, skills and behaviours appropriately in their job roles. As a result, apprentices develop their confidence and make a positive contribution to their organisations.

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Reasonable progress

Tutors support apprentices to develop strong literacy skills through report and essay writing. Apprentices submit work of at least the standard required and they take pride in what they produce. In their assignment work, apprentices demonstrate a high level of competence in research and analysis.

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Reasonable progress

Most tutors provide helpful feedback that supports apprentices to improve. They encourage apprentices to expand on their work by including relevant examples that demonstrate application of knowledge, skills and behaviours in the workplace. Monitoring visit: CSA (Services) Limited, 9 to 10 July 2019 However, in a small minority of cases, tutors do not set clear enough actions for improvement. For example, a few tutors refer apprentices who fail their assignments back to the study guides and do not give apprentices enough support to improve. As a result, a small proportion of apprentices do not learn from their mistakes.

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Reasonable progress

The small minority of apprentices on English and mathematics functional skills courses receive insufficient support from their tutors. As a result, they struggle to develop their skills and confidence to pass the functional skills examinations.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders implement appropriate policies to safeguard apprentices. They provide apprentices with useful information on how to keep themselves safe and have effective systems for reporting concerns. Apprentices benefit from support about how to stay safe when online and the risks of not following general data protection regulations when dealing with debt collection. Apprentices feel safe.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders recruit staff safely. All staff, including the designated safeguarding lead and governors, have undertaken appropriate training in safeguarding and the ‘Prevent’ duty. Leaders effectively use information and updates from external sources to inform the ‘Prevent’ duty risk assessment and safeguarding guidelines. Governors successfully hold leaders to account for their compliance with safeguarding legislation.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders take reasonable steps to meet the requirements of the ‘Prevent’ duty. They have completed an appropriate risk assessment which governors review quarterly. However, actions to address the gaps identified in the risk assessment are unclear. Monitoring visit: CSA (Services) Limited, 9 to 10 July 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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T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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