Contracting Services (Education and Skills)

Contracting Services (Education and Skills) Limited. Monitoring visit report

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Type of provider: Independent learning provider

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Address:

60, Prestbury Drive Warminster Wiltshire BA12 9LE Monitoring visit: Contracting Services (Education and Skills) Limited, 23 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 this visit is only on the safeguarding theme below.

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Context and focus of visit

Contracting Services (Education and Skills) Limited is a new provider set up in 2017 to deliver apprenticeships for levy-paying employers. It has two directors. At the time of the monitoring visit, there were 19 apprentices. The vast majority of these are enrolled on level 3 team leader and supervisor apprenticeship standard, with a small number of apprentices enrolled on level 3 business administration and level 3 customer service specialist apprenticeship standards. The provider works exclusively with two large levy-paying employers who are based in Wiltshire and Devon. It employs two experienced associate tutors who work across all of the apprenticeship standards it offers. All of the apprentices are 19 years of age or older.

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Reasonable progress

Safeguarding arrangements at Contracting Services (Education and Skills) are now effective. Directors have taken swift action to improve safeguarding and increase awareness of the ‘Prevent’ duty since the earlier monitoring visit in March 2019.

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Reasonable progress

The director and designated safeguarding lead (DSL) are now appropriately qualified. Directors and coaches are well-trained and they all have at least the minimum safeguarding qualifications.

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Reasonable progress

The DSL has received ‘Prevent’ duty training from the regional educational lead. Directors and coaches have reviewed and improved the organisation’s ‘Prevent’ duty risk assessment to ensure that it incorporates the risks and priorities pertinent to the regions where their apprentices work.

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Reasonable progress

Directors now monitor safeguarding and the ‘Prevent’ duty at monthly management meetings to ensure that these themes remain a priority for the organisation. Leaders and managers have significantly improved safeguarding and ‘Prevent’ duty policies and procedures. It is now clear what the referral process is.

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Reasonable progress

The DSL provides monthly safeguarding, ‘Prevent’ duty and online safety newsletter updates to employers, apprentices and coaches around topical subjects and policy developments, such as hacking concerns on social media sites. Monitoring visit: Contracting Services (Education and Skills) Limited, 23 July 2019 Apprentices benefit from the new knowledge and understanding they have recently gained from the provider about safeguarding and the ‘Prevent’ duty and how this has helped them in the workplace. For example, one apprentice is able to describe how training in these areas has helped her when marshalling at events and how it has improved her confidence and vigilance. Another apprentice comments positively on how the training has improved his awareness of mental health issues and his ability to monitor and support the wellbeing of colleagues.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices are now clear about how to keep themselves safe and what to do if they have a concern about a peer. A number of apprentices have completed online ‘Prevent’ duty courses to enhance their knowledge and understanding. The director ensures that progress reviews carried out with apprentices consistently cover the ‘Prevent’ duty and safeguarding. Monitoring visit: Contracting Services (Education and Skills) Limited, 23 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

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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

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

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