Northern Powergrid (Yorkshire) Plc

Northern Powergrid Plc Monitoring visit report

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Name of lead inspector: Sarah Stabler, Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Address:

Kepier Training Centre Kepier Farm Durham DH1 1LB Monitoring visit: Northern Powergrid, 13–14 August 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.

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Context and focus of visit

Northern Powergrid is an employer provider. It runs the electricity distribution network that provides power to customers in the north east, Yorkshire and north Lincolnshire. At the time of the inspection, there were 129 apprentices. Eighty-seven were on level 3 power network crafts person standards-based programmes and the remaining 42 were on level 4 electrical power network engineer standard-based programmes. Apprentices work across the area that Northern Powergrid serves. The provider subcontracts the delivery of qualifications to two other providers.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers have a clearly defined apprenticeship strategy to create a sustainable workforce. Senior leaders only recruit apprentices to permanent positions where vacancies exist. Managers use information about apprentices’ prior knowledge and expertise to sequence training successfully. For example, managers rearranged the delivery of modules for graduate apprentices. This enabled these apprentices to refine their previous skills and use them in the business earlier than planned. As a result, they were able to make positive contributions in the workplace.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders work successfully with internal managers to plan and coordinate training programmes that link on- and off-the-job training. Managers effectively plan the delivery of high-quality training to develop apprentices’ knowledge, skills and behaviours beyond the apprenticeship standards. For example, courses are provided in advanced driving, the use of scaffolding and slinging and loading.

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Reasonable progress

Senior leaders have effective plans in place to develop governance arrangements. They have put in place a governance board with senior leaders from across the business who will take ownership for managing the quality of the apprenticeship programme and have oversight of apprentices’ progress. Monitoring visit: Northern Powergrid, 13–14 August 2019 Leaders and managers recruit highly experienced and expert instructors. They ensure that instructors benefit from significant amounts of industrial updating and external training to support their development. They provide relevant education and training certificates and assessor qualifications to support instructors in their roles.

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Reasonable progress

Senior leaders have an effective oversight of the apprenticeship programme. They hold managers to account for the delivery of a high-quality training and development service. Managers report regularly to the executive team. As a result, leaders and managers are self-critical and take on board the need to improve continuously. However, leaders do not receive consistently effective feedback about the progress of the whole cohort of apprentices and, as a result, find it difficult to monitor progress over time.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers do not conduct formal reviews of the quality of subcontracted provision. They rely on managers gathering informal feedback from apprentices at the end of each module. As a result, they are unable to measure the full impact of the provision that is subcontracted.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices make rapid progress in the development of new knowledge, skills and behaviours. They develop their competence to complete tasks of increased complexity. For example, level 4 apprentices gain authorisation to work in substations and for network access, and level 3 apprentices develop their confidence in working at height.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices enjoy their training and they produce work of a high standard. They are self-motivated and take pride in their work-based portfolios. They methodically collect evidence of their achievement of organisational objectives. For example, they can proficiently read substation diagrams, complete switching operations and understand distribution safety rules.

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Reasonable progress

Instructors are highly experienced and qualified in the industry. They use their extensive knowledge and expertise effectively when planning and delivering off-the- job training activities.

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Reasonable progress

Instructors and tutors at the subcontractors provide apprentices with a wide range of effective opportunities to develop their English and mathematical skills. They provide specific feedback on the completion of mathematics tasks completed in class and facilitate revision days. Apprentices benefit from this and, consequently, develop their mathematical ability. For example, they increase their confidence in the use of vector diagrams. Monitoring visit: Northern Powergrid, 13–14 August 2019 The large majority of apprentices have an awareness of the requirements of end- point assessment. They can articulate what the individual components entail and know what to expect during assessment. However, too few apprentices are aware of the grades that they can achieve.

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Reasonable progress

Instructors provide apprentices with helpful feedback on their progress and skills development in relation to the specific units of the qualification. However, they rely too much on apprentices’ self-assessment to monitor their overall development throughout the apprenticeship. Instructors do not focus feedback on the knowledge, skills and behaviours that apprentices should have developed at any given point in their programme.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices are safe and feel safe. Leaders and managers have very high expectations for safety standards. Apprentices have an excellent understanding of safety and safe working practices when conducting hazardous work. For example, they talk with confidence about risk assessments when opening substations and working in customers’ homes.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers provide effective support to employees. They provide access to specialist external services to help staff with counselling and legal advice. Managers have successfully trained over 60 employees as mental health first aiders to provide support to colleagues.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers provide effective safeguarding training to staff who are responsible for line management. Managers have successfully addressed the need to re-train and raise awareness of safeguarding among staff. However, managers do not formally plan for the cascading of information regarding the ‘Prevent’ duty. They provide training to staff and apprentices regarding terrorism and the risk this poses to the organisation. However, a few apprentices are unclear about how the broader risks posed by radicalisation and extremism relate to them in their job roles. Monitoring visit: Northern Powergrid, 13–14 August 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 .

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Reasonable progress

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

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Reasonable progress

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Reasonable progress

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Reasonable progress

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