Environmental Excellence Training and Development Ltd

Environmental Excellence Training and Development Limited Monitoring visit report

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Name of lead inspector: Maria Navarro, Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Type of provider: Independent learning provider

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Address: Junction 2 Interiors Complex 870c Wolverhampton Road Oldbury West Midlands B69 4RS Monitoring visit: Environmental Excellence Training and Development Limited, 16–17 January 2020

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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

Environmental Excellence Training and Development Limited (EETD) was formed in 2012 as an independent training provider in the cleaning services industry. In April 2017, the provider became registered to deliver apprenticeships as a prime-contract holder. The first group of apprentices was enrolled in October 2018. At the time of the visit, there were nine apprentices, following a frameworks-based apprenticeship in cleaning services at level 2. All apprentices are age 19 and over and are employed as cleaning staff in Nottingham University Hospital. The levy-paying apprenticeship programmes delivered by EETD represent a very small proportion of its provision.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders and managers have been too slow in setting the strategic vision for the apprenticeship programme. They have not used the first 18 months since registering as new apprenticeship providers to set up high-quality apprenticeships. As a result, the provider’s safeguarding arrangements are incomplete, there is no effective scrutiny of the quality of education delivered, and the performance of the learning programmes is weak.

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Insufficient progress

Apprentices access off-the-job training and attend English and mathematics lessons in the same day, once a week, but leaders and managers do not evaluate the quality of each of these activities. As a result, leaders are not able to measure the progress that apprentices make in these skills, or whether all apprentices are accessing the required off-the-job training.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders and managers do not have access to the necessary data to manage the performance of the apprenticeship programme regularly, according to its different groups and contracts. This limits their ability to identify areas of concern promptly. For example, they do not know how many apprentices achieved what was required Monitoring visit: Environmental Excellence Training and Development Limited, 16–17 January 2020 in a timely way last year, or the full reasons for the significant number of apprentices not completing their programmes.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders’ and managers’ evaluation of the provision is insufficiently critical. Leaders do not know the strengths and weaknesses of the apprenticeship programme. Their observations of learning are infrequent and do not focus sufficiently on ensuring that learning has taken place. Tutors do not receive any meaningful objectives to improve their teaching practice.

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Insufficient progress

The provider has not established effective governance to offer leaders enough support and challenge to improve the provision. Leaders’ decisions are not scrutinised to ensure that the apprenticeships are well managed.

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Insufficient progress

The provider works effectively with the employer to identify key areas of training needed for the business. Although the choice within the framework is limited, the provider has included optional units to reflect the business-specific needs. The employer attends the off-the-job training, supporting tutors to embed the employer’s values and ways of working into the sessions.

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Insufficient progress

The curriculum is not sufficiently ambitious and challenging for the apprentices. Although apprentices develop their confidence during training sessions, they do not develop new skills and knowledge related to the workplace. In many circumstances, apprentices only repeat their established cleaning practice, using skills that they already have. Apprentices do not move on to new roles or promotion, following the completion of the apprenticeship.

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Insufficient progress

Tutors do not effectively identify the starting points of apprentices for all elements of the apprenticeship, including whether they have any learning difficulties. Where tutors carry out an initial assessment of apprentices’ existing levels of English and mathematics, they then fail to identify the specific knowledge gaps in these subjects. As a result, they are unable to plan learning effectively to ensure that the apprentices develop significant new knowledge.

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Insufficient progress

Tutors limit the use of assessment to apprentices completing workbooks with them and observing the apprentices’ activities at work, rather than using assessment for the identification of apprentices’ knowledge and skills gaps. Following assessment, apprentices receive feedback that does not highlight how they could develop their skills. Tutors undertake reviews of progress with apprentices, but they do not identify effectively whether apprentices know more and remember more as a consequence of doing the apprenticeship. Employers do not take part in these reviews to ensure that Monitoring visit: Environmental Excellence Training and Development Limited, 16–17 January 2020 there is a good fit between the planned training provided by EEDT and their workplace needs.

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Insufficient progress

Tutors do not track the progress that apprentices make towards achieving their qualification. As a result, apprentices at risk of not achieving their framework are not identified until too late in the apprenticeship.

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Insufficient progress

Tutors are appropriately qualified and have the necessary cleaning industry experience. They use this knowledge and expertise to deliver well-constructed lessons, with relevant content linked to the cleaning services profession.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders do not have a good-enough understanding of what constitutes effective safeguarding arrangements and therefore they have failed to set up the appropriate procedures to ensure that apprentices are safeguarded.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders and staff have not completed appropriate training to develop a full understanding of safeguarding matters and to enable them to fulfil their specific safeguarding roles. Leaders only became aware of this during the monitoring visit.

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Insufficient progress

The provider’s safeguarding policy is too generic and focuses excessively on the protection of children, despite its learners having always been adults. In addition, leaders have not applied their own safeguarding policy regarding the frequency of disclosure and barring service staff checks. EEDT has carried out the appropriate health and safety risk assessments in the workplace for the two employers with which it has worked.

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Insufficient progress

Apprentices demonstrate an appropriate understanding of the safe handling of chemicals as a result of the training carried out by their employer. Similarly, they have a good understanding of risks associated with extremism, but they do not know who the designated safeguarding contact is at EEDT. Monitoring visit: Environmental Excellence Training and Development Limited, 16–17 January 2020 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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Insufficient 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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Insufficient progress

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

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Insufficient progress

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Insufficient progress

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