Develop-U

Develop-U Report following a monitoring visit to a ‘requires improvement’ provider

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Name of lead inspector: Andrea Shepherd, HMI

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Type of provider: Independent learning provider

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Address: Fusion at Magna Magna Way Rotherham S60 1FE Monitoring visit: Develop-U, 26–27 February 2020

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Context and focus of visit

Develop-U was inspected in March 2019. At that time, inspectors judged its overall effectiveness to require improvement.

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Context and focus of visit

The focus of this monitoring visit was to evaluate the progress that leaders and managers have made in addressing the main areas for improvement identified at the previous inspection.

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Context and focus of visit

At the time of the monitoring visit, there were 47 apprentices on standards-based programmes and frameworks. Seventeen apprentices were on the team leader/supervisor standard at level 3, eight were on the operations/departmental manager standard at level 5, and five were on the improvement practitioner standard at level 4. Seventeen apprentices had recently started their programme; 15 of these were on the improving operational performance at level 2 and the remaining two were on the operations and quality improvement framework at level 3.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers work proactively with employers to plan and deliver apprenticeship programmes that meet employers’ needs. The content of the programme is highly relevant to employers’ operations and current priorities. Employers identify significant savings due to apprentices’ projects on reducing waste, improving efficiency and improving storage principles.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices enjoy their studies and most remain on their programme to the end. Leaders and managers regularly canvas apprentices’ opinion to ensure that this is the case, and take appropriate action when necessary. For example, when apprentices raised concerns about the approach and feedback from coach assessors, leaders and managers took decisive steps to improve the training that apprentices receive.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers effectively check the attendance of apprentices and their submission of training logs. They make appropriate changes when necessary. For example, when apprentices do not attend enough of their off-the-job training, leaders and managers put on extra delivery sessions. They also make sure that the employer supports apprentices to attend the sessions. Monitoring visit: Develop-U, 26–27 February 2020 Leaders and managers provide good opportunities for delivery staff to conduct research that keeps them up to date with academic developments in their subject area. Staff also work with employers on the application of theoretical models to their business to inform their teaching. However, staff do not receive enough training to support them to improve their assessment practice.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers have been too slow to respond to some of the areas for improvement from the last inspection. They accurately identify ineffective processes and take appropriate steps to make improvements. However, they do not take rapid enough action to improve the planning of learning for individual apprentices or the quality of the feedback that apprentices receive.

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Insufficient progress

Tutors and coach assessors do not make enough use of the information that they have about apprentices to plan a programme to meet their individual needs. They direct apprentices to complete off-the-job training so that apprentices can provide evidence that they meet the requirements of the standard. However, tutors and coach assessors do not tailor training well enough to address gaps in apprentices’ knowledge, skills and behaviours.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders and managers now implement effective processes for the recruitment, selection and induction of apprentices. They carry out a range of appropriate checks to ensure that apprentices are suitable for the programme and compile a portfolio of information about apprentices. In one case, this resulted in the delivery of two different programmes for an employer rather than the single programme that was in the original plan. However, too often induction activities do not take account of the skills the apprentices have at the start of the programme and this information does not inform the teaching content.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders and managers carefully plan the delivery of the apprenticeship programme for each cohort. They ensure that programmes cover the requirements of the standard and meet the needs of the employer. A few apprentices benefit from being able to take on increased responsibility in the workplace. For example, a small number of apprentices have gained promotion to project manager roles or have become continuous improvement coordinators. However, all apprentices complete the same programme, regardless of their prior experience. There are no checks to make sure the curriculum is sufficiently ambitious for them.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders and managers do not adequately monitor the progress that apprentices make. They track attendance, assessment and completion of off-the-job training Monitoring visit: Develop-U, 26–27 February 2020 using a variety of different systems and intervene when apprentices fall behind. However, the oversight is not systematic. It does not identify sufficiently the extent to which apprentices develop new knowledge, skills and behaviours.

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Insufficient progress

Coach assessors do not take sufficient account of the existing knowledge, skills and behaviours of apprentices when setting assignments. All apprentices complete the same work, regardless of their starting point. Therefore, too often apprentices do not benefit from targeted activities to help them to make rapid progress.

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Insufficient progress

Coach assessors do not use a broad enough range of assessment methods to identify gaps in the knowledge, skills and behaviours of apprentices. They rely too much on short answer questions and written assignments that link specifically to the standards.

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Insufficient progress

Too often, coach assessors provide feedback to apprentices that is not constructive and does not help them to improve their work. The feedback mainly confirms that work meets the required standard. Assessors do not give enough guidance to those apprentices who need further support to produce work that meets the expected conventions of the level of study. For example, operations/departmental manager apprentices do not receive useful feedback on how to improve their academic referencing.

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Insufficient progress

In too many instances, coach assessors do not provide apprentices with timely feedback on their assignments. Therefore, apprentices assume that the standard of their work is appropriate, and do not make improvements to the quality of the work that they produce for future submissions.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders take appropriate steps to ensure that suitable end-point assessments are in place. They design the programme to prepare apprentices for the end-point assessment. Apprentices studying the improvement practitioner standard have been able to improve their readiness by completing mock end-point assessments. They are more competent in carrying out professional discussions as a result of the simulated activities. Monitoring visit: Develop-U, 26–27 February 2020 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

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Insufficient progress

children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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