Prospect Training (Yorkshire) Limited

Prospect Training (Yorkshire) 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: Prospect House 48 Doncaster Road Mexborough South Yorkshire S64 0LU Monitoring visit: Prospect Training (Yorkshire) Limited, 10–11 November 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 the Education and Skills Funding Agency and/or the apprenticeship levy. This provider received a monitoring visit under these arrangements and was found to be making insufficient progress against one or more themes.

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Context and focus of visit

On 17 March 2020, all routine inspections were suspended due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. As part of our phased return to routine inspections, we are carrying out additional monitoring visits to new providers that were judged to be making insufficient progress against one or more themes at their previous monitoring visit and would have been due their full inspection up to or during the interim phase but have not received it because of the suspension of routine inspections. This monitoring visit was undertaken as part of those arrangements as outlined in the interim phase operational note for further education and skills and with reference to the further education and skills handbook and is focused on the themes set out below.

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Context and focus of visit

Prospect Training (Yorkshire) Limited is an independent learning provider based in Mexborough, a small town in the borough of Doncaster. It gained a contract for the direct delivery of adult learning programmes in 2017 and began to deliver apprenticeships in November 2018.

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Context and focus of visit

There are 19 apprentices on standards-based programmes. Almost half of the apprentices are studying the level 5 operations/departmental manager standard. The remaining apprentices are working towards the level 2 customer service, level 2 healthcare worker, level 3 senior healthcare worker or level 3 team leader/supervisor standards. There are 133 adult learners on 33 different programmes at level 2 and 3. Prospect Training (Yorkshire) Limited delivers adult learning programmes in health and social care, business administration, customer service and food hygiene. The vast majority of adult learners are working towards achieving qualifications in health and social care.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders have not done enough since the previous monitoring visit to improve the quality of education that apprentices receive. They do not provide an ambitious Monitoring visit: Prospect Training (Yorkshire) Limited, 10–11 November 2020 curriculum that supports apprentices to develop substantial new knowledge, skills and behaviours. Leaders rely too much on allocating training hours to each criterion in the apprenticeship standard. Therefore, apprentices do not benefit from a programme of well-planned on- and off-the-job training that meets their individual needs or takes account of their prior learning.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders do not have sufficient oversight of the progress that apprentices make. They track the achievement of qualification criteria and log the amount of off-the-job training that apprentices complete. However, leaders do not measure the extent to which apprentices develop knowledge, skills and behaviours. As a result, they cannot be sure that apprentices are receiving the teaching and support they need to complete their programme.

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Insufficient progress

Although leaders have changed their quality assurance processes since the previous monitoring visit, they still do not recognise the weaknesses that exist in the apprenticeship programme. They monitor whether learning assessment coaches (LACs) complete reviews of apprentices’ progress and whether they hold one-to-one meetings with apprentices. However, they do not check that these interactions with apprentices are of a high quality and enable apprentices to make progress.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders recruit staff with appropriate skills and expertise. LACs have high levels of experience in relevant job roles and all have teaching or assessing qualifications. However, leaders do not provide sufficient training to help LACs to continue to develop and improve their teaching skills.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders work well with employers and local job centres to meet training and employment needs in the area. For example, a business administration apprenticeship programme was introduced to meet the needs of an employer who already supported staff to attend management training with the provider.

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Insufficient progress

LACs do not plan and sequence a programme of meaningful off-the-job training for apprentices. Apprentices simply record what they do in their day-to-day jobs or work they complete in their own time. Too many apprentices complete large amounts of self-directed study with insufficient guidance.

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Insufficient progress

Too often, staff are slow to prepare apprentices for their end-point assessment. A few apprentices have a good awareness of what they need to do to achieve a distinction grade. However, others who are approaching the end of their programme have only a superficial understanding of the arrangements for their final assessment. Monitoring visit: Prospect Training (Yorkshire) Limited, 10–11 November 2020 Staff do not provide enough support to apprentices who need to develop their knowledge and skills in English and mathematics. Leaders provide apprentices with access to online materials to prepare them for functional skills examinations. However, until recently they did not provide apprentices with direct support to identify and fill gaps in their knowledge.

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Insufficient progress

LACs provide helpful feedback to apprentices, following workplace observations and professional discussions. They identify the knowledge, skills and behaviours that apprentices develop in their job roles and what they need to do to improve these. However, LACs do not provide enough feedback on apprentices’ written work. They do not support apprentices to identify their strengths or how they can improve their work.

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Insufficient progress

Apprentices and employers appreciate the support that they receive from LACs, particularly during the ongoing COVID-19 restrictions. LACs continue to provide guidance when apprentices are furloughed. Apprentices remaining in the workplace have taken on additional work during the pandemic. For example, apprentices on the operations/departmental manager standard now oversee more services within an NHS trust to cover for redeployed colleagues.

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Reasonable progress

LACs sequence the curriculum logically, so learners can move swiftly from basic elements to more-complex concepts. They provide learners with very high-quality online resources or helpful workbooks. As a result, learners develop useful knowledge and skills relevant to the workplace. They learn how to respond to emergencies relating to diabetic patients and increase their awareness of how to support patients with dementia.

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Reasonable progress

LACs provide learners with useful feedback on their assignments. In most cases, feedback is precise and clearly identifies where learners can improve their work. On occasion, however, feedback to learners who meet the assessment criteria is too brief and does not help them to understand how to improve their work further.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders develop programmes that are responsive to the needs of the local area. The current offer reflects the skills shortages and vacancies in the care sector created by the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, learners receive training in how to support bereaved families. Jobcentre Plus staff report high levels of successful employment as a result of the training that learners receive.

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Reasonable progress

LACs review and monitor learners’ progress carefully so that they can identify their support needs. Learners value the effective support that they receive throughout Monitoring visit: Prospect Training (Yorkshire) Limited, 10–11 November 2020 their programme. It enables them to produce work of the standard required and make good progress towards achieving their qualification.

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Reasonable progress

LACs provide learners with clear advice and guidance at the start of their course. They give many learners informal advice about careers opportunities that helps learners to plan their next steps. However, learners do not benefit from structured careers advice or guidance.

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Reasonable progress

Although a few learners identify at the beginning of their course that they would benefit from help with English or mathematics, LACs do not provide structured support. They do not consistently identify and correct errors in learners’ written work.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders implement an appropriate safeguarding policy that includes definitions and responsibilities that are part of the ‘Prevent’ duty. The policy includes information about many types of abuse and clear information about how to report concerns. Leaders keep themselves up to date with local risks through emails from the regional ‘Prevent’ coordinator and links with the local police.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders provide learners and apprentices with information during their induction about safeguarding, online safety and the dangers of radicalisation and extremism. Learners and apprentices have a good awareness of safeguarding, including how to identify risks and report concerns.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders complete a range of appropriate checks when appointing new staff to make sure they are suitable to work with learners and apprentices. All staff, including the designated safeguarding lead and deputy, receive appropriate training on safeguarding and the ‘Prevent’ duty. Monitoring visit: Prospect Training (Yorkshire) Limited, 10–11 November 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 children's services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding

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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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