Complete Lean Solutions Limited

Complete Lean Solutions Limited Progress monitoring report

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Name of lead inspector: Richard Deane, Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Type of provider: Independent learning provider

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Address: Windsor House Cornwall Road Harrogate HG1 2PW Monitoring visit: Complete Lean Solutions Limited, 3–4 March 2021

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Context and focus of visit

Complete Lean Solutions Limited received a new provider monitoring visit in February 2019. At that time, inspectors judged the provider to have made reasonable progress across all three themes.

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Context and focus of visit

This monitoring visit focused on the extent to which leaders and those responsible for governance are taking effective action to provide education and training in the current circumstances. It was undertaken as outlined in the operational note on visits carried out from January 2021 and with reference to the further education and skills handbook.

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Context and focus of visit

These visits are to help learners, parents, employers and government understand how providers are meeting the needs of learners in this period, including those with high needs and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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Context and focus of visit

Following changes to government guidance and the imposition of COVID-19 (coronavirus) lockdown restrictions, inspectors carried out this monitoring activity remotely. As a result, the range of evidence available to inspectors was narrower than would be the case during an on-site inspection. Therefore, this report provides a more limited level of assurance.

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Context and focus of visit

The impact of COVID-19 has been taken into account in the findings and progress judgement below. Inspectors did not evaluate leaders’ response to COVID-19 during the spring and summer of 2020, when the provider was not open to all learners and there were no national expectations regarding remote education.

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Reasonable progress

Since the previous visit, leaders have taken positive steps to remedy the areas for improvement stated in the report. They have strengthened governance arrangements so that they now review routinely appropriate aspects of the business – including the quality of education. Although leaders have started the recruitment process, they have yet to identify a governor with sufficient experience to scrutinise the quality of apprentices’ curriculum to ensure that apprentices achieve their potential. Monitoring visit: Complete Lean Solutions Limited, 3–4 March 2021 Before the start of the course, leaders now ensure that they provide candidates with enough information about their course for them to decide if an apprenticeship will meet their training and skills needs. As a result, most apprentices now remain on their course.

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Reasonable progress

From the beginning of COVID-19 restrictions, leaders worked quickly to restart classroom teaching at employers’ premises. Although in much smaller groups than previously, trainers were able to teach most apprentices face to face. They provided the small minority of apprentices – who were unable to attend sessions at work – with appropriate online learning and paper-based activities. Apprentices say that they much preferred classroom sessions to remote learning because teachers can help them apply theory to their workplace projects.

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Reasonable progress

Trainers plan sessions logically so that new topics link seamlessly to apprentices’ previous learning and their current project. Trainers check apprentices’ understanding continually, rehearsing previously learned knowledge to ensure that they remember information long term. For example, learners revisit the ‘5s’ to underpin their understanding before moving onto more complicated ‘lean’ processes such as ‘Kaizen’, ‘six sigma’, and ‘value-stream mapping’. They encourage apprentices to work productively in small groups to discuss their future work-related improvement projects – fine-tuning their ideas.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders ensure that trainers know their subjects thoroughly. Consequently, trainers often interject in apprentices’ discussions – asking questions that spark apprentices’ curiosity and help them to explore innovative ideas. For example, in one session, trainers challenged apprentices to explain how their project will affect the quality of their employers’ products, the standard of customer service, and the opportunity to recycle – and therefore reduce – the waste produced. Consequently, apprentices are more able to reflect – and think more logically – about manufacturing processes and to discuss confidently ways to improve productivity with their employers.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices receive helpful feedback from trainers to improve their performance, including with spelling and grammar mistakes in their written work. For example, apprentices understood the value of their cost-saving project in terms of the hours or days lost and other savings because of the clear guidance received.

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Reasonable progress

Employers work well with trainers to plan their curriculum. They help apprentices to identify projects to improve business efficiency and effectiveness, such as recycling water and decreasing levels of waste. Employers also enable apprentices to work with other colleagues and departments, widening their exposure and experiences within the business – increasing their potential to develop their career.

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Reasonable progress

Trainers support apprentices to develop their English and mathematics skills so that – if required – they can achieve their qualifications. However, apprentices who already have the requisite qualifications do not receive specific targets to close remaining knowledge and skills gaps in these subjects. Monitoring visit: Complete Lean Solutions Limited, 3–4 March 2021 Trainers provide apprentices with appropriate careers information, advice and guidance, and discuss the career options at their workplace. Apprentices use this information to set future career goals and ambitions. As a result, apprentices routinely achieve promotions with their employers. In a few cases, apprentices still do not receive sufficient information about possible future careers outside of their current employment.

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Reasonable progress

Trainers discuss a variety of safeguarding-related ‘hot topics’ with apprentices each month, including news stories such as the increase in county lines activity. As a result, apprentices have an appropriate understanding of these topics and other risks such as online safety – including the safe use of applications and of ‘phishing’ email or text scams.

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Reasonable progress

Most apprentices know who to contact if concerned about their safety. They follow their safeguarding processes at work and benefit from additional mental health support, if needed. However, too few apprentices understand well enough the potential threats from radicalisation and extremist groups.

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Reasonable progress

Trainers provide apprentices with effective individual support. Apprentices who fall behind in their learning – including in English and mathematics – receive coaching, training, and extra time to help them catch up. In a few cases, apprentices have made slow progress because of limited access to devices to complete their work. At the time of the visit, a significant proportion of apprentices were on breaks in learning as a result of COVID-19 restrictions.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and those responsible for governance should take further action to:

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Reasonable progress

 ensure that leaders identify suitably experienced governors to scrutinise the quality of the provider’s education and training provision  ensure that trainers identify swiftly gaps in apprentices’ English and mathematics knowledge and skills, so that they can plan learning to help apprentices improve these beyond level 2  ensure that trainers provide apprentices with sufficiently independent careers advice on relevant opportunities outside of their current role. Monitoring visit: Complete Lean Solutions Limited, 3–4 March 2021 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

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Reasonable progress

and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Reasonable progress

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Reasonable progress

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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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