Norse Commercial Services Limited

Norse Commercial Services Limited Progress monitoring report

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Name of lead inspector: Rebecca Perry, Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Address: Norse Group Limited Anson Road Norwich NR6 6ED Monitoring visit: Norse Commercial Services Limited, 17–18 February 2021

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Context and focus of visit

Norse Commercial Services Limited, an employer provider, received a new provider monitoring visit in May 2018. At that time, inspectors made progress judgements under 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

Leaders responded rapidly to the changes required as a result of the pandemic. They moved to online learning for all aspects of teaching and coaching. They have ensured that apprentices’ progress has not been hindered as a result of the pandemic.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders identified accurate reasons why too many apprentices were not achieving their apprenticeship within planned timescales. Leaders have improved their oversight of the progress that apprentices make. They intervene appropriately and Monitoring visit: Norse Commercial Services Limited, 17–18 February 2021 have implemented an effective policy for those who fall behind. Consequently, more apprentices have achieved their apprenticeship programmes in recent months and fewer are now past their end dates, although achievement remains low.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have appointed a dedicated functional skills tutor in response to weaknesses identified in this element of the apprenticeship programme. Apprentices requiring these qualifications receive effective tailored support from the functional skills tutor. Leaders have expanded the range of online resources available to support apprentices’ achievement. As a result, most apprentices achieve these qualifications.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have improved the quality of the recruitment and induction of apprentices. For example, they have introduced entry requirements for applicants’ levels of English and mathematics. Support is offered for those who do not have the required levels prior to commencing an apprenticeship. Workplace mentors are included in induction sessions. Leaders have strengthened the interview process to ensure that apprentices are placed on an appropriate programme.

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Reasonable progress

Almost all apprentices are employed by the company. The head of service and development has a good oversight of the apprenticeship programmes. She effectively challenges the apprenticeship manager to ensure that improvements are made to the quality of learning. Leaders present accurate performance data to Norse directors. However, directors do not use this information to challenge leaders to improve apprenticeship provision.

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Reasonable progress

Most apprentices on level 3 team leader/supervisor programmes produce written work that meets or exceeds expectations. However, too much written work produced by apprentices on management programmes at level 5 is below the academic standard required. For example, apprentices do not use references within their work and, too often, work is written using informal language.

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Reasonable progress

Coaches provide apprentices with prompt and appropriate developmental feedback on vocational aspects of their work. As a result, apprentices improve their skills and knowledge in managing teams. However, coaches do not consistently reinforce the value of good English skills. They do not help apprentices to improve the quality of their written work to support the essential skills required in more advanced management roles.

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Reasonable progress

Coaches and tutors use discussion and questioning techniques effectively. They encourage apprentices’ recall of key theories and self-reflection. Apprentices’ learning is reinforced through their application of knowledge in the workplace. Apprentices gain a good understanding of business strategy at Norse, work more accurately with budgets and manage teams more effectively to improve performance.

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Reasonable progress

Staff have designed the apprenticeship programmes to follow a logical order of knowledge elements. Content is structured to build on essential, underpinning knowledge and management theories, moving on to more complex, technical aspects such as budgeting and workplace projects. Staff have reviewed assessment activities Monitoring visit: Norse Commercial Services Limited, 17–18 February 2021 to improve their effectiveness. Apprentices usefully reflect on their new knowledge and skills within the context of their individual work roles.

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Reasonable progress

Coaches do not sufficiently challenge apprentices to make rapid progress, for example to meet submission targets. Coaches are very supportive and listen attentively to their apprentices. They provide effective welfare and pastoral support to ensure that apprentices are coping with the current national restrictions and new ways of working. However, they are too accepting of the workplace pressures which affect timescales in completing assignments. They do not challenge workplace managers to prioritise apprentices’ learning over the pressures of the business.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices do not receive sufficient careers advice and guidance as part of their apprenticeship. Coaches provide careers guidance at the end of the programme in final reviews and in group sessions on career development at Norse. However, ongoing and impartial advice and guidance is lacking from the curriculum.

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Reasonable progress

Mentors and managers in the workplace effectively support apprentices to apply their new skills and knowledge. Mentors and apprentices meet frequently to discuss what apprentices are learning and to help them find opportunities to apply new skills within the workplace, such as experience of recruitment.

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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 coaches have sufficiently high expectations of apprentices and challenge them, alongside apprentices’ workplace managers, to complete their apprenticeship within planned timescales  ensure that coaches and trainers promote the importance of written English skills to enable apprentices to improve their professional practices in written communication  provide apprentices with appropriate and impartial careers advice and guidance. Monitoring visit: Norse Commercial Services Limited, 17–18 February 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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