DFS Trading Limited

Name of lead inspector: Jonny Wright, Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Address: Rockingham Way Redhouse Interchange Adwick-Le-Street Doncaster DN6 7NA Monitoring visit: DFS Trading Ltd, 30 to 31 March 2021

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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 monitoring visit was undertaken as part of those arrangements and as outlined in the Further education and skills inspection handbook, especially the sections entitled ‘Monitoring visits’ and ‘Monitoring visits to providers that are newly directly publicly funded’. The focus of these visits is on the themes set out below.

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Context and focus of visit

DFS Trading Ltd (DFS) began to deliver apprenticeships in 2018. At the time of the monitoring visit, 23 apprentices were on standards-based programmes. Eleven were on a level 2 retailer standard, 10 were on a level 2 furniture manufacturer standard, and the remaining apprentices were on a level 2 customer service standard. DFS employs apprentices across England.

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Context and focus of visit

During the national COVID-19 (coronavirus) restrictions, DFS has moved all teaching and learning to remote online delivery.

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Context and focus of visit

The impact of COVID-19 has been taken into account in the findings and progress judgements below.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers have a clear vision for their apprenticeship programmes. They recruit apprentices without experience into the company and develop them into furniture manufacturing and retail professionals. Leaders rightly appreciate the positive impact that apprentices have on the sustainability and economic success of the company.

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Reasonable progress

Managers employ coaches who have extensive experience in retail and furniture manufacturing. Coaches refresh their vocational skills frequently with ‘back to the floor’ visits to ensure that they keep up to date with new industry techniques. They have recently undertaken an apprenticeship in learning and development at level 3 to help improve their training and assessment skills. Monitoring visit: DFS Trading Ltd, 30 to 31 March 2021 Managers ensure that apprentices receive sufficient good-quality on- and off-the-job training. Coaches set relevant activities for apprentices to complete with their workplace mentors, and apprentices rehearse their skills before carrying out the tasks with customers. Coaches and workplace mentors review apprentices’ off-the- job training records to ensure that apprentices receive their full entitlement.

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Reasonable progress

Managers ensure that apprentices improve their English and mathematics skills during their programmes. Coaches identify apprentices’ areas for development and support them to develop their knowledge, including an understanding of industry- specific sales terminology. Where apprentices already have the required level of English and mathematics qualifications, coaches help them to refresh their skills and make improvements to their written work.

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Reasonable progress

Managers and coaches have clear objectives to work towards. This includes the progress that apprentices make. Where apprentices are falling behind, managers ensure that coaches put in place actions to help apprentices to catch up. Coaches work closely with apprentices’ workplace mentors to support apprentices, including help on how to produce professional portfolios of work in preparation for end-point assessment. However, coaches have not yet been able to show the impact of recent actions to support apprentices who have made slow progress due to the impact of furlough and subsequent national COVID-19 restrictions.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices take part in a well-planned, rigorous recruitment process that includes the use of assessment centres and interviews. All successful candidates complete initial assessments prior to starting their apprenticeship that highlight their pre- existing skills in English and mathematics, as well as their vocational skills. Tutors use this information to inform the training programme that apprentices follow. This ensures that apprentices join programmes that enable them to develop substantial new knowledge and skills.

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Reasonable progress

Coaches carefully sequence the curriculum to ensure that apprentices participate in learning in a logical way, starting with the skills that apprentices need to develop first such as communicating effectively with customers. Coaches include a range of supplementary training opportunities within the apprenticeship that are in addition to the requirements of the apprenticeship standard, such as the Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. Apprentices enjoy these additional elements and benefit from developing skills such as communication and teamwork.

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Reasonable progress

Coaches work closely with apprentices’ workplace mentors to plan individual programmes that meet apprentices’ needs. Coaches provide helpful support to apprentices on how to improve their knowledge and skills in aspect of work such as Monitoring visit: DFS Trading Ltd, 30 to 31 March 2021 re-stitching and repairing sofa mechanisms. They keep in frequent contact with workplace mentors to ensure that apprentices continue to make progress. Workplace mentors take part in frequent reviews of apprentices’ progress and development. Coaches use these reviews to modify and develop apprentices’ individual training plans.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices become confident in using their newly acquired skills at work in their current job roles. For example, apprentices speak about developing their confidence in working with a diverse range of customers and applying sales closure techniques.

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Reasonable progress

Although managers offer careers advice to apprentices, they do not encourage apprentices to take up this offer. While many apprentices have the ambition of remaining with DFS at the end of their two-year, fixed-term apprenticeship contract, they have not benefited from formalised advice and guidance during their programme.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers have established effective safeguarding and ‘Prevent’ duty policies and procedures. The designated safeguarding lead (DSL) has completed appropriate training and liaises with regional ‘Prevent’ duty coordinators to keep up to date with emerging risks in the areas where DFS apprentices are based.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers carry out appropriate background checks to ensure that staff are suitable to work with apprentices. Staff complete safeguarding training and receive regular updates from the DSL.

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Reasonable progress

Managers ensure that apprentices’ workplace mentors are made aware of safeguarding requirements. Workplace mentors complete courses that help to raise their awareness of safeguarding and how to keep apprentices safe.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices know how to keep themselves safe and what to do if they do not feel safe at any point. Coaches hold frequent discussions with apprentices about topical issues relating to safeguarding, such as county lines and the recent, high profile ‘Reclaim These Streets’ campaign focusing on being safe at night when out walking. Monitoring visit: DFS Trading Ltd, 30 to 31 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 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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