GP Strategies Training Ltd

GP Strategies Training Limited Monitoring visit report

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Name of lead inspector:

Anita Pyrkotsch-Jones Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Name of lead inspector:

Type of provider: Independent learning provider

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Address:

Floor 6a Kingsgate Wellington Road North Stockport Cheshire SK4 1LW Monitoring visit: GP Strategies Training Limited, 25-26 February 2021

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Context and focus of visit

This monitoring visit focused on safeguarding arrangements and 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

This was an announced safeguarding monitoring visit, following concerns that had been reported to Ofsted and which remain under investigation by another agency. The purpose of the visit was to assess whether the safeguarding arrangements at the provider are effective.

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Context and focus of visit

The safeguarding monitoring visit focussed on early years apprenticeships.

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Context and focus of visit

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

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Insufficient progress

Leaders and managers do not manage safeguarding effectively. During the monitoring visit, they were unable to supply evidence that provided assurance to inspectors that apprentices comply with safeguarding requirements. For example, leaders and managers do not know if all apprentices requiring Disclosure and Barring Service checks have had the checks completed before commencing workplace training. Leaders and managers do not routinely carry out eligibility checks to ensure apprentices’ suitability for employment.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders’ and managers’ workplace risk assessments lack detail. They are generic, are not relevant to each apprentices’ workplace, and do not focus on risk. Workplace risk assessments are often completed over the telephone by provider’s staff. During visits to apprentices in the workplace, skills coaches ask employers if they have documentation, such as insurance and relevant policies and procedures, including those for safeguarding. They do not, however, routinely ask to see copies of the relevant documentation to check whether they are appropriate and up to date. Leaders do not know how many places apprentices are employed in, nor do they know what the reasons are for the red, amber and green risk ratings attributed to employers.

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Insufficient progress

Safeguarding training for apprentices is not reflective of local and national issues and does not improve apprentices’ understanding of safeguarding or how to report Monitoring visit: GP Strategies Training Limited, 25-26 February 2021 safeguarding concerns. Skills coaches provide apprentices with individual support, such as discussing safeguarding assignments. However, opportunities for apprentices to learn about safeguarding in a way that develops their understanding and tests their knowledge of safeguarding in the workplace, for example through taught sessions, are too rare. As a result, many apprentices’ knowledge of safeguarding requirements is superficial.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders and managers do not adapt and personalise safeguarding training to reflect the needs of apprentices or the apprentices’ workplaces. For example, all apprentices follow the same training plan, irrespective of the type of setting they are employed in or the ages of the children they work with.

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Insufficient progress

Safeguarding training for apprentices has little structure and lacks coordination between what skills coaches teach as part of the apprenticeship and what employers teach as part of their staff training programme. As a result, apprentices’ understanding of safeguarding is confused.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders and managers do not follow their own safeguarding policies and processes. They do not review policies and processes for safeguarding following safeguarding incidents. Leaders’ reporting on safeguarding to the governing body is minimal and infrequent.

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Insufficient progress

The designated safeguarding lead (DSL) has a limited understanding of how to maintain sufficient safeguarding records. The provider’s safeguarding incident central register records information received and the proposed and/or completed actions taken by the designated safeguarding lead. However, on several entries, the necessary detail is not recorded to show how the issues were resolved, whether proposed actions were completed or when the case was closed.

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Insufficient progress

The provider’s process to raise formal concerns about the quality of practice observed by skills coaches or experienced by apprentices lacks clarity. Skills coaches do not understand the importance of sharing information with the DSL when they have concerns.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders and managers do not prioritise the training of staff and apprentices following safeguarding incidents, nor do they adapt or improve training materials. Monitoring visit: GP Strategies Training Limited, 25-26 February 2021 Leaders and managers are not adequately learning from and implementing improvements following safeguarding incidents. When a significant safeguarding incident occurs, the DSL does not formally review the case or how it has been handled. The DSL and senior leaders do not identify key learning points for improvement or implement actions to ensure that they learn from the incident in order to mitigate safeguarding risks in the future.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders and managers provide too little training for skills coaches about safeguarding and, particularly, about the learning from local and national safeguarding cases and reviews.

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Insufficient progress

Managers responsible for apprentices on early years programmes work within regions. They do not communicate routinely or effectively with managers from other regions. Regional early years managers have not met to share good practice or their experiences and learning from safeguarding incidents for over two years. Monitoring visit: GP Strategies Training Limited, 25-26 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 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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Insufficient progress

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Insufficient progress

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Insufficient progress

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Insufficient progress

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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