Libra Europe Consulting Ltd

Libra Europe Consulting Limited Monitoring visit report

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Name of lead inspector: Kim Bleasdale, Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Type of provider: Independent learning provider

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Address:

Colony 5 Piccadilly Place Manchester M1 3BR Monitoring visit: Libra Europe Consulting Limited, 16–17 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 ESFA 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

Libra Europe Consulting Limited began to deliver apprenticeships in October 2019. Currently, 287 apprentices are studying standards-based programmes in lean manufacturing operative at level 2, team leader/supervisor at level 3, improvement technician at level 3, improvement practitioner at level 4, improvement specialist at level 5 and operations/departmental manager at level 5. The large majority of apprentices study improvement technician and practitioner standards. All apprentices are over 19 years of age.

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Context and focus of visit

During the period of COVID-19 restrictions, leaders placed 120 apprentices on a break in learning. This is because employers, who are mainly food manufacturers, have either been operating with skeleton staff, had to shut down their site or have had reduced numbers of warehouse staff in the last 12 months.

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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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Reasonable progress

Directors and senior leaders have a clear strategy for the curriculum they offer. They ensure that it fully meets the principles and requirements of an apprenticeship, such as ensuring apprentices receive enough high-quality, off-the-job training.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders ensure the curriculum meets apprentices’ and employers’ needs. They provide a coach on every employers’ site to coordinate apprentices’ on- and off-the- job training. Coaches use their significant industry expertise skilfully to support apprentices in relating theory to practice. During the period of COVID-19 restrictions, coaches taught theoretical aspects of the curriculum and provided the large majority of apprentices with the opportunity to practise the relevant skills in their workplace. Monitoring visit: Libra Europe Consulting Limited, 16–17 March 2021 However, a small minority of apprentices’ workplaces were closed due to COVID-19 restrictions. Coaches continued to teach these apprentices remotely, but they did not have the opportunity to practise their skills in the workplace. As a result, these apprentices did not develop substantial new knowledge, skills and behaviours quickly enough.

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Reasonable progress

Directors, leaders and managers know most of the strengths and weaknesses of their provision. Directors receive appropriate information from senior leaders and hold them to account. They set clear and measurable targets for senior leaders to achieve, such as improving the progress apprentices make. Despite leaders’ best efforts, the pace of improvements has been slowed by COVID-19 restrictions.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers meet regularly with coaches. They have appropriate plans in place to help a small minority of apprentices who are falling behind to catch up. Coaches provide additional on-site, one-to-one coaching sessions and workshops to apprentices who need it.

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Reasonable progress

Senior leaders recognise that they have not assured the quality of education during the period of COVID-19 restrictions. As a result, they do not know what actions they need to take to improve the quality of education apprentices receive.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices routinely develop and apply substantial new knowledge, skills and behaviours as part of their training and job roles. They skilfully monitor processes relating to gatehouse control, inbound trackers and lane management. As a result, they develop a deeper understanding of, and can put into practice, continuous improvements in work processes.

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Reasonable progress

Coaches plan the curriculum so that apprentices can logically build their knowledge, skills and behaviours over time. For example, level 3 improvement technician apprentices learn about self-development followed by the principles, tools and techniques of lean management. They apply what they learn at work by confidently carrying out a waste walk to identify efficient work processes.

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Reasonable progress

Managers and coaches help employers to identify relevant work projects for apprentices. The specific knowledge, skills and behaviours apprentices gain benefit their employer’s business. For example, level 4 improvement practitioner apprentices identify cost-saving solutions to on-site recycling processes.

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Reasonable progress

Coaches support most apprentices effectively in developing their English and mathematical knowledge and skills. Apprentices collect and analyse data to calculate savings the company could make by reducing waste processes. They confidently Monitoring visit: Libra Europe Consulting Limited, 16–17 March 2021 discuss and debate work-related problems with colleagues and skilfully identify appropriate solutions.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices receive helpful feedback from coaches that helps them to improve. As a result, level 5 improvement specialist apprentices strengthen their skills in planning and structuring complex work processes .

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Reasonable progress

Coaches do not use the assessments at the start of the programme to plan an individualised curriculum for apprentices. They do not set apprentices targets to achieve pass, merit and distinction grades that challenge them to reach their full potential. Apprentices are unclear about how their final assessments are graded.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices know that they can progress to a higher-level apprenticeship. They do not know what other career options are available to them after they complete their apprenticeship.

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Reasonable progress

Senior leaders implement appropriate procedures to comply with safeguarding legislation. They complete a range of appropriate checks when appointing new staff to make sure they are suitable to work with apprentices.

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Reasonable progress

Staff, including the designated safeguarding lead and deputy, receive appropriate training on safeguarding and the ‘Prevent’ duty. Leaders are aware that they need to provide online safety training for all staff so that they can better support apprentices to know how to keep themselves safe when learning remotely.

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Reasonable progress

Managers focus on apprentices’ health and well-being. They provide apprentices with helpful links to external agencies who specialise in mental health support, substance misuse and relationship counselling.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices know how to keep themselves safe at work. For example, they report unsafe wheels on cages. Apprentices are not clear about the specific threats from radicalisation and extremism either where they work or the area in which they live. Leaders are right to recognise that they need to strengthen their knowledge of the local risks posed to apprentices. Monitoring visit: Libra Europe Consulting Limited, 16–17 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

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Reasonable progress

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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