UK Training & Development Limited

UK Training & Development Limited Report following a monitoring visit to a ‘requires improvement’ provider

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Name of lead inspector: Linnia Khemdoudi, Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Type of provider: Independent learning provider

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Address:

IMEX 575–599 Maxted Road Hemel Hempstead Hertfordshire HP2 7DX Monitoring visit: UK Training & Development Limited, 16–17 June 2021

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Context and focus of visit

UK Training & Development Limited (UKTD) was inspected in May 2019. At that time, inspectors judged the overall effectiveness of the provision to require improvement.

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Context and focus of visit

The focus of this monitoring visit was to evaluate the progress that leaders and managers have made in addressing the main areas for improvement identified at the previous inspection.

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Context and focus of visit

UKTD provides apprenticeships in barbering and hairdressing at levels 2 and 3. At the time of the visit, it had 340 apprentices in learning. COVID-19 (coronavirus) has had a severe impact on the hairdressing industry. Consequently, apprentices have had their learning disrupted as hairdressing salons were closed during much of the pandemic because of the national restrictions. UKTD teaches apprentices the theoretical, English and mathematics skills they need to achieve their apprenticeship. UKTD works closely with employers to ensure that employers teach apprentices the practical and salon skills that apprentices require.

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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

Tutors work effectively with employers to ensure that apprentices’ practical skills are of a high quality. Employers provide apprentices with good opportunities to practise their skills, so they become proficient. Apprentices develop the confidence needed to succeed in the workplace. This enables apprentices to undertake more advanced treatments, such as balayage colouring techniques. As a result, apprentices’ practical skills are of a good standard.

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Reasonable progress

Most apprentices continued to practise their practical skills during the national restrictions. Tutors strongly encouraged apprentices to continue to practise on family members where possible. During this period, apprentices recorded the learning activities they undertook in their journals. Tutors reviewed and commented on apprentices’ activities online. The result is that most apprentices retained a good level of skill during this period. Monitoring visit: UK Training & Development Limited, 16–17 June 2021 Tutors provide apprentices with good-quality training on the theoretical aspects of their programme, for example learning about different shampooing and conditioning treatments. As a result, apprentices understand the science behind the treatments they undertake on clients.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have developed a range of optional online workshops to reinforce apprentices’ theoretical knowledge effectively. Apprentices who access these sessions use them to recap and embed their knowledge, for example how to perm or relax hair. They use the recorded sessions to help them prepare appropriately for exams. However, too few apprentices currently benefit from these workshops.

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Reasonable progress

Managers monitor the progress of apprentices effectively. Tutors meet with apprentices frequently to review their work. They ensure that most apprentices complete learning tasks on time. However, tutors are not sufficiently assertive to ensure that the few apprentices who are behind in their learning catch up quickly.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have not made sure that tutors are sufficiently qualified to support specific learning needs, such as dyslexia, dyscalculia and dyspraxia. Tutors do not have clear development plans that show the impact their support has had on apprentices’ progress. Leaders accurately identify the additional learning needs of apprentices on entry. Apprentices who require additional support meet with their tutors more frequently.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders’ observations of learning sessions do not clearly identify what tutors need to do to improve the quality of teaching and learning. Leaders’ professional development plans concentrate on updating staff on new and existing organisational procedures and processes.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders provide effective general careers information and guidance to apprentices at induction. Apprentices receive information on what skills they need to acquire, for example to achieve more senior stylist roles. Most apprentices remain in their current job roles on completion of their apprenticeship.

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Reasonable progress

Too few apprentices understand the wide range of job roles available to them in the hairdressing industry, such as what hairdressing jobs are available in the travel industry. Leaders have recently developed a range of useful online activities to promote a wider range of career options to apprentices. Apprentices have access to online workbooks. These help them to think about their next steps, but the impact Monitoring visit: UK Training & Development Limited, 16–17 June 2021 on apprentices’ understanding of other careers within the industry is not yet evident as these resources are so new.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders do not work with employers to help them develop apprentices’ understanding of their next steps. A few employers do support apprentices to realise their career ambitions, such as developing apprentices’ knowledge of how to open their own salons by enabling them to take additional business courses. A small proportion of apprentices undertake higher-level qualifications.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders ensured that apprentices continued to have access to theoretical learning resources throughout the pandemic. Most apprentices were supported effectively by their tutors during this period. Tutors encouraged apprentices to access a range of wider learning resources, including workbooks on ‘Prevent’, safeguarding and British values. As a result, many apprentices have a good understanding of these subjects.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders made appropriate checks to support apprentices’ welfare needs during the pandemic. Where leaders identified concerns, they referred apprentices to external agencies, such as Channel and the local authority designated safeguarding team. As a result, most apprentices have returned to learning.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders’ information on the current employed status of apprentices is incomplete. They have yet to establish whether all learners have returned to their salons following the recent easing of restrictions. Tutors have not yet checked the status of apprentices to identify discrepancies. The impact is that a small proportion of apprentices are believed to still be on programme, when inspectors found they were not. Monitoring visit: UK Training & Development Limited, 16–17 June 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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