Step Ahead Social Enterprise Community Interest Company

Step Ahead Social Enterprise Community Interest Company Monitoring visit report

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Name of lead inspector: Lynda Brown, Her Majesty's Inspector

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Type of provider: Independent learning provider

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Address:

107-111 Fleet Street London EC4A 2AB Monitoring visit: Step Ahead Social Enterprise Community Interest Company, 30 June-01 July 2021

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Context and focus of visit

From March 2019, Ofsted undertook to carry out monitoring visits to all newly directly funded providers of adult learning provision which began to be funded from August 2017 or after by the Greater London Authority. 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

Step Ahead Social Enterprise Community Interest Company (Step Ahead) provides training and recruitment with a focus on supporting unemployed people to gain sustainable employment. Step Ahead teaches employability courses, including personal and social development, and enterprise skills. They work with four subcontractors to provide courses in construction, digital media, safeguarding and functional skills. At the time of the visit there were 220 learners.

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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

Leaders and managers have established a clear vision to provide training that supports unemployed adults to progress into employment. They have created opportunities for adult learners to achieve qualifications and receive support to gain employment, with many having guaranteed interviews.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have thought carefully about the curriculum that they offer so that it aligns closely to the local and regional skills requirements. Step Ahead directly teach those curriculum areas in which they have relevant expertise, such as employability. They work with subcontractors, to provide a broader curriculum offer. Leaders review the curriculum they offer frequently to ensure that it is up to date and relevant. For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, they introduced an enterprise course for adults wishing to start up their own businesses.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders assess the quality of the provision well. As a result, they have a good understanding of the main strengths and weaknesses. They monitor their progress in rectifying weaknesses through quarterly quality meetings. Senior leaders report to governors who provide robust challenge on their performance. Monitoring visit: Step Ahead Social Enterprise Community Interest Company, 30 June-01 July 2021 Tutors are well qualified and competent to carry out their roles. Leaders provide appropriate training for staff to ensure that they keep up to date and know how to teach well.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders recognise the need for robust oversight of their subcontracted provision, much of which is new. They have recently reviewed and strengthened their quality monitoring processes but acknowledge that this requires further development.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers do not ensure that subcontractors consistently monitor the progress of learners into employment or further study. As a result, they do not know whether learners have gained employment or whether they need additional guidance. Leaders have begun to take action to rectify this. For example, learners completing courses in refrigeration now go onto an employability course at Step Ahead if they are not employed swiftly.

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Reasonable progress

Adults gain valuable new knowledge, skills and behaviours during their programmes. Curriculum managers plan learning carefully so that adults learn basic skills first and then move on to more complex skills. In refrigeration and air conditioning courses, adults learn about health and safety and how to measure and bend pipes accurately. They then progress to pressure testing pipes. Learners benefit from using professional equipment and, as a result, they are familiar with industry standards and prepared well for future employment. In English lessons, adults learn how to compose professional letters and e- mails, which they recognise will help them to secure jobs.

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Reasonable progress

Tutors provide adults with helpful feedback in lessons. Tutors check learners’ understanding of important concepts and help learners to know how they can improve their work. In refrigeration and air conditioning courses, learners practise tasks repeatedly, so that they can produce work of a professional standard.

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Reasonable progress

In English lessons, tutors teach learners how to write confidently, for example in the use of connective adverbs and different tenses. As a result, learners improve their written work and make less errors.

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Reasonable progress

Although managers and tutors identify learners’ career aspirations early in their programmes, subcontractors do not routinely use this information to help learners to understand the employment opportunities available to them. In those subcontractors that set clear targets for learners towards achieving meaningful employment, learners are clear about what they will do next. Monitoring visit: Step Ahead Social Enterprise Community Interest Company, 30 June-01 July 2021 In a small proportion of practical courses, tutors do not teach aspects of theory work thoroughly enough. Consequentially, not enough learners pass their online examinations at the first attempt and too few learners achieve their qualification within the planned timescales.

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Reasonable progress

Tutors do not consistently correct spelling errors in learners’ written work, including spelling of technical or professional language.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers have established a positive culture of safeguarding. They have put in place relevant policies and procedures which they implement well to keep learners safe.

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Reasonable progress

Safeguarding leaders are appropriately trained to carry out their roles. Managers provide detailed safeguarding training for staff at induction and staff receive frequent update training. Leaders have established good links with the local safeguarding board and with other support agencies to ensure that their knowledge is up to date.

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Reasonable progress

Tutors support learners well to adapt to working online safely. Staff recognise that learners’ well-being concerns have increased due to the pandemic. They swiftly support learners by referring them to appropriate agencies and keep in touch with them to check on their well-being frequently.

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Reasonable progress

Learners feel safe in their working environments and know how to report any concerns they may have. Monitoring visit: Step Ahead Social Enterprise Community Interest Company, 30 June-01 July 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 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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