Chamber Training (Humber) Limited

Further education and skills inspection report

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Inspection of Chamber Training (Humber) Limited

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate

The quality of education Inadequate Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Requires improvement Leadership and management Inadequate Adult learning programmes Inadequate Apprenticeships Inadequate Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

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Information about this provider

Chamber Training (Humber) Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Hull and Humber Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Shipping. It provides apprenticeships on behalf of levy and non-levy paying employers and learning programmes to adults in receipt of learning loans. There are 129 current apprentices on nine programmes covering a range of subject areas. The largest subject area is hairdressing, with 51 apprentices studying the level 2 hair professional standard. Another five apprentices are studying the level 3 advanced and creative hair standard, and two apprentices are studying the barbering standard. There are 39 apprentices on the level 2 adult care worker and level 3 lead adult care worker standards. Twenty-six apprentices are studying the level 3 refrigeration, air conditioning and heat pump engineering technician standard. The remaining six apprentices are studying business and management related apprenticeship standards. Well over half of the apprentices are

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Information about this provider

aged between 16 and 18. There are 28 adult learners, all studying the level 3 diploma in adult care. 27–29 October 2021

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What is it like to be a learner with this provider?

Apprentices work in learning environments that are not orderly enough or representative of industry standards. Staff expectations for apprentices’ compliance with industry working practices are too low. For example, storage areas in the refrigeration workshop are cluttered and apprentices leave crisp packets and soft drinks bottles in their workspaces.

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What is it like to be a learner with this provider?

Adult learners and too many apprentices do not benefit from high-quality advice and guidance. Tutors inform learners that their programme will open up new opportunities, but they do not explore these in any depth. However, most refrigeration apprentices know about career opportunities that are available to them. These apprentices can identify that they can go from being an apprentice to an ‘improver’ before they progress to being a high-performing engineer.

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What is it like to be a learner with this provider?

Too few learners and apprentices understand well enough the local risks that they might come across, such as knife crime. Most tutors do not help learners or apprentices to develop a deep enough understanding of the risks posed by extremist groups. However, refrigeration tutors provide apprentices with a broad understanding of risks, including how certain gasses can be attractive to extremist groups.

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What is it like to be a learner with this provider?

Most tutors create a respectful atmosphere where learners and apprentices understand the importance of professional and courteous relationships. Learners and apprentices are considerate in their interactions with peers, tutors and workplace colleagues.

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What does the provider do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders and managers have not made rapid enough progress to improve areas of weakness identified at the last full inspection in 2018. They do not have enough oversight of the quality of education that learners and apprentices receive. Leaders are over-reliant on too limited a range of information that programme managers provide about the quality of their programmes. They have recently begun to introduce new quality systems, but these new approaches have not yet resulted in the necessary improvements. As a result, too many of the weaknesses still exist. For example, tutors still do not support adult learners to develop new vocational knowledge and skills.

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What does the provider do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders and managers do not carry out enough checks to make sure that the apprenticeship programmes that they offer meet funding requirements. For example, leaders and managers do not work well enough with employers to ensure that they understand the need to provide apprentices with protected time away from work to complete their training. As a result, too many apprentices do not receive the off-the-job training to which they are entitled.

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What does the provider do well and what does it need to do better?

Tutors collect only limited information about what learners and apprentices know and can do at the start of their programme. They do not use well enough the information that they do collect to plan a curriculum to meet the developmental needs of individual learners and apprentices. All learners and apprentices on each programme study the same content, regardless of their starting points. As a result, too often learners and apprentices do not develop well enough the specific skills and knowledge that they need. 27–29 October 2021

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Tutors do not plan an adult learning programme that is sufficiently ambitious. The curriculum does not enable adult learners to develop significant new knowledge or skills. While tutors prepare learners to attain a national vocational qualification, this is too often through the recognition of prior learning or finding evidence of existing competencies. Therefore, too many adult learners simply accredit the knowledge and skills that they already have.

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Tutors do not plan the adult learning curriculum well enough to help learners to develop fluency and consistency. Once learners complete a unit, tutors do not support them to repeat topics or practise skills. As a result, adult learners cannot remember or draw on what they have covered on their programme.

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Staff do not plan and sequence the apprenticeship curriculum appropriately to meet the needs of the apprentices’ job role. As a result, too many apprentices do not make rapid enough progress at work. For example, refrigeration apprentices do not complete F-Gas training early enough, which means that they experience delays in being able to work on air conditioning units.

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Tutors do not carry out adequate checks on what learners and apprentices know and can do. They do not make good enough use of assessment to identify misconceptions or gaps in learning. Staff did not implement effective strategies to assess apprentices and help them to catch up following time out of their classrooms and workplaces during the periods of COVID- 19 restrictions.

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Staff do not provide apprentices with enough support and guidance to improve their skills in English and mathematics. They carry out initial assessments of what apprentices know and can do in these subjects but do not make effective use of information from these assessments to plan learning. Staff rely too much on apprentices completing tasks on the online-learning platform and do too little to make sure that apprentices do this or to check whether apprentices find the resources helpful.

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Senior chamber leaders establish meaningful relationships with the local enterprise partnership and employers. They do this as part of the overall aim of supporting the local skills development agenda. Stakeholders value the commitment and contribution from senior leaders towards addressing local skills needs. However, leaders and managers do not use information about local skills needs adequately in order to plan a curriculum for learners and apprentices that is relevant to the needs of their employers. For example, hair professional apprentices study perming techniques that are no longer in demand, rather than learning how to apply hair extensions, a skill that is needed in local salons.

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Leaders recruit tutors with significant industrial experience. Tutors use this expertise skilfully to support apprentices to build their skills in order to reach the required industry standard. For example, hairdressing tutors make sure that apprentices can use basic cutting techniques before moving on to the creation of more complex styles.

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Tutors support adult care apprentices well with preparations for their final assessments. Tutors help apprentices to practise by holding mock interviews and tests. This helps tutors to ensure that most apprentices are equipped to successfully complete their end-point assessment. 27–29 October 2021

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Most apprentices demonstrate consistently high compliance with health and safety policies in the workplace. Tutors and employers support apprentices well to understand the implications of their actions. For example, refrigeration apprentices know that the gasses they use are potentially combustible and that they could cause severe burns.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders and those responsible for governance have not done enough to establish an embedded culture of safeguarding. They do not carry out adequate checks to ensure that statutory duties are met or that policies accurately identify contemporary risks.

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Safeguarding

The designated safeguarding leaders have completed relevant training to support them in their roles. However, there is no clear policy for other staff to complete safeguarding training. Consequently, too many staff have not received training on how to support learners and apprentices to stay safe. Only half of the staff have received training in how to spot signs of radicalisation and extremism.

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What does the provider need to do to improve?

 Develop and implement up-to-date safeguarding policies and procedures that accurately identify and mitigate risks.  Provide all staff with meaningful training in how to support learners and apprentices to keep themselves safe.  Improve reporting systems so that leaders and those responsible for governance can ensure that statutory duties are being met.  Take rapid steps to ensure that learners and apprentices better understand the risks they may face in their job roles and the local area.  Improve the oversight of the quality of education that learners and apprentices receive to identify urgent actions that will address effectively the areas of weakness in the curriculum.  Better identify what learners and apprentices know and can do and use at the start of their programme and use this information effectively to plan a curriculum that is suited to the needs of individual learners and apprentices.

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What does the provider need to do to improve?

 Work more closely with local employers to plan a curriculum that enables apprentices to develop the knowledge, skills and behaviours that are needed to be successful in the workplace.  Ensure that employers are fully aware of their commitments toward apprentices so that apprentices can receive the off-the-job training to which they are entitled.  Plan an adult learning curriculum that supports learners to develop new knowledge, skills and behaviours that they can put to good use in the workplace.  Better support apprentices to access helpful resources that will enable them to develop their skills in English and mathematics. 27–29 October 2021

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 Improve the quality of information, advice and guidance that is given to all learners and apprentices so that they fully understand the options that are available to them when they complete their programme. 27–29 October 2021

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Provider details

Address 34-38 Beverley Road Hull HU3 1YE

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Provider details

Provider type Independent learning provider

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Provider details

Date of previous inspection 1 March 2018

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Provider details

Main subcontractors None 27–29 October 2021

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Information about this inspection

The inspection team was assisted by the head of training, as nominee. Inspectors took account of the provider’s most recent self-assessment report and development plans, and the previous inspection report. The inspection was carried out using the further education and skills inspection handbook and took into account all relevant provision at the provider. Inspectors collected a wide range of evidence to inform judgements, including visiting learning sessions, scrutinising learners’ work, seeking the views of learners, staff and other stakeholders, and examining the provider’s documentation and records.

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Inspection team

Andrea Shepherd, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Ian Frear Her Majesty’s Inspector Cath Jackson Her Majesty’s Inspector 27–29 October 2021

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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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