Action Foundation

Action Foundation Monitoring visit report

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Name of lead inspector: Cath Jackson, Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Type of provider: Independent learning provider

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Address: The Castlegate Melbourne Street Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 2JQ Monitoring visit: Action Foundation, 24 February 2022

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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. 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’.

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Context and focus of visit

At the provider’s first monitoring visit in September 2021, inspectors judged that leaders and managers had made insufficient progress in ensuring that effective safeguarding arrangements were in place. The focus of this visit was on the safeguarding theme below.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers have revised and effectively implemented key procedures as set out in the organisation’s safeguarding policy. A recently appointed designated safeguarding officer (DSO) is trained in safeguarding at a level appropriate to the role. Leaders have trained and appointed several deputy DSOs to ensure that staff, volunteers and learners have a point of contact should they have any safeguarding concerns.

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Reasonable progress

Managers have carried out a robust safeguarding review and implemented an appropriate action plan to ensure that staff report and deal with safeguarding incidents promptly and appropriately, keeping staff, volunteers and learners safe.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers ensure that employed staff are suitable to work with volunteer tutors and with learners who are often in vulnerable situations as asylum seekers and refugees. Managers carry out disclosure and barring service checks on staff and take up references from former employers.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers ensure that the volunteer tutors who they recruit are safe to work with learners. Managers have implemented a thorough application, interview and training process, and they provide robust support and supervision to volunteer tutors to keep them and their learners safe.

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Reasonable progress

Managers have implemented a ‘Prevent’ duty risk assessment and action plan. Staff and volunteer tutors benefit from helpful training in their responsibilities with regard to the ‘Prevent’ duty so that they know how to identify the risks from radicalisation Monitoring visit: Action Foundation, 24 February 2022 and extremism. Staff and volunteer tutors ensure that learners have a thorough understanding of the risks posed by radicalisation and extremism.

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Reasonable progress

Volunteer tutors provide helpful safeguarding information to learners, including how to stay safe online. Learners accessing the digital inclusion courses feel safe when learning and are aware of risks posed by cybercrime. Learners are aware of wider local risks such as exploitation and modern slavery. Monitoring visit: Action Foundation, 24 February 2022 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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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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