AJ Bell Business Solutions Limited

AJ Bell Business Solutions Limited Monitoring visit report

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Name of lead inspector: Alastair Mollon, Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Address:

4 Exchange Quay Salford Quays Manchester M5 3EE Monitoring visit: AJ Bell Business Solutions Limited, 6 and 7 April 2022

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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 the Education and Skills Funding Agency 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

AJ Bell Business Solutions Limited (AJ Bell) received its first publicly funded contract for apprenticeship programmes in November 2020. They are an employer provider that train their own apprentices in leadership and management for the financial sector. At the time of the new provider monitoring visit, AJ Bell has 17 apprentices, seven follow the level 3 team leader standard and 10 apprentices follow the level 5 operations or departmental manager standard.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and those in a governance role have established a culture of high expectations for themselves, their staff and the apprentices they train. They have developed an ambitious curriculum that challenges apprentices to achieve highly and to apply their new knowledge, skills and behaviours in work.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders are ambitious for what learners are capable of and what they can achieve in progressing their careers within the company. They use a range of quality assurance measures to ensure apprentices receive the high-quality training and support they need to achieve their next steps and improve their employment opportunities at AJ Bell. Leaders monitor apprentices’ progress through their online learning management system. Trainers have regular meetings with apprentices and their line managers to check on progress and the development of the knowledge, skills and behaviours apprentices need to be successful in their careers.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders know the strengths and weaknesses of their training staff. Trainers are well qualified and experienced in their subject areas. Leaders ensure that staff receive business critical training on topics, including anti-money laundering and data protection. Trainers complete regular vocationally related training in areas, such as the changes in leaderships and management practices resulting from hybrid working. This ensures they have Monitoring visit: AJ Bell Business Solutions Limited, 6 and 7 April 2022 relevant up-to-date knowledge and skills to pass onto their apprentices. However, leaders do not focus sufficiently on updating and improving trainers’ teaching skills so that they continually improve the quality of training for apprentices.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and those in governance roles have an accurate oversight of apprenticeships but self-assessment processes remain in development and do not yet provide a thorough insight into the quality of training apprentices receive. Those in a governance role understand most of the strengths and weaknesses of the provision and use this to challenge leaders to continually improve apprentices’ achievements at work and in their examinations. They acknowledge a need to formalise and follow up actions from meetings to improve the quality of training for apprentices.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and trainers have developed a carefully considered curriculum to provide their apprentices with the knowledge, skills and behaviours they need to become effective leaders and managers in the organisation. They have planned the curriculum in close consultation with line managers to ensure that apprentices not only meet the requirements of their apprenticeship but improve the performance of their teams and the wider business. For example, apprentices demonstrate improved time management and increased self-awareness. They are better able to recognise the skills of others and how to use them to make improvements in the workplace. Apprentices ably apply the team leading and management skills gained on the apprenticeship to benefit the organisation.

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Reasonable progress

Trainers use assessments of apprentices’ prior knowledge, skills and experience to plan learning. Skills coaches work with line managers to ensure the programme fills skill gaps. For example, apprentices work to improve their skills in prioritisation and delegation. As a result, they apply the newly learned Eisenhower decision matrix in classifying jobs to help prioritise tasks and to decide which jobs to delegate.

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Reasonable progress

Managers and trainers have developed a well-structured delivery model to ensure strong links between on- and off-the-job training. Trainers adjust assignment deadlines to accommodate year-end workloads in the financial sector. Apprentices complete classroom knowledge training followed by a wide range of relevant and work-related tasks in the workplace to apply their new learning. Consequently, apprentices demonstrate their growing competence while contributing to the business, for example in leading projects, chairing meetings or conducting performance reviews.

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Reasonable progress

Skills coaches work with apprentices from an early stage to discuss the content and nature of the end point assessment. As a result, most apprentices are fully aware of the availability of higher grades and aspire to achieve them. However, skills coaches do not routinely ensure that apprentices receive sufficient impartial advice and guidance on future opportunities which may be available to them beyond their current role and the Monitoring visit: AJ Bell Business Solutions Limited, 6 and 7 April 2022 apprenticeship.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders, managers and trainers have developed a strong culture of safeguarding for the apprentices at AJ Bell. The designated safeguarding lead and safeguarding team have the appropriate training, skills and experience to carry out their roles effectively. They instil a culture of welfare and well-being across the organisation.

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Reasonable progress

Staff and apprentices benefit from regular training on safeguarding and the ‘Prevent’ duty, but this is not routinely contextualised to the finance industry and the associated risks. Staff check in on welfare, well-being and safeguarding routinely in their interactions with apprentices.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and staff know how to keep apprentices safe and follow company procedures to report any concerns they may have. They follow safer recruitment practices in the employment of staff across the organisation.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders recognise the need to increase and improve staff and apprentices’ training and awareness on sexual harassment, sexual violence and sexual consent. Monitoring visit: AJ Bell Business Solutions Limited, 6 and 7 April 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 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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