The Employers Forum Ltd

The Employers Forum Limited Monitoring visit report

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Name of lead inspector: Ian Frear, Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Type of provider: Independent learning provider

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Address: The Stables Sharrow Lane Sheffield S11 8AE Monitoring visit: The Employers Forum Limited, 5 and 6 April 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. 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

The Employers Forum Limited is an independent learning provider based in Sheffield. In September 2021, it started delivering employability programmes for adult learners with funding from South Yorkshire Combined Authority. At the time of the inspection, there were 83 learners on non-accredited employability and social support programmes for adults with a wide range of support needs.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders do not have in place rigorous quality assurance arrangements or a clear oversight of the quality of training for adult learners. They do not evaluate the effectiveness of staff’s performance or learners’ progress. Consequently, leaders do not know that the quality of education for adult learners is not of a good enough quality or that too many learners are making slow progress from their starting points.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders have not provided staff with the training that they need to perform effectively in their roles. While leaders have undertaken some useful in-house training such as advising male staff how to work more effectively with female clients and raising staff’s awareness of diverse cultures, they have no clear plan to improve training for staff.

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Insufficient progress

Those in governance positions lack the expertise to perform their roles. They are unable to provide the challenge needed to hold leaders to account, particularly in relation to improving the quality of education. They do not have sufficient oversight of the provider’s strengths and weaknesses. Leaders rightly acknowledge that they need to broaden governance to include individuals with expertise in education.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders have a clear purpose to reach and support adults who are furthest from education and employment. Their intention is to remove barriers so that learners are Monitoring visit: The Employers Forum Limited, 5 and 6 April 2022 able to access learning and employment. These barriers include low literacy levels, social isolation and long-term, intergenerational unemployment.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders recruit staff who have the skills, knowledge and experience to work with vulnerable adults. Staff include key workers who are qualified to level 4 in initial advice and guidance.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders work in partnership with organisations that provide opportunities to support learners into employment and training. They focus specifically on supporting individuals from diverse ethnic communities and with a range of support needs. They collaborate with partners to provide their clients with support to improve their physical and mental health and to meet their social and training needs.

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Insufficient progress

Key workers do not plan learning effectively enough to help learners achieve their goals. Too many training plans are incomplete or missing. Where staff agree specific actions, such as producing effective curriculums vitae (CVs), these actions often roll forward for months, with learners receiving no further support to achieve the action.

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Insufficient progress

Key workers do not provide learners with enough opportunities to develop their English skills. They signpost learners to conversational courses in English, including English for speakers of other languages, but learners do not have the ability or confidence to join these courses unaided. Too many learners do not receive the tuition that they need to improve their English language skills and too many do not attend English classes frequently enough.

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Insufficient progress

Key workers do not use information about learners’ starting points to design activities to meet their needs. Most learners have significant barriers to learning, but staff do not ensure that the activities that they use are appropriate or that support enables learners to access the curriculum. For example, many learners neither have the digital or English skills required to produce CVs in order to find work.

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Insufficient progress

Staff have not had sufficient training to provide learners with high-quality support and do not know enough about advocating for their learners. For example, learners have applied for college courses but not heard about their applications and do not know what to do next. Others have completed work for which they were expecting to get paid but do not know how to complain or challenge the employers.

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Insufficient progress

A few learners progress into work or voluntary positions such as lunchtime supervisors or on to training such as woodwork classes. Other learners have gained work out of the local area such as at a large airport as a baggage handler. However, Monitoring visit: The Employers Forum Limited, 5 and 6 April 2022 the few learners who have gained employment already had the confidence, skills and experience that they needed.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders have not ensured that all staff receive up-to-date training in safeguarding, including the designated safeguarding lead. Learners who gain employment do so without any checks being carried out to ensure that they are not exploited due to their vulnerable status.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders have not done enough to meet the requirements of the ‘Prevent’ duty and have not produced a ‘Prevent’ duty action plan. Most staff are not trained in or aware of the potential risks to learners such as from radicalisation or extremism.

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Insufficient progress

All staff have an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check when they start working at the provider. Leaders check that staff are suitable to work with vulnerable adults through employment references and confirmation of the right to work in the UK.

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Insufficient progress

Learners feel safe and welcomed in the centre. They recognise local residents from their community and appreciate knowing other people in the centre. However, learners do not know who they would report any concerns to, should they have any. Monitoring visit: The Employers Forum Limited, 5 and 6 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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Insufficient progress

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Insufficient progress

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Insufficient progress

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Insufficient progress

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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