The Specialists Hub Ltd

The Specialists Hub Ltd Monitoring visit report

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Name of lead inspector: Helen Whelan, Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Type of provider: Independent learning provider

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Address: Blue Media City UK Salford M50 2ST Monitoring visit: The Specialists Hub Ltd, 6–7 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

The Specialists Hub Ltd has provided apprenticeships in the cyber security and digital sectors since October 2020. At the time of the monitoring visit, 31 apprentices were on level 3 and level 4 apprenticeship standards. There are 19 apprentices who follow the level 4 cyber security technologist apprenticeship and five apprentices on the digital marketing apprenticeship. Fewer than five apprentices study the level 3 cyber security technician and level 4 software developer apprenticeships. Most apprentices are based in businesses in the North West of England. All apprentices are over the age of 18.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders and managers have a clear rationale to train apprentices in the cyber security and digital sector to support small- and medium-sized employers. They recognise that businesses are often unprepared for cyberattacks and struggle to recruit to cyber security roles.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders ensure that there are appropriate arrangements in place for the continual professional development of staff industry skills. Trainers are suitably qualified. They undertake additional training in the cyber security and digital sectors to ensure they have the skills required to meet employers’ demands. However, trainers do not receive training to develop their teaching skills. As a result, apprentices do not receive a consistently high standard of training.

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Insufficient progress

Trainers do not systematically develop apprentices’ English and mathematical skills during the apprenticeship. Although apprentices who need to gain level 2 qualifications in English and mathematics receive individual tutoring, managers do not monitor this and intervene when apprentices make slow progress. Monitoring visit: The Specialists Hub Ltd, 6–7 April 2022 Managers do not have a thorough understanding of what they need to do to improve the quality of training that apprentices receive. They have put in place some quality assurance processes, but these have not enabled them to improve some important systemic issues at the provider.

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Insufficient progress

While members of the board have appropriate educational and industry experience, they do not hold leaders to account to improve the quality of training that apprentices receive. This leads to apprentices not receiving a high quality of apprenticeship training.

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Insufficient progress

Trainers teach topics in a logical order to help apprentices incrementally build their new knowledge, skills, and behaviours. For example, apprentices learn about relevant laws and ethics before moving on to cryptography. Apprentices are then able to identify if the information they package and send securely is ethical and moral .

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Insufficient progress

Tutors do not use the information of assessments completed at the start of the programme to plan a challenging curriculum for apprentices. Apprentices follow the same curriculum, regardless of their prior knowledge or experience. Trainers do not help apprentices to develop the knowledge and skills they need to make an effective contribution in their employers’ businesses. They do not make sure employers contribute to or understand what their apprentices are taught.

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Insufficient progress

Trainers do not coordinate apprentices’ training effectively with the duties they carry out in the workplace. Apprentices’ line managers are only aware of the basic order of topics apprentices’ study through a discussion at the start of the course. Trainers do not routinely revisit or review this with employers. As a result, apprentices are not able to practise what they have learned in the workplace in a timely manner.

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Insufficient progress

Trainers do not use assessment to check whether apprentices understand the topics they have taught or to identify any gaps in their learning. They do not set work early enough in the course to support the development of apprentices’ competencies.

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Insufficient progress

Trainers prepare apprentices appropriately for their examinations. Apprentices complete mock questions and attend revision sessions to consolidate their knowledge. As a result, most apprentices pass examinations on their first attempt. However, trainers do not have high enough expectations of apprentices. They do not routinely set work or provide feedback on how to produce a higher standard of work and achieve higher grades. Most apprentices do not know the grades they can achieve at the end of their apprenticeship. Monitoring visit: The Specialists Hub Ltd, 6–7 April 2022 Trainers provide individual support to apprentices who fall behind with their studies. However, for a few apprentices this support is ineffective as trainers do not put robust action plans in place to help them to catch up. As a result, these apprentices do not make rapid progress on their apprenticeship.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers ensure a strong focus on safeguarding. The designated safeguarding lead and their deputy are appropriately experienced and trained. All trainers and governors have received recent and relevant safeguarding training.

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Reasonable progress

Managers ensure that there are suitable procedures in place to safeguard apprentices. Apprentices know how to report any concerns they have. There are safe recruitment practices in place, although managers recognise that some aspects, such as the logging of references, need to be more formalised.

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Reasonable progress

Managers take reasonable steps to meet the requirements of the ‘Prevent’ duty through appropriate risk assessment. However, trainers do not discuss safeguarding topics with apprentices. Apprentices receive information at the start of their course, but this is not revisited. Apprentices do not know about threats in their local area or how safeguarding affects them personally. Most apprentices are aware of topics such as radicalisation through work with their employers. Monitoring visit: The Specialists Hub Ltd, 6–7 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

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Reasonable progress

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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