Futures Advice, Skills and Employment Limited

Futures Advice, Skills and Employment Limited Monitoring visit report

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Name of lead inspector: Emma Woods, Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Type of provider: Independent learning provider

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Address:

Pearl House 5th Floor Friar Lane Nottingham NG1 6BT Monitoring visit: Futures Advice, Skills and Employment Limited, 23–24 June 2021

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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

Futures Advice, Skills and Employment Limited (Futures) started to teach adult learners in 2017 and apprentices in 2018. At the time of the monitoring visit, there were 188 apprentices and 146 adult learners. Sixty-one apprentices study level 6 Career Development Professionals (CDP) apprenticeship, 42 level 3 business administrator, 17 level 5 operations manager and the remainder study customer service, team leader or digital apprenticeships. Adult learners study across a range of employability and functional English and mathematics qualifications. Futures has teaching sites in Nottingham, Leicester and Mansfield.

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Context and focus of visit

The impact of COVID-19 (coronavirus) has been taken into account in the findings and progress judgements below.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders meet employer needs well. Leaders use their experience of business services and careers guidance to develop apprenticeships effectively. For adults, the sector- based work academy programmes respond to individual employers’ requirements. For example, units and course materials link to the specialisms they need for their staff.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders develop close and effective strategic partnerships with a range of regional and local organisations. Their work with the job centre, careers service and councils helps inform the curriculum. For example, adult courses address skills gaps for teaching assistants and healthcare professionals.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices study at the right level to help them to further their career. Leaders provide employers with comprehensive information on their responsibilities. As a result, employers understand what is required of them and support their apprentices Monitoring visit: Futures Advice, Skills and Employment Limited, 23–24 June 2021 well. Adult learners are referred effectively to courses through an extensive number of partner organisations.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers have a methodical approach to quality improvement. Annual self-assessment informs appropriate quality improvement plans. The ‘critical care cycle’ is effective in monitoring the progress managers make with improvement.

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Reasonable progress

High levels of staff turnover have impacted on the continuity of a few apprentices’ learning. Leaders have put plans in place to address staff recruitment challenges and new skills coaches are now in place.

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Reasonable progress

Skills coaches and CDP tutors are well qualified. Staff training is broad and detailed. New staff members have a very thorough induction which, along with the statutory training, includes a course on how to become a teacher from an assessor.

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Reasonable progress

Governance arrangements are effective. Governors understand what the strengths and areas for development are. They receive a good level of information. This allows them to challenge leaders and managers effectively.

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Reasonable progress

CDP apprentices are taught in a logical manner and develop their reflective skills early in the course. This enables them to build their theory, counselling and communication skills quickly. This is less clear with business apprentices, who make slow progress because of the changes in staff working with them. They have had to self-study harder subjects like change management to complete their studies.

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Reasonable progress

The apprenticeship learning plan outlines the topics apprentices will learn. The plans overly focus on mapping the duties, knowledge, skills and behaviours of the course rather than the detail of what the apprentice needs to know and do. There is little indication that skills coaches revisit topics with apprentices other than as revision for final assessments.

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Reasonable progress

Skills coaches meet quarterly with the apprentice and their employer to discuss progress. This helps apprentices link their on- and off-the-job work effectively and broadens their experience. For example, CDP apprentices learn coaching models to apply with their clients and also do this with clients that they do not normally work with.

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Reasonable progress

Progress reviews are developmental and thorough. Apprentices are able to access extra support when they struggle with their learning. The feedback apprentices receive is mixed. Stronger feedback identifies what apprentices have done well and how they can improve their work in future. Poorer feedback is cursory and, for a few Monitoring visit: Futures Advice, Skills and Employment Limited, 23–24 June 2021 CDP apprentices, late marking means that they do not understand how they can improve their work in a timely way.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices who require English and mathematics qualifications receive effective training to achieve these. However, there is very little development of these skills within the rest of apprentices’ studies.

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Reasonable progress

Skills coaches prepare apprentices well for their final assessments. The requirements are discussed early in apprentices’ studies and they go on to complete useful mock assessments. A high proportion of apprentices achieve distinction grades.

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Significant progress

Adult courses are planned well with sensible, well-sequenced tasks for learners. For example, European computer driving licence learners learn about tabs, groups and ribbons for spreadsheets, which they soon realise is the same in word processing. This helps learners understand that many of the things learned in word processing apply to spreadsheet work.

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Significant progress

In employability skills classes, topics are taught in a logical way; for example, learners complete application forms, which supports them to develop a CV. All learners on the employability courses have mock interviews before their guaranteed interviews. This is very motivational for learners.

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Significant progress

Learners relate well to their teachers, who work hard to put them at ease. This helps learners make good progress as they are happy to ask for clarification and help. Good collaboration and high participation in classes, in person and online, help prepare learners for the world of work.

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Significant progress

Frequent assessment, daily on three-week courses, helps learners develop their writing skills and ensures that they are on track. Support days are available for those that need extra help.

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Significant progress

Teachers incorporate English and mathematics extremely well into their teaching, helping learners, who are often reluctant, to develop these skills.

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Significant progress

Careers information, advice and guidance are good. High numbers of adult learners gain work after completing their course. Monitoring visit: Futures Advice, Skills and Employment Limited, 23–24 June 2021

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Reasonable progress

An extensive and well-qualified safeguarding team meets frequently to review trends and local information to inform their approach. For example, an increase in suicide referrals led to staff training on how to handle difficult conversations.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices know whom to contact if they have any concerns about themselves or a friend. Leaders undertake frequent surveys of apprentices and learners to check that they understand how to raise a concern and know how to keep themselves safe.

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Reasonable progress

The safeguarding team has strong links to ‘Prevent’ networks. They use this information well to inform staff of risks to be aware of. For example, staff were able to identify an organisation that was covertly promoting right-wing extremism. Apprentices and learners have a basic understanding of these themes, such as how to stay safe online. Monitoring visit: Futures Advice, Skills and Employment Limited, 23–24 June 2021 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

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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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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