The Employers Forum Ltd

The Employers Forum Ltd Monitoring visit report

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Name of lead inspector: Chloe Rendall, 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 Ltd, 3 August 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

At the provider’s first monitoring visit in April 2022, 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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Insufficient progress

Leaders have not responded swiftly enough to the safeguarding weaknesses identified during the previous monitoring visit. Staff do not have a clear understanding of their responsibilities and duties in safeguarding the adults they work with, many of whom come from a variety of challenging backgrounds.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders do not ensure that managers and staff receive relevant and up-to-date safeguarding training. Although the newly appointed designated safeguarding lead has safeguarding experience, they have not undertaken recent training and professional development to understand contemporary risks such as modern slavery or county lines. Consequently, the information staff and service users receive is limited and does not enable them to develop knowledge about the wider risks that they may face in a modern society.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders do not have effective safeguarding policies and procedures in place. Policies written since the previous visit are incomplete and are too superficial. They do not set out clearly enough the responsibilities of staff in the safeguarding of service users. For example, draft policies do not have accompanying procedures nor wider guidance about how staff or service users should report any concerns, especially if the safeguarding lead is unavailable.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders do not have a clear understanding of the safeguarding issues that vulnerable adults raise with staff. They do not know whether concerns are being recorded and Monitoring visit: The Employers Forum Ltd, 3 August 2022 reported accurately, or whether appropriate actions are being taken, such as closer monitoring of vulnerable adults to ensure they are safe. Service users report that they feel safe when attending the setting and they know that staff keep their personal information confidential.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders have created a ‘Prevent’ duty action plan but have not carried out a risk assessment of their own provision and the potential threats they and service users may face. Consequently, leaders and staff do not effectively provide service users with information about the local ideological risks they may encounter. Monitoring visit: The Employers Forum Ltd, 3 August 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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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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