APT Health and Safety Training Solutions Ltd

APT Health and Safety Training Solutions Limited Monitoring visit report

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Name of lead inspector: Martin Ward, Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Type of provider: Independent learning provider

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Address:

Lake View Festival Way Stoke-on-Trent ST1 5BJ Monitoring visit: APT Health and Safety Training Solutions Limited, 27 and 28 July 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

APT Health and Safety Training Solutions Limited was formed in 2013. The provider has been delivering apprenticeships as a main contractor since 15 February 2021. The offer consists of the level 3 safety, health and environmental technician standard and level 2 metal recycling general operative standard. Most training takes place at the premises of the apprentices’ employer. There is some remote teaching. Apprentices are employed by 18 different employers, and they are distributed across England. At the time of the inspection, there were 32 apprentices, with some 27 apprentices on the level 3, and all aged 19 or above.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders made some poor decisions when setting up the apprenticeship provision. They decided to plan for completion of the level 3 safety, health and environmental technician curriculum over a period of 15 months. The typical duration of this standard is some 24 months. They did not prioritise the achievement of functional skills, even though half of the apprentices required the qualifications to complete the apprenticeship. As a result, most apprentices are not progressing quickly enough to complete the apprenticeship on time.

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Insufficient progress

Initially, leaders did not make the requirements of an apprenticeship clear enough to employers and apprentices. As a result, some apprentices withdrew, as they found they had too much work to do and too little time to complete the work with their employer.

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Insufficient progress

The management of the apprenticeship provision is too informal. Although senior leaders hold regular meetings, managers rely heavily on oral exchange of information, rather than written reports, detailed minutes, and actions. As a result, Monitoring visit: APT Health and Safety Training Solutions Limited, 27 and 28 July 2022 leaders have not held managers to account, or identified and tracked areas for improvement quickly enough.

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Insufficient progress

Although managers do carry out some quality assurance processes, such as apprentice and employer surveys, they do not analyse the results, and they do not produce a comprehensive self-assessment report or accurate quality improvement plan. Senior leaders do not have a good enough understanding of what needs to improve.

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Insufficient progress

The management of information and data is weak. Managers do not systematically produce reports which identify the progress apprentices are making. As a result, they do not intervene to support apprentices quickly enough. Only recently, managers withdrew some eight apprentices from the programme. Roughly a third of the apprentices enrolled on the safety, health and environmental technician standard have not continued.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders have ensured that there are suitably qualified and experienced staff in place to deliver the block remote training. However, trainers’ experience of apprenticeships is limited. As a result, it has taken some time for trainers to realise how much support and time apprentices need in order to apply theory to practice in the workplace.

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Insufficient progress

Senior leaders have a clear purpose for the provision, which is to offer more extended training opportunities within health and safety to existing customers. During the visit, leaders and managers were very keen to discuss and act on areas for improvement.

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Reasonable progress

Managers use apprentices’ prior experiences, knowledge, and qualifications to plan their learning. While trainers use this information well with vocational skills, they are less effective when teaching the functional skills of English and mathematics. Too often, the trainers rely on apprentices completing past papers, rather than teaching the skills that apprentices need to fill their gaps in knowledge.

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Reasonable progress

Some apprentices develop new knowledge, skills, and behaviours, which they quickly apply within their health and safety roles in the workplace. Trainers teach an additional qualification that provides apprentices with technical knowledge and develops report-writing skills. For example, one apprentice prepared a report for his managers on incidents and near misses.

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Reasonable progress

Trainers provide helpful feedback on completed work. This enables apprentices to reflect on and improve their work. Where apprentices are still not clear about a particular topic or procedure, trainers will provide additional guidance, and work with Monitoring visit: APT Health and Safety Training Solutions Limited, 27 and 28 July 2022 them individually. For example, trainers were supporting an apprentice to develop a culture of health and safety within their organisation. Apprentices now receive better and more regular support than was previously the case.

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Reasonable progress

Trainers deliver high-quality online group sessions. They combine clear and informative presentations with appropriate use of break-out rooms. Trainers ensure that trainer demonstrations are swiftly followed by discussions with apprentices. As a result, trainers gain assurance that apprentices understand the key concepts. Trainers regularly review the presentation materials and adjust them following feedback from apprentices.

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Reasonable progress

Where trainers have completed reviews, they are thorough and completed well. The reviewer, apprentice, and employer agree what learning will be applied in the workplace. Employers contribute well to the review process. In these cases, apprentices spoke positively and confidently about how their knowledge and skills were improving. In previous months, managers had not provided sufficient reviews.

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Reasonable progress

While apprentices enjoy their online block training and appreciate the current level of individual support, they find it difficult to find sufficient time and motivation to complete the work within the expected timescales. Apprentices are not clear about the requirements of the end-point assessment, or what they need to do to achieve a distinction.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have embedded a culture of safeguarding across the organisation, which extends well to the training of apprentices. They have developed and applied appropriate safeguarding policies. They have appointed a suitably qualified designated safeguarding lead, who works with the training team to ensure that apprentices know how to keep themselves safe. Leaders ensure the safe recruitment of new staff and carry out the required checks.

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Reasonable progress

Staff undertake regular training on safeguarding and the ‘Prevent’ duty.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices have undertaken training on the risks associated with radicalisation and extremism during their induction. They know how to identify, and report concerns about others. Managers discuss safeguarding and the ‘Prevent’ duty in the regular reviews with apprentices.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices are acutely aware of how to keep themselves and colleagues physically safe at work.

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Reasonable progress

Trainers develop apprentices’ understanding of British values such as democracy, respect, and responsibility well through sessions which simultaneously develop apprentices’ information technology skills. Monitoring visit: APT Health and Safety Training Solutions Limited, 27 and 28 July 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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