MYBE Awards Ltd

Mybe Awards Limited Monitoring visit report

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Name of lead inspector: Philippa Firth, Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Type of provider: Independent learning provider

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Address: 5a West Lane Chester Le Street DH3 3HJ Monitoring visit: Mybe Awards 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

Mybe Awards Limited has been delivering apprenticeships since November 2020. At the time of the monitoring visit, it had 27 apprentices. Of these, 12 apprentices were studying the level 2 floorlayer standard. The remaining 15 apprentices were studying the following standards: level 2 retailer, level 2 accounts or finance assistant, level 3 content producer, level 3 digital support technician, level 3 human resources support, level 3 photographic technician, level 3 probation practitioner, level 4 assessor coach, level 7 accountancy or taxation professional, or level 7 senior leader.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders and managers do not have sufficient oversight of the quality of the apprenticeship provision. They do not have quality assurance procedures in place, and so do not have an accurate understanding of their strengths or areas for improvement. Consequently, leaders do not know what actions they need to take to improve the provision for their apprentices.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders do not understand what constitutes effective teaching and training. As a result, they are unable to help trainers to recognise how they could improve. Leaders ensure that trainers undertake professional development, but it is not linked to improving their teaching practice.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders do not always recruit specialist staff with relevant industrial experience and appropriate qualifications in the subjects they teach. Leaders rely on employers to deliver the training to enable apprentices to develop the skills they need. Apprentices are well prepared for their own job roles, but have gaps in the wider skills they need to develop to achieve their apprenticeship. Staff do not prepare apprentices effectively to meet the requirements of the end-point assessment. Monitoring visit: Mybe Awards Limited, 27 and 28 July 2022 Leaders and managers do not ensure that apprentices receive their entitlement to off-the-job training. Too many apprentices do not attend off-the-job training due to work commitments, and they complete their work at home in their own time. Too often, apprentices have to plan their own off-the-job training with little guidance from their trainers.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders and managers do not ensure that employers attend progress review meetings with their apprentices. Therefore, employers are not clear about the progress their apprentices are making. Consequently, employers do not understand what new knowledge, skills and behaviours apprentices need to develop and acquire through their employment.

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Insufficient progress

Most trainers do not plan and teach the curriculum in a logical order. They follow the order contained in the apprenticeship standards without considering the timing of the topics to ensure that the teaching order is appropriate for apprentices and their employers . Apprentices on the accountancy or taxation professional standard at level 7 receive no planned teaching; they ask for help with their work if they think they need it.

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Insufficient progress

Trainers are too slow to identify gaps in apprentices’ knowledge and skills. They wait until the end of the first year of the programme to complete a full progress review, when they identify areas that apprentices need to work on in the workplace. This slows the progress that apprentices make. Trainers recognise this and plan to identify gaps in knowledge and skills much earlier in the future.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders and managers have been too slow to provide effective support to most apprentices who need to complete functional skills qualifications in mathematics and English. Most apprentices who need to achieve these qualifications have not yet received any support to develop the knowledge they need, and they are not aware of when teaching towards these qualifications will begin. A few apprentices are not aware that they need to complete these qualifications as part of their apprenticeship.

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Insufficient progress

Trainers make effective use of workplace scenarios in teaching sessions. They check apprentices’ understanding of theoretical knowledge effectively through questionnaires, quizzes and written assignments. Trainers provide useful feedback on assignments so that apprentices know what to do to improve further.

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Insufficient progress

Trainers provide most apprentices with useful careers information to help them plan their next steps. For example, they discuss what apprentices need to do to gain a promotion and become a team leader or a contracts manager. Monitoring visit: Mybe Awards Limited, 27 and 28 July 2022

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Insufficient progress

Leaders do not place sufficient emphasis on safeguarding. They have appointed a designated safeguarding lead with suitable training, but this person is only available one day a week.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders do not have appropriate safer recruitment processes in place. They do not maintain records that ensure that staff are safe to work with young or vulnerable apprentices. Leaders do not ensure that trainers know how to identify, help or protect young or vulnerable apprentices who might be at risk of harm or require support.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders do not routinely check that employers are safe to work with apprentices. As a result, leaders and trainers do not have the necessary assurance that apprentices are safe in their workplaces.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders have not ensured that the ‘Prevent’ duty is widely understood by staff and apprentices. Leaders and staff are not aware of the local risks, and so are not able to raise apprentices’ awareness of these.

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Insufficient progress

Apprentices have a good understanding of how to work safely in the workplace. Staff cover this topic in training sessions, and it is reinforced by employers in the workplace. Monitoring visit: Mybe Awards 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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Insufficient 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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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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