Business Training Ventures Limited

Further education and skills inspection report

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Inspection of Business Training Ventures Limited

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate

The quality of education Inadequate Behaviour and attitudes Inadequate Personal development Inadequate Leadership and management Inadequate Adult learning programmes Inadequate Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this provider

Business Training Ventures Limited, trading as Potential 4 Skills, is an independent learning provider that provides short, part-time courses for adults seeking employment and further training. At the time of the inspection, there were 52 adult learners, most of whom were enrolled on more than one course. Courses include vocational pathways into work at entry level and level 1, essential digital skills at entry level and level 3, and functional skills in English at entry level, level 1 and level 2. The provider operates from a training centre in Bradford, and most learners live in the local area. 26 to 28 October 2022

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What is it like to be a learner with this provider?

Too many learners are dissatisfied with their course and leave early because leaders do not provide a purposeful or ambitious curriculum. Many learners lack motivation and enthusiasm because, too often, they are enrolled on to an inappropriate course and do not understand why they are on the course. For example, learners hoping to gain employment in construction are studying vocational pathways that are not relevant to their plans and aspirations.

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What is it like to be a learner with this provider?

Too many learners miss their lessons. Leaders and tutors do not have high enough aspirations for learners’ attendance. Learners are not prepared well enough to gain the attributes that they need for the world of work, including good attendance and punctuality.

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What is it like to be a learner with this provider?

Tutors do not do enough to ensure that learners are effectively equipped with the knowledge that they need to stay safe online. Learners can only identify basic information about online safety, and this information mostly comes from their own life experiences.

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What is it like to be a learner with this provider?

Learners feel safe in the training centre. They are respectful to each other and enjoy interacting with their peers and tutors. They appreciate the respectful culture at the centre.

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better?

Leaders have not considered well enough how to plan and put in place a logical and coherent curriculum. As a result, most learners do not complete their short courses or achieve their qualifications within the planned timescales. Leaders fail to ensure that the courses that they provide meet the needs and aspirations of their learners, including those with additional learning needs. For example, a number of learners who aspire to work as a fork-lift truck driver are working towards an entry level qualification in customer service.

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better?

Learners receive insufficient tuition to enable them to gain the skills and knowledge that they need. The amount of time allocated for learners to complete courses is often much less than what they need to reach a level that would enable them to achieve the qualification. As a result, too many learners make insufficient progress towards their goals.

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better?

Tutors do not clearly establish learners’ starting points. This means that learners do not benefit from teaching that meets their individual needs and ambitions. Too often, tutors place learners with low prior attainment on inappropriate courses that they are unable to complete successfully. Conversely, tutors often place learners with high prior attainment on low-level programmes which do not enable them to maintain motivation or gain meaningful new knowledge, skills and behaviours. 26 to 28 October 2022

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Tutors do not provide learners with sufficient opportunities to develop their work- related skills on the pathways into work course. This means that learners do not benefit from securing the skills that they need to enable them to be successful. For example, when preparing for job interviews, learners work together independently of the tutor to develop and practise their interview skills. However, they often have had very little prior experience of interviews, which means that they do not know how they can improve their own skills or those of their peers.

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Tutors do not provide the support for learners who have additional learning needs that would enable them to make good progress. They do not guide learners well enough to help them to remember what they have learned and how they will apply their knowledge to new situations.

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Tutors do not provide useful or helpful feedback to learners, except for the very few learners on English courses. Therefore, most learners do not understand how to improve their work. Learners do not quickly improve the communication skills that they need to become more confident and resilient in relation to seeking and gaining employment.

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Leaders do not ensure that learners receive useful careers advice and guidance. As a result, too many learners have insufficient awareness of the range of employment options available, which limits their potential to progress successfully into work.

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Tutors do not develop learners’ understanding of British values well enough. Learners do not know how to apply values such as respect and tolerance to their work and everyday lives.

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Tutors do not provide learners with useful information on how to stay healthy and look after their well-being. Learners are not aware of the potential impact of poor health and well-being on their personal lives or at work.

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Leaders do not take adequate steps to evaluate and understand the quality of education. As a result, tutors do not receive the support that they need, and they do not receive useful information on how to improve their teaching skills. For example, feedback to tutors does not provide helpful strategies in developing the quality of the education for learners.

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Company directors in a governance role do not have a sound enough understanding about the quality of the provision. They are not aware of many of the weaknesses in the provision. This means that they cannot identify appropriate actions for improvements or effectively hold managers to account to improve the quality of the provision.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 26 to 28 October 2022

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Leaders and staff ensure that learners are safe during their training. Leaders have suitable safeguarding policies and risk assessments in place, which they implement appropriately. They ensure that staff are suitable to work with vulnerable learners.

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The designated safeguarding officer is appropriately qualified to carry out the role. However, information about local risks is not communicated effectively to staff. Consequently, tutors and learners are not fully informed of risks in their local areas.

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Leaders ensure that tutors complete basic training on safeguarding and the ‘Prevent’ duty. Tutors communicate brief information based on this training to learners at the beginning of their course. However, learners’ knowledge about safeguarding topics is not developed further during the course. As a result, learners are unable to confidently recall their understanding of risks such as radicalisation and extremism.

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What does the provider need to do to improve?

 Ensure that learners benefit from an ambitious and well-planned curriculum that enables them to gain the knowledge, skills and attributes that they need to secure and sustain employment.  Evaluate the quality of the provision, identify weaknesses accurately and take swift action to make improvements.  Maintain an accurate oversight of learners’ progress in order to reduce significantly the proportion of learners who do not complete their course by their planned end date.  Ensure that tutors use information about learners’ starting points to plan programmes that meet learners’ needs and ambitions.  Ensure that tutors provide learners with helpful feedback that enables them to become well prepared for work or further learning.  Improve learners’ attendance and punctuality at lessons.  Ensure that learners receive information about online safety and local risks to enable them to keep themselves safe from potential threats.

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What does the provider need to do to improve?

 Provide learners with high-quality and impartial careers advice and guidance.  Ensure that learners with additional learning needs benefit from support that helps them to make good progress. 26 to 28 October 2022

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Provider details

Principal, CEO or equivalent Eddie Rodgers

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Provider details

Provider type Independent learning provider

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Provider details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Provider details

Main subcontractors None 26 to 28 October 2022

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Information about this inspection

The inspection team was assisted by the quality director, as nominee. Inspectors took account of the provider’s most recent self-assessment report and development plans, and the previous inspection report. The inspection was carried out using the further education and skills inspection handbook and took into account all relevant provision at the provider. Inspectors collected a wide range of evidence to inform judgements, including visiting learning sessions, scrutinising learners’ work, seeking the views of learners, staff and other stakeholders, and examining the provider’s documentation and records.

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Inspection team

Alison Gray, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector Hayley Lomas His Majesty’s Inspector Philippa Firth His Majesty’s Inspector Sarah Benson-Smith Ofsted Inspector 26 to 28 October 2022

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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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