HCF Catch Limited

HCF Catch Limited Monitoring visit report

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Name of lead inspector: Jonny Wright, His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection dates: 26 and 27 October 2022

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Type of provider: Independent learning provider Address: Kiln Lane Stallingborough Grimsby DN41 8TH Monitoring visit: HCF Catch Limited, 26 and 27 October 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

HCF Catch Limited began to deliver apprenticeships in 2021. At the time of the monitoring visit, 129 apprentices were on standards-based programmes. There were 78 apprentices on level 3 science manufacturing technician, 45 on level 3 maintenance operations engineering technician, and four on level 2 science manufacturing operative programmes. HCF Catch Limited works predominantly with employers and apprentices across Humberside and West Yorkshire.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers have a clear purpose for the provision of apprenticeships, which is to support employers in the chemical and process industries. They use their extensive experience of providing commercial training in the industry to design the apprenticeship curriculum, working closely with employers.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers work well to adapt the content and delivery model of apprenticeship programmes to meet the needs of employers and apprentices. For example, they responded to a request from employers in the paper industry to add in additional topics on processes in the paper industry that are not part of the standard. As a result, apprentices working in this industry can develop the specific skills that they need.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers ensure that apprentices are recruited with integrity. They complete training plans with apprentices and employers that set out the expectations and responsibilities of all parties involved in the programme. The training plans describe the content of the curriculum, how it is sequenced and how training links to apprentices’ knowledge and skills development. Staff identify apprentices’ starting points accurately in order to ensure that apprentices can develop substantial new knowledge, skills and behaviours as a result of their training. Monitoring visit: HCF Catch Limited, 26 and 27 October 2022 Leaders and managers have a clear overview of the progress that apprentices make on their programmes. They review the progress of apprentices frequently with staff. When apprentices fall behind, leaders and managers ensure that staff put in place effective actions to help apprentices to catch up. Actions include providing extra

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Reasonable progress

tuition and giving apprentices access to online learning resources to complete revision activities.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers employ appropriately qualified staff with good industrial and training experience. Staff keep up to date with their sector through frequent visits to the workplace to develop their knowledge of new techniques and processes. However, leaders and managers have not yet implemented processes for checking the quality of teaching or providing staff with training in how to improve these skills.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices benefit from teaching at a training centre that simulates and replicates the equipment, environment and industrial processes that they will use in their job roles. Apprentices work with tools that employers have recommended as being of an industrial standard. The training centre is well resourced, and is equipped with information communication technology suites to support learning.

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Reasonable progress

Tutors sequence the curriculum to ensure that, early in the programme, apprentices have a firm understanding of the health and safety regulations, procedures and practices for working in process industries. Apprentices then gain a good theoretical underpinning in the chemical properties of the raw materials that they use. This enables apprentices to understand the reasons why they carry out specific technical activities in the process industry.

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Reasonable progress

Tutors use the information that they collect on apprentices’ starting points in English and mathematics to identify effectively those who need additional support. They develop specific strategies for apprentices to help them develop their skills in these subjects, such as starter exercises at the beginning of classes and extra support during lunch and after the core training day. As a result, apprentices who need to pass functional skills examinations do so in a timely way.

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Reasonable progress

Tutors provide apprentices with precise and helpful written feedback on their assignments. They identify where apprentices need to speak with their employer to find out how their answers relate to their own employer’s procedures and processes. This supports apprentices to improve the accuracy of their written work and ensures that their written work links closely to their job role.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices learn significant new knowledge and skills. In the first few weeks of the programme, maintenance operations apprentices learn how to use pillar drills, and they develop skills in bench fitting, filing and sawing that they need at work. Monitoring visit: HCF Catch Limited, 26 and 27 October 2022 Apprentices benefit from gaining additional qualifications in subjects such as fire awareness, emergency first aid and abrasive wheels.

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Reasonable progress

Tutors do not ensure that employers contribute to and sign apprentices’ progress review documents. As a result, there is no assurance that employers are engaged sufficiently in supporting their apprentices’ progress, particularly apprentices who attend full time at the main training centre.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers have established effective policies and procedures to keep apprentices safe. They have developed a comprehensive safeguarding policy and have completed an extensive ‘Prevent’ duty risk assessment.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers employ staff who are suitable to work with apprentices. They undertake effective background checks on staff. Staff complete frequent training in safeguarding and the ‘Prevent’ duty to help them to understand how to identify and report any concerns.

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Reasonable progress

Designated safeguarding leads have relevant experience and are suitably qualified for the role. They collect helpful safeguarding updates from government and other sources and share these frequently to ensure that staff have up-to-date knowledge.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices feel safe and know who to report any concerns to. However, they do not have sufficient understanding of local risks and how these may affect them. They can discuss how to keep safe online, but have little recall about topics such as county lines or radicalisation and extremism. Monitoring visit: HCF Catch Limited, 26 and 27 October 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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Reasonable progress

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Reasonable progress

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T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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