The Training Brokers Limited

Further education and skills inspection report

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Inspection of The Training Brokers Limited

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

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

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Information about this provider

The Training Brokers Limited (TTB) is a small independent learning provider based in Swinton, Greater Manchester. TTB received its funded contract for adult education in August 2017. Currently, TTB is funded by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority devolved budget to deliver adult learning programmes across the Greater Manchester Region.

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Information about this provider

At the time of inspection there were 80 adult learners in learning. Sixty-four learners were studying the level 2 passport into schools programme, eight learners were studying the level 1 introduction to youth work certificate and eight learners were studying the level 2 award in youth work principles. Courses are provided in a range of community venues across the Greater Manchester region. 18 to 21 October 2022

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

Learners are highly motivated and keen to learn. They demonstrate a desire to learn more to help them progress to employment within a school or youth work setting.

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

Learners enjoy their learning and are proud of the increased knowledge and skills they gain. For example, they participate in team-building activities and give presentations to their peers. This improves their self-esteem and increases their confidence significantly. They value the support they receive from their tutors and from each other.

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

Resources to support learning are not of a high quality. Learners find the centre prepared workbooks restrictive and unhelpful. For example, learners on the passport into schools programme are required to complete different workbooks for each qualification during their sessions. Learners report they find this confusing, as they struggle to see the relevance between topics.

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

Tutors create a safe and inclusive learning environment. As a result, group discussions are purposeful, and learners listen to the wider views of their peers and express their own opinions respectfully.

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

Learners feel safe and are safe. They have a thorough understanding of safeguarding and know how to report any concerns they may have. They learn how safeguarding will apply in their future roles when working in a school or youth work setting. For example, they learn how to recognise the signs of abuse and changes in children’s behaviour.

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better?

Leaders and managers have a clear purpose for the adult learning programmes they offer. Programmes are developed to provide adult learners with the skills needed to contribute to meeting the Greater Manchester skills strategy in tackling unemployment.

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better?

Leaders engage effectively with local employers and the community to plan and deliver learning programmes to meet the shortage of school support workers and youth workers in the region. Leaders plan the delivery of programmes in a range of venues to support some of the most disadvantaged communities across the Greater Manchester region.

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better?

The quality of education is inconsistent across the different groups of learners. Leaders do not ensure that all of the curriculum taught is delivered in a logical and sequential way. For example, not all learners on the passport into schools programme are aware of the topics they will be learning or how the units from the different qualifications are related. However, on youth worker programmes topics of learning are logically planned to help learners build their knowledge over time. For example, they learn about safeguarding practices then more challenging topics such as understanding challenging behaviours in young people and anti-discrimination practice. 18 to 21 October 2022

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Leaders have appointed tutors who are highly qualified, and many have extensive experience in their subject area. Most tutors use their knowledge and experience to develop meaningful sessions and are able to ensure learners gain up-to-date and relevant knowledge in youth work and support work in schools. For example, tutors ensure that learners understand the importance of safeguarding and promptly reporting concerns in school and youth work settings.

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Most tutors recap topics previously taught to help learners secure learning of new topics into their long-term memory. Learners can recall their learning and link it to their practice. For example, learners on the youth work programme use Tuckman’s theory of group formation to understand young people’s friendship groups in the community centres they volunteer in. Learners on the passport into schools programme enjoy activities such as quizzes that help them remember and recall information on mental health legislation.

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Leaders do not ensure that tutors accurately assess learners’ starting points. This means they are unable to monitor effectively individual learners’ progress other than the completion of a qualification. Leaders do not ensure that learners make the best possible progress they can to prepare them for their next steps.

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Tutors’ assessment of learners’ work is inconsistent. Where tutors’ assessment is effective, learners have a clear understanding of how they have performed in their assessments and what they need to do to improve their work. However, too many learners do not receive this support and are unaware that they do not always fully meet the requirements of their assessment.

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Leaders do not ensure that learners receive high-quality careers advice and guidance. Learners do not know where to go for help so they can plan their next steps or understand how to achieve their future career aspirations.

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Leaders have not rectified the areas requiring improvement from the previous monitoring visit. For example, quality improvement strategies are not rigorous, nor do they secure rapid and sustainable improvement. Despite a focus on improving the quality of feedback that learners receive, too many still do not receive useful feedback from their tutors. This impedes them from making the progress of which they are capable.

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A high proportion of learners stay on their course until the end and achieve their qualifications. However, leaders do not have a rigorous process to collate or analyse learner destinations in order to inform further improvements to the curriculum and improve outcomes for learners.

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Advisory board members are highly qualified and experienced in the further education and skills sector to provide appropriate support and challenge to senior leaders. For example, they have recently challenged leaders to produce a more rigorous and robust self-assessment report. 18 to 21 October 2022

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders and staff place a high priority on keeping learners safe. Appropriate safeguarding policies ensure staff understand their responsibilities to safeguard learners. The designated safeguarding lead (DSL) and deputy are trained to carry out their roles effectively. They use their links with external agencies to help learners access additional services such as support for mental health concerns or homelessness. They manage and resolve disclosures diligently.

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Safeguarding

Leaders follow safer recruitment practices. They ensure that staff receive frequent safeguarding and ‘Prevent’ duty training. Leaders have a good understanding of the local risks. They provide updates to staff and check that they include relevant topics in their teaching, such as information on world suicide day and how to spot the signs of sexual abuse.

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What does the provider need to do to improve?

 Ensure that leaders and tutors produce high-quality teaching and learning resources.  Ensure that leaders and tutors plan and sequence the curriculum logically for all learners on the passport to schools programme so that learners can see the links between the different areas of knowledge and skills they are studying.  Ensure tutors accurately assess learners’ starting points so that they can plan learning and monitor learners’ progress to ensure learners make the best possible progress they can.  Ensure all tutors’ assessment of learners’ work is effective and that learners receive feedback that helps them to know how they can improve the quality of their work.  Ensure that leaders and tutors provide learners with appropriate careers advice and guidance so that learners know how to plan their next steps and realise their future career aspirations.  Ensure leaders put in place rigorous and robust quality assurance processes so

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What does the provider need to do to improve?

that they can identify and improve swiftly the quality of education for learners.  Ensure leaders put in place effective processes to collate and analyse the destination of all learners so they can further develop the curriculum and improve outcomes for learners. 18 to 21 October 2022

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Provider details

Address Wesley House, 24 Wesley Street Swinton M27 6AD

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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 n/a 18 to 21 October 2022

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Information about this inspection

The inspection team was assisted by the operations manager, 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

Elaine Price, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector Kelly Perkin His Majesty’s Inspector Andrea Machell Ofsted Inspector Paul Cocker His Majesty’s Inspector Maria Rayworth Ofsted Inspector 18 to 21 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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T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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