The Employers Forum Ltd

Further education and skills inspection report

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Inspection of The Employers Forum 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

The Employers Forum Limited is an independent learning provider based in Sheffield. In September 2021, it started delivering employability programmes for adult learners through funding from the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority. Leaders focus specifically on supporting adults from minority ethnic communities with a wide range of support needs. At the time of inspection, there were 90 adult learners on a non-accredited employability programme. 24 to 26 May 2023

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

Leaders do not plan a programme that prepares learners to progress to employment or their intended next steps. Instead, staff focus their attention on signposting learners to external services, with no guarantee that learners will access or benefit from them.

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

Leaders do not ensure that learners develop positive attitudes to their learning. Too many learners do not demonstrate the motivation or willingness to engage in the support available to them. For example, when learners are signposted to English conversational classes provided by external agencies, too many choose not to attend these classes. As a result, they do not develop the skills they need to help them improve their chances of securing employment or to access further study.

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

Too many learners do not attend frequently enough because leaders do not monitor or place sufficient importance on attendance. As a result, these learners do not benefit from the services that the provider offers. Learners who do attend enjoy one-to-one sessions with their key worker and appreciate the support they receive to search for employment.

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

Learners feel safe when attending the centre. They refer to the community hub where they attend sessions as being a ‘safe haven’ and know who to contact should they have any issues or concerns. Learners receive a leaflet containing useful phone numbers, such as for the Sheffield City Council adult safeguarding team and the South Yorkshire Prevent team. However, learners leave this leaflet at the provider’s centre and do not have access to the information in it when at home.

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better?

Leaders are clear about the intent of their programme, which is to support adults to develop their employability skills so that they can eventually gain and sustain employment. However, they do not have in place a teaching programme that matches their intention or which meets learners’ needs. Leaders are not ambitious for their learners and do not have high enough expectations that learners will successfully gain employment. Learners do not develop their employability skills while enrolled with the provider.

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better?

Leaders do not provide professional development opportunities so that key workers can better teach learners how to improve their employability skills. Although key workers are suitably experienced to support learners to search for employment, they do not help learners to develop skills such as how to write a CV and how to speak to employers in person or by telephone. Instead, key workers complete learners’ CVs and cover letters for them. Learners do not complete any of their own work. As a result, learners develop an overreliance on their key workers to write and submit job applications on their behalf. 24 to 26 May 2023

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Key workers do not use the information they gather about learners’ starting points to plan any learning. Most learners speak English as an additional language and struggle to gain employment because they find it difficult to communicate in English. Staff fail to develop English speaking or digital literacy skills that would help learners to secure employment. As a result, learners are not successful at interview.

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Leaders do not have rigorous quality assurance arrangements in place, so they cannot assure themselves of the quality of the service they provide, including the work of the key workers. They do not identify weaknesses in the provision accurately or put in place effective actions to improve the support that learners receive. Leaders do not have an overview of the progress that learners are making. They do not know what skills learners are gaining to prepare them for their next steps. Therefore, they do not know if the support provided to learners is having a positive impact.

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Leaders and key workers use their well-established links with agencies in the community to ensure that learners have access to suitable help and guidance for social and financial challenges that affect their health and well-being. They frequently signpost learners to seek support from agencies that visit the community centre in which the provider is based.

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The careers advice and guidance that staff provide does not give learners adequate insight into the wide range of opportunities that are available in the local area. Learners are frequently signposted to the same type of job roles, such as taxi driving or security for male learners and dinnertime supervisors or cleaning roles for female learners. They are not encouraged to apply for other, more suitable or aspirational employment opportunities.

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Too many learners do not progress to their intended next steps. Around a quarter of learners who completed the programme last year have returned this year. A few learners have secured employment as, for example, cleaners or dinnertime supervisors. A few are also volunteering at a local foodbank.

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There are no arrangements in place for governance, and leaders do not benefit from any external scrutiny or challenge, which would help them to improve the quality of the service they provide or develop an appropriate curriculum.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The designated safeguarding lead (DSL) is suitably qualified and has attended relevant, up-to-date training. The DSL keeps staff up to date with local risks through helpful information from external sources, such as the regional Prevent coordinator. Staff complete useful training in safeguarding and ‘Prevent’ duty. 24 to 26 May 2023

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Leaders have safe recruitment processes in place to make sure staff are suitable to work with learners. Leaders carry out appropriate background checks on staff and ensure that they have an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check.

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Leaders have in place appropriate policies and procedures to keep learners safe. Although they have a ‘Prevent’ duty action plan, they do not monitor progress against actions in the plan. Most of the actions that leaders intend to take have not yet happened.

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Staff share information at induction with learners about how to stay safe from radicalisation and extremism. However, learners are unable to explain the risks they may encounter, and they are not fully prepared to protect themselves against these risks.

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What does the provider need to do to improve?

 Provide a planned programme of learning that develops the knowledge, skills and behaviours that learners need to be able to apply for and sustain employment.  Use the information collected about learners’ starting points to plan an ambitious curriculum that meets learners’ individual needs.  Improve attendance so that learners benefit from the services offered and swiftly make progress.  Ensure that learners have opportunities to develop their English and digital skills to improve their chances of employment.  Ensure that there are rigorous quality assurance and improvement actions in place to tackle the weaknesses identified and urgently improve the quality of the programme that learners receive.  Ensure that key workers have the training they need to enable them to develop learners’ employability skills effectively.  Improve the quality of careers advice and guidance given to learners so that they

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What does the provider need to do to improve?

know about all the options available to them in the local and regional area.  Ensure that all actions in the ‘Prevent’ duty action plan are addressed so that learners are kept safe from radicalisation and extremism. 24 to 26 May 2023

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Provider details

Address The Stables Sharrow Lane Sheffield S11 8AE

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Provider details

Principal, CEO or equivalent Riasat Khan

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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 24 to 26 May 2023

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Information about this inspection

The inspection team was assisted by the quality 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

Philippa Firth, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector Gavin Batty Ofsted Inspector 24 to 26 May 2023

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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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