Step Ahead Social Enterprise Community Interest Company

Further education and skills inspection report

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Inspection of Step Ahead Social Enterprise Community Interest Company

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Overall effectiveness Good

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

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Information about this provider

Step Ahead Social Enterprise Community Interest Company (Step Ahead), founded in 1997, provides training and recruitment to unemployed learners in London. Step Ahead works with one subcontractor, Successful Mums, to provide a range of employability and self-employment courses. Step Ahead receives funding from the Adult Education Budget to work with unemployed people over the age of 19 living in London.

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Information about this provider

At the time of the inspection there were five learners studying employability courses with Step Ahead and five learners studying level 2 digital skills at Successful Mums. A large cohort of learners had recently completed their learning. 6 to 8 June 2023

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

The majority of learners are nervous and lack confidence when they start their courses. Staff who care very much for their learners quickly support and encourage them. Learners’ anxiety about joining online learning and meeting new people reduces rapidly. Learners say the support they receive helps them to be themselves and believe they are capable of gaining the skills and knowledge they need to help them progress to their next steps. Learners form new friendship groups and the vast majority complete their learning and achieve their qualifications. Many learners are successful in gaining employment as a result of their studies.

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

Learners are motivated and have very positive attitudes to their studies. They have good attendance at their sessions. They say that learning is fun and highly enjoyable. They benefit from a very inclusive and supportive learning environment. For example, trainers encourage learners to discuss their prior interview and job application experiences. This helps learners understand that other people face the same barriers as themselves when looking for work. As a result, learners gain in confidence and develop the resilience to cope with setbacks.

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

Learners feel safe and understand how to keep themselves safe, particularly while online. They understand well the importance of keeping their desktop clear from personal documents and photographs when they share content in their group discussions. Learners competently recall what they have learned about how to contribute positively to society and life in Britain. They show respect for each other and their trainers. They understand what constitutes effective working relationships, unconscious bias at job interviews and their employment rights. As a result, they are well informed about what to expect when they move into employment.

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

The majority of learners receive effective initial and ongoing careers advice and guidance. Trainers give learners effective help to write a concise curriculum vitae and good support to practise their job interview skills. However, tutors do not include sufficient information about potential career opportunities in the curriculum. As a result, some learners on employability courses are unclear of the options available to them on completion of their course.

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better?

Leaders have a clear rationale for the programmes they offer. They design the curriculum to support unemployed learners to move closer to the labour market and into jobs or further training. They collaborate with Successful Mums to offer accredited learning programmes specifically to help mothers return to work or move into employment for the first time. Leaders use their employer contacts and experience in recruitment to design new courses to meet local employer needs. For example, leaders have recently worked with local hotels to design a new hospitality employment programme to help meet the skills needs in this area. 6 to 8 June 2023

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Leaders at Successful Mums plan their currciulum around the specifc barriers and challenges that some mothers face. For example, they offer courses in digital skills and time management. They ensure trainers teach the content of the courses in a logical way so that learners who have lost confidence during their maternity leave or since the pandemic gain confidence in their ability. Trainers then move on to more challenging content such as preparing for a presentation.

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Learners on Step Ahead employability courses benefit from a well sequenced programme. Trainers give learners clear information at the start of their course to help them understand the core skills employers need, such how to build positive working relationships. They then teach learners how to prepare for job interviews and to present themselves. The course content is sufficiently challenging for those learners who have never worked, or have been out of work for a long time.

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Trainers have good knowledge of and experience in the topics they teach. They use these effectively to teach and assess learners’ knowledge. They give learners helpful feedback on their work. They use the online teaching platforms skilfully to keep learning interesting. For example, trainers frequently and effectively use breakout rooms to set learners group tasks and discussions. Trainers share their own experiences to enthuse learners and help them to contextualise and remember what they learn. Trainers use questioning well to identify and fill gaps in learners’ knowledge. For example, trainers probe learners on the difference between essential and desirable skills required for jobs. As a result, learners know what jobs they can apply for based on their experience and qualifications.

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Learners gain new knowledge and skills outside of their main qualifications. Learners on digital skills courses with Successful Mums learn how to set up a small business, the importance of cashflow forecasts and how to market a business successfully. Learners on employability courses understand how to manage their finances and identify unnecessary expenditure in their personal lives.

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Trainers provide learners who need extra help with effective support. For example, they give learners extra time to complete activities, they arrange additional one-to- one support sessions and provide recordings of teaching sessions to help learners revisit their learning. As a result, learners with additional learning needs achieve as well as their peers.

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Leaders have effective quality assurance activities in place. For example, they frequently ask learners about their learning experience and check the quality of online teaching. They use the results of these activities well to identify key areas for improvement. Leaders have good oversight and monitoring of the Successful Mum’s subcontract.

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Leaders have an appropriate advisory board in place to support them. This includes relevant experienced external membership. They meet frequently to disucss and check the performance and quality of the adult programme. However, the advisory board members do not receive sufficient information about all areas of programme. For example, they do not receive reports and information about how many learners 6 to 8 June 2023

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gain employment after their course or on the overall attendance of learners. As a result, the board has not sufficiently challenged leaders to increase the number of learners into work.

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Leaders at Step Ahead and Successful Mums give staff access to a good range of professional development opportunities. This includes training to improve trainers’ teaching and assessment skills and in topics such as well-being and first aid. Staff feel valued by leaders and managers and are motivated in their work and to support learners. However, leaders have not given staff sufficient training on how to teach and inform learners about what constitutes a healthy relationship. As a result, trainers have not covered this topic sufficiently with learners.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders, managers and staff promote a positive safeguarding culture. They ensure learners feel safe and know who to contact if they have any concerns. Leaders check that staff are appropriate to work with adult learners. They have appropriate policies and reporting procedures in place. The designated safeguarding leads undergo the correct training and understand well their roles and responsibilities.

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Safeguarding

Staff at Step Ahead and Successful Mums complete frequent and relevant safeguarding and ‘Prevent’ duty training. They know how to identify the signs of radicalisation of learners and the dangers associated with county lines in the area. Staff ensure learners receive sufficient information about these topics during their induction. They also revisit this information in their teaching sessions and cover a range of other useful topics such as online saftey, health and saftey at work and bullying and harassment. As a result, learners have a good awareness of how to protect themselves.

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What does the provider need to do to improve?

 Leaders must ensure that tutors include information about potential careers in the employability curriculum so that learners understand the opportunities available to them on completion of their courses.  Leaders must ensure that the advisory board receives sufficient information so that they challenge the leadership team effectively.  Leaders should ensure staff and trainers are knowledgeable and confident to discuss the importance of healthy relationships and talk about sexual harassment with learners. 6 to 8 June 2023

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Provider details

Address 7 Centre Court Treforest Industrial Estate Pontypridd CF37 5YR

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Provider details

Principal, CEO or equivalent Jackie Bedford

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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 Successful Mums 6 to 8 June 2023

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Information about this inspection

The inspection team was assisted by the head of claims and compliance, 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

Jane Hughes, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector Paul Manning His Majesty’s Inspector Elena Diaconescu Ofsted Inspector 6 to 8 June 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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