The Chief Constable of Greater Manchester

The Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Monitoring visit report

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Name of lead inspector: Alastair Mollon, His Majesty's Inspector

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Address:

Greater Manchester Police Sedgley Park Training Centre Sedgley Park Road Prestwich Manchester M25 0JT Monitoring visit: The Chief Constable of Greater Manchester, 25 and 26 May 2023

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Context and focus of visit

Ofsted undertakes to carry out monitoring visits to all newly directly funded providers of apprenticeship training provision funded 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

The Chief Constable of Greater Manchester (Greater Manchester Police (GMP)) began training its first group of apprentices in March 2022. GMP is an employer provider that trains apprentices in customer service and business administration. At the time of the new provider monitoring visit, GMP had 33 apprentices, 16 following the level 2 customer service practitioner and 17 following the level 3 business administrator apprenticeships. Apprentices following the customer service practitioner apprenticeship work as customer service apprentices in the Crime Recording and Resolution Unit (CRRU) or Customer Enquiry Unit. Business administrator apprentices work across GMP in administration roles at the headquarters and in every operational district and branch. The provider subcontracts English and mathematics tuition to another provider.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders swiftly rectified the mistakes that they made with their first cohort that led to too many apprentices leaving their apprenticeship before completion. They have now developed an ambitious, purposeful curriculum that provides apprentices with the knowledge, skills and behaviours they need to become effective call handlers and administrators at GMP.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and governors are ambitious for what staff and apprentices can achieve. They use a range of measures to ensure that apprentices benefit from high-quality training to achieve their next steps and improve their employment opportunities with GMP. Leaders check apprentices’ progress through effective weekly monitoring. Trainers, apprentices and their supervisors work together to plan and develop the knowledge, skills and behaviours that apprentices need to be successful at work. Leaders and trainers intervene swiftly to help apprentices catch up when they fall Monitoring visit: The Chief Constable of Greater Manchester, 25 and 26 May 2023 behind. The overwhelming majority of apprentices make at least their expected levels of progress.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers know the strengths and weaknesses of their provision and of their training staff. Managers routinely observe teaching and training sessions and ensure that staff benefit from very regular continuous professional development to continually improve the quality of their teaching and training. Leaders ensure that training staff maintain and update their vocational and mandatory knowledge and skills. They benefit from training on online safety, sexual harassment and misogyny, VAWG (violence against women and girls), neurodiversity and the abuse of power and position. Trainers are well qualified and experienced in their subject areas. Many have worked in the CRRU. They use their knowledge and experience to the benefit of their apprentices.

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Reasonable progress

Those in a governance role recognise that they have been slow to establish the board in its current form but have provided support and challenge to senior leaders since the provision began to ensure an improving experience for apprentices. They understand most of the strengths and weaknesses of the provision and challenge leaders to continually improve the quality of training that apprentices receive.

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Reasonable progress

Managers and trainers plan the apprenticeship in close consultation with supervisors across the force so that apprentices benefit from well-coordinated on- and off-the- job training to swiftly improve their performance and that of their teams. Apprentices develop the substantial new knowledge, skills and behaviours that help them to meet GMP’s purpose to focus on the basics; to fight, prevent and reduce crime, to keep people safe and to care for victims.

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Reasonable progress

Managers and trainers use the results of assessments on what apprentices already know and can do to inform the content of the curriculum and order of learning. They start with teaching them about the organisation before moving onto legislation to provide apprentices with the foundation knowledge they need for their roles in the force.

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Reasonable progress

Trainers continually liaise with apprentices and their supervisors to ensure that apprentices apply their new knowledge, skills and behaviours in work. Trainers prioritise the development of the vital communication skills that apprentices need to deal effectively with the public and victims of crime, who are often distressed. Apprentices explain how they have learned to empathise with members of the public and use strategies to calm and comfort, using their ‘WED’ process to identify what has happened, empathise and assess what they will do to resolve the issue. Monitoring visit: The Chief Constable of Greater Manchester, 25 and 26 May 2023 Apprentices are well supported by their managers and supervisors. They have good access to protected training time to ensure they keep up to date with their work. Managers adapt placements so that apprentices get the breadth of experience that they need, including secondments to other sections or departments.

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Reasonable progress

Trainers begin to prepare apprentices for their end point assessment from induction and throughout the apprenticeship. Apprentices practise using realistic mock assessments with unfamiliar staff to mimic the final assessment process. However, leaders recognise that they did not start teaching English and mathematics swiftly enough at the start of the programme. As a result, apprentices from the first cohort have been delayed in completing their final assessments.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and staff have developed a strong culture of safeguarding and welfare for apprentices across the force. Safeguarding is fundamental at GMP. The designated safeguarding lead and safeguarding team have the training, skills and experience to carry out their roles effectively. They know how to keep apprentices safe and take appropriate action to support apprentices swiftly when they raise concerns about their welfare.

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Reasonable progress

Staff and apprentices benefit from regular training on safeguarding and the ‘Prevent’ duty. Apprentices benefit from additional training on job-related issues such as the emergence of incels (involuntary celibates) and that being GMP staff makes them a potential target for all forms of terrorism. They develop good habits in protecting themselves, including safeguarding their online social media presence and not wearing their force identification outside work, while always being identifiable when in work.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers follow comprehensive safer recruitment and vetting practices when they employ staff. Monitoring visit: The Chief Constable of Greater Manchester, 25 and 26 May 2023 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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Reasonable progress

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