SB Skills Solutions Ltd

Further education and skills inspection report

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate

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

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Information about this provider

SB Skills Solutions Ltd is an independent learning provider based in Skelmersdale, Lancashire. It specialises in training for the construction industry. At the time of the inspection, 69 apprentices were studying across four different level 2 standards- based apprenticeships. There were 37 groundworker apprentices, 18 construction plant operative apprentices, 13 highways maintenance skilled operative apprentices and one bricklayer apprentice. Over a third of apprentices were aged between 16 and 18 years. There were fewer than five learners on a construction (plant) skills bootcamp. The provider does not subcontract any of its provision.

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Information about this provider

Leaders chose to terminate their apprenticeship contract following notification of this inspection. However, all apprentices remained registered in learning throughout the inspection. 27 to 29 June 2023

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

Apprentices and their employers told inspectors that they were disappointed and frustrated because leaders had taken the decision to cease apprenticeship training. This decision was made on the day of notification of this inspection. Apprentices and their employers had received no prior notice. Leaders have a disregard for the training, development and well-being of their apprentices.

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

The quality of the apprenticeship provision is poor. Too many apprentices lack the motivation and enthusiasm to continue their learning due to a high turnover of staff at the provider. Most apprentices and their employers view the learning at the provider as a reinforcement of what they learn in the workplace. Apprentices report that a few tutors have insufficient knowledge of their subject areas. Consequently, too many apprentices withdraw from their apprenticeships before reaching their final assessment.

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

Learners on the skills bootcamp programmes demonstrate high levels of respect and professional behaviours both at the training centre and on returning to work. They value their employers’ support to help them to learn new skills and to improve their career opportunities. Skills bootcamp learners recognise the importance of attending their training regularly and on time. Attendance for skills bootcamp learners is high.

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

Learners and apprentices take additional qualifications as part of their programmes of learning. Courses include first aid, manual handling, small plant and abrasive wheels. Apprentices on the level 2 highways maintenance skilled operative apprenticeship choose from a range of additional certificated courses such as cable avoidance tool and signal generator (CAT and ‘Genny’) , excavator banksman and road and streetworker. These courses provide opportunities for learners and apprentices to develop their wider knowledge and skills and support their career progression.

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

Apprentices do not receive appropriate careers education, information, advice or guidance to help them to decide their next steps either at their current employer or in the wider construction industry. Previous apprenticeship managers introduced a wider curriculum that included ‘topics of the month’ such as mental health awareness week. However, they did not ensure that tutors taught this curriculum routinely. At the time of the inspection, all learning materials were out of date.

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better?

Leaders and managers do not adhere to the principles and requirements of an apprenticeship. Staff do not communicate sufficiently with employers to ensure that they are fully aware of the knowledge, skills and behaviours that their apprentices develop. They do not work with employers to coordinate on- and off-the-job training. Apprentices’ progress reviews do not take place as planned, and most are significantly overdue. When reviews do take place, most employers do not attend or contribute to their apprentices’ training and development programmes. 27 to 29 June 2023

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Although managers recognise serious weaknesses in the quality of the apprenticeship provision, they do not implement sufficient and coordinated quality improvement actions to ensure that apprentices receive an acceptable quality of training. Recently appointed curriculum managers for the skills bootcamp provision have implemented new quality procedures that provide a coherent approach to quality monitoring. For example, outcomes from observation of teaching and learning activities feed into staff appraisals, performance management processes and staff development plans. However, this new approach applies only to the skills bootcamp provision.

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The majority of tutors plan apprenticeship training logically. They focus initially on teaching apprentices health and safety, the safe use of tools and an understanding of construction technology. However, tutors do not use the assessment of apprentices’ starting points effectively to develop individual learning programmes that meet the needs and aspirations of apprentices, or the business needs of their employers.

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Due to the lack of a stable workforce, apprentices often repeat the same learning. Feedback from tutors does not provide apprentices with sufficient guidance on how they can improve their work. Errors in spelling and grammar often go uncorrected, and apprentices continue to make the same mistakes throughout their work.

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Apprentices with additional learning needs do not receive the regular and individualised support that they need to help them to achieve successfully. At the time of the inspection, learning support plans were out of date and referred to support and reasonable adjustments agreed for the previous academic year. Tutors do not assess apprentices’ learning needs regularly enough to identify whether additional support remains appropriate and whether apprentices make the progress of which they are capable.

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Leaders and managers have designed the skills bootcamp curriculum effectively in conjunction with employers. They have created an individualised curriculum which is planned logically to meet the needs of learners and their employers. For example, tutors teach industry-relevant subjects that allow learners to achieve recognised licences such as the Construction Plant Competence Scheme card that qualifies learners to become a 360-degree excavator operator. Learners are well prepared to work successfully in a highly skilled industry.

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Skills bootcamp tutors teach detailed health and safety training relating to the use of plant, the purpose of hydraulic and fuel systems, as well as the environmental considerations of using plant. As a result, skills bootcamp learners return to their workplace with additional knowledge and skills and a detailed understanding of equipment that they have not used previously.

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Managers provide appropriate staff development activities for tutors teaching the skills bootcamp curriculum. Tutors appreciate the regular update training they receive and feel confident to demonstrate heavy-duty plant with current industry knowledge. 27 to 29 June 2023

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Current governance arrangements have only been in place for six months. Members of the board are highly experienced in apprenticeships. They provide support and challenge to leaders, particularly for their apprenticeship provision and strengthening governance arrangements. However, leaders and managers have not responded swiftly enough to this advice. Leaders did not discuss their decision to terminate their apprenticeship contract with the governance board prior to making this important decision. During the inspection, board members expressed their concern about leaders’ lack of appropriate communication with staff, apprentices and employers.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

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Safeguarding

The designated safeguarding lead (DSL) for the apprenticeship provision left the provider’s employment several weeks prior to the inspection. The new DSLs told inspectors that they do not have responsibility for apprentices, a third of whom are under the age of 18. Leaders cannot identify actions that have taken place as a result of safeguarding referrals. They do not know if open cases have been closed or whether these apprentices are now safe. Current apprentices do not have an identified process to report any safeguarding concerns that they may have. This leaves apprentices at risk of harm.

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Safeguarding

Apprentices do not have a good enough understanding of how to keep themselves safe, the ‘Prevent’ duty or fundamental British values. Although most apprentices feel safe on the provider’s premises, they do not always know how or where to report any concerns. Safeguarding training for apprentices is not contextualised to the recognised issues relating to the construction industry such as mental health needs.

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Safeguarding

Skills bootcamp learners feel safe. Skills bootcamp staff receive appropriate training in safeguarding and health and safety.

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What does the provider need to do to improve?

 Leaders and managers must ensure that they implement immediately appropriate arrangements to safeguard apprentices, particularly those who have already been identified as vulnerable.  Leaders and managers should ensure that they improve the quality of education that apprentices receive rapidly to meet the principles and requirements of an apprenticeship and to enable apprentices to remain on programme and complete their apprenticeships successfully.  Leaders and managers should ensure that they communicate effectively with employers to provide regular updates on their apprentices’ progress and to plan collaborative and coherent links between on- and off-the-job training.  Leaders and managers should ensure that tutors use their assessment of 27 to 29 June 2023

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apprentices’ starting points effectively to develop individualised apprenticeships so that apprentices learn substantial new knowledge, skills and behaviours.  Leaders and managers should ensure that they secure a stable workforce to support high-quality apprenticeship training that enables apprentices to complete their apprenticeships.  Leaders and managers should ensure that tutors provide effective feedback to apprentices that helps them to understand and rectify misconceptions and to improve the quality of their work.  Leaders and managers should ensure that apprentices with additional learning needs receive regular, individualised and appropriate support to help them to achieve their apprenticeships.  Leaders and managers should ensure that apprentices receive appropriate careers education, information, advice and guidance that helps them to decide on their next steps. 27 to 29 June 2023

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Provider details

Address Unit 4c Selby Place Stanley Industrial Estate Skelmersdale Lancashire WN8 8EF

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Provider details

Principal, CEO or equivalent Neil Beaumont

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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 27 to 29 June 2023

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Information about this inspection

The inspection team was assisted by the funding 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

Suzanne Wainwright, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector Bob Busby Ofsted Inspector Robert Marshall-Slater Ofsted Inspector 27 to 29 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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