Lean Enabled Group Ltd

Lean Enabled Group Ltd Monitoring visit report

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Name of lead inspector: Claudia Harrison, His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection dates: 13 and 14 September 2023

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Type of provider: Independent learning provider

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Address:

Team London Bridge 8 Holyrood Street London SE1 2EL Monitoring visit: Lean Enabled Group Ltd, 13 and 14 September 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

Lean Enabled Group Ltd (Lean) is an independent learning provider based in Central London. Lean specialises in improvement training for staff working in several London NHS trusts. Lean began delivering apprenticeships in March 2022 under contract with the Education and Skills Funding Agency.

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Context and focus of visit

At the time of the monitoring visit, Lean had 48 apprentices studying the level 5 standards-based apprenticeship in improvement specialist and 38 apprentices studying the level 4 improvement practitioner apprenticeship standard. All apprentices are adults over the age of 19.

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Context and focus of visit

Lean does not work with any subcontractors.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers have worked closely with employers to design a curriculum that meets the training needs of apprentices and those of Lean’s NHS trust partners who employ them. For example, both the level 4 and level 5 curriculums include project management topics, case studies and challenging projects that directly link to NHS strategic priorities. As a result, apprentices develop highly relevant new skills, knowledge and behaviours that help them to perform better at work and bring benefits to their employers.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers ensure that their programmes follow the principles and requirements of an apprenticeship. For example, leaders work closely with employers to ensure that they place applicants in suitable job roles on the appropriate apprenticeship standard.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders do not ensure that planned quarterly review meetings with coaches, apprentices and their line managers take place for all apprentices. As a result, a Monitoring visit: Lean Enabled Group Ltd, 13 and 14 September 2023 small number of level 5 improvement specialist apprentices do not understand how they can make better progress with their studies, and their employers do not sufficiently know how they can support them to do so.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have suitable expertise in improvement and project management. They understand well the strengths and weaknesses of the apprenticeship provision. They work with experienced external board members and consultants, who assess the quality of the training accurately. Leaders and managers take swift action to deal with concerns. For example, managers now provide employers with better information about the expectation that apprentices should be allocated sufficient time to complete their training within their working hours. This proactive approach has helped apprentices, particularly those on the level 5 improvement specialist course, to better prepare for their end-point assessment (EPA), which some struggled with in the past.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers ensure that there are good teaching resources available for apprentices in their training centres. Leaders have appointed coaches with considerable subject expertise and good industry experience.

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Reasonable progress

Coaches plan and sequence apprentices’ training well. For example, individual project-based coaching sessions follow whole-group training days so that apprentices can apply what they have learned to their own projects.

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Reasonable progress

Managers and coaches teach apprentices new, substantial and occupationally specific knowledge, skills and behaviours that enhance the work of their different NHS trusts. Apprentices have good opportunities to apply what they learn in the workplace. For example, level 4 apprentices become adept at using project management tools, such as the RACI matrix, because, after they learn about them in training, they have the opportunity to apply them in work-based projects. Employers value the improvement in apprentices’ performance at work that results from these newly acquired knowledge, skills and behaviours.

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Reasonable progress

Managers align the classroom-based training well with what apprentices learn at work. For example, coaches at Lean use the same graphics and terminology in apprentice training resources as those used by NHS hospital trusts in their own training. This makes it easier for apprentices to apply classroom learning at work.

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Reasonable progress

Coaches discuss apprentices’ progress during monthly reviews and set improvement targets. However, these are not ambitious enough, and a small number of apprentices and employers are unsure of what apprentices need to do to achieve high grades. Monitoring visit: Lean Enabled Group Ltd, 13 and 14 September 2023 In the initial months of their apprenticeship training, managers did not monitor apprentices’ progress sufficiently. For example, they did not make good use of a newly implemented online learning platform to check apprentices’ training hours and e-portfolio submissions. As a result, a significant minority of apprentices who started in the first cohort of apprentices are behind with their EPA.

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Reasonable progress

Specialist tutors provide good-quality and timely support for the small number of apprentices who require English and mathematics teaching. Apprentices who need to achieve English or mathematics qualifications do so early in their programmes and complete their apprenticeship within the planned time.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers have implemented effective policies and processes for the prompt reporting and follow-up of safeguarding incidents. Apprentices know how to report safeguarding issues, and they feel safe at Lean.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders use risk assessment well to identify safeguarding hazards specific to their own context. For example, coaches give sound advice to apprentices new to London about how to keep safe in the local area when attending in-person training at Lean’s offices.

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Reasonable progress

Coaches teach apprentices about how to keep themselves safe from the dangers of radicalisation and extremism. Leaders are well informed and understand their obligations in accordance with the ‘Prevent’ duty guidance. Monitoring visit: Lean Enabled Group Ltd, 13 and 14 September 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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Reasonable progress

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Reasonable progress

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Reasonable progress

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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