Potential Realised - HR and Training Limited

Further education and skills inspection report

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Inspection of Potential Realised - HR and Training Limited

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Inspection dates: 12 to 14 September 2023

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Overall effectiveness Good

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

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Information about this provider

Potential Realised – HR and Training Limited (Potential Realised) is an independent learning provider based in Upholland, Lancashire. Potential Realised provides specialist training, both commercially and to apprentices, in leadership and human resource management.

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Information about this provider

Potential Realised received its first publicly funded contract for apprenticeships in early 2021. At the time of the inspection, Potential Realised had 43 apprentices. Of these, 14 apprentices were studying the level 3 team leader or supervisor, 20 apprentices were studying the level 5 human resource (HR) consultant partner, and nine apprentices were following the level 7 senior people professional apprenticeship. All apprentices complete their training online. Potential Realised does not subcontract any of its provision. All apprentices are aged over 19. 12 to 14 September 2023

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

Apprentices benefit from an atmosphere conducive to learning. They display positive attitudes to their learning and the workplace, and they are well motivated and driven. Apprentices enjoy their learning, attend well, participate fully in lessons, respond well to questions and pose further questions of tutors to clarify their understanding. They are keen to develop as HR professionals and make positive contributions to their workplaces. Apprentices work on their own projects to develop talent and improve staff retention and engagement at work.

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

Apprentices are respectful of tutors and their peers. They listen carefully and are responsive to the contributions of others. Apprentices appreciate and benefit from the extensive vocational expertise tutors bring to the apprenticeship. They take opportunities to network with other apprentices from a range of different HR contexts to broaden and deepen their knowledge and skills. Apprentices would recommend their apprenticeship to friends and peers.

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

Apprentices develop the knowledge, skills and behaviours they need to prepare them for their next steps. They take on projects that help them to become more competent, confident, resilient and independent in the workplace. Employers recognise and value their apprentices as they become more skilful in their roles. However, tutors do not routinely provide a structured programme of careers information, advice and guidance to ensure that apprentices know about the full range of career progression pathways available to them.

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

Apprentices feel safe and well supported by tutors, coaches and their own line managers. They are keen to take care of their own well-being and support their work colleagues accordingly. However, apprentices struggle to talk about the local risks of radicalisation and extremism that may affect them, their families and their colleagues.

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better?

Leaders have a compelling rationale for the ambitious HR and leadership curriculums they provide. They have extensive experience as HR professionals. Leaders and tutors hold the highest professional qualifications in HR and are qualified teachers. They bring the curriculum to life, using relevant examples of their own HR experiences to help apprentices link theory to practice.

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better?

Tutors undertake a thorough assessment of what apprentices know and can do at the start of their apprenticeship. Coaches use this information to review apprentices’ progress throughout their apprenticeship. Coaches, and apprentices’ line managers, prioritise the areas apprentices need to develop most in their practice, such as confidence and communication. Coaches ensure that apprentices reflect on their areas for development and identify effective ways they can improve. Tutors consider apprentices’ prior knowledge and current job roles when they teach their masterclasses. For example, if tutors know that apprentices do not routinely perform tasks related to payroll and reward, 12 to 14 September 2023

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they start with the fundamental knowledge apprentices need before moving on to more challenging content.

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Tutors sequence the curriculums in a logical order and are ambitious for their apprentices. They swiftly develop apprentices’ study skills so that they can cope with the academic demands of the apprenticeship, progress to higher-level study and develop in their careers. Apprentices quickly learn how to use key research principles. They learn how to undertake a literature review and evaluate the relative value of academic versus popular sources and those aimed at specialist or mass readers. Tutors place this in appropriate HR contexts, such as research into the merits of home-based or hybrid working. Apprentices explain why some of the sources they have selected have more validity than others, such as material from the Office for National Statistics rather than a newspaper.

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Tutors develop the practical competencies of apprentices so that they become confident in their roles and can challenge others. Apprentices develop their professional behaviours and learn about valuing people to instil high organisational expectations. They move on to organisational performance and culture before focusing on more specialised topics, such as talent management, employment law, and reward and recognition.

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Line managers understand the curriculums well and work closely with tutors and coaches to ensure that their apprentices can swiftly apply their learning. For example, if apprentices do not yet have budget responsibilities, they plan for them to gain exposure to these competencies through working with more experienced colleagues.

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Apprentices benefit from the support of tutors and coaches, who take the time to ensure that apprentices remember what they learn. Tutors provide precise developmental feedback to help apprentices improve the standard of their work. Feedback helps apprentices to move beyond simply describing HR practice, to evaluating it. Apprentices’ work is of a good standard and improves over time. They learn how to write assignments using academic register, appropriate sources and accurate referencing.

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Tutors are experienced teachers as well as vocational subject-matter experts. Most tutors work with other organisations, where they continue to enhance their professional skills. Tutors take responsibility for keeping themselves up to date with approaches to teaching, such as how to use online tools like breakout rooms, interactive whiteboards and shared documents. However, leaders do not provide them with a routinely planned programme of professional development to continuously improve teaching.

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Leaders’ and governors’ understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the provision is improving. Leaders take effective actions to rectify the areas for improvement identified at the new provider monitoring visit and through self-assessment. They ensure that teaching staff gain work as awarding organisation assessors to better prepare apprentices for the rigours of final assessment. Leaders work with awarding organisations to provide apprentices and their line managers with training about the process of final assessment, ensuring that employers can support their apprentices in gaining the experience they need to meet assessment requirements. 12 to 14 September 2023

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Leaders use their experience as HR experts to manage the well-being and welfare of their staff. They value the expertise of tutors and coaches. Leaders make checks on the welfare of their team, providing support, where necessary, in and beyond work. They take a flexible approach to managing staff workload. Leaders have invested in additional coaches to ensure that staff have the capacity to maintain and enhance the quality of training for apprentices. Staff feel valued.

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Governance is effective. Governors share leaders’ ambitious vision to provide high- quality specialist provision in leadership and HR. They use their extensive experience of apprenticeship provision to mentor senior leaders and focus their attention on improving apprentices’ experiences. Governors have direct access to the reports and information they need to maintain a clear oversight of the provision. They support and challenge leaders to ensure a culture of continuous improvement.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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What does the provider need to do to improve?

 Provide a structured programme of careers information, advice and guidance.  Provide apprentices with effective training on the potential threats of radicalisation and extremism.  Provide a planned programme of training to continuously improve teaching. 12 to 14 September 2023

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Provider details

Address Ambrose Cottage 50 Pimbo Lane Skelmersdale WN8 9QL

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Provider details

Principal, CEO or equivalent Lynn Manir-Jolley

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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 12 to 14 September 2023

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Information about this inspection

The inspection team was assisted by the managing director, 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

Alastair Mollon, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector Helen Whelan His Majesty’s Inspector Jaqui Scott Ofsted Inspector 12 to 14 September 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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T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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