P. Flannery Plant Hire (Oval) Limited

P. Flannery Plan Hire Limited Monitoring visit report

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Name of lead inspector: Jane Hughes, His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection date: 31 January and 1 February 2024

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Type of provider: Employer Address: Flannery House Third Way Wembley Middlesex HA9 0RZ Monitoring visit: P. Flannery Plant Hire Limited, 31 January and 1 February 2024

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Context and focus of visit

Ofsted undertakes to carry out monitoring visits to all newly directly funded providers of adult learning provision where the provision offered is in scope for inspection. 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

P. Flannery Plant Hire Limited is an employer provider teaching adult learning Skills Bootcamp courses in plant operations. They started their Skills Bootcamp course in October 2022 as a pilot. They are based in Wembley, with training sites in London, Middlesex and the West Midlands. Courses are taught over ten days and cover a range of plant machinery. This includes tractors, 360 excavators, ride-on rollers, dozers and dumpers. At the time of the monitoring visit, there were 15 learners at the West Midlands training centre and nine learners at Iver in Middlesex.

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Significant progress

Leaders have used their extensive experience in the plant hire sector to adapt their established training courses into a clearly defined Skills Bootcamp. They have designed a range of courses for learners with limited knowledge and for those with prior experience as plant operators. Leaders used the knowledge they gained from the evaluation of their first courses very well to design future courses. For example, they increased the length of courses to help learners prepare better for their assessments.

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Significant progress

Leaders work very effectively with employers to design the curriculum. They timetable courses to teach learners to operate specific plant machinery needed by employers for current construction projects. For example, leaders agreed with large employers working on the high-speed railway to supply them with much needed operatives in ride-on rollers and forward-tipping dumpers. Employers speak very positively about their relationship with staff. Learners they recruit from the course make a valuable contribution to their workforce and arrive with the skills employers need.

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Significant progress

Leaders have invested and considered carefully how to resource and staff the Skills Bootcamp. They have taken experienced plant operatives from the business to develop as trainers. Trainers have extensive experience and knowledge in working in Monitoring visit: P. Flannery Plant Hire Limited, 31 January and 1 February 2024 plant hire. Since the start of their contract, leaders have upskilled most trainers in teaching, learning and assessment.

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Significant progress

Leaders have recruited staff with education experience to work with the training team. Leaders use their good monitoring process well to check on the progress of learners and the quality of teaching and learning. There are suitable governance arrangements in place to support and challenge leaders and the team.

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Significant progress

Staff teach learners using good facilities and resources. Learners complete their practical training on modern, up-to-date plant machinery and practise their skills in realistic outdoor work environments and highly technical simulators in classrooms.

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Significant progress

Trainers use a range of teaching skills effectively. They explain instructions clearly, give useful practical demonstrations and check learners’ understanding after each activity. They give learners the confidence to apply what they learn on the plant machinery. Trainers give learners immediate and constant feedback on their performance using headsets during noisy practical tests. Learners gain practical skills quickly and recall their underpinning theory knowledge clearly. For example, learners are confident to conduct the required safety checks on machinery such as tractors before they use them. They use their new knowledge to thoroughly check hydraulic systems for leaks. They remember the rules around using hand signals to communicate to other operatives.

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Significant progress

Trainers support learners on the excavator course to develop their English and mathematic skills. Learners calculate the required depth and width of trenches before they use excavators to clear the ground. They gain an understanding of the technical vocabulary used on construction sites. Trainers take time to explain technical work clearly to learners that speak English as a second language. This helps learners understand the terminology used in their assessments.

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Significant progress

Learners benefit from additional learning in topics such as ecology. This helps learners understand the importance of reducing emissions into the atmosphere. They also learn how to recognise protected species, such as water voles and crested newts, when they are on site.

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Significant progress

Most learners complete and achieve their course. Of those learners who are unemployed at the start of their learning, a high proportion quickly move into employment. Learners who are already employed have a better opportunity to increase their wages, vary their jobs and work on more complex machinery as a result of their training. Monitoring visit: P. Flannery Plant Hire Limited, 31 January and 1 February 2024 Staff assess learners’ prior knowledge and skills at the start of the course. However, trainers make limited use of this information to adapt what they teach. Managers and staff identify when learners have additional learning needs, and trainers give support where they can. However, they do not always adapt the support sufficiently around the specific needs of learners.

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Reasonable

Leaders place sufficient priority on the safeguarding of their adult learners. They have appropriate policies and procedures in place. This includes procedures to recruit staff who are safe to work with their learners as well as thorough health and safety processes. The designated safeguarding lead, training staff and those who support learners complete appropriate and frequent safeguarding and ‘Prevent’ duty training.

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Reasonable

Leaders place a high importance around the health and safety of learners. They cover this and safeguarding in detail at induction and throughout the training course. This is essential information for learners working in high-risk environments and with potentially dangerous machinery. Learners are very aware of the health and safety rules and how to apply these during their training. Learners feel safe and know how to raise concerns.

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Reasonable

Leaders and managers understand their responsibilities under the ‘Prevent’ duty. They have recently completed a ‘Prevent’ duty risk assessment and action plan. However, they have not yet implemented this. Monitoring visit: P. Flannery Plant Hire Limited, 31 January and 1 February 2024 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Reasonable

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