Hybrid Technical Services Limited

Further education and skills inspection report

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Inspection of Hybrid Technical Services Limited

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Adult learning programmes Good Apprenticeships Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

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Information about this provider

Hybrid Technical Services Limited (Hybrid) is an independent learning provider based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Hybrid specialises in training for the gas, electrical, plumbing and renewables sectors. Leaders offer courses in response to the skills needs identified in the Liverpool City Region and across the country.

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Information about this provider

Hybrid provides Skills Bootcamps in green technologies and renewable energies in Liverpool and at satellite centres in Uxbridge and Rochdale. All learners on Skills Bootcamps are employed or self-employed. All apprenticeships are taught from the provider’s headquarters in Liverpool.

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Information about this provider

At the time of the inspection, Hybrid had 53 adult learners studying Skills Bootcamps and 159 apprentices. Most apprentices study at level 3, with the largest numbers on gas engineering operative and, installation and maintenance electrician apprenticeships. Eight apprentices are on the level 3 plumbing and domestic heating apprenticeship, and 16 are on the level 4 construction site supervision apprenticeship. The provider does not subcontract any of its provision. 4 to 7 March 2024

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

Learners and apprentices enjoy their apprenticeship and Skills Bootcamp programmes. This is because they gain the substantial new knowledge, skills and behaviours that they need, to be successful in their specialist industries. Apprentices and learners are proud of their progress and achievements.

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

Learners and apprentices are well prepared for their next steps. They benefit from talks from guest speakers and master classes from industry experts. These help learners and apprentices to prepare for their future careers and to raise their awareness of opportunities available to them.

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

Learners and apprentices develop their knowledge of how to better meet the needs of customers. Installation and maintenance electrician apprentices move lights and sockets to more accessible heights. They understand the importance of accessibility and adaptations for customers with restricted mobility.

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

Learners and apprentices become responsible, respectful and mindful citizens. Learners and apprentices work together well, they support their peers to aid each other’s understanding and demonstrate work-ready attitudes. Learners and apprentices develop confidence in their interactions with customers and show increasing independence at their places of work.

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

Learners and apprentices feel safe and prioritise safe working practices. Learners understand the risks associated with lone working. Apprentices know how to report concerns when working with vulnerable people.

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better?

Leaders and governors design ambitious, high-quality curriculums that respond to skills shortages and meet the needs of learners, apprentices and employers. They use well-established links with the Liverpool City Region combined authority, industry bodies and employers to inform the content of their curriculums. This ensures that learners and apprentices develop the skills they need to work in the gas, electrical and renewable energy sectors. Leaders plan opportunities for learners to gain additional industry-specific knowledge and qualifications to optimise their employability in emerging sectors.

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better?

Leaders and tutors sequence curriculums logically to enable learners and apprentices to develop their knowledge and skills quickly. Apprentices make sustained progress from the start of their apprenticeships. Level 3 installation and maintenance electrician apprentices progress from electrical testing to updating consumer units in domestic settings. Level 3 gas engineering operative apprentices learn pipe bending and welding before progressing onto more complex tasks, such as servicing cookers in customers’ homes. 4 to 7 March 2024

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Leaders and tutors diligently check the progress that apprentices make during their apprenticeship. They plan timely interventions for apprentices with support needs and those at risk of falling behind. Tutors provide additional one-to-one support and skills accelerator sessions to help apprentices stay on track. Most apprentices remain in learning and make good progress.

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Skills coaches and employers plan and coordinate on- and off-the-job training carefully to provide timely opportunities for apprentices to consolidate new knowledge and skills. Apprentices practise skills such as cabling and the use of volt pens to test electrical circuits. Apprentices work with increasing autonomy as they progress throughout their apprenticeship. They make valuable contributions to their employers’ businesses.

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Tutors are highly qualified professionals with extensive industry experience in the oil, gas and construction sectors. They complete regular industrial updating and professional development activities to enhance their teaching skills. Tutors maintain their qualifications in line with regulatory guidance. They use their expertise to link theory to practice and bring learning to life.

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Tutors help learners and apprentices to develop their mathematical knowledge which they use at work. Learners recall temperature ratings for heat emitters and apprentices explain calculations and find and interpret scales on technical drawings accurately.

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Tutors help learners and apprentices to develop their spoken English and communication skills. They help learners and apprentices to use technical vocabulary with increasing fluency. Learners and apprentices improve their confidence in speaking with customers. Level 4 construction site supervisor apprentices improve their report writing skills and produce professional reports for clients. However, level 3 installation and maintenance electrician apprentices do not improve their academic writing skills to the expected level.

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Tutors provide learners and apprentices with useful feedback on their work. Learners and apprentices know what they need to do to improve the quality of their work. Most apprentices are aware of the requirements of their final assessments. However, level 3 installation and maintenance electrician apprentices do not receive information sufficiently early in their apprenticeships to help them to achieve the highest grades.

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Leaders collect useful information about what apprentices already know and can do at the start of their training. They use this to adjust the length of learning where appropriate. However, leaders and tutors do not use this information to challenge those with higher levels of prior knowledge and skills to achieve the highest grades. Although most apprentices achieve their apprenticeship, achievement of the highest grades is too low.

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Tutors provide learners and apprentices with helpful careers information, advice and guidance about their potential future pathways and next steps. Guest speakers offer 4 to 7 March 2024

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advice on how to set up businesses, how to manage finance and the pros and cons of sole trading. Learners and apprentices benefit from master classes with employers in renewable energy technologies to help them to install heat pumps in confined spaces. They are prepared well for their next steps in education, training and work.

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Leaders provide appropriate training to apprentices on topics such as healthy living and positive mental health. Apprentices understand the importance of exercise, the effects of a poor diet and potential triggers for anxiety. Apprentices are better prepared to live healthy lifestyles and manage stress.

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Attendance is high for most apprentices and learners. However, leaders do not systematically track the attendance and punctuality of learners on Skills Bootcamps to ensure timely achievement.

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Leaders prioritise the well-being of staff and ensure that they have manageable workloads. Leaders provide healthcare, flexible working arrangements, weekly well- being days and organise social events and celebrations. Staff are proud to work for the organisation and feel valued.

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Leaders and governors use quality assurance processes including observations of teaching and learning, learner and apprentice surveys and focus groups to identify strengths and key areas of improvement. Although they plan and monitor actions to improve learners’ and apprentices’ learning experiences, in a minority of cases, leaders do not always have sufficient oversight of attendance and timely achievement. Planned actions do not always rectify areas for improvement swiftly.

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Governors provide the support and challenge that leaders need to continually improve the quality of education that learners and apprentices receive. They hold senior leaders to account while ensuring that leaders do not compromise their capacity for quality assurance and 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?

 Ensure that tutors use information about what apprentices already know and can do to plan learning so that apprentices achieve their full potential.  Ensure that level 3 installation and maintenance electrician apprentices develop the academic writing skills they need for future study.  Increase the proportion of apprentices who achieve the highest grades in their final assessments.  Improve the monitoring of attendance to increase the number of learners who achieve their Skills Bootcamp qualifications on time. 4 to 7 March 2024

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Provider details

Address Unit 3 Box Works Heysham Road Bootle Merseyside L30 6UR

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Provider details

Principal, CEO or equivalent Sophie Gilmore

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Provider details

Provider type Independent learning provider

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Provider details

Date of previous inspection 28 September to 1 October 2021

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Provider details

Main subcontractors None 4 to 7 March 2024

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Information about this inspection

The inspection team was assisted by the head of quality, 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

Zoe Ibbotson, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector John Kendal Ofsted Inspector Maria Rayworth Ofsted Inspector Helen Nellist Ofsted Inspector 4 to 7 March 2024

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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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