Yorkshire Training Partnership Limited

Further education and skills inspection report

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Inspection of Yorkshire Training Partnership Limited

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

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

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Information about this provider

Yorkshire Training Partnership, which is based in Rotherham, was established in 2002. At the time of the inspection, there were 280 active apprentices on 17 different standards, ranging from level 2 to level 6. Programmes included early years, adult care, business administration and supporting teaching and learning. The largest of these programmes was level 3 children, young people, and families practitioner, with 89 apprentices. There were also 133 adult learners studying one of 12 diplomas in childcare, adult care, supporting teaching and learning and business administration. The largest of these programmes was level 3 adult care, with 45 learners. 11 to 14 June 2024

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

The proportion of apprentices and adult learners who achieve their qualifications is too low, and those who do achieve rarely gain higher grades. On many courses, the attendance of adult learners is too low, which results in them falling behind early in their programme and making insufficient progress towards achieving their qualification. Too many apprentices do not make sufficient progress towards achieving functional skills qualifications needed to complete their apprenticeship within the planned timescale. Too often, this lack of progress prevents apprentices from being able to complete their end-point assessment.

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

When apprentices and learners attend sessions, they benefit from helpful face-to- face and online teaching, which assists with the development of new knowledge, skills, and behaviours that they can apply in their job roles. Tutors explore real-life situations from the media when exploring areas such as safeguarding and British values. They use well designed and informative resources in these sessions, which often provoke fruitful discussions with apprentices and learners. In most instances, apprentices and adult learners produce work at the required standard.

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

Staff effectively develop the confidence and resilience of apprentices and learners. This enables apprentices and learners to stay focused on their studies while balancing the pressures they have from their workplace roles and personal lives.

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

Apprentices and learners feel safe in learning and at work. They know who to report any concerns to. They have a good understanding of how to keep themselves and those they work with safe, including how to stay safe online and in their communities. When concerns are raised, staff are quick to respond professionally, seeking advice from external agencies where necessary.

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better?

Leaders and managers have developed an appropriate curriculum to meet the needs of local and regional employers who work mainly in children and adult care. They provide flexible teaching models that allow apprentices and learners to attend either face to face or remotely through online sessions. Employers appreciate this flexibility as it helps them to work around staffing challenges when they occur, particularly when they have staffing ratios to maintain.

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better?

Managers and tutors plan the curriculum logically to enable apprentices and learners to develop over time the knowledge, skills and behaviours that they need. They liaise with employers to understand what apprentices and learners need to know and be able to do in their specific job roles. On the level 3 adult care apprenticeship, tutors prioritise early in the programme the development of key skills and knowledge relating to the area of care in which that apprentices will be working, either domiciliary, residential or for adults with learning disabilities. They also provide training on communication barriers, handling client information, infection control and medication. However, on a few programmes, particularly the level 2 adult care 11 to 14 June 2024

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apprenticeship, tutors do not use information about apprentices’ prior knowledge and skills to ensure that they are placed on the most appropriate level of programme and to identify any additional needs that they may have.

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Leaders do not have sufficient oversight of the quality of their provision. They have been too slow to ensure that apprentices and learners achieve their qualifications within the required time frames. When apprentices and learners fall behind, leaders do not ensure that staff intervene quickly to get them back on track. The information that leaders and managers rely on is not accurate or comprehensive enough to provide a clear understanding of the progress of apprentices and learners or to identify weaknesses in specific programmes. Leaders have rightly recognised the need to improve this and have implemented new quality procedures and invested in a new information system. However, at the time of the inspection, it was too early to see the impact of this system.

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Leaders and managers have been too slow to improve the teaching for apprentices who need to achieve functional skills qualifications as part of their apprenticeship. Apprentices do not benefit from structured support or teaching based on their identified weaknesses and skills gaps. Tutors do not focus sufficiently on these weaker areas. Too often, apprentices are entered for their examination before having the required skills and knowledge, which results in too many not achieving the qualification at the first attempt.

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In vocational lessons and off-the-job training, tutors successfully develop apprentices’ and learners’ English and mathematics skills related to the subjects that they are studying. For example, apprentices and learners can confidently work out ratios of children to adults in a childcare setting. They improve their verbal communication skills and produce accurately written work which is of the professional standard needed in their job roles.

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Following assessment tasks, tutors provided helpful written feedback to apprentices and learners that helps them to improve their work over time. In lessons, tutors use questioning techniques effectively to reinforce apprentices’ and learners’ understanding of key concepts. For example, they discuss the ‘HEAT model’, which helps apprentices and learners manage angry customers and diffuse situations. Apprentices and learners understand the importance of letting customers talk first, and listening, rather than apologising first.

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Most tutors are experienced in either the childcare sector or health and social care sector. They keep their vocational knowledge up to date through liaising with sector employers and representative bodies, and through accessing webinars and blogs. Most tutors are appropriately qualified in the areas that they teach. However, functional skills tutors are only qualified at the same level that they teach. A few staff teaching business programmes do not hold the necessary qualifications or have the appropriate experience to teach the level of programme that they cover.

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Most apprentices and learners receive appropriate careers advice and guidance at the start and throughout their programmes, which helps them understand the 11 to 14 June 2024

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different progression routes available to them. As a result, they know what they need to do to achieve and succeed in their chosen careers. For example, tutors on the level 4 information manager programme help apprentices to decide what they want to do next and the options that are open to them outside of the company that they currently work for.

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Tutors are supported well by leaders and managers. Line managers check on tutors’ well-being in individual meetings and provide support to help staff manage their schedules and make effective use of their time. Staff are positive about how approachable and caring leaders and managers are. Staff benefit from well-being days twice a year. They recognise the value of these and enjoy planning activities to carry out with their colleagues.

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Leaders are supported by a small governing body, with members who are experienced in both business and education. Governors visit the centre regularly and maintain contact with leaders and staff. However, they do not receive accurate enough information about apprentices’ and learners’ progress or the quality of education. This means that they are unable to challenge leaders effectively about the quality and impact of the teaching and training or assure themselves of the actions being taken to make improvements.

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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 apprentices who need to achieve functional skills qualifications are effectively supported so they can complete their programme in the planned timescale.  Ensure that all tutors have the necessary qualifications and experience that they need to teach their subject effectively.  Rapidly improve oversight of the programmes offered so that weaknesses can be identified accurately and rectified quickly.  Ensure that apprentices’ prior knowledge and skills are used to place them on appropriate programmes.  Ensure that adult learners attend well and are fully committed to their studies to enable a higher proportion to achieve their qualifications.  Provide effective support to adult learners to enable them to catch up with their studies when they fall behind. 11 to 14 June 2024

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Provider details

Address Unit 1 Enterprise Court Rotherham S63 5DB

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Provider details

Website www.yorkshiretrainingpartnership.com

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Provider details

Principal, CEO or equivalent Victoria Willert

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Provider details

Provider type Independent learning provider

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Provider details

Date of previous inspection 5 March 2018

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Provider details

Main subcontractors None 11 to 14 June 2024

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Information about this inspection

The inspection team was assisted by the chief executive officer, 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

Hayley Lomas, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector Mark Care His Majesty’s Inspector Philippa Firth His Majesty’s Inspector Jonny Wright His Majesty’s Inspector Sarah Benson-Smith Ofsted Inspector 11 to 14 June 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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T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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