Compass Skills Training Limited

Compass Skills Training Limited Report following a monitoring visit to a ‘requires improvement’ provider

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Name of lead inspector: Alison Humphreys, His Majesty’s Inspector

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Type of provider: Independent learning provider

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Address: Compass House Canal Side Chorley PR6 0QL Monitoring visit: Compass Skills Training Limited, 26 and 27 June 2024

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Context and focus of visit

Compass Skills Training Limited was inspected in August 2023. At that time, inspectors judged the overall effectiveness of the provision to require improvement.

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Context and focus of visit

The focus of this monitoring visit was to evaluate the progress that leaders and managers have made in resolving the main areas for improvement identified at the previous inspection.

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Context and focus of visit

Compass Skills Training Limited is an independent learning provider based in Chorley, Lancashire. At the time of the monitoring visit, there were 189 apprentices studying standards-based apprenticeships. Seventy-one study on the level 3 safety, health and environment (SHE) technician, 32 on the level 4 engineer surveyor, 25 on the level 4 standard fire safety inspector, three on the level 4 construction site supervisor, five on the level 6 construction site management (degree) and 53 on the level 7 risk and safety management professional (degree) apprenticeships.

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Context and focus of visit

Compass Skills Training Limited works with two subcontractors. Heriot-Watt University teaches the level 7 Master’s degree in risk and safety management to apprentices studying the level 7 risk and safety management professional (degree) apprenticeship. The Engineers Academy teaches the Higher National Certificate (HNC) in mechanical engineering to apprentices studying the level 4 engineer surveyor apprenticeship.

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Reasonable progress

Since the previous inspection, leaders have put in place training days for staff to develop their understanding and use of assessment. Training has focused on how to complete assessments at the start of their apprenticeship to identify what apprentices already know and can do. Staff now conduct more robust assessments to identify apprentices’ support needs and their current knowledge, skills and behaviours. Following these assessments, programme leaders feel more confident to discuss with employers the appropriateness of the apprenticeship for each employee. Leaders have strengthened the arrangements for recruiting new apprentices. Learning coaches and tutors review apprentices’ qualifications, industry experience Monitoring visit: Compass Skills Training Limited, 26 and 27 June 2024 and results of assessments to establish what apprentices already know and can do and plan a curriculum that challenges them. Tutors have reviewed learning plans,

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Reasonable progress

resources and assignments to ensure that they link closely to apprentices’ job roles. Apprentices, on the level 4 fire safety inspector apprenticeship, now benefit from using resources and completing assignments that closely align to their job roles. For example, they complete assignments that link to working in the airline industry or in housing associations. This means that these apprentices quickly develop the skills that employers need and make the expected progress. Leaders have not recruited new apprentices to the level 4 engineer surveyor apprenticeship. They are focusing on developing the curriculum to improve the quality of training that apprentices receive. However, changes to the curriculum are not having a beneficial impact on current apprentices. Learning coaches and tutors do not review sufficiently what these apprentices know and can do to develop a more ambitious and individualised curriculum.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders have not made sufficient progress in planning and coordinating apprentices’ on- and off-the-job training. Tutors and learning coaches do not involve subcontractors sufficiently in discussions about the progress that apprentices are making. For example, on the level 3 engineer surveyor apprenticeship, learning coaches do not link what apprentices learn on the HNC to apprentices’ job roles. Most employers and apprentices do not understand the role of learning coaches and tutors in ensuring that on- and off-the-job training is planned and coordinated. In a few instances, apprentices refer to the provider as the ‘middleman’. Apprentices believe it is their role to discuss learning with employers and plan activities to complete their knowledge skills and behaviours. Leaders have improved the attendance of employers to the reviews of apprentices’ progress. Most apprentices find the reviews helpful in relating assignment tasks to

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Insufficient progress

their job roles. In most cases, employers discuss how apprentices apply what they learn to their job roles. For example, level 3 SHE apprentices learn about the causes of failure of metal such as cracking and corrosion. They complete assignments in work to confirm this knowledge. However, learning coaches do not review the progress that apprentices make in their knowledge, skills and behaviours. Learning coaches ask apprentices to provide scores against their development, but these are not discussed with line managers during progress reviews. Discussions focus on the completion of assignments and workshop tasks. As a result, targets that learning coaches set do not focus sufficiently on apprentices developing their knowledge, skills and behaviours. This means that a few apprentices do not make swift progress. Monitoring visit: Compass Skills Training Limited, 26 and 27 June 2024

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Reasonable progress

Most apprentices benefit from useful careers information, advice and guidance while on their apprenticeship. Apprentices are encouraged to join professional bodies as student members so that they can access subject-specific webinars, join online forums and attend networking events. They complete a professional development module as part of their apprenticeship where they are introduced to a range of career pathways. For example, level 3 SHE technician apprentices learn about moving into careers such as enforcement, environmental management and risk management. They know the routes available to them to become a chartered member of the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health. Most apprentices do not find careers discussions with their learning coach during the progress reviews useful. Most apprentices told us that they have clear progression plans in place with their employers. Learning coaches and tutors do not always

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Reasonable progress

explore these plans sufficiently to ensure that all apprentices have the information that they need to achieve their career aspirations. Leaders have recently introduced exit interviews, around three months before apprentices complete their final assessments. Tutors provide apprentices with specific careers information, advice and guidance to prepare them for their next steps. Apprentices who want to progress to management roles are advised about higher-level qualifications such as diplomas offered by the national examination board in occupational safety and health. It is too early to identify the impact that this initiative is having on apprentices and their next steps.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders have not made sufficient progress in rectifying the areas for improvement identified at the previous inspection. Although leaders have implemented a range of new quality processes and procedures to support them to improve the quality of education that apprentices receive, this is not yet having the impact that leaders expect. For example, leaders have been too slow to improve the experience of level 4 engineer surveyor apprentices. They have not taken sufficient action to ensure that the curriculum is ambitious and individualised to ensure that apprentices make the progress of which they are capable. Leaders have restructured the apprenticeship team. They have recruited programme leads and an apprenticeship manager to focus on improving the quality of training that apprentices receive. Senior leaders meet monthly with learning coaches, tutors and programme leads to review online dashboards, key performance indicators and

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Insufficient progress

Monitoring visit: Compass Skills Training Limited, 26 and 27 June 2024 observations of training. However, leaders do not routinely use this information to bring about improvements swiftly. Since the previous inspection, leaders have strengthened governance arrangements. They have recruited an external governor to provide scrutiny and challenge to senior leaders. Governors receive a range of useful reports that identify progress against key performance indicators. Governors use these reports to provide challenge on aspects such as the number of apprentices that leave their apprenticeship early and the reasons that apprentices take a break from their learning. They have identified that leaders do not report on the impact of the actions put in place. Consequently, governors do not know if actions are having the expected impact on improving the quality of training for all apprentices. Monitoring visit: Compass Skills Training Limited, 26 and 27 June 2024

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Insufficient progress

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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