Castle View Group Training Limited

Further education and skills inspection report

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Inspection of Castle View Group Training Limited

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Inspection dates: 17 to 20 September 2024

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Adult learning programmes Requires improvement Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this provider

Castle View Group Training Limited is an independent learning provider based in County Durham. It provides courses for adults who are currently unemployed. Leaders aim to help learners get back into work in a range of industries, including retail, warehousing and engineering. At the time of this inspection, there were 14 learners enrolled on introduction to the facilities industry level 1 courses in London and the north east. Since August 2024, 99 learners have completed similar courses at level 1 and level 2 at various locations across the country. 17 to 20 September 2024

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

Too many learners have prior attainment at a level higher than the course they are studying, including in similar occupations. Although staff gather information about learners’ prior attainment and work history, they do not use this effectively to plan learning that meets individual learners’ needs. As too many learners study content that they already know, they do not learn new knowledge and skills that help them into work.

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

As part of their induction, learners receive helpful information on the risks of radicalisation and extremism as well as the local risks in the areas where they study, such as county lines and cuckooing. This is new knowledge for most learners, who find learning about such topics thought-provoking and informative.

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

Tutors agree and set clear ground rules with learners at the start of the course. They identify and reinforce important workplace attributes, such as appropriate behaviour and good attendance and punctuality and develop learners’ awareness of how to present themselves appropriately when in learning, at work or in an interview situation. Most learners comply readily with these rules. However, tutors do not explain the importance of following ground rules for the few learners who ignore them.

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

Learners demonstrate positive and respectful attitudes to each other and their tutors. Tutors encourage learners to participate in lessons and support them to develop their confidence and improve their communication skills. Learners enjoy their training and are enthusiastic in their interactions with their tutor and each other.

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

Tutors provide a safe, friendly and welcoming environment for learners. During their first session, tutors introduce learners to the safeguarding team, so that they know who to contact if they have any concerns. Learners feel safe.

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better?

Leaders do not conduct stringent enough checks on the pre-course information that they receive from agencies that refer learners to them, to ensure that adults are recruited to suitable courses. As a result, too many learners are recruited for whom the course is not suitable because they already have the skills, knowledge and work attributes covered by the course.

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better?

Leaders do not have clear enough oversight of the strengths and weaknesses of the provision. Although, they have identified and addressed a few areas for improvement, such as low attendance, they are unaware of other significant weaknesses in their provision. These include tutors not planning learning to meet individual needs based on starting points and not setting targets for learners that are realistic and achievable. 17 to 20 September 2024

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Leaders do not involve employers sufficiently in the design and implementation of the curriculum. They have designed the curriculum to meet the minimum course requirements without taking account of the specific knowledge, skills and behaviours required by the employers with whom they work and the specific job roles that learners hope to gain.

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Staff have developed a logically sequenced curriculum that is designed to build and develop learners’ knowledge about the wide range of facilities industries. Tutors first teach learners about general employee attributes before moving to more specific topics about customer service, workplace hygiene and legislation related to work.

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Tutors provide learners with helpful initial advice and guidance about the courses that they offer and the jobs to which these could lead. This helps those learners for whom the course is suitable to make an informed decision about their next steps. Learners value the fact that the course helps them to secure an interview with their preferred employer, and a high proportion of learners progress into sustainable employment with those employers.

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Staff do not set realistic targets for learners. They often set long-term, generic development goals, such as ‘improve English skills’, that are not achievable within the very short duration of the course. Tutors do not identify clearly enough how learners will develop these skills or how developing them will be helpful at work.

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Tutors use a range of teaching skills effectively to engage and support learners. They use group discussions, mind mapping activities and frequent recapping, and they link concepts to realistic work situations. In lessons, tutors provide effective support for learners to improve their work by scaffolding activities that help learners expand their written and verbal answers to questions.

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Learners with additional learning needs and with mental health conditions benefit from useful support from their tutors. This includes well-managed time out of lessons for those who struggle with anxiety in a group learning situation and the provision of specialist dyslexia support for those who require it.

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Tutors use assessment effectively to check learners’ knowledge. This includes marking learners’ work during lessons, questioning learners to check their understanding and providing whole-group verbal feedback. Tutors mark learners’ work accurately to ensure that it meets the course criteria. They provide succinct and developmental feedback for learners in the areas that they could improve through completing additional tasks and extension activities.

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Learners complete work at the required standard for the qualification. When learning about lean management techniques, learners develop their knowledge of Kaizen and 5S techniques and recognise how they can apply these to specific job roles. Learners who complete training in ‘understanding facilities’ develop an understanding of team working, health and safety and the safe use of personal protective equipment. 17 to 20 September 2024

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Most tutors provide appropriate careers advice and guidance at the start and end of the course. For example, where a course is being delivered on behalf of an employer, such as in warehouse and logistics, tutors include information about shift patterns, the type of work that learners are likely to do and the possible promotion opportunities. However, this is not the experience for all learners at the different locations and courses, particularly in the London region.

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Leaders recently implemented a governance structure so that they could be held more effectively to account. Board members have a wide range of experience across different education and safeguarding settings. They provide a helpful challenge to leaders on their performance. Board members have a strong focus on the safeguarding arrangements of vulnerable adult learners and scrutinise other performance measures, such as attendance, achievement and ‘into work’ statistics.

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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 staff take account of learners’ prior attainment and work history when planning learning.  Improve oversight of the strengths and weaknesses of the provision so that improvements can be made quickly.  Ensure that staff thoroughly check the suitability of learners so that only those who need training are enrolled.  Ensure that staff set realistic short-term, achievable goals for learners.  Involve employers in the design and implementation of the curriculum so that training meets learners’ and employers’ specific needs. 17 to 20 September 2024

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Provider details

Address 4-5 Lumley Court, Drum Industrial Estate Chester-le-Street County Durham DH2 1AN

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Provider details

Principal, CEO or equivalent Tony Healer

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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 17 to 20 September 2024

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Information about this inspection

The inspection team was assisted by the employment and skills 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

Ian Frear, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector Jonny Wright His Majesty’s Inspector Hayley Lomas His Majesty’s Inspector 17 to 20 September 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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