HMPPS Learning Centre

HMPPS Learning Centre Report following a monitoring visit to a ‘requires improvement’ provider

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Name of lead inspector: Mark Parton, His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection dates: 18 and 19 December 20204

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Address: Newbold Revel Stretton under Fosse Rugby Warwickshire CV23 0TH Monitoring visit: HMPPS Learning Centre, 18 and 19 December 2024

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Context and focus of visit

HMPPS Learning Centre was inspected in March 2024. 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

HMPPS Learning Centre is an employer provider based in Rugby, Warwickshire. The provider is part of the Ministry for Justice and trains apprentices for His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service. At the time of the visit, there were 578 apprentices, all of whom were studying the level 3 custody and detention officer apprenticeship. No apprentices have been recruited since the previous inspection.

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Reasonable progress

Since the previous inspection, leaders and managers have acted to successfully improve the quality of the teaching of functional skills in English and mathematics. Leaders have recruited well-qualified specialist tutors who have experience in the teaching of both English and mathematics. Apprentices now benefit from frequent and well-targeted one-to-one lessons that help them to improve their English and mathematics skills. In English, tutors teach apprentices essential reading and interpretation skills. Apprentices apply these skills well in their examinations. For example, apprentices understand the use of rhetorical questions and the role they play in convincing the reader to agree with the author’s opinion or viewpoint. Functional skills tutors demonstrate mathematical calculations to apprentices clearly. Tutors explain topics simply, and they make sure that the layout of handouts and worksheets is clear and easy to understand. Apprentices lay out their calculations

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Reasonable progress

clearly, and they use this to identify quickly any mistakes in their work. Since the previous inspection, leaders, managers and tutors have acted to ensure that a higher proportion of apprentices achieve their functional qualifications, and consequently are able to take their final assessments and achieve their apprenticeship. However, leaders recognise that while the situation is improving, there are still too many apprentices yet to achieve their functional skills qualifications. Monitoring visit: HMPPS Learning Centre, 18 and 19 December 2024

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Reasonable progress

Since the previous inspection, leaders and managers have acted to train and support workplace mentors and coaches to improve the quality of written feedback which they give to apprentices. Staff have had training in how to provide feedback to apprentices that contains clear and specific actions for improvement. Through this training, more staff now provide written feedback that tells apprentices what they need to do to improve their future work. Leaders monitor the quality of feedback that apprentices receive closely. They take clear actions to assure themselves that the quality of feedback that apprentices receive is improving. More apprentices now routinely use their feedback to improve their subsequent work. For example, apprentices now avoid the use of specific work-related abbreviations in their writing, so that it is easier to understand. Leaders rightly recognise that they need to take further action to ensure that the

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Reasonable progress

quality of feedback is consistently high. For example, apprentices working at establishments without an onsite apprentice coach do not routinely receive feedback tailored to their prison setting. These apprentices are less clear on the actions they need to take to improve their work.

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Reasonable progress

Since the previous inspection, leaders have worked successfully with colleagues at the prisons where the apprentices work to improve apprentices’ access to off-the-job training. Nearly all apprentices now have more frequent and routine access to training and opportunities to review progress. Leaders have acted to improve workplace mentors’ attendance at apprentices’ progress reviews. Workplace mentors and apprentice coaches work more closely together to arrange clear and thought-through opportunities to reinforce the specialised skills which apprentices need to be successful at work. For example, apprentices shadow prisoners being received into custody or undertake specialist search activities in detention settings. Apprentices develop greater fluency and consistency in their day-to-day skills in the workplace. However, leaders recognise that too few workplace mentors routinely attend progress reviews for those

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Reasonable progress

apprentices who do not have an apprentice coach in their establishment. These apprentices do not routinely benefit from opportunities to deepen their workplace skills. Monitoring visit: HMPPS Learning Centre, 18 and 19 December 2024

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have taken appropriate steps to ensure that apprentices understand the potential career opportunities available to them in the prison service. They have taken clear actions to amend the apprentice progress review process so that coaches discuss career opportunities more frequently. Leaders continue to review the quality of these discussions to ensure that they improve and that more apprentices take part in these better-developed conversations. Through the amended review process, coaches ensure that an increasing proportion of apprentices know about the range of opportunities available to them in the prison service. Most apprentices understand well the skills, knowledge and on-the-job experience they will need to gain promotions or additional responsibilities. For example, apprentices are aware of the variety of non-operational roles in offender management and those roles that require specific training, such as dog handling.

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Reasonable progress

However, the few apprentices who do not have access to onsite apprentice coach support do not receive the same levels of personalised support. The advice and guidance these apprentices receive is too often generic and less tailored to their individual needs. Monitoring visit: HMPPS Learning Centre, 18 and 19 December 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Reasonable progress

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Reasonable progress

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