Change Please CIC

Change Please CIC Monitoring visit report

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Name of lead inspector: Sarah Houghton, His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection dates: 8 and 9 January 2025 Type of provider: Independent learning provider

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Address: Unit 5 Print Village 58 Chadwick Road London SE15 4PU Monitoring visit: Change Please CIC, 8 and 9 January 2025

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Context and focus of visit

Ofsted undertakes to carry out monitoring visits to all newly directly funded providers of adult learning provision where the provision offered is in scope for inspection. This monitoring visit was undertaken as part of those arrangements and as outlined in the ‘Further education and skills inspection handbook’, especially the sections entitled ‘Monitoring visits’ and ‘Monitoring visits to providers that are newly directly publicly funded’. The focus of these visits is on the themes set out below.

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Context and focus of visit

Change Please CIC is an independent training provider based in London. It is funded to teach adults. It supports people experiencing homelessness to become employed by training them to be baristas. At the time of the inspection there were 35 trainees on the course, comprised of a three-day workshop and 12-week paid work placement.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have thoughtfully developed a course that supports vulnerable individuals into employment as coffee baristas. Trainees start with the initial three-day training workshops, before they move into supported work placements in one of the ‘Change Please’ retail outlets. Staff use the workshops to train basic coffee skills and to get to know the trainees. They use this knowledge of each trainee effectively, to place them into suitable work placements. For example, some trainees benefit from starting off in small and quiet sites before moving on to larger, busier outlets such as Borough Market.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and staff work closely with referral partners to provide comprehensive wraparound support for trainees. There is a clear focus on all trainees being more confident and open to work at the end of their course. Trainees benefit from support from external agencies, such as housing support, in-house therapy, and additional workshops such as employability training while on the course.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders ensure consistent standards of training across the retail branches with detailed manuals and staff training. All trainers are suitably qualified and experienced in the coffee industry. However, leaders recognise that there is more to do to support trainers to develop their teaching practice further. Leaders have sensible plans in place. However, it is too early to judge the impact of these. Monitoring visit: Change Please CIC, 8 and 9 January 2025 Leaders monitor the progress of their trainees well. They use a 20-point competency framework to track the knowledge and skills development of each trainee. They use this to provide additional training swiftly when needed, in skills such as latte art.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders work effectively with employers to offer trainees additional opportunities to build their confidence and gain experience. Employers conduct mock interviews, work trials and tailored recruitment days for trainees. Over half of all trainees progress immediately into employment as a result.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders plan a useful programme that builds trainees’ confidence and skills as baristas. Trainees first learn the foundation knowledge of coffee making and how to make expressos before they learn how to texture milk. They then learn more advanced techniques to make the more complex coffees from the menu.

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Reasonable progress

Trainees develop a suitable knowledge and understanding of the coffee-making process. Trainees can confidently explain what they have learned already and what else they need to learn to be employed as baristas. They know that the way they make the coffee impacts the taste. For example, if they do not tamp down the coffee it would not provide the depth of flavour that they need.

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Reasonable progress

Trainers use high-quality training materials such as detailed handbooks to support their training. These are useful reference guides for trainees when they are in the workplace. Trainers link new learning effectively to previous lessons and in most cases ensure that trainees develop a comprehensive understanding of each topic before moving on. However, in a small number of cases trainers do not check that trainees have a secure enough knowledge before moving on. Trainers have to spend considerable time redemonstrating techniques.

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Reasonable progress

Staff do not provide enough support for trainees who speak English as an additional language. Trainees do learn the skills that they need to make saleable coffees; however, they are not able to develop their customer service skills at the same rate as their peers.

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Reasonable progress

Learners enjoy the course; they gain substantial new knowledge and confidence in making saleable coffees. Monitoring visit: Change Please CIC, 8 and 9 January 2025

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Reasonable progress

Leaders are aware of their duties to ensure the safety of their trainees. They have implemented suitable policies and procedures appropriate for the adults that they work with. Staff use risk assessments appropriately to support their trainees. Trainees feel that the learning environment is a safe space.

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Reasonable progress

The designated safeguarding lead is suitably qualified. Staff undergo relevant training to ensure they can recognise and report incidents if they occur.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have an appropriate ‘Prevent’ duty risk assessment in place and understand localised risks. However, they acknowledge the need to do more to ensure trainees are aware of, and kept up to date with, changes to risks that may affect them. Monitoring visit: Change Please CIC, 8 and 9 January 2025 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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Reasonable progress

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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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