CERT C.I.C

CERT C.I.C

Address: The Ropewalk, DN18 5JT Unique reference number (URN): 1278564

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, learners are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect providers for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The provider has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not met: The provider has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders have successfully established a culture of inclusion. They ensure that apprentices are welcomed onto their programme and supported to settle well into their job roles. Leaders are alert to apprentices who experience life changes that make them temporarily vulnerable and act swiftly to reduce risks of withdrawal or job loss. For example, they provide support when apprentices struggle with depression or anxiety due to domestic changes.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders and coaches provide tailored support for apprentices with additional needs, such as those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Practical aids and adapted teaching strategies, such as breaking tasks down, enable apprentices with additional needs to complete their studies successfully alongside their peers.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Apprentices without level 2 English or mathematics qualifications receive targeted support to enable them to achieve these qualifications. Leaders also encourage apprentices who are not required to complete these qualifications to pursue them, explaining how this will enhance their potential for career progression.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders undertake appropriate training to support apprentices facing barriers to learning. They understand their statutory duties.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders have a clear, well-established vision to support apprentices and employers to fill much-needed job roles in administration, customer service and marketing. They use their knowledge of the organisations they work with to provide high-quality training to apprentices. Apprentices gain the knowledge, skills and behaviours that they need to start and succeed in their careers.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders understand the strengths and areas for development of their provision. They maintain high expectations for apprentices’ achievement. Leaders ensure that employers are fully involved in the apprenticeship programme, coordinating on- and off-the-job training effectively. When apprentices withdraw, leaders analyse the reasons why, consult with employers and identify and implement actions to minimise future withdrawals.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders and coaches are highly skilled and experienced in the subjects that they teach. They maintain their up-to-date knowledge through continuous professional development and active participation in business boards, ensuring awareness of local needs. Leaders have rigorous and well-established quality assurance arrangements in place. They gather feedback from employers and apprentices, observe online lessons and review work, progress reviews and learning journals. This leads to clear actions for improvement, which are monitored and revisited regularly.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders have effective arrangements in place to provide oversight of the apprenticeship provision through a director, who is independent of apprenticeships and acts as a critical friend. The director meets frequently with leaders to analyse information and challenge actions that leaders have taken to ensure that apprentices receive training that meets their needs. Leaders support each other well to ensure that their workloads are manageable.

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Achievement Expected standard

Apprentices develop substantial new knowledge, skills and behaviours from their starting points and achieve well. They apply new learning to their job roles and add value to the workplace. Most remain with their employers and move into permanent jobs at the end of their apprenticeship, and a few receive promotions.

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Achievement Expected standard

Leaders recognised that too many apprentices left the apprenticeship early in the 2023/24 academic year. They have worked closely with current apprentices to support them to stay on the apprenticeship. This year, all apprentices have remained on programme and are on target to achieve or have already achieved.

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Achievement Expected standard

Apprentices produce written work which is of a high quality. Their work demonstrates the progress they have made in writing professionally for business.

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Achievement Expected standard

Most apprentices who are required or choose to study functional skills in mathematics and English achieve their qualifications. However, a few struggle to pass at the first attempt.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders ensure that the apprenticeship provision meets the requirements and expectations of an apprenticeship. Apprentices attend weekly off-the-job training sessions, and those studying for English and mathematics qualifications receive individual training. Leaders have a clear understanding of curriculum quality. They review curriculum content with apprentices and their employers to ensure that there is appropriate coverage and understanding. When necessary, leaders revisit curriculum planning to address any areas for improvement.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Coaches have the relevant experience and knowledge to teach the curriculum effectively. Coaches who teach functional skills use their subject knowledge well to ensure that most apprentices make consistent progress and pass their examinations within expected timescales.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Coaches plan relevant on- and off-the-job training to help apprentices apply and practise new knowledge and skills in the workplace. They often work closely with employers to plan additional on-the-job training to help apprentices develop knowledge and skills in new subjects that are not covered in the apprenticeship curriculum.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Coaches use teaching strategies effectively to help apprentices understand new content, revisit previous learning and transfer new knowledge to their long-term memory. They carefully sequence lesson content so that apprentices gain a sound understanding of basic concepts before moving on to more complex aspects. With the support of their coaches, apprentices produce work which is of high quality.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Coaches use a range of appropriate assessment strategies to check that apprentices have secured new knowledge and skills, such as asking deeper-level questions. When apprentices struggle to understand, coaches revisit and explain specific content so that apprentices can readily recall information.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Leaders ensure that apprentices receive helpful careers advice and guidance that enables them to make suitable decisions for their next steps. In a few instances, apprentices receive additional advice tailored to their interests, such as studying a degree-level qualification. At the start of the apprenticeship, leaders provide apprentices with useful training on work- related topics, such as the importance of professional behaviours. This helps apprentices prepare for the workplace.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Apprentices understand how they can be an ‘indispensable’ apprentice by demonstrating the right characteristics and behaviours for employment. They attend training very well. Coaches set high expectations of attendance early in induction, and apprentices know they must meet these expectations to succeed in employment.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Leaders and coaches provide apprentices with helpful information about keeping themselves safe from the risks associated with radicalisation and extremist views. They provide useful local information through informative newsletters to help apprentices understand issues relevant to them.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Apprentices embody fundamental British values well. For example, level 2 customer service practitioner apprentices understand how to demonstrate tolerance with customers who may display different behaviours due to pain or frustration. Apprentices know their rights and responsibilities and how to raise concerns using the whistleblowing policy.

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What it's like to be a learner and/or an apprentice at this provider

Apprentices are motivated by the high expectations that their coaches have for what they can achieve during their apprenticeship and in their careers. Apprentices gain confidence and achieve their qualifications, and the vast majority progress to permanent and meaningful employment. During their training, they attend very well and demonstrate positive attitudes to work and learning.

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What it's like to be a learner and/or an apprentice at this provider

Apprentices develop useful employability skills. They become highly skilled and valued employees. At the start of the programme, apprentices complete the ‘getting started’ module, which helps them understand what is expected of them at work. Apprentices learn about professional language and workplace expectations. They understand their rights regarding inappropriate behaviours. When customer service apprentices encounter challenging behaviours from members of the public, they correctly follow their employer's zero-tolerance policies and seek support from their managers.

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What it's like to be a learner and/or an apprentice at this provider

Apprentices enjoy their learning and benefit from dedicated support in online, one-to-one teaching sessions. They value the knowledge and experience of their coaches. Apprentices gain the knowledge and skills needed to progress into work successfully. They show commitment to their programme and produce work of a high standard.

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What it's like to be a learner and/or an apprentice at this provider

Coaches know their apprentices well and care about their learning and welfare. Apprentices receive helpful information about wider topics beyond the curriculum, such as how to look after their own well-being and mental health. If problems arise, they know where they can go to get help and support for themselves, family and friends.

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What it's like to be a learner and/or an apprentice at this provider

Leaders have recently introduced a series of useful additional sessions for apprentices. These sessions provide apprentices with the opportunity to discuss their organisations and learn helpful information about current topics, such as the impact of AI and ways to reduce their carbon footprint at work.

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Next steps

• Leaders should ensure that apprentices are better prepared to achieve English and mathematics functional skills qualifications at the first attempt. • Leaders should ensure that all apprentices are provided with careers advice that is tailored to their individualised interest and career pathway so that they are fully informed to pursue their aspirations.

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Facts and figures used on inspection

The data was used by the inspector(s) during the inspection. More recent data may have been published since the inspection took place.

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About this inspection

Following our renewed inspection framework, all inspections are now led by His Majesty's Inspectors (HMIs) or by Ofsted inspectors (OIs) who have previously served as HMI's.

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About this inspection

Inspectors spoke with apprentices, leaders, staff and employers during the inspection.

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About this inspection

The inspectors confirmed the following information about the provider:

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About this inspection

CERT C.I.C is an independent learning provider based in Barton-upon-Humber. It offers apprenticeship training predominantly to young people and adults returning to employment, mainly in social enterprise and voluntary organisations. All training takes place online. At the time of the inspection, there were 11 apprentices in training; six were on level 2 customer service practitioner and the remainder were on level 3 business administration and level 4 marketing executive apprenticeships. Five apprentices were aged 16 to 18, and a few were working towards qualifications in English and/or mathematics.

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other providers can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The provider reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standards expected of them.

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Expected standard

The provider is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standards set out in statutory and non-statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The provider needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care. services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Urgent improvement

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Urgent improvement

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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