Staff Power Training Limited

Staff Power Training Limited Mackies Corner, Chambers, 106 High Street West, Sunderland SR1 1TX

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monitoring inspection report:

During the monitoring inspection, inspectors focused on the following themes:

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monitoring inspection report:

 leadership and governance - specifically the progress leaders and managers have made in designing and delivering relevant adult learning provision that has a clearly defined purpose, and in identifying and supporting the needs of adult learners

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monitoring inspection report:

 inclusion - specifically the progress leaders have made in identifying the needs of individual learners putting suitable support in place, in particular for those who are disadvantaged, those with SEND or high needs, those who are known (or previously known) to social care, and those who may face other barriers to their experiences and opportunities, including those without level 2 English and/or mathematics

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monitoring inspection report:

 curriculum, teaching and training - specifically the progress leaders and managers have made in ensuring that learners benefit from high-quality adult education that prepares them well for their intended job role, career aim and/or personal goals

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monitoring inspection report:

 safeguarding arrangements - specifically whether leaders and managers have ensured that effective safeguarding arrangements are in place

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Leadership and governance

Significant progress : progress has been rapid and is already having considerable beneficial impact on learners.

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Leadership and governance

Leaders have successfully realised an ambitious vision to equip unemployed adults with the skills and confidence they need to secure employment in the manufacturing, engineering, logistics, construction and retrofit sectors. They design short courses and Skills Bootcamps for adult learners that align precisely with the skills shortages identified by employers and in local skills improvement plans.

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Leadership and governance

Leaders are agile in responding to employer and sector needs. They attend sector forums Monitoring inspection report: Staff Power Training Limited 25 and 26 February 2026

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to understand current working practices. They plan bespoke training with employers to teach the skills, behaviours and competencies that employers need. For example, leaders designed an express logistics course to train learners in ‘just-in-time’ supply chain strategy to maximise production for the car maker, Nissan.

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Leaders have in place very effective systems to assure themselves of the quality of training and support that learners receive. They frequently review performance data and supplement this with routine on-site quality checks at training venues.

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Leaders and those responsible for governance identify accurately the strengths and areas for improvement in their provision. They are persistent in understanding reasons for any underperformance. On short courses, leaders pilot strategies to make assessment more accessible so that more learners pass assessments at the first attempt.

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Inclusion

Reasonable progress : the provider’s actions are already having a beneficial impact on learners and/or apprentices. Improvements are sustainable and are based on the provider’s thorough quality assurance procedures.

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Inclusion

Staff identify learners’ support needs quickly and accurately. Staff from a dedicated learner engagement team visit training venues so that they understand the structure and expectations of training courses. They use this to decide the type of support that learners may need. They build trusted relationships with learners. This means that learners are more likely to share any barriers to learning that they do not disclose initially or that emerge later.

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Inclusion

Staff provide effective support so that training is accessible to all learners. Those experiencing financial barriers are provided with travel fares so that they can access training routinely and on time. Learners who experience temporary homelessness are signposted to external agencies for support to secure accommodation. Leaders fund the cost of personal protective equipment for learners facing financial hardship so that they can move quickly into the job roles they are offered.

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Inclusion

Trainers use effective strategies to support learners who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff ensure that learners have access to appropriate reasonable adjustments in external assessments.

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Inclusion

Leaders check that support for learners is effective. They reduce support where the need is identified. Leaders have started to track the performance of learners from identified groups to understand the effectiveness of the support they provide.

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Curriculum, teaching and training

Reasonable progress : the provider’s actions are already having a beneficial impact on Monitoring inspection report: Staff Power Training Limited 25 and 26 February 2026

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learners. Improvements are sustainable and are based on the provider’s thorough quality assurance procedures.

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Tutors provide high-quality face-to-face training to develop the skills that learners need to move quickly into work. Learners complete practical training using industry-standard equipment so that they develop the skills employers need. Learners on construction courses work on realistic models of domestic roofs to install solar panels and mock walls to practise installations of internal, external and cavity wall insulation.

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Tutors mostly structure curriculums well so that learners gain the knowledge and skills they need to progress into work. However, learners on retrofit courses who have prior experience in construction repeat basic construction topics with which they are already familiar.

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Tutors teach curriculums effectively. They explain content clearly and use questioning well to assess learners’ understanding. In express logistics, tutors use targeted questioning well to ensure that learners gain a secure understanding about ‘just-in-time’ delivery requirements in manufacturing.

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Staff receive appropriate training to keep their sector knowledge and skills up to date. Leaders have plans in place to provide additional professional learning opportunities to develop tutors’ teaching skills further.

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In the previous year, almost all learners achieved and secured job interviews. Approximately three quarters secured employment in related sectors.

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Safeguarding arrangements

Reasonable progress : the provider’s actions are already having a beneficial impact on learners and/or apprentices. Improvements are sustainable and are based on the provider’s thorough quality assurance procedures.

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Safeguarding arrangements

Leaders promote a culture in which safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. They have in place appropriate arrangements to safeguard adult learners. Tutors understand the procedures to follow to raise concerns about the safety and wellbeing of learners. Monthly newsletters and priority updates from leaders help them to remain vigilant to potential safeguarding concerns in the locations where they deliver training. Leaders provide scenarios to help staff understand risks such as coercive control, exposure to extremist content and exploitation and how to respond should concerns be identified.

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Safeguarding arrangements

Leaders have plans in place to promote further the importance of mental and physical health to learners through the curriculums they teach.

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Safeguarding arrangements

Learners feel safe and know how to report any concerns. Leaders use a secure system to log any safeguarding concerns and actions they have taken. They rightly recognise the need to log centrally the low-level concerns that are reported by staff so they can identify more systematically any emerging trends. Monitoring inspection report: Staff Power Training Limited 25 and 26 February 2026

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Leaders have in place a ‘Prevent’ duty risk assessment which they keep under review. They monitor and mitigate potential risks linked to radicalisation and extremism.

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About this inspection

Ofsted carries out monitoring inspections to all newly directly funded providers of adult learning provision where the provision offered is in scope for inspection.

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About this inspection

The purpose of this monitoring inspection was not to determine grades for any of the evaluation areas set out in the further education and skills inspection toolkit. The purpose was to report on the provider’s progress in relation to the 4 themes set out above.

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About this inspection

Staff Power Training Limited is an independent learning provider based in Sunderland. It received its first direct contract with the North East Combined Authority (NECA) in March 2024 to deliver short courses and Skills Bootcamps to adults in engineering, logistics and manufacturing. Leaders secured additional contracts for 2025-26 to deliver short courses and Skills Bootcamps with NECA, South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority, West Yorkshire Combined Authority, Greater London Authority and Leicester City Council. At the time of the monitoring inspection, there were 117 learners in training on short courses in manufacturing and logistics and Skills Bootcamps in manufacturing, logistics, construction and retrofit.

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Team inspector

Malcolm Fraser His Majesty’s Inspector Monitoring inspection report: Staff Power Training Limited 25 and 26 February 2026

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funding at time of inspection

Monitoring inspection report: Staff Power Training Limited 25 and 26 February 2026

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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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