Back to Work Training Limited

Back to Work Training Limited

Address: Unit 10, Newby Road Industrial Estate, Hazel Grove, Stockport, SK7 5DA Unique reference number (URN): 1270878

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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 Strong standard

Leaders have fostered and embedded a culture of inclusion where learners feel welcomed and valued. Leaders and staff are committed to providing opportunities for those learners who experience significant barriers to their learning, such as unemployment, homelessness or re-integration into the community. They liaise with employers so they know the barriers and needs of the learners who they may be recruiting. This helps learners to secure employment.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders have put in place a carefully chosen dedicated team of special educational needs and/or disabilities champions to ensure that support for learners is timely and appropriate. These champions help staff to identify and assess learners’ needs accurately from the first point of contact and agree appropriate support and adjustments.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Staff receive very effective training to ensure that they understand learners’ needs. They implement a range of strategies and adaptations to tailor support such as additional time to carry out activities and tasks or frequent breaks from online learning to help with concentration. Staff systematically review and adapt the support that they provide to learners. They identify when learners require more flexible learning arrangements due to changes in family circumstances and provide funding to those who experience financial hardship.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders and board members have a detailed understanding of the providers’ strengths and priorities for development. They use information from a range of quality improvement processes to put highly effective actions in place to bring about swift improvements. Board members use their knowledge well to support and hold leaders to account. They make sure that actions for improvement are focused and strengthen learners’ experiences. For example, board members have challenged leaders to adapt and continuously review their approaches to inclusion. Learners with significant barriers to learning achieve as well as their peers.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders are passionate about supporting individuals who are unemployed and have barriers to learning to re-engage with education and transform their lives. They put learners at the heart of all decision-making. Leaders make carefully considered decisions when developing curriculums, so that learners thrive and develop the skills and knowledge they need to progress towards sustainable employment.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders provide a highly individualised programme of professional learning to develop tutors' teaching skills and to share best practice. Staff benefit from an effective mentoring programme where they receive personalised coaching to enhance their teaching skills.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Staff feel valued and enjoy working at Back 2 Work. Leaders place a high priority on the workload and wellbeing of their staff. There is a 'silent support button' so that staff can self- refer if they have safeguarding concerns that impact on their wellbeing. Leaders reduce the workload of members of staff who teach larger groups. They provide additional staff in sessions and extra support with marking.

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Achievement Strong standard

Learners, including those that face significant barriers to learning, make extensive progress from their starting points, complete their courses and achieve their qualifications. They develop new knowledge and skills quickly, applying concepts such as data protection when handling customers' personal information. Learners on digital courses know how to assign different user levels to appropriate access permissions, ensuring that individuals can view or modify data based on their role.

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Achievement Strong standard

Learners are set ambitious personal goals and targets that prepare them well for their next steps. Learners, particularly those starting with very low confidence, overcome their fears and become confident in social settings. They speak in front of others and manage their anxiety well. Most learners progress to positive destinations.

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Achievement Strong standard

Learners' work is of a high standard and increases in complexity over time. Learners use accurate technical vocabulary and write detailed explanations to questions such as explaining why unreported incidents of cybercrime can be exploited.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Leaders have an effective understanding of the quality of the curriculums that they offer, ensuring that these align with the specific skills needs and training requirements locally and nationally. They work with a range of partners to design courses that have the greatest impact on residents’ lives and build the confidence and independence required to re-enter learning and work. Most learners quickly move on to employment or further training that meets their personal aspirations.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Tutors plan and sequence the curriculums carefully so that learners build their knowledge, skills and behaviours over time. On level 2 cybersecurity, learners are taught about phishing emails and crypto-miners before progressing to the motives of cybercrime. Tutors set ambitious personal goals that help learners develop their confidence and self-belief to move onto their next steps. Tutors are well qualified and experienced to teach learners. They use effective teaching strategies to help learners understand complex ideas and remember prior learning. Tutors ask probing questions to assess gaps in knowledge and routinely carry out learning checks to ensure learners have a secure understanding of the topics taught.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Teachers revisit key content to build learners' fluency. They explain new concepts well and link this to previous learning. Learners explain how economic factors, such as poverty or economic inequality, contribute to motivations for cybercrime. Tutors provide helpful feedback that learners use to improve their writing in preparation for their next steps.

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Participation and development Strong standard

Learners receive highly effective careers education and guidance. They visit employers' premises and listen to guest speakers to understand the range of careers and employment opportunities. Learners are taught essential skills such as how to write a CV and cover letter and take part in practice interviews. They are clear about their next steps and feel fully prepared for interviews.

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Participation and development Strong standard

Tutors create calm and safe online learning environments. They set high expectations for learners' attendance and punctuality which prepares learners for work by building routines and developing workplace behaviours. Tutors provide extra support to learners who struggle to attend and adapt timetables to accommodate personal circumstances. Learners' attendance is high.

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Participation and development Strong standard

Tutors provide purposeful opportunities for learners to develop their wider interests. Learners take part in 'wellbeing Wednesdays' where they complete activities such as walking and cooking healthy food. They share their experiences and talk enthusiastically about how this has developed their awareness of new interests and improved their mental health.

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Participation and development Strong standard

Learners have a secure understanding of key topics such as fundamental British values and the risks associated with radicalisation and extremism. Customer contact centre learners apply this knowledge to identify customers who may be vulnerable or at risk of grooming.

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

Learners enjoy their courses and feel a sense of belonging to their online community. Many learners live in areas of deprivation or have significant barriers to their learning and/or mental ill-health. They value the support and acceptance that they receive from staff. Learners feel that they now have a sense of purpose and talk enthusiastically about adapting to the demands of returning to education.

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

Learners speak highly of the support that they receive from their tutors. This motivates them to do well. Most learners, including those who are disadvantaged, achieve their personalised goals and qualifications. Staff put in place useful strategies and adaptations so that those with barriers to learning can participate fully and thrive. Learners develop their confidence and resilience as a result of their learning. They work in groups and take on different team roles. Learners practise their public speaking skills, which helps them to speak confidently when presenting to their peers.

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

Learners are proud of the new knowledge, skills and behaviours that they gain while on their courses. For example, learners studying cybersecurity learn about network management and the tools and technologies they need to manage networks. Learners develop knowledge and skills beyond their qualification content. They benefit from age-appropriate content related to mental and physical health, wellbeing and how to stay safe.

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

Learners are highly motivated and committed to their studies. They contribute enthusiastically to their online sessions and routinely display high levels of respect towards each other and their tutor. When answering questions they put their virtual hand up and listen attentively when others are speaking.

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Next steps

Leaders and those responsible for governance should sustain their work to ensure continued improvement and the highest standards. They should focus on creating a transformational impact on the outcomes and experiences of all learners.

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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 HMIs.

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About this inspection

Inspectors spoke with leaders and managers, learners, tutors, support staff, employers and board members during the inspection.

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About this inspection

Inspectors confirmed the following information about the provider:

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About this inspection

Back 2 Work Complete Training Limited is an independent learning provider based in Greater Manchester. It provides training for unemployed adults to re-engage in education and progress to sustainable employment. The provider operates nationwide, with most learning provided online.

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About this inspection

At the time of the inspection, there were 312 adult learners studying adult skills courses. There were 157 learners studying on cybersecurity, website design and contact centre pathways. The remaining learners studied on hospitality and catering, health and social care and teaching assistant pathways. Just over half of all learners studied courses at level 2. There were 87 learners on skills courses at level 1 and 65 learners on level 3 courses.

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Lead inspector:

Alison Humphreys, His Majesty's Inspector

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Team inspectors:

Elaine Price, Ofsted Inspector Suzanne Horner, His Majesty's Inspector Jaqui Scott, Ofsted Inspector Amanda Kennedy, Ofsted Inspector

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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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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 standard 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 standard 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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