Cadent Gas Limited

Cadent Gas Limited

Address: Pilot Way, Ansty Park, Ansty, Coventry, CV7 9JU Unique reference number (URN): 2497152

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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 a highly inclusive culture throughout their organisation. They have refined their approach to recruiting apprentices to attract and retain a wide range of talent. Their aim is to create opportunities for individuals who may not previously have considered a career in the gas industry by removing the barriers that traditionally discourage applications and hinder progress, and to focus on apprentices' potential rather than on their current barriers.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders have implemented a highly effective process that enable them to identify barriers to apprentices' learning and wellbeing quickly. Once needs are identified, well-tailored support is swiftly put in place to minimise the impact of or overcome these barriers. For example, apprentices without level 2 English or mathematics qualifications follow an intensive functional skills course at the start of their studies to improve their skills in these subjects.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders and staff review apprentices’ progress frequently and thoroughly, adjusting support as needed. This helps apprentices overcome difficulties. For example, when apprentices experience temporary medical concerns, staff are very supportive and provide tailored assistance to help apprentices keep on track with their learning.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders ensure that staff are well trained to support apprentices who face barriers to learning, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders have established purposeful oversight arrangements for the apprenticeships that they offer. This oversight is the responsibility of a number of senior leaders in the organisation, who closely monitor key performance indicators provided by training centre managers. This provides a clear understanding of what is working well and where improvements are needed. Leaders use this information highly effectively to improve apprentices’ learning experience.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders set high standards for staff and apprentices. They are determined to ensure that apprentices develop the skills needed to maintain and further expand the gas network. Leaders closely collaborate with other gas distribution networks to ensure that the curriculums that they offer remain current.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders work with a range of external agencies to enrich apprentices' experience. Apprentices enjoy an outward-bound trip designed to develop qualities such as resilience and confidence. Leaders also work with external agencies to provide an extensive range of support services that help apprentices maintain their wellbeing.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders have put in place rigorous procedures to monitor the quality of subcontracted provision. A subcontractor provides mathematics and English functional skills courses. Leaders undertake a range of quality-assurance activities, including lesson visits, to ensure that this provision is of a high quality. Leaders provide high-quality, tailored training to enable staff to retain their industry expertise and develop their teaching practice. When areas for development are identified through observation, teachers receive tailored guidance on how to improve.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders are considerate of their staff’s workload and wellbeing, making appropriate adjustments when required.

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Achievement Strong standard

The proportion of apprentices, including those facing learning barriers, who complete their studies successfully is high and well above national rates. Apprentices quickly acquire the essential knowledge, skills, and behaviours to succeed in the gas distribution sector, developing strong technical competence and confidently handling increasingly complex tasks within their speciality. Pressure control and instrumentation apprentices quickly learn to conduct functional and routine checks of safety mechanisms on skid sets, identify faults, troubleshoot faults and overhaul equipment.

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Achievement Strong standard

Apprentices produce work to a consistently high standard, meeting and often exceeding the standards expected in the highly regulated gas distribution networks industry. They are well prepared for their next steps. Apprentices benefit from the opportunity to gain additional qualifications that extend their learning beyond the apprenticeship requirements. For example, they achieve level 4 industry-recognised health and safety qualifications, which prepare them for supervisory roles.

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Achievement Strong standard

Almost all apprentices who complete their studies secure permanent employment in the gas network distribution sector.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Leaders closely monitor the quality of their apprenticeships. They use a range of quality- assurance measures to assess what is working well and to identify areas for improvement, including observations of teaching, feedback from apprentices and standardisation activities.

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Expected standard

Where they identify areas for improvement, leaders take prompt action. This ensures that apprentices benefit from a consistently high-quality learning experience.

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Expected standard

Leaders are experts in gas distribution and use their expertise to craft curriculums that meet the sector's needs. Curriculums are carefully designed to ensure that apprentices are fully equipped to meet the sector's needs and to thrive in their jobs. The level 3 gas engineering operative curriculum is designed skilfully to enable apprentices to build their knowledge and competence progressively. Apprentices begin with essential health and safety topics, including working at height, confined spaces and the safe use of hand and power tools, which provide the foundation for safe working practices on site in a high-risk sector. They then build on this knowledge through more complex technical topics such as pipelines, flueing, ventilation, gas appliances and controls, developing a secure understanding of the principles underpinning gas distribution work. This enables them to understand the rationale behind industry practices and to carry out operational tasks safely and competently in the

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Expected standard

Apprentices receive high-quality teaching. Teachers use effective strategies during classroom sessions, clearly explaining and demonstrating concepts using diagrams, photographs, videos and practical demonstrations. Apprentices are assigned workplace mentors, who are experienced engineers and who build apprentices' knowledge and skills until they can work independently. They have opportunities to practise and refine their skills in both simulated and real environments. This enables them to become proficient through regular practice at training centres, with mentors supporting their mastery in the workplace.

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Expected standard

Leaders provide a curriculum that is accessible to all apprentices, including those facing barriers to learning. Apprentices with dyslexia receive coloured overlays when needed. Those who do not yet have a level 2 qualification in mathematics and English are offered prompt, effective support. Apprentices with physical barriers to their learning benefit from practical adjustments in the classroom and workplace.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Leaders have developed an effective, wider curriculum that extends beyond the development of technical skills to include professional behaviours. Teachers encourage apprentices to take pride in their uniform and to act as ambassadors when engaging with customers and the public. Apprentices show respect for others, understand the importance of fairness and value individual differences. They have a secure understanding of British values and can explain the significance of mutual respect, tolerance and individual liberty in the workplace.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Apprentices receive appropriate careers advice and guidance throughout their apprenticeship. They are aware of potential career pathways, progression opportunities and the experience required to move into more senior roles. Leaders provide apprentices with a wide range of career advice. However, at times, the guidance is not sufficiently comprehensive to enable apprentices to understand fully how they can achieve their goals. Leaders place strong emphasis on apprentices' attendance and punctuality, recognising the importance of reliability in a safety-critical operational environment. Apprentices have high attendance, as they are expected to attend all classes and arrive on time for both workplace and training activities. Leaders closely monitor attendance. On the rare occasions when apprentices do not attend, line managers are informed promptly.

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

The vast majority of apprentices complete their studies successfully. Apprentices receive extensive, high-quality teaching throughout their studies, most notably from their workplace mentors, who work closely with them and collaborate with teachers to align classroom learning with apprentices' workplace training. This results in apprentices quickly developing the knowledge and skills needed to maintain and develop the gas distribution network. Apprentices develop confidence during their studies. This is mainly achieved through guidance from expert engineers who serve as both their mentors and teachers. Apprentices are routinely afforded the opportunity to practise new skills, which results in them developing confidence quickly.

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

Apprentices who face barriers to their wellbeing or learning benefit from a caring and inclusive culture. A proactive approach is taken to identify these barriers and provide highly effective support to minimise or remove them. This results in apprentices with barriers to learning, whether temporary or long-standing, achieving very well. Almost all apprentices who complete their studies remain in the gas distribution sector for several years and thrive in the workplace.

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

Apprentices receive training beyond the requirements of their apprenticeship. They are taught the importance of doing the right thing and receive practical training on how to do so. For example, they are taught how to identify vulnerable customers when entering their homes, how to recognise the signs of neglect and where and how to report it. Apprentices are encouraged to participate in charitable activities and are provided with 2 volunteering days each year, with many taking the opportunity to contribute to their local community.

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

Apprentices are highly motivated and enjoy their apprenticeship. They recognise its value and the extent of employment opportunities it provides.

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Next steps

Leaders should further develop the careers guidance that they provide to apprentices to ensure that all apprentices have a full understanding of how to achieve their aspirations. Leaders and those responsible for governance should ensure the curriculum's continued improvement to achieve and sustain exceptional standards of teaching and training.

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Team inspectors:

Robert Mottram, Ofsted Inspector Jacqueline Ecoeur, Ofsted Inspector Beth Selwood, Ofsted Inspector John Duffy, 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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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 apprentices, line managers, teachers, assessors, mentors, training delivery managers and senior leaders during the inspection.

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About this inspection

Cadent Gas Limited is an employer provider of apprenticeship responsible for owning, operating and maintaining the pipes that transport gas from the national transmission system into many homes and businesses in the United Kingdom. The head office is in Coventry. Training is delivered at 2 additional training centres in Hollinwood and Hitchin. At the time of the inspection, there were 65 apprentices studying 2 apprenticeships. The largest of these is the level 3 gas network craftsperson apprenticeship, with 54 apprentices. There were also 11 apprentices studying the gas network team leader apprenticeship.

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About this inspection

Cadent Gas Limited works with one subcontractor, 3t Global Limited, to teach their apprentices English and mathematics functional skills.

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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.

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Urgent improvement

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

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Urgent improvement

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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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