Setting

T R A I N I N G S T A N D A R D S C O U N C I L

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I N S P E C T I O N R E P O R T D E C E M B E R 2 0 0 0

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Sutton and District Training Limited I N S P E C T I O N R E P O R T : S U T T O N A N D D I S T R I C T T R A I N I N G L I M I T E D D E C E M B E R 2 0 0 0

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Sutton and District Training Limited provides flexible training in foundation for work which develops the skills and confidence of adult and youth trainees. Retention rates are high and most trainees progress into jobs or further training. Trainees in the Learning Gateway benefit from well-developed learning materials. The basic skills needs of some trainees are not fully met. Opportunities are provided for trainees with diverse needs but the trainees’ understanding of equality of opportunity is not developed sufficiently. Trainees are well supported in an appropriate training environment. Frequent progress reviews and incentives to encourage achievement motivate trainees. Training is well managed by experienced staff. The company has clear objectives and good internal and external communications. Significant improvements in the quality of training have resulted from self-assessment and internal audit. Youth programmes are not

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systematically evaluated and the use of data is underdeveloped.

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OCCUPATIONAL AREAS GRADE GENERIC AREAS GRADE Foundation for work 2 Equal opportunities 3 Trainee support 2 Management of training 2 Quality assurance 3

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KEY STRENGTHS ♦ flexible training programmes ♦ good trainee support ♦ experienced and well-motivated staff ♦ good rates of retention and progression among trainees ♦ clear strategy and objectives for training ♦ significant improvements in quality as a result of self-assessment

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KEY WEAKNESSES ♦ failure fully to meet trainees’ needs in basic skills ♦ underdeveloped use of data ♦ lack of clear targets in reviews of adult trainees’ progress I N S P E C T I O N R E P O R T : S U T T O N A N D D I S T R I C T T R A I N I N G L I M I T E D D E C E M B E R 2 0 0 0

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 Training Standards Council INTRODUCTION

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1. Sutton and District Training Limited (SDT) is a new company which started providing training in foundation for work for young people in June 1999. Training in foundation for work for adults started in November 1999. Most trainees come from the London boroughs of Merton and Sutton. The company aims to provide individualised and innovative training to trainees who include the long-term unemployed, single parents, ex-offenders, those who are disaffected and trainees with a range of learning difficulties and disabilities. A contract is held with the Training and Enterprise Council (TEC) for the London Boroughs of Kingston, Merton and Wandsworth to provide foundation for work training for young people and work-based learning and basic employability programmes for adults. There are currently seven young people on the life skills option of the Learning Gateway and seven on other training programmes. One adult is on a work-based learning

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programme and 15 are on a basic employability programme. Three directors, one full-time trainer and one part-time trainer provide in-house training at two sites, in Merton and in Sutton. One subcontractor provides first aid training. The company is an assessment centre for basic skills and foundation level programmes in information technology. Six employers provide work placements.

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2. The combined population of Merton and Sutton was estimated to be approximately 363,000 in June 2000. The population is expected to rise by 3.5 per cent by 2005. In southwest London, 23.5 per cent of employment is in finance and business services, 19 per cent in distribution, 14.5 per cent in health and social care and 8 per cent in manufacturing. While companies employing fewer than 25 people make up 95 per cent of all companies in the area, those employing more than 25 people account for nearly two out of every three jobs. Between 1991 and 1997, there was significant growth in employment in finance and business services, health and social work, distribution and hotel and catering. During the same period, employment in manufacturing, communications and construction declined. In August 2000, the unemployment rate was 3.3 per cent in Merton and 2.2 per cent in Sutton, compared with 4.0 per cent in Greater London and 3.5 per

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cent nationally. The unemployment rate has fallen by approximately 20 per cent over the past year in both boroughs. Within each borough there are pockets of relatively high unemployment. Minority ethnic groups make up 16 per cent of the population of Merton and 6 per cent of the population of Sutton. In 2000, 40.5 per cent of school leavers in Merton and 63.4 per cent of school leavers in Sutton achieved five or more general certificates of secondary education (GCSEs) at grades C and above. The national average was 49.2 per cent. In 1999, 57.7 per cent of school leavers in the area entered full-time education, 3.3 per cent entered work- based training and 12.8 per cent entered employment. I N S P E C T I O N R E P O R T : S U T T O N A N D D I S T R I C T T R A I N I N G L I M I T E D D E C E M B E R 2 0 0 0

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 Training Standards Council INSPECTION FINDINGS

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3. SDT completed its first self-assessment report in August 2000 with support from the TEC. All staff were involved and the report was co-ordinated by the director responsible for quality. The report contained only brief descriptions of each aspect of training, but strengths and weaknesses were identified and an action plan was produced. This has formed the basis of the organisation’s quality improvement strategy. Target dates were set for the achievement of action points to address weaknesses. Many of the weaknesses were rectified by the time of the inspection, some significantly ahead of the target date. For four areas of work, inspectors awarded a grade higher than that given in the self-assessment report, and one area was awarded the same grade.

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4. A team of two inspectors spent a total of eight days with SDT during December 2000. One occupational area, foundation for work, was inspected. Inspectors visited three work placements and inspected the organisation’s training resources. Interviews took place with 21 current trainees, five former trainees and three workplace supervisors. Inspectors also conducted eight interviews with SDT’s staff, including the directors and trainers. A wide range of documents was reviewed, including trainees’ files, their wordpower and numberpower portfolios, records of meetings, procedure manuals, policies, correspondence and external verifiers’ reports. Two training sessions were observed and graded.

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GRADE 1 GRADE 2 GRADE 3 GRADE 4 GRADE 5 TOTAL

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Foundation for work Grade 2

5. SDT provides training in foundation for work for young people and adults in two separate centres. There are seven young people on a life skills option within the Learning Gateway. This runs for up to 15 weeks and is designed to catch the interest of and motivate young people towards further training. The programme includes information technology, basic skills, job search and teamwork. Trainees progress to jobs or occupational training leading to an NVQ at level 1. Work placements are arranged as appropriate. Where a need for extended support in basic skills is identified, trainees progress to an eight-week programme, which they follow for 30 hours each week and on which they can achieve wordpower or I N S P E C T I O N R E P O R T : S U T T O N A N D D I S T R I C T T R A I N I N G L I M I T E D D E C E M B E R 2 0 0 0

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Foundation for work Grade 2

 Training Standards Council numberpower qualifications at entry level before progressing to occupational training. There are seven trainees on other training programmes, some of whom have been recruited directly. Trainees come from a variety of backgrounds and include some who did not attend school regularly, and some with drug or alcohol problems, criminal records, housing problems, or learning difficulties or disabilities.

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Foundation for work Grade 2

6. Seventeen adults are on a 12-week basic employability programme, which lasts for 22 hours each week. This aims to remotivate adults who have been unemployed for extended periods, to develop new skills and to improve self-esteem and employability. Trainees work towards individually negotiated milestones, develop basic skills in information technology and improve their job-search skills. They can take entry-level qualifications in information technology, wordpower and numberpower and first aid qualifications. Work placements are offered when they are likely to lead to a job. All the trainees have been unemployed for at least two years and many for considerably longer periods. They face a range of barriers to employment, have low levels of self-esteem, and include trainees who are ex- offenders or have learning difficulties or disabilities, as well as some who are well qualified or experienced.

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Foundation for work Grade 2

7. Trainees start on programmes throughout the year. All trainees work on individualised programmes with support from a tutor. Team-building through day excursions or shorter visits is a regular feature of the training. Staff are experienced in providing training in foundation for work and are qualified to assess the trainees. The self-assessment report correctly identified the strengths for the occupational area but failed to identify either of the two weaknesses. Some of the weaknesses included in the self-assessment report were considered by inspectors to be more appropriate to trainee support. The fall in job outcomes had been reversed by the time of the inspection. Inspectors awarded a grade higher than that given by the company in its self-assessment report.

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Foundation for work Grade 2

STRENGTHS ♦ high rates of retention and progression into jobs or further training ♦ good development of skills and self-esteem through flexible training programmes ♦ good development of team-building skills ♦ well-developed learning materials for life skills training

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Foundation for work Grade 2

WEAKNESSES ♦ failure fully to meet trainees’ basic skills needs ♦ missed opportunities to accredit skills in information technology on youth programmes I N S P E C T I O N R E P O R T : S U T T O N A N D D I S T R I C T T R A I N I N G L I M I T E D D E C E M B E R 2 0 0 0

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Foundation for work Grade 2

 Training Standards Council 8. There have been high rates of retention across both the adult and youth programmes since the company started. In 1999-2000, 93 per cent of adults completed their training programme and 39 per cent of leavers went into employment. The rate of retention for 2000-01 is currently 89 per cent, with 28 per cent of leavers gaining jobs. In 2000-01, 88 per cent of trainees achieved all the targets in their individual training plans. On the youth programme, 88 per cent completed training in 1999-2000, and in 2000-01, the rate of retention is 96 per cent. In 1999-2000, 41 per cent of leavers progressed to jobs, further education or training, and 74 per cent achieved all the targets in their training plan. In 2000-01, 83 per cent progressed to further education or training or into jobs. Adults gain a wide range of jobs including jobs as cleaners, mechanics, gravediggers, administrators, marketing managers and vocational trainers. There are well-

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Foundation for work Grade 2

established links for young people to progress into vocational training or college courses in the locality.

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Foundation for work Grade 2

9. Training is planned to meet the needs of each individual. Initially trust is built, which enables the trainee to settle within the group. The trainer gains a good understanding of the individual’s skills level and confidence. Adults agree milestones from a menu of activities which includes information technology, team building and job search. Individual priorities for improving employability are addressed. Adult trainees have, for example, taken driving lessons and passed the driving test, completed a training programme for drug counsellors, taken a medical which is essential to regaining a licence to drive a heavy goods vehicle. Training in information technology is used to improve self-esteem and adults are able to take an external foundation-level qualification. Placements and job search are introduced as trainees become ready. Not all trainees who could benefit have had the opportunity of taking up a work placement since only work placements with a

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Foundation for work Grade 2

realistic chance of leading to a job are used. Youth trainees start a programme of training in life skills and progress at different rates according to their ability and motivation. The training encourages trainees, who have a range of support needs and a previously poor record of attendance and timekeeping, to develop a more confident approach to learning.

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Foundation for work Grade 2

10. Trainees regularly participate in a range of structured team-building activities outside the centre. These include visits to the Millennium Dome and to France, and to a local bowling alley. These activities develop planning, participation and feedback skills. They are highly motivating. They are designed to be fun, to broaden the trainees’ experiences, and to encourage teamwork. Photographs of visits and social events are displayed. Adult trainees and their trainers also have a weekly meeting to address matters of concern or of interest to the group. The meetings promote a partnership in which trainees can take part in the development of the training centre. Trainees and trainers also produce an internal newsletter.

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Foundation for work Grade 2

11. Learning materials have been produced within the organisation for the life skills option. These are a series of 40 well-presented, varied short tasks which include finding out the cost of renting housing locally, or of buying food, or of I N S P E C T I O N R E P O R T : S U T T O N A N D D I S T R I C T T R A I N I N G L I M I T E D D E C E M B E R 2 0 0 0

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Foundation for work Grade 2

 Training Standards Council taxing and insuring a car. There is a range of topics and skills, including information technology and job search, at increasing levels of difficulty. Topics are chosen according to the age of the trainees. For example, trainees’ understanding of business words such as agenda or curriculum vitae is first introduced by asking them to explain the meanings of current street language including ‘well wicked’ and ‘shabby’. Trainees at different levels of ability find the format interesting and are motivated to achieve a certificate on completion of each sequence of 10 levels.

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Foundation for work Grade 2

12. Although basic skills are systematically assessed at the start of training, there is little subsequent analysis of the trainees’ individual learning priorities in order to meet their identified needs. There are no staff with expertise or qualifications in teaching literacy and numeracy. There are missed opportunities for integrating the development of basic skills within the main programme of learning. Support in meeting the evidence requirements for wordpower and numberpower is satisfactory but little use is made of activities carried out within the training centre or during team-building sessions.

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Foundation for work Grade 2

13. Youth trainees have good opportunities to learn or upgrade their information technology skills during training. This is a feature which attracts them to the programme and many are keen to develop higher-level skills and to use information technology in future employment. There is no internal or external accreditation of information technology skills, which would give youth trainees evidence of their achievements.

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Equal opportunities Grade 3

14. One of the directors is responsible for equal opportunities. SDT has an equal opportunities policy, which meets the TEC’s requirements. It was written when the company was formed and has since been reviewed. It is displayed in the training centres and given to trainees at induction. There is a complaints procedure. Equal opportunities is included in the agreement with work-placement providers. Internal documents and some marketing and promotional material contain a statement regarding equal opportunities. In 1999-2000, the proportion of adult trainees from minority ethnic groups was higher than the proportion of adults from minority ethnic groups in the local area but approximately half the TEC’s average. Twenty- two per cent of trainees were women, which was approximately half the TEC’s average. Twenty-two per cent had disabilities, which is similar to the TEC’s average. Approximately 40 per cent of all leavers progress into employment. This

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Equal opportunities Grade 3

is higher than the TEC’s averages for women, people with disabilities and particularly for men. No trainees from minority ethnic groups progressed into jobs. There are no comparative figures available for the youth training programme. The self-assessment report lacked a clear overview of equal opportunities and focused on activities such as open days to promote awareness of equal opportunities. The I N S P E C T I O N R E P O R T : S U T T O N A N D D I S T R I C T T R A I N I N G L I M I T E D D E C E M B E R 2 0 0 0

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Equal opportunities Grade 3

 Training Standards Council report did not correctly identify the organisation’s weakness in working with trainees to develop their understanding of equal opportunities. Inspectors agreed with the grade given by the company in its self-assessment report.

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Equal opportunities Grade 3

STRENGTHS ♦ good opportunities to meet a wide diversity of trainees’ needs ♦ good use of location and timing of training to promote access

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Equal opportunities Grade 3

WEAKNESSES ♦ failure to analyse data as a basis for action-planning ♦ insufficient development of trainees’ understanding of equality of opportunity

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Equal opportunities Grade 3

15. All parts of the training programme have been developed to meet the needs of unemployed and disadvantaged trainees and to ensure a significant improvement in their self-esteem and employability. The staff have a flexible approach and give anyone who is eligible the opportunity to undertake training. They ensure that trainees’ needs are met and that support is provided through an individually designed programme. Staff adopt a constructive and practical approach to all trainees, and trainers have the personal skills and experience to establish an excellent rapport and high levels of trust among the trainees. When setting up the basic employability programme, the team worked closely with the Employment Service to identify the barriers faced by the long-term unemployed people in re- entering the jobs market. They planned how best to dismantle those barriers through training. Some work placements are used as work trials to ensure that a

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Equal opportunities Grade 3

job is right for an individual or an employer before a trainee comes off benefits and onto the payroll.

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Equal opportunities Grade 3

16. The location of the training centres has been chosen to ensure that they are easily accessible from several main bus routes. The high street premises are welcoming and encourage passers-by to call in. They are accessible to wheelchair users but lack access to suitable toilets. In looking for new premises the company is aware of this requirement. Core training activities are scheduled between 10.00am and 4.00pm in order to help trainees develop regular patterns of attendance and to manage domestic commitments outside of training hours. Open days are held to attract new clients and to inform partner organisations about the types of training available. Promotional materials are well designed to appeal to young people but they do not consistently promote equality of opportunity.

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Equal opportunities Grade 3

17. The company has recently improved its systems for collecting data on trainees to enable them to action plan more effectively. The systematic analysis of data is not yet being carried out but equal opportunities issues have been addressed at management team meetings. There is no use of local or regional benchmarking data to evaluate the organisation’s performance. I N S P E C T I O N R E P O R T : S U T T O N A N D D I S T R I C T T R A I N I N G L I M I T E D D E C E M B E R 2 0 0 0

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Equal opportunities Grade 3

 Training Standards Council 18. Although equality of opportunity is covered at induction, there is little subsequent development of the trainees’ understanding. There are no related tasks or topics within the youth training programme’s learning materials or in the wordpower or information technology worksheets and assignments. Trainees are not systematically prepared to understand their rights and responsibilities in the workplace or the requirements of legislation. The director with a designated responsibility for equal opportunities is developing a set of guidelines and procedures to be used as a resource for staff in their work with trainees. There is a new harassment procedure which has not yet been implemented.

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Trainee support Grade 2

19. Youth trainees are referred by the careers service and adult trainees through the Employment Service. All trainees have an individual training plan, which is based on a structured interview and information provided by each agency. Trainees’ support needs are noted on their individual training plans. Induction includes an introduction to the training centre and the training offered, health and safety issues, equal opportunities, and social contact with other trainees. Trainees’ understanding is checked through a written questionnaire. All trainees are tested for literacy or numeracy needs and support is offered. Youth trainees can follow an extended programme of basic skills support through the other training programme. Formal progress reviews are carried out every three weeks with youth trainees and at least every four weeks with adults. There are weekly reviews to monitor trainees’ progress and to confirm individual tasks and priorities for the week.

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Trainee support Grade 2

Some extensions to the basic employability programme are negotiated to meet individuals’ needs. The self-assessment report underestimated the strengths and identified only the high level of personal support provided. Inspectors identified an additional weakness, in target-setting within progress reviews. Inspectors awarded a grade higher than that given by the company in its self-assessment report.

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Trainee support Grade 2

STRENGTHS ♦ responsiveness of recruitment process to trainees’ needs ♦ informal, friendly training environment ♦ frequent progress reviews ♦ good use of incentives and rewards for achievement ♦ high level of personal support

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Trainee support Grade 2

WEAKNESSES ♦ lack of clear target-setting in some adult trainees’ progress reviews ♦ little review of the effectiveness of trainee support I N S P E C T I O N R E P O R T : S U T T O N A N D D I S T R I C T T R A I N I N G L I M I T E D D E C E M B E R 2 0 0 0

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Trainee support Grade 2

 Training Standards Council 20. Recruitment and induction procedures have been carefully structured to meet the needs of SDT’s trainees. Young people are usually interviewed at the careers service office, where they draw up a personal development plan with an advisor. The youth trainer carries out a structured interview to gather information about the applicant and to set out clearly what the programme can offer. If training is agreed the young person starts the following Monday to ensure that there is no delay in the start of training. Induction is carried out by the same trainer which ensures continuity. The young person is encouraged to socialise and make friends within the training centre. The first few days of training are regarded as critical to the young person’s ability to settle down and stay on the programme. There is similarly good liaison with the Employment Service’s staff. They book interviews

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Trainee support Grade 2

for adult clients at the training centre so that they can see for themselves how it operates. They can overcome any preconceptions and meet other trainees. Adult applicants who are unsure about joining the programme can spend a taster day in the centre.

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Trainee support Grade 2

21. Each training centre is arranged and furnished to provide a comfortable training space. There are computers around the outside of the room, with tables arranged for individual or group work, and large sofas on which trainees can relax. While the youth training centre has a more structured approach to breaks, adults are encouraged to use the kitchen for snacks and drinks and to socialise. Trainees respond well to this freedom and enjoy the social contact. Adult and youth trainees look forward to coming to the centre. One experienced and well-qualified adult explained how joining the programme had brought him back into a group after two years of increasing isolation and loss of confidence. Trainees are encouraged to share experiences and to provide each other with mutual support.

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Trainee support Grade 2

22. Progress reviews are carried out at regular and frequent intervals, and cover the trainees’ progress, their support needs, plans for progression and target-setting. Progress reviews are carefully recorded and are used to update individual training plans. Some reviews of adults’ progress are too general and fail to set specific targets which are to be completed before the next progress-review date. Not all trainees are given a copy of their agreed targets.

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Trainee support Grade 2

23. Incentives and bonus payments are offered to encourage trainees to remain on programmes and to reward their efforts and achievements. These include payments for getting a qualification, for starting further training or going into a job. The payment for progressing into a job also helps to support trainees through the first few weeks of work when benefit is stopped and wages are paid in arrears. A mobile phone or financial incentive is offered to young people who join a training scheme. There are additional payments to young people which recognise particular effort or use of initiative.

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Trainee support Grade 2

24. Trainees receive prompt and effective support to meet their welfare and social needs. Examples include amending training arrangements for a trainee with housing problems, arranging childcare, making contact with social services on behalf of an expectant mother, installing a computer filtration screen, and writing letters about immigration. One young man with Asperger’s syndrome needed a lot I N S P E C T I O N R E P O R T : S U T T O N A N D D I S T R I C T T R A I N I N G L I M I T E D D E C E M B E R 2 0 0 0

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Trainee support Grade 2

 Training Standards Council of individual support. He was kept on the scheme until the first day of his college course to ensure that he would have no break in training. Some trainees continue to drop in to the training centre after they leave, using the computing and Internet facilities or receiving help with job applications and interviews. Local support agencies, including a drugs awareness project for young people, are regularly used to provide particular support for individuals.

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Trainee support Grade 2

25. Until recently, the support provided to trainees was not systematically recorded. There had been little evaluation of the effectiveness of support in meeting trainees’ needs and in enabling trainees to remain on the programme or overcome barriers to employment.

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Management of training Grade 2

26. SDT has a staff of three directors, one centre manager/tutor, one temporary administrator and one part-time assistant tutor for youth programmes. Each director is also a tutor. One director is responsible for youth programmes, basic skills qualifications and health and safety. A second is responsible for adult programmes and equal opportunities. The third director has responsibility for staffing, information technology qualifications, management of training and quality assurance. All staff and directors have job descriptions. Annual performance targets are set and monitored. All staff attend a monthly, minuted meeting. A database is used to record trainees’ details and to produce management information. Staff training needs are discussed at twice-yearly appraisals. The company was set up in May 1999. It is a preferred supplier of training to the Employment Service. Inspectors agreed that the staff’s experience, management

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Management of training Grade 2

style and communications with local agencies were strengths. A lack of staff recruitment procedures and of reviews of the performance of senior staff were identified as weaknesses in the self-assessment report, but these had been rectified by the time of the inspection. One additional strength and one weakness were identified by inspectors who awarded a higher grade than that given by the company in its self-assessment report.

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Management of training Grade 2

STRENGTHS ♦ clear strategy and objectives for training ♦ experienced and well-motivated staff ♦ good teamworking among staff ♦ good internal and external communications

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Management of training Grade 2

WEAKNESSES ♦ lack of guidance for employers and trainees in work-placement agreements I N S P E C T I O N R E P O R T : S U T T O N A N D D I S T R I C T T R A I N I N G L I M I T E D D E C E M B E R 2 0 0 0

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Management of training Grade 2

 Training Standards Council 27. There is a mission statement linked to a clear strategic plan, which was drawn up soon after the formation of the company. Strategic objectives have well-defined goals and success measures. Annual business objectives are set which give clear targets for the recruitment, retention, achievement and progression of trainees. Progress towards these objectives is reviewed at monthly staff meetings and discussed in detail by directors at a six-monthly progress review. Staff are set individual targets which are linked to business objectives, and are offered incentives for the achievement of these targets. Progress towards individual targets is reviewed at twice-yearly appraisals.

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Management of training Grade 2

28. The directors each have over 10 years’ experience of training young people and adults on prevocational programmes, and of managing training contracts. Both the full-time and part-time tutors have extensive experience of the type of training provided. All have a good understanding of the needs of the trainees and how these can be met through the training programme. This experience, together with a high level of motivation and enthusiasm, plays an important part in helping trainees develop teamwork skills and build confidence. All staff hold assessors’ awards and one director is a qualified internal verifier. However, few formal training qualifications are held and no member of staff is qualified to teach basic skills.

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Management of training Grade 2

29. There is an inclusive management style and staff work closely as a team to support trainees. Roles and responsibilities are clearly defined and understood. Directors are supportive of each other and of employed staff. Directors and employed staff contribute equally to the planning of the training and new ideas are encouraged and developed where appropriate. Part-time and temporarily employed staff are treated as full members of the team and their contributions are valued.

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Management of training Grade 2

30. The organisation has introduced effective policies and procedures for the recruitment of staff. Communications between staff and with external agencies are effective. All directors are involved in training and communicate continuously with each other and employed trainers. Staff meet at the end of each day in the main training centre for an informal assessment of the day’s activities. Staff meetings are held monthly and follow a standard agenda, which includes a consideration of the training activity, staff issues, health and safety, quality and equal opportunities. Minutes are taken, although these do not clearly specify action points and responsibilities. Action points are, however, followed up under standard agenda items at the next meeting. There are good links with the Employment Service, the careers services and other local agencies. A representative from the Employment Service regularly visits SDT and briefs staff and trainees on relevant

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Management of training Grade 2

issues, including advice on the transition from benefits to work.

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Management of training Grade 2

31. Agreements have been produced for all the work-placement providers. They have been developed with the support of the TEC. These identify the responsibilities of work-placement providers to trainees and to SDT, including health and safety issues. A separate briefing note for employers outlines the purpose of work experience. The agreement does not state SDT’s responsibilities to trainees and employers during the work placement or the procedures for monitoring and reviewing training. Trainees are given a verbal briefing before I N S P E C T I O N R E P O R T : S U T T O N A N D D I S T R I C T T R A I N I N G L I M I T E D D E C E M B E R 2 0 0 0

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Management of training Grade 2

 Training Standards Council starting on a work placement but have no written guidelines. Employers are aware of whom to contact at SDT if problems arise, but are not given clear written guidance on SDT’s responsibilities to them and the trainees.

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Quality assurance Grade 3

32. One of the directors has responsibility for quality assurance and internal verification. The first self-assessment report and the associated action plan were produced in August 2000. This forms the basis of the organisation’s quality improvement strategy. There are a procedures manual and standard documents for all aspects of the training process. Feedback from adult trainees is obtained through weekly meetings with tutors, through progress reviews and through surveys carried out towards the end of the training programme. Trainees’ files are audited and observations of training, assessments and progress reviews are carried out. The internal verification procedures meet the awarding body’s requirements. Inspectors agreed that the monitoring of quality objectives is a strength. The lack of quality assurance paperwork was identified as a weakness in the self-assessment report but this had been rectified by the time of the inspection. Additional

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Quality assurance Grade 3

strengths and weaknesses were identified by inspectors, who awarded a grade higher than that given in the self-assessment report.

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Quality assurance Grade 3

STRENGTHS ♦ clear quality standards ♦ systematic internal audit procedures ♦ significant improvements in quality as a result of self-assessment

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Quality assurance Grade 3

WEAKNESSES ♦ unsystematic evaluation of youth programmes ♦ underdeveloped use of data ♦ no quality assurance of subcontracted first aid training

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Quality assurance Grade 3

33. A clear set of quality objectives has been introduced, which complement the business objectives. These are set at the start of the year and give general objectives for improving the quality of key aspects of training. They include self- assessment and action-planning, the development of policies and procedures, staffing, training resources, management information and internal audit. Progress towards these objectives is reviewed at monthly staff meetings and every six months by directors. Individual staff are set targets which are linked to the objectives. Clear procedures have been developed for each stage of the training process but these are not yet fully established. I N S P E C T I O N R E P O R T : S U T T O N A N D D I S T R I C T T R A I N I N G L I M I T E D D E C E M B E R 2 0 0 0

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Quality assurance Grade 3

 Training Standards Council 34. Trainees’ files are systematically audited to ensure that all documents are present and properly completed. A sample of files is checked for trainees who have recently started training, for those who are established on the programme and for those who are nearing the end of their training. For example, interview and induction records of trainees who have recently started training are checked to ensure that procedures are being complied with and to assess how well the trainees’ needs are being met. Progress-review records and individual training plans of established trainees are checked to ensure that they are properly completed and updated. Written feedback is given to staff. The quality of documents has improved and the incidence of non-compliance with procedures has reduced since the audit procedure was implemented.

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Quality assurance Grade 3

35. SDT completed its first self-assessment in August 2000 with support from the TEC. All staff were involved and the report was co-ordinated by the director responsible for quality assurance. The report contained only brief descriptions of each aspect of training, but strengths and weaknesses were identified and an action plan was produced. This has formed the basis for the organisation’s quality improvement procedures. Target dates were set for the achievement of action points to address weaknesses. Many of these were achieved by the time of the inspection, some significantly ahead of the target date. For example, improvements have been made to the youth training premises, the management information system has been upgraded, staff recruitment procedures have been introduced and quality assurance procedures have been developed.

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Quality assurance Grade 3

36. The evaluation of youth programmes in not systematically carried out. Although a large amount of oral feedback is obtained from trainees and acted on where appropriate, structured gathering of feedback is underdeveloped. Progress- review meetings between trainers and trainees are not routinely held. Evaluation questionnaires for trainees completing the programmes have only recently been introduced. Feedback from these has not been analysed and reviewed.

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Quality assurance Grade 3

37. The use of data for the monitoring of quality is underdeveloped. The management-information system has only recently been updated to enable reliable data on all aspects of training and trainees’ progress to be produced. These data have not yet been routinely produced and analysed as part of the quality assurance procedures. Although adult trainees have completed questionnaire surveys for 10 months, the results from these have only recently been analysed and the information has not been reviewed.

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Quality assurance Grade 3

38. There are no quality assurance arrangements for subcontracted first aid training. SDT holds confirmation of the trainer’s registration with a first aid organisation but there is no formal subcontract. SDT does not routinely observe training or seek feedback from trainees on the quality of first aid training.

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