Setting

INSPECTION REPORT FIRST 14/12/2006 00:00:00

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14 December 2006

22/01/2007 09:30:07 22/01/2007 09:30:07 HYA TRAINING LIMITED

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Adult Learning Inspectorate

The Adult Learning Inspectorate (ALI) was established under the provisions of the Learning and Skills Act 2000 to bring the inspection of all aspects of adult learning and work-based learning within the remit of a single inspectorate. The ALI is responsible for inspecting a wide range of government-funded learning, including:

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Adult Learning Inspectorate

• work-based learning for all people aged over 16 • provision in further education colleges for people aged 19 and over • learndirect provision • Adult and Community Learning • training funded by Jobcentre Plus • education and training in prisons, at the invitation of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons • adult information, advice and guidance services ( nextstep ).

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Adult Learning Inspectorate

Inspections are carried out in accordance with the Common Inspection Framework by teams of full-time inspectors and part-time associate inspectors who have knowledge of, and experience in, the work which they inspect. All providers are invited to nominate a senior member of their staff to participate in the inspection as a team member.

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Pre-inspection analysis

The resources allocated to a cycle 2 inspection are primarily determined by the findings from the previous inspection. Account is also taken of information about achievement and retention obtained from the funding body, and any significant changes in the size or scope of the provision.

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Pre-inspection analysis

Where a provider has received good grades in cycle 1, the cycle 2 inspection is relatively light. If the provider offers a number of areas of learning, a restricted sample is inspected.

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Pre-inspection analysis

Where a provider has received satisfactory grades in cycle 1, the cycle 2 inspection is less intensive and it is possible that not all areas of learning are included.

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Pre-inspection analysis

Where there are significant unsatisfactory grades from cycle 1, the intensity of the cycle 2 inspection is broadly the same as cycle 1, and all significant areas of learning are inspected.

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Pre-inspection analysis

Providers that have not previously been inspected will receive a full inspection.

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Overall effectiveness

The grades given for areas of learning and leadership and management will be used to arrive at a judgement about the overall effectiveness of the provider.

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Overall effectiveness

An outstanding provider should typically have leadership and management and at least half of the areas of learning judged to be a grade 1. All area of learning grades will be graded 1 or 2.

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Overall effectiveness

A good provider should have leadership and management and at least half of the area of learning grades judged to be a grade 2 or better. A good training provider should not have any grade 4s, and few grade 3s in the areas of learning.

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Overall effectiveness

A satisfactory provider should have adequate or better grades in leadership and management and in at least two thirds of the area of learning grades. An adequate provider might have a range of grades across areas of learning, some of which might be graded 4.

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Overall effectiveness

Provision will normally be deemed to be inadequate where more than one third of the area of learning grades and/or leadership and management are judged to be inadequate.

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Overall effectiveness

The final decision as to whether the provision is inadequate rests with the Chief Inspector of Adult Learning. HYA TRAINING LIMITED

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Grading

Inspectors use a four-point scale to summarise their judgements about the quality of provision in occupational/curriculum areas and Jobcentre Plus programmes, as well as to summarise their judgements about the quality of learning sessions. The same scale is used to describe the quality of leadership and management, which includes equality of opportunity and quality assurance. The descriptors for the four grades are:

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Grading

• grade 1 - outstanding • grade 2 - good • grade 3 - satisfactory • grade 4 - inadequate

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Summary

Description of the provider 1 1.00 Overall effectiveness 1 1.00 Key challenges for HYA Training Limited 2 1.00 Grades 2 1.00 About the inspection 3 1.00 What learners like about HYA Training Limited 5 1.00 What learners think HYA Training Limited could improve 5 1.00 Leadership and management 6 1.00

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Summary

6 Leadership and management Equality of opportunity 8 Quality improvement 9 Preparation for life and work 11 Business administration and law 14

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DESCRIPTION OF THE PROVIDER

1. HYA Training Limited (HYA) was established in 1998 as a training subsidiary company of the registered charity Humberside Youth Association. The charity’s aim is to promote the welfare and development of young people in Humberside. A board of four trustees has overall responsibility for the performance of the training company. HYA has two directors, a lead internal verifier, a marketing co-ordinator, an information technology (IT) practitioner, a health and safety manager, a skills for life co-ordinator, a 14 to 19 co-ordinator, seven trainers/assessors and two administration support staff. Skills for life is the government’s strategy on literacy, numeracy and the use of language. The board of trustees has also recruited a personal adviser to support learners, particularly on the Entry to Employment (E2E) programmes. The managing director is responsible for the strategic management of the business and takes an active role in developing collaborative working

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DESCRIPTION OF THE PROVIDER

partnerships with other providers in the region. The operations director is responsible for day-to-day operations and is line manager to all staff. Both directors and the lead internal verifier are responsible for the quality assurance of the company. HYA has held the Investors in People award, a national standard for improving an organisation’s performance through its people, since May 2004. It achieved a quality assurance framework as a provider of publicly funded business support services in August 2006.

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DESCRIPTION OF THE PROVIDER

2. HYA has contracts with Humberside Learning and Skills Council (LSC) to provide apprenticeships in administration, customer service and residential care of the elderly. It also provides training to learners on E2E programmes and has 20 newly recruited learners on a Train to Gain programme after being part of the Humberside employer training pilot. Training and assessment for apprenticeship programmes is completed in the workplace. E2E learners and apprentices completing additional qualifications attend HYA’s training centre in a commercial centre in the outskirts of Hull. LSC contracts amount to 75 per cent of the training HYA provides. HYA’s collaborative work with school year 10 and 11 pupils includes a recently developed young apprenticeship award in administration, and an occupational skills experience programme.

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Grade 2

3. The overall effectiveness of the provision is good. HYA’s leadership and management and the arrangements for equality of opportunity are good, while the arrangements for quality improvement are satisfactory. Provision is good in administration and customer service. The preparation for life and work provision is satisfactory.

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Grade 2

4. The inspection team had some confidence in the reliability of the self-assessment process. Self-assessment is an inclusive process, with occupational staff evaluating their programmes and allocating grades. Feedback from employers and learners is incorporated within the judgements made in the occupational areas. All judgements and grades are validated by HYA’s staff, including the administration staff. Some of the strengths identified by inspectors are evident in the self-assessment report, either as significant strengths or as textural judgements. None of the weaknesses reported by the inspection team is identified in the self-assessment report. The report contains only one significant weakness that is

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Grade 2

1 © 2007 ADULT LEARNING INSPECTORATE HYA TRAINING LIMITED

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Grade 2

repeated throughout the areas of learning and leadership and management. However, the report identifies areas for improvement for each programme area, a few of which are aligned to the inspection judgements. The report is overly descriptive and provides only a basic tool for bringing about further and continuous improvement. The development plan is a well-constructed document that identifies actions to be taken and key staff with responsibility for outcomes.

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Grade 2

5. The provider has demonstrated that it has sufficient capacity to make improvements. HYA has some effective strategies to improve provision and the experience of its learners. The senior management team makes effective use of their many collaborative partnerships to improve process and practice. Staff have good access to development and training and use this effectively to improve their understanding of new initiatives. HYA’s senior management team are aware of the insufficiencies in the monitoring of quality processes and the insufficient use of quality targets. The limited use of data to assimilate and evaluate practice and learners’ progress is an area that the senior management are presently developing and improving.

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KEY CHALLENGES FOR HYA TRAINING LIMITED:

continue the good working relationships with external partners • maintain the focus on good equal opportunities practices • continue to expand the range of additional training and qualifications • improve the use of data and target-setting • further develop key quality monitoring processes • develop a more effective process for observing teaching and learning •

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GRADES

grade 1 = outstanding, grade 2 = good, grade 3 = satisfactory, grade 4 = inadequate Grades awarded at inspection

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Leadership and management 2

Contributory grades: Equality of opportunity 2 Quality improvement 3

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Preparation for life and work 3 Preparation for life and work

Contributory areas: Number of learners Contributory grade Employability training 3 Entry to Employment 33 3

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Preparation for life and work 3 Preparation for life and work

2 © 2007 ADULT LEARNING INSPECTORATE HYA TRAINING LIMITED

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Business administration and law 2 Business administration and law

Contributory areas: Number of learners Contributory grade Administration Apprenticeships for young people 28 2 Customer service Apprenticeships for young people 3 2

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ABOUT THE INSPECTION

6. Provision in business administration and law, and in preparation for life and work was reported on and graded. Provision in health, public services and care was not reported on and graded. HYA had requested that health, public services and care be included in the inspection. However, a contract for an employer training programme had incurred a delayed start and apprentice numbers in this area were too low to report on and grade. Evidence was collected from this area to support judgements in leadership and management.

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ABOUT THE INSPECTION

Number of inspectors 3 Number of inspection days 12 Number of learners interviewed 26 Number of staff interviewed 23 Number of employers interviewed 14 Number of locations/sites/learning centres visited 7 Number of partners/external agencies interviewed 2

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Strengths

good strategic and operational management 00 • very effective partnership working 00 • very effective promotion of equality of opportunity to learners and employers 00 • good initiatives to attract learners from under-represented groups 00 • good action to improve provision 00 •

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Weaknesses

insufficient use of management information systems 00 • insufficiently developed quality improvement monitoring systems 00 •

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Weaknesses

3 © 2007 ADULT LEARNING INSPECTORATE HYA TRAINING LIMITED

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Employability training

Strengths good development of skills and confidence 00 • good and wide-ranging information, advice and guidance 00 • very well-structured programme 00 • Weaknesses insufficient attention to individual learning needs 00 • insufficient use of employer placements 00 • insufficient use of target-setting with staff 00 •

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Business administration and law

Strengths good success rates for advanced apprentices 00 • good acquisition of workplace skills 00 • well-structured and co-ordinated training 00 • very effective and impartial advice and guidance for learners 00 • Weaknesses insufficient timely actions to improve success rates further for apprentices 00 •

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Business administration and law

4 © 2007 ADULT LEARNING INSPECTORATE HYA TRAINING LIMITED

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WHAT LEARNERS LIKE ABOUT HYA TRAINING LIMITED:

the staff, who are always ready to listen and help • ’you are treated like an individual, not just like everyone else’ • the fact it’s not like school - ’you are treated like an adult’ • ’it’s like having another mam here and the assessors are so patient’ • the advice and the counselling sessions • the good links between learning and job roles • ’the care and support I’ve received’ • the frequent visits to the workplace • the good help in finding the right placement •

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IMPROVE:

nothing • some of the assignments are tedious • the size of the rooms - ’there’s not enough room when we’re split into small group work’ •

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IMPROVE:

the front doors - they are very difficult to operate • the quality of information at the start of the programme - ’it took me three weeks to understand it all’ •

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IMPROVE:

the amount of information sent to schools - ’this is better for me than college but I didn’t know about it’ •

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IMPROVE:

5 © 2007 ADULT LEARNING INSPECTORATE HYA TRAINING LIMITED

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Strengths

good strategic and operational management • very effective partnership working • very effective promotion of equality of opportunity to learners and employers •

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Strengths

good initiatives to attract learners from under-represented groups • good action to improve provision •

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Weaknesses

insufficient use of management information systems • insufficiently developed quality improvement monitoring systems •

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Weaknesses

7. Good strategic management provides HYA with a comprehensive and wide range of programmes that reduces its reliance on just one source of funding. HYA’s strategic planning clearly identifies occupational and business targets that incorporate national and regional priorities. The potential of each initiative is carefully risk assessed against external and internal influences and practices. HYA uses the resulting information particularly effectively to align its staffing structures and practices to match potential markets. Twenty-five per cent of HYA’s funding is from sources other than the LSC apprenticeship contract. HYA presently has an NHS contract to deliver national vocational qualifications (NVQs) in care at levels 2 and 3 for three local hospitals. To date, 256 learners have started the programme with 73 per cent of starters achieving the qualification. HYA provides training and assessment to help local care sector employers meet the national

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Weaknesses

requirement for qualified care workers. HYA has a young apprenticeship programme in customer services for year 10 and 11 pupils together with a business administration programme for pupils at risk of disengaging from education. Other new initiatives include two literacy, numeracy and language skills programmes, one run in collaboration with Sure Start and one in collaboration with a local provider using Jobcentre Plus funding.

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Weaknesses

8. HYA works particularly well in partnership with other local providers and employers. HYA initiated the forming of CfL, a local consortium of learning providers. The consortium is highly effective, and counts 90 per cent of providers in the region as members. HYA uses its involvement in the consortium effectively to extend its involvement with new initiatives and actively raises the profile of providers and their related issues at regional and national level. Good collaborative working includes joint applications by providers for new project or staff development funding. HYA’s staff have benefited from equality and diversity training, funding to support staff achieving literacy, numeracy and language skills development qualifications at level 2 and 3, and a member of staff completing employer engagement qualifications. Successful collaborative projects include European Social Fund funding to provide occupational training for year 10 and 11 pupils. Joint

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Weaknesses

funding from the LSC and Yorkshire Forward has enabled HYA to provide literacy,

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Weaknesses

6 © 2007 ADULT LEARNING INSPECTORATE HYA TRAINING LIMITED

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Weaknesses

numeracy and language skills support training for employers within the workplace. Active involvement in the many short- and long-term working groups attached to CfL increases the experience of staff and extends their understanding of new and ongoing initiatives. HYA’s staff have membership on the health and safety regional working group, equality and diversity group and skills for life working group. Skills for life is the government’s strategy on training in literacy, numeracy and the use of language. Good relationships exist between HYA and its employers. Frequent visits from tutors, supported by regular telephone contact, questionnaires and newsletters, provide good and positive communication links. Employers use HYA in the recruitment of their staff and optimise tutors’ contact with learners in the workplace to support the development of other staff.

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Weaknesses

9. Resources are satisfactory overall. The ratio of staff to learners is good in E2E provision at 1 to 4 and satisfactory on apprenticeships programmes at 1 to 25. The resources at the training centre are good. Four well-decorated and spacious training rooms with sufficient internet-connected computers provide learners with good job search facilities. The centre is located in a retail and business park with adequate local transport links. The provider has commissioned an audit of its compliance with the Disability and Discrimination Act 1995 and has completed all reasonable adjustments.

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Weaknesses

10. A systematic appraisal system effectively integrates the business objectives and personal development needs of the staff members. Resulting staff development objectives include qualifications required by the organisation. Targets are effectively set to reflect the organisation’s business objectives. For example, tutors’ and marketing staff members’ objectives include an employer engagement element and recruitment targets for new or existing programmes. There is little evidence of any individual staff targets being set for success rates within the appraisal objectives.

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Weaknesses

11. The management of literacy, numeracy and language skills support is satisfactory, although not yet fully established. The recently written skills for life strategy supports HYA’s operational plan and links well to the quality improvement policy. Although all staff are fully conversant with the initial assessment and referral processes, they have insufficient understanding of some aspects of the policy. HYA has no staff qualified to level 4, although the skills for life tutor has successfully enrolled on a level 3 programme after unsuccessful attempts to access level 4 qualifications. Assessment of learners’ individual needs is appropriate and adequate development support is given to all learners. However, HYA does not sufficiently analyse data to assess the effectiveness of support, or make sufficient use of data for quality improvement.

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Weaknesses

12. Management information systems do not sufficiently support management planning. Although assessors have a clear understanding of the progress of their learners, there is no standardised recording system that informs managers of learners’ progress. Electronic management information systems only record the full qualifications achieved by learners. Managers are not able to access information on element and unit achievements easily. Learners’ progress is discussed at monthly supervisory meetings but records do not evaluate learners’ progress against their individual learning targets and there is little information identifying if learners are ahead of or behind their target. HYA provides learners with a good range of additional training and qualifications but records that identify which learners have taken additional in-house training or formal qualifications are not easily accessible and it is unclear how trends over time are evaluated.

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Weaknesses

7 © 2007 ADULT LEARNING INSPECTORATE HYA TRAINING LIMITED

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Equality of opportunity Contributory grade 2

13. The promotion of equality of opportunity to learners and employers is good. HYA actively raises employers’ understanding of equality and diversity to the benefit of their learners. Good and positive promotion of equality of opportunity to employers has raised their interest in further training. HYA has made the most of this interest. It has completed equality and diversity training in employers’ premises for the staff of one employer and is planning training for three further employers. Equality of opportunity is reinforced to employers through HYA’s newsletter. Recent articles have covered issues such as the effects of bullying and employment equality legislation. One employer uses the newsletter articles as good practice and disseminates them to all staff.

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Equality of opportunity Contributory grade 2

14. HYA promotes equality and individual rights to learners through the respect and support exhibited to learners and between staff and managers. All learners have a good understanding of equality of opportunity and are conversant with their rights and those of others. The HYA website has comprehensive links to local and national support agencies together with good links to a number of sites with useful information for learners. Learners receive good equality and diversity training during induction and this is reinforced through effectively planned and integrated training and during learners’ progress reviews. HYA’s learners receive particularly good support. A personal youth adviser employed by the charitable trust provides support to the E2E learners one day a week. Learners leaving the programme early or not progressing into training or employment retain contact with the adviser. Of the learners who retained contact with

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Equality of opportunity Contributory grade 2

the adviser during 2005, five entered further education and 15 gained employment. HYA removes any potential financial barriers to gaining employment or placement. In readiness for interview, the board funds travel costs and suitable clothing for all learners who are referred by their personal tutors. All learners have access to toast and warm drinks during the morning at the training centre. A letter from a learner’s carer spoke of their gratitude for the high degree of care and support given to a young person whose parents were unable to care for them.

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Equality of opportunity Contributory grade 2

15. HYA works well in partnership with local schools and uses this effectively to introduce training to learners at risk of disengaging with education. Its carefully planned marketing of the young apprenticeship programme in business administration to male pupils has been very successful. Of a group of nine young apprentice learners, six are boys. HYA uses its contacts in the care industry well. It has agreed a joint recruitment and training strategy with an employer who has a high proportion of applicants from under-represented minority ethnic groups. Applicants come from areas including Malaysia, Russia, Central Africa and Poland. HYA has agreed to select and interview applicants with the employer at the HYA training centre. HYA has planned very suitable training for successful applicants. This includes suitable guidance on appropriate qualifications and language support from a local specialist provider. Additional staff

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Equality of opportunity Contributory grade 2

training from the specialist provider is planned to increase understanding by HYA’s staff of the individual support requirements of learners who speak English as an additional language. Currently the effect of these initiatives is not fully reflected in the number of learners from under-represented groups on HYA’s E2E and apprenticeship programmes. However, the provider has achieved its equality and diversity impact measures targets of 5 per cent of its learners being men and 5 per cent coming from minority ethnic groups. The representation of men on the administration apprenticeship programme is good at 19 per cent.

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Equality of opportunity Contributory grade 2

8 © 2007 ADULT LEARNING INSPECTORATE HYA TRAINING LIMITED

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Equality of opportunity Contributory grade 2

16. HYA acknowledges and celebrates all of its learners’ successes. A computerised screen in the main reception informs all learners and visitors of learners’ recent achievements. HYA’s employers’ newsletter reports on learners’ success stories and achievements. In collaboration with CfL, HYA organises an awards event for advanced apprentices who have successfully completed their framework. The training centre has good visual displays designed to increase learners’ aspirations and their awareness of equality of opportunity, substance misuse and individual rights.

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Equality of opportunity Contributory grade 2

17. The management of equality and diversity is good. One of the directors has responsibility of equality and diversity together with two members of staff. One of the staff team is currently completing equality and diversity training at level 2. The director is a member of the CfL’s equality and diversity working group and uses the training and information effectively to raise staff awareness of equality issues. Recent examples are in-house training on stereotyping, and effective resources to promote equality and diversity and equality legislation. Annual training with a private consultant on new legislation includes regular updates on any new initiatives.

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Equality of opportunity Contributory grade 2

18. HYA’s current equal opportunities policy needs updating to refer to the Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001 and the 2006 revised legislations on employment law. HYA is aware of this and is in the process of revising the policy. The provider has fulfilled many of the recommendations identified in a 2004 audit of the training centre to assess its compliance with the Disability Discrimination Act 1995. However, there is still an outstanding issue concerning access through the main entrance to the building. This has been raised with the owner of the property, with little success.

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Quality improvement Contributory grade 3

19. HYA has comprehensive and well-documented quality assurance procedures covering all key learning and administration practices. Each key process has clear guidance on the expected quality of practice together with examples of all standardised documents. Currently HYA is transferring all documents to an electronic format to improve their accessibility to staff. Inspectors noted at the previous inspection that identification of updated documents was inadequate. This has now been resolved and all new documents are indexed.

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Quality improvement Contributory grade 3

20. The quality of the learning experience is particularly important to HYA. Senior managers made good use of inspection judgements at the previous inspection to evaluate roles and responsibilities of staff teams. Newly developed job descriptions focused on improving key aspects of the learning, such as recruitment, initial assessment, integration of key skills, skills for life and achievement. All staff are actively involved in some form of job-related development to extend their understanding and improve their practice. Membership on CfL’s working groups informs staff of external support and available resources. Staff attend working groups covering topics such as the 14 to 19 agenda, skills for life, development of e-learning, the framework for excellence, employer engagement, and equality and diversity.

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Quality improvement Contributory grade 3

21. Informal and formal communication is very effective in disseminating information within the organisation. The size of HYA permits good informal contact at all staff levels. This is supported by an effective meeting schedule, with well-conceived agendas that inform and involve staff in all aspects of the provision. A successful full-day communications meeting held twice a year is split into sessions dedicated to information

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Quality improvement Contributory grade 3

9 © 2007 ADULT LEARNING INSPECTORATE HYA TRAINING LIMITED

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Quality improvement Contributory grade 3

and training, together with small working groups on specific topics. All staff are involved in a full week of quality improvement. This involves research, training and sharing good practice. Resulting actions include amendments to progress reviews, research on e-learning and the introduction of a new teaching resource.

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Quality improvement Contributory grade 3

22. Advice, guidance, and learners’ understanding of equality and diversity were weaknesses at the previous inspection. HYA has made significant improvements and these areas are now strengths. Success rates for advanced apprentices have remained good. However, apprentice success rates have remained satisfactory at or about 50 per cent over the past three years and E2E progression rates, although improved from 30 per cent in 2003-04, have remained at or about 48 per cent over the past two years. The grades from observations of teaching and learning are improved. However, HYA has only partially resolved some aspects of meeting the individual needs of learners.

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Quality improvement Contributory grade 3

23. Key quality assurance processes are reviewed and amended regularly. However, systems to evaluate and monitor the effectiveness and ongoing improvement of provision accurately are insufficiently developed. Observation of teaching and learning was a significant weakness at the previous inspection and HYA now has a systematic calendar of observations. However, the observation criteria is not sufficiently focused on the learners or their learning and records are not completed in a way that identifies trends or measures improvement. During appraisal, staff are set clear business targets but no individual quality improvement targets are agreed. Learners’ progress and success rates are reviewed at team level, but there is no formal monitoring of each staff member’s effectiveness in supporting learners’ progress and achievement and no individual targets are set. HYA does not sufficiently monitor the effectiveness of any new procedures

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Quality improvement Contributory grade 3

against clearly defined aims. For example, it has no formal strategy in place to monitor the effectiveness of the newly introduced changes to recruitment and initial assessment. HYA records the reasons that learners give for leaving before completing their programme, but these are not in a format that is easily analysed and managers do not sufficiently evaluate them to identify trends. Although self-assessment is inclusive, with occupational staff evaluating their programmes and allocating grades, none of the significant weaknesses identified by the inspection team is included in the self-assessment report.

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Quality improvement Contributory grade 3

10 © 2007 ADULT LEARNING INSPECTORATE HYA TRAINING LIMITED

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Preparation for life and work Grade 3

Number of learners Contributory areas: Contributory grade Employability training 3 Entry to Employment 33 3

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Preparation for life and work Grade 3

24. There are 33 learners on the E2E programme, 14 of whom are men. One learner is from a minority ethnic group and 32 per cent have a learning difficulty, specifically dyslexia. Learners are referred mainly by Connexions. They have an initial interview at which a computer-based literacy and numeracy assessment is completed. A one-day induction into the HYA training programme is followed by a six-week initial assessment phase. During this time learners undergo a full assessment of their barriers to learning, including their preferred learning styles. A Connexions adviser attends the induction and subsequent reviews. The learners choose a range of sessions from the structured training programme. An E2E co-ordinator manages a team of two learning and development co-ordinators. The learning and development workers deliver many of the various elements of the programme and also act as key workers to the learners. Additional

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Preparation for life and work Grade 3

training sessions are provided by HYA’s skills for life tutor and an IT tutor. Learners are given additional support and guidance through a personal adviser within HYA.

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Employability training

Strengths good development of skills and confidence 00 • good and wide-ranging information, advice and guidance 00 • very well-structured programme 00 • Weaknesses insufficient attention to individual learning needs 00 • insufficient use of employer placements 00 • insufficient use of target-setting with staff 00 •

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Achievement and standards

25. The development of learners’ skills and confidence is good. Learners complete very appropriate qualifications and in-house training relevant to their individual development across all three strands of the E2E programme. In the past year, 37 learners achieved level 1 and 2 adult literacy or numeracy qualifications and 20 achieved key skills qualifications in communication and application of number. Three gained basic computer literacy qualifications. One hundred and twenty-nine learners gained in-house certificates in employment rights and responsibilities, with 124 completing equality and diversity programmes. Most learners complete a very wide range of other modules with in-house certification. These include first aid, manual handling, health and safety, independent living and citizenship. Achievement of personal and workplace skills and attitudes is good.

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Achievement and standards

11 © 2007 ADULT LEARNING INSPECTORATE HYA TRAINING LIMITED

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Achievement and standards

Learners gain good, relevant telephone and customer service skills. Their attendance and punctuality improve, as does their ability to work well in teams. Learners develop good communication skills and gain confidence, and their development of increased self-esteem is particularly good.

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Achievement and standards

The following tables show the achievement and retention rates available up to the time of the inspection. LSC funded work-based learning Entry to Employment No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. % % % % % % % % 2005-06 2004-05 2003-04

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Achievement and standards

Number of starts 81 100 119 100 100 113 Progression¹ 24 30 48 40 49 55 Achieved objectives² 0 0 0 0 0 0 Still in learning 0 0 9 8 0 0 1. Measured in terms of learners' movement to further training, education or employment, during or after their training 2. These being the key objectives identified for each learner while on E2E

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The quality of provision

26. Learners receive good, impartial and wide-ranging information, advice and guidance. Good course information is given, both at the initial interview and at induction, and learners understand the programme well. HYA’s staff members’ relationships and communication with Connexions are good. The Connexions personal adviser attends all induction sessions, eight-weekly reviews and any subsequent reviews. HYA’s staff respond quickly to feedback from the advisers, taking good and appropriate actions. Learners are further supported one day each week by an impartial guidance worker and counsellor funded by HYA. Good and very appropriate information is given to help learners make informed decisions while on the HYA programme. Further impartial guidance helps learners in their choice of options when considering any future learning. Support is satisfactory overall, although individual staff are highly supportive of learners.

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The quality of provision

Key workers give good individual advice and guidance. For instance, learners whose programmes are interrupted through pregnancy receive good and relevant support and guidance. Key workers work with other providers and learners’ placements to plan a return to learning that accommodates the needs of the learners and their babies. There is a good match between learners’ aspirations and their eventual chosen pathways. Partnerships between providers are good and transfers to other providers are facilitated well.

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The quality of provision

27. The programme is very well structured. All three strands of the programme are well represented on the timetable. There is a good range of activities, particularly within personal and social development and employability. The programme is modular and has in-house certification for each part. Development of personal and social skills includes good exploration of equality and diversity. Issues relevant to the basic needs of learners, like independent living skills such as washing and ironing and citizenship, are well covered. The well-designed employability strand is effective in making learners ready for employment. Literacy and numeracy are given as discrete provision, with some reinforcement in the other two strands. The six-week initial assessment period is organised well with some good assessment activities. It is used well to help learners decide their choices. The range of guest speakers and additional activities is satisfactory.

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The quality of provision

12 © 2007 ADULT LEARNING INSPECTORATE HYA TRAINING LIMITED

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The quality of provision

28. Induction is satisfactory. Learners spend a day going over health and safety, equality and diversity, how to make an appeal and general information about the provider. Resources are satisfactory. Accommodation is adequate, although at times can be too hot and difficult to use when large groups are working in smaller groups or pairs. Although there is a good ratio of computers to learners and all computers have internet access, not all teaching rooms have computers. Teaching and learning resources are satisfactory and HYA is able to access further and more specialist resources from CfL. Assessment practices are satisfactory. Initial assessment practices are very thorough, although not always used sufficiently to guide planning or delivery of learning. Ongoing assessment is adequate.

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The quality of provision

29. Insufficient attention is paid to the individual learning needs of learners. While session plans have a section noting how the different needs of learners can be accommodated in teaching sessions, staff make insufficient use of this guidance in sessions. While teaching and learning overall are satisfactory, some sessions are dominated by the completion of worksheets. These are of good quality but tutors are too reliant on them. Staff make insufficient use of different methodologies to meet the needs of learners with different learning styles. Some learners are not adequately challenged in sessions, while others struggle. Targets in the learning passport are not always specific and measurable. Skills for life plans are not sufficiently linked to the passport or written in language that the learner understands.

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The quality of provision

30. HYA makes insufficient use of employer placements. Out of the current 33 learners, only four are in employer placements. In addition, in the past year only 27 per cent of all learners were in a placement. There are too few employers and the range of employers is insufficiently wide, with 23 of the 35 being retailers. HYA is aware of this and is working to extend the placement range by using the links it has formed with employers through other local providers.

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Leadership and management

31. The E2E provision is small and processes and procedures are fit for purpose. The skills and experience of the staff are matched well to the needs of the learners, although as yet few staff members are qualified in teaching and learning. Promotion of equality and diversity is good. The self-assessment process is inclusive, with HYA measuring itself against other local providers. HYA identified two of the strengths identified through inspection, although it expressed them across three judgements. It did not identify any of the weaknesses found by inspectors.

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Leadership and management

32. There is insufficient target-setting to bring about improvement. The E2E team is set targets as a team. Individual members of the team are not given targets of their own to improve provision. While some work has been done to increase work in the community to reach unrepresented groups, specific targets about groups to prioritise or numbers to recruit have not yet been assigned. Data is not sufficiently analysed to set targets. For instance, although information for each learner is kept for early leavers, HYA makes insufficient use of this in a collated form to analyse why learners leave. Information is not collated year-on-year about the number of employer placements or the use that E2E learners are making of them.

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Leadership and management

13 © 2007 ADULT LEARNING INSPECTORATE HYA TRAINING LIMITED

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Business administration and law Grade 2

Number of learners Contributory areas: Contributory grade Administration Apprenticeships for young people 28 2 Customer service Apprenticeships for young people 3 2

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Business administration and law Grade 2

33. HYA provides apprenticeship and advanced apprenticeship training programmes in business administration and customer service. Learners are recruited after nomination by their employers, referral from Connexions or in response to adverts that HYA places locally. Three learners are following apprenticeship programmes in customer service, 17 are taking apprenticeships in business administration and 11 are taking advanced apprenticeships in business administration. Twenty-three learners are employed in external companies, one is employed by HYA itself, one is on placement with an employer and six are currently awaiting work placements or offers of employment. Six learners are men and 25 are women.

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Business administration and law Grade 2

34. All training and assessment is delivered by a lead internal verifier and three trainer- assessors. Learners without a placement attend the training centre for three days a week. They work mainly on the key skills qualifications and technical certificate aspects of their apprenticeship, until they find employment or a work placement. Employed learners and those on work placements receive most of their training and assessment in the workplace, but many also attend the training centre to work on key skills qualifications, technical certificates, additional qualifications and training courses or off-the-job additional support. Strengths good success rates for advanced apprentices 00 • good acquisition of workplace skills 00 • well-structured and co-ordinated training 00 • very effective and impartial advice and guidance for learners 00 • Weaknesses insufficient timely actions to improve success rates further for apprentices 00 •

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Achievement and standards

35. HYA achieves good overall success rates on its advanced apprenticeship training courses. Success rates are on a continuing and distinctly upward trend. They have improved from 60 per cent in 2003-04 to 67 per cent in 2004-05 and 71 per cent in 2005-06. Almost all current learners on apprenticeship and advanced apprenticeship programmes are making very good progress towards achieving their full qualification. They have a very good grasp of the different components of the apprenticeship frameworks, how much progress they are making, what remains to be achieved and how and when they will complete the required tasks. Some have set themselves completion targets which are ahead of their formal end dates and are enjoying the challenge of striving to meet these ambitious targets. Many apprenticeship learners also gain further

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Achievement and standards

14 © 2007 ADULT LEARNING INSPECTORATE HYA TRAINING LIMITED

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Achievement and standards

qualifications above the requirements of the apprenticeship framework. For example, between August 2005 and November 2006, 19 learners completed their apprenticeship framework and 17 achieved additional qualifications in relevant subjects such as text processing, information and communications technology (ICT), word processing and health and safety. Many achieved two or more such qualifications. HYA has not clearly identified this strength in the self-assessment report.

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Achievement and standards

36. At the previous inspection, success rates on apprenticeship programmes were poor. They have since shown significant improvement. From 2003-04 onwards they have consistently been over 50 per cent and are now satisfactory. Fewer apprenticeship learners now leave their apprenticeship programme early. Those that do, leave for personal issues not related to their training. There is a continuing trend of improvement. For example, of the 26 learners recruited to apprenticeships during 2005-06, nine have already achieved, only eight have left and nine are still on programme and on target to complete by their expected end dates. So far in 2006-07, 12 learners have been recruited to apprenticeships and none has left.

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Achievement and standards

37. Learners acquire very good workplace skills. This strength is partially recognised in the self-assessment report. Learners gain significant self-confidence and good team-working skills. Along with their employers, they take an active role determining which optional national vocational qualification (NVQ) unit areas are most relevant to their job roles. They apply their learning directly to the workplace. Some achieve promotion and use their new skills to influence and improve working practices in their organisations. For example, one commercial trading centre has noted significant improvements in the key performance indicators for its office activities since its involvement in the apprenticeship training programme. Other learners have also suggested and achieved improvements to their employers’ internal training and induction procedures as a result of their learning. No, of learners Success

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Achievement and standards

Rate Provider framework rate National NVQ Rate Provider NVQ Rate Programme End Year National framework rate

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Achievement and standards

Advanced Apprenticeships 2 46 2003-04 overall timely 5 80 18 30 4

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Achievement and standards

2004-05 overall timely 3 67 23 35 8 Apprenticeships 2 51 2003-04 overall timely 19 58 18 25 19

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Achievement and standards

For details of how to calculate overall and timely success rates please refer to the "Quality Improvement Pack" (available from the Learning and Skills Council's website: www.lsc.gov.uk ).

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The quality of provision

38. HYA’s training programmes are particularly well structured, highly relevant to employers and well co-ordinated. During induction, HYA gives its learners comprehensive information about the requirements of each component of the apprenticeship

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The quality of provision

15 © 2007 ADULT LEARNING INSPECTORATE HYA TRAINING LIMITED

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The quality of provision

programme. The information is delivered clearly and in easily understood stages. Individual learning plans are drawn up very carefully. They are thoroughly based on learners’ employment status, the demands of their existing or desired job role, their prior learning and experience and the results of initial assessment tests. Key skills qualifications, technical certificates and NVQ training and assessment are integrated well with close links between on- and off-the-job activities. Learners have a highly developed understanding of the apprenticeship framework and are particularly conversant with how the qualification corresponds with their work activities. They use this knowledge well in planning forms of evidence towards their qualifications. HYA provides a good range of training workshops in topics such as ICT, the importance of good customer service, equality of opportunity and employment legislation for employed and unemployed learners. These sessions

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The quality of provision

concentrate on developing both the knowledge that learners need for their qualifications and the skills they require to progress in the workplace. Most learners take good advantage of these opportunities to practise their skills. NVQ assessment in the workplace is very thorough. Learners provide a good range of evidence. HYA encourages them to collect evidence in a way which helps them to develop their skills and experience in new areas between each assessment visit.

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The quality of provision

39. Learners receive highly effective and impartial advice and support about their options and choices in learning and work. This strength is not recognised in the self-assessment report, although HYA’s staff are fully aware of its importance. They provide impartial advice and support at all stages of the learners’ journey, from recruitment to exit. Recruitment procedures have been improved so that learners fully understand the content of their courses before they are formally recruited. Learners are given equal support to apply for alternative training options with other providers if this is more appropriate. Similarly, on completion of their training programmes learners are well informed and supported in progressing onto the most appropriate higher-level training programme. HYA also provides its learners with good pastoral support. Learners are given practical help to overcome barriers to learning. They trust HYA’s staff as confidential advisers

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The quality of provision

about personal issues as well as learning and work. Learners receive good teaching, mentoring and coaching as part of their on- and off-the-job training programme. Progress reviews are thorough and review all aspects of a learner’s welfare and progress. Employers participate fully and contribute very actively to planning suitable and varied work-based learning activities for their learners. Employers and HYA’s staff use reviews well to reinforce the value of training to the learner.

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The quality of provision

40. HYA provides satisfactory additional training for learners who need to improve their literacy and numeracy skills. All learners take an initial assessment test during their recruitment and induction. Additional support is provided through small workshops, individual exercises or more intensive and discreet individual coaching for those who require it.

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The quality of provision

41. Resources for teaching and learning are satisfactory. HYA’s training centre is appropriately equipped with ICT equipment and software for learners to use either independently or under direction during training sessions. The training rooms provide pleasant and comfortable environments for learning. Trainers make effective use of projection facilities and teaching materials such as workbooks and handouts.

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Leadership and management

42. HYA manages the main teaching and learning activities for business administration 0

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Leadership and management

16 © 2007 ADULT LEARNING INSPECTORATE HYA TRAINING LIMITED

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Leadership and management

and customer service effectively. Staff meet frequently, both formally and informally. They have a sound understanding of their own responsibilities for training, assessing and supporting learners and how these relate to the roles of their colleagues. There are regular meetings with senior staff at which developments affecting the whole organisation are explained and discussed openly.

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Leadership and management

43. HYA promotes equality of opportunity well. It provides general guidance on its equal opportunities and diversity policies during induction and reinforces learners’ understanding by appropriate questions and discussion during progress reviews. Almost all learners also attend a well-designed equal opportunities workshop which explains the relevant legislation in more depth.

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Leadership and management

44. Arrangements for internal verification are satisfactory. The internal verifier samples learners’ work using a simple but effective sampling plan. Assessors receive clear feedback about additional evidence and any changes they need to make to their procedures and practices. Regular standardisation meetings are used well to communicate and discuss changes to the occupational standards or to awarding body requirements.

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Leadership and management

45. HYA’s senior staff consult fully with the area of learning team during the self-assessment process. However, the current report is largely descriptive with too few precise judgements about the strengths and weaknesses of the training that learners receive.

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Leadership and management

46. HYA has not taken sufficiently timely action to improve success rates further on apprenticeship training programmes. Although success rates have improved significantly since the previous inspection, some momentum and continuity has been lost. Only recently introduced changes such as improved recruitment practices, a more detailed and improved induction and better monitoring procedures have further improved learners’ retention and progress. The full effect of these changes is not yet apparent or reflected in success rates. A few learners on the apprenticeship programme are still not sufficiently motivated to progress as rapidly as they could. Progress below learners’ potential is not always sufficiently challenged.

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