The Minutes of the Quality Sub-Group Held on 30April 2015 at B-Skill, Milburn House, Dean

The minutes of the Quality sub-group held on 30April 2015 at B-Skill, Milburn House, Dean Street, Newcastlecommencing at 9.30 am.

1. Present

Alison Hodgson - B-Skill Ltd (Chair)

David Baker- NELP Executive Officer (Secretary)

Janet Allison- Release Potential

Kevin Bickle- Brenikov Training

Susan Briganti - NEETA Ltd

Marie Ferry- BarnardosPalmersville Training

Allan McNaught-Tyneside Training Services

Geoff Moore- TyneNorth Training

Debbie Park- Baltic Training

Warren Turnbull - TCV

Joyce Young - Springboard

2. Apologies for absence were received from:

Jackie Bijkerk- Key Training

Dominic Knowles - Team Wearside

Sharon Wallace- Access Training

3. Welcome and Introductions

Alison opened and welcomed everyone to this meeting of the Quality Sub-group, after introductions Alison opened with a brief history of the group.

Alison reminded the group of the ‘Summary of latest judgements’ report from Ofsted:

Since September 2014 there had been 105 FE & Skills inspections
57% of inspections led to a grade 3 or 4 for Overall Effectiveness
17% of inspections led to Inadequate grade (4)for Overall Effectiveness
Independent Providers (39 inspections)
59% led to a grade 3 or 4 with 13% at Inadequate grade (4)
General FE Colleges (23 inspections)
70% led to a grade 3 or 4 with 13% at Inadequate grade (4)

New areas for consideration – Safeguarding, English & Maths, Prevent (including e-safety)

4. Prevent agenda

TCV developed a statement with South Tyne Council (Warren to provide the secretary with a copy for the minutes)
B-Skill working with Northumbria Police, DC Sharon Ross (tbc) who provided a 2 hour session for B-Skill personnel
Alison also mentioned an event she attended – by Safe & EqualPartnership for Training Providers

Action: the Executive Officer agreed to explore offering this event as part of the CPD offering later this year

Local safeguarding boards, police (see above)
Colleges offering Raise Awareness of Prevent (WRAP) training under guidance from the Home Office to their subcontractors
HM Government ‘Prevent Strategy: a Guide for local Partners in England’ – see gov.uk website.

5.Ofsted

Ofsted – regional teams mooted
An activity of this group in future is ‘to identify trends from recent inspections’ (as mentioned by the Chair at the recent Network meeting)

Action: agreed that Exec Officer in the minutes will identify changed grades and allocate one to each member of the subgroup to review key issues and report to next meeting

From last subgroup meeting identified Barnardos Learning Portal – not available to external partners.
English & Maths: preparing for GCSE’s –mixed messages in recent inspection, in some not mentioned, in others it featured!!

6. Operation Sanctuary – Child Sexual Exploitation

Barnardos have undertaken some in-house Child sexual exploitation training – the Executive Officer to again explore offering this training to the Quality subgroup
TCV have developed a Radicalisation & Grooming Policy.

7. Health & Safety/Vetting

Springboard undertaking a review of paperwork
Long document now considered bad practice (Ofsted)
HSE new model document – ‘Way of the world’.

8. Future CPD

Observation of Teaching & Learning and Assessment
Good practice - moving away from grading
Improved judgements – actions required / SMART plans, etc

The next meeting will be held on Thursday 25June 2015 at 9.30am at Access Training, Skills Academy, Eighth Avenue, Kingsway South,Team Valley, NE11 0JL.