European Social Fund

1. European Social Fund Promoting improvement 15th March 2016 Nigel Finch

2. Introduction Purpose of inspection Examples of effective practice Examples of areas for improvement Going forward – what is different? Going forward - inspection

3. Purpose of inspection:

4. Baseline inspection visits • 67 projects • 25 projects have had baseline visits to date

5. Examples of effective practice Effective leadership and management of the project with appropriate systems in place to track and monitor the progress of the participants, and the high level of commitment to the continuing professional development of the staff. Supportive project team which demonstrates high levels of commitment to the delivery of a ‘participant-led’ provision, that includes assisting the participants to overcome a diverse range of barriers.

6. Examples of effective practice Effective use of pre-entry guidance and initial assessment processes. Tailored provision of programmes which supports well the training needs of the individual participants to gain and sustain work. Well planned programme that is linked to the development of the participants’ personal, social and employability skills.

7. Examples of effective practice Good quality of teaching, training and learning, which is enhanced effectively by the use of ‘real and simulated-working’ environments. Mentoring and support systems which are highly valued by the participants and are impacting positively on improving their life opportunities.

8. Examples of effective practice Well-developed tracking processes to support and monitor the participant’s progress throughout the project, and set appropriate and effective targets. Development of a management information system to support the self-evaluation of the project and to monitor the progress of the participants.

9. Examples of effective practice Strong collaborative working and communication both within the organisation and with their cross-community partners to provide an inclusive provision.

10. Common areas for improvement Review the planning processes including  initial assessment of prior experiences, qualifications and barriers to progression/employment  and use this information more effectively to inform individual learning plans and targets against which progress can be measured. Identify appropriate tools to measure the impact of the project on the personal, social and emotional capabilities of the participants.

11. Common areas for improvement Further development of self-evaluation processes to monitor all aspects of the provision, including the use of data, observations of teaching, training and learning, and the effective use of feedback from the staff team, participants, employers and other stakeholders, to promote improvement. 

12. Common areas for improvement Continued development of an appropriate quality improvement plan that  is shared with all partners, that clearly addresses all the identified areas for improvement and includes measurable targets, responsibilities and timescales in order to improve the provision.

13. Common areas for improvement Identify, and develop, appropriate progression pathways for each participant both within, and beyond, the life of the project. Review the safeguarding policies and practices across the organisation, and across the partner organisations, in line with best practice and ensure that all locations at which training is delivered meet fully all safeguarding requirements. 

14. Inspection process going forward

15. Going Forward – What will be different? Baseline inspection visits target completion date, December 2016. Self-evaluation Report (SER) and Quality Improvement Planning (QIP) to be completed by each project by mid June 2016. Scrutiny of SER and QIP by ETI with short written feedback provided to the project over the summer period. Full inspection schedule begins with published reports.

16. Going Forward – Inspection Inspection activities will include: • presentation by senior management; • scrutiny of participants’ individual learning plans and progress made towards project objectives; • observation of sessions and scrutiny of participants’work/files; • meetings with key personnel including, where appropriate, partner organisations;

17. Going Forward – Inspection • review of care, support and guidance; • visit workplace training, meet employers • focus groups with learners; and • daily report backs to manager. At the end of the inspection: • the ETI moderation meeting takes place; • ETI reports back main findings to the project.

18. Safeguarding - FUI • If safeguarding is evaluated as unsatisfactory • Safeguarding areas for improvement followed-up by the ETI within 6 working weeks • Short letter publishes on the ETI website summarising the outcome of the 6 week follow-up visit.

19. Performance levels • Used to report on the quality of: • Outcomes for participants • Provision for learning and development • Leadership and management

20. One of four inspectionoutcomes for overall effectiveness The organisation has a high level of capacity for sustained improvement in the interest of all the learners. The ETI will monitor the organisation’s progress in addressing any area(s) for improvement through its annual quality improvement planning. Inspection reporting

21. One of four inspectionoutcomes for overall effectiveness The organisation demonstrates the capacity to identify and bring about improvement in the interest of all the learners. The ETI will monitor the organisation’s progress in addressing the area(s) for improvement through its annual quality improvement planning. Inspection reporting

22. One of four inspectionoutcomes for overall effectiveness The organisation needs to address (an) important area(s) for improvement in the interest of all the learners. The ETI will monitor and report on the organisation’s progress in addressing the area(s) for improvement, which includes the need to produce an improvement plan, which will be the basis for a formal follow-up inspection. Inspection reporting

23. One of four inspectionoutcomes for overall effectiveness The organisation needs to address urgently the significant areas for improvement identified in the interest of all the learners. The ETI will monitor and report on the organisation’s progress in addressing the areas for improvement, which includes the need to produce an improvement plan, which will be the basis for a formal follow-up inspection. Inspection reporting

24. Questions