Issue - meetings

To update Cabinet on the activities and progress since the Ofsted Inspection visit in November 2021, and seek its agreement for the continuation of the Career Track function and to agree the new governance structure/format.

RESOLVED that Cabinet –

a)     notes the implemented progress of the Career Track Apprenticeship Scheme since the Ofsted Report in December 2021 requiring improvement;

b)     approves the Terms of Reference of the Career Track Apprenticeship Governance Board, which will be chaired by the Cabinet Member for Corporate Finance and Governance, who also has the Portfolio Holder responsibility for Career Track; and

c)      continues its support for Career Track and their priorities and the longer term commitment to continue to explore opportunities to deliver the Service at no net cost to the Council.

Cabinet considered a report of the Corporate Finance & Governance Portfolio Holder (A.3), which updated it on the activities and progress since the Ofsted Inspection visit in November 2021, and sought its agreement for the continuation of the Career Track function and its agreement of the new governance structure/format.

Cabinet recalled that Career Track had had its first full inspection by Ofsted between 3 and 5 November 2021 following the Education Inspection Framework. Career Track had previously had a successful Ofsted Monitoring Visit (a more ‘light touch’ inspection) in June 2019. The full report following the November Inspection had been published on 24 December 2021.  The findings of that report had graded Career Track as ‘Requiring Improvement’. Following this grading, Tendring District Council had implemented a comprehensive Development Plan in order to address the improvement areas identified by Ofsted.

An internal Development Group had been established to monitor the progress against the actions identified within the Development Plan. The Development Group was chaired by Councillor G V Guglielmi in his role as the Portfolio Holder for Career Track. Membership of the group also included the Chief Executive; Assistant Director (Partnerships); the Internal Audit Manager and the Executive Projects Manager (Governance). The Work Based Learning Manager and the Organisational Development Manager reported to this group.  The Internal Audit Manager and Executive Projects Manager had been part of the Development Group to represent the Section 151 Officer and Monitoring Officer in their overarching governance roles due to the findings of the Ofsted Report.

It was reported that to date the Development Group had met five times and following significant progress had been able to sign off the Development Plan at its last meeting in June 2022. Initial activity following the inspection had focussed on setting the foundations and getting them in place. This had involved adjusting Career Track resources to address the additional demands to meet inspection requirements.

Members were informed that the services of a specialist company known as Strategic Development Network (SDN) had been commissioned for their professional help and advice for policy and curriculum development, which had enabled a new curriculum to be written, which met fully the requirements and expectations of Ofsted.  The curriculum covered the knowledge, skills and behaviours of the standards, including personal development and behaviours and attitudes, which covered safeguarding, British values, Prevent, career development and health and well-being.

Cabinet was advised that SDN had supported Career Track with consultants/professionals who also worked alongside and trained Ofsted Inspectors. In addition, their services had been used to support the completion of the RoATP (Register of Apprenticeship Training Providers) application in 2019 and in 2022, as an apprenticeship training provider had to be an approved provider on the register in order to be able to deliver apprenticeships.  SDN had recently completed a review of the Development Group to assist in shaping a governance approach suitable for the ongoing provision of Career Track Apprenticeship.

It was reported that Career Track had formally launched OneFile, a training software package for  ...  view the full minutes text for item 56