GMLPF wishes to appoint a suitably experienced supplier to deliver a series of focused ½ day CPD sessions that will support local learning providers to understand and respond to the requirements of the RoATP refresh
PIF Tender UTN 3 RoATP Refresh Training
GMLPF wishes to appoint a suitably experienced supplier to deliver Mental Health First Aid Organisational Capacity Building Training programmes to LCR based learning providers that is designed to support the development of individuals who could become both Provider Workplace Champions and Trainers who, in turn can cascade down, a better understanding and appreciation of mental health issues and the importance of mental health first aid.
PIF Tender Description UTN4 Mental Health
PIF UTN4 Supplier Questionnaire Tender Response
PIT UTN4 Tender Evaluation Metholodogy
GMLPF wishes to procure a challenging and stimulating “bootcamp” style programme for small groups of learning providers, mainly Apprenticeship providers, who are based and operating in the Liverpool City Region and who are at similar stages in the quality assurance cycle.
PIF Tender Description UTN1 Bootcamps
The National Apprenticeship Awards are now open for applications. The closing date is 28th July. GMLPF is sure that there are many members with apprentices and employers who are worthy of an award. Find out more at www.appawards.co.uk or click on the links below for some useful material to use in promoting the awards, and encouraging businesses and individuals to apply:
Could you be an award-winning apprentice
Could you be an award-winning employer
National Apprenticeship Awards presentation
National Apprenticeship Awards overview
GMLPF attended the recent NW FES Ofsted Reference Group meeting. Key messages of interest to members are as follows:
Ofsted is currently rolling out a programme of training for their Ofsted inspectors to support the full programme of inspection starting in September 2021 onwards, Covid permitting. In the interim, Ofsted appears to be focusing on those new providers awaiting their first NPMV (this seems to be a diminishing number now though) and new providers who have had a monitoring visit (possibly also an interim monitoring visit this year) and who are awaiting a first full inspection.
Experience of the latter group of inspections suggests that the results and experience are generally ok and that, to date, that there have not been any significant issues or trends. Ofsted is suggesting that where inspections are taking place they are trying to be as pragmatic as possible and are working around Covid. Whilst their preference is for face-to-face engagement of providers, employers and learners they are willing to accommodate 100% remote interviews.
A full programme of inspections will commence from September 2021. Arrangements for inspection of remote education (expected to continue for some time still), use of external data and new priorities ie sexual harassment as part of safeguarding is all covered in the new handbook. Members should be familiar with the updated handbook – Further education and skills handbook for September 2021 – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Members should also familiarise themselves with the deferral policy currently being operated by Ofsted. In the current circumstances, where Covid is an issue or disrupting operations, providers can ask for a deferral. The policy is here Deferring Ofsted inspections – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Ofsted made it clear that maintaining the Covid safety of their inspection teams, providers, learners and employers is of paramount importance so they will consider deferral where it is appropriate.
Usually, Ofsted provides NW figures on this but this time they provided a national overview. Some interesting points emerged. Some 146 out of 718 Monitoring Visits resulted in an Insufficient Progress judgement or 20%. Only 70 or just less than 10% received Significant Progress. Safeguarding, whilst not the primary driver of Insufficient Progress judgements, remains a real cause for concern with approximately 1 in 3 providers who are making Insufficient Progress having insufficient progress in the area of safeguarding.
Of 1113 Independent Learning Providers only 451 have received a full inspection. This highlights the large volume of ILPs still awaiting a first full inspection and accounts for Ofsted’s increased emphasis on this group of providers currently and from September onwards. Approximately two-thirds of these were graded Good.
Ofsted is currently rolling out training to new and existing Ofsted Inspectors to enable them to build up increased capacity and capability to catch up on its programme of work and to roll out the programme of inspections from September including new inspections of Level 6 and 7 provision.
As part of the launch of the Provider Improvement Fund which is funded by ESF and SIF, Greater Merseyside Learning Providers’ Federation wishes to procure the services of a training organisation to deliver a bespoke Peer Governance training programme for a small group of providers based in the Liverpool City Region.
In recent years, culminating in the publication of Ofsted’s EIF, there has been a much greater emphasis on Independent Learning Providers putting in place robust governance arrangements that provide both scrutiny and challenge and ensure that the provider is delivering high quality and relevant learning programmes.
Locally, a small group of learning providers have collaborated to take forward a peer governance model. Specifically, through this tender, GMLPF wishes to procure a focused, challenging and stimulating yet intensive ie ½ day CPD programme for those LCR based learning providers involved in the peer governance project and support them to access bespoke training that will enable them to effectively fulfil their governor roles and support the learning providers that they are working with.
All documentation for this tender can be downloaded below:
PIF Tender UTN 2 Governance Training
PIF Tender Response UTN 2 Governance Training
PIF Tender Evaluation Methodology UTN 2
Closing date: 5pm 21st July 2021
Over the next 15 months, GMLPF will be commissioning a wide range of training programmes for learning providers locally. We are keen to ensure that we use high quality and cost-effective facilities across the Liverpool City Region but also to try to and maximise social value by working with local facilities providers.
If you can think of a local venue that might be suitable for use, please contact us or, if you feel your organisation could offer a suitable venue, please complete and return the Expression of Interest form below:
As part of the ESF and SIF funded Provider Improvement Fund project, GMLPF has secured some funding to provide some project management support. Initially, and to help drive the project forward and gather momentum initially, GMLPF is looking to appoint somebody (possibly on secondment, somebody who is a freelance or self-employed) on a contract basis, buying in a bank of days support. A second role may take the form of an individual being appointed on a fixed-term basis for 12 months.
Whilst this opportunity will be disseminated more widely via local networks and social media we would be grateful if you could share this amongst your own networks to help us promote and gather interest in the role.
All the documentation for the Provider Improvement Fund (PIF) Project Management Support Opportunity Ref UTN S1 is available below:
PIF Tender Response Documentation UTN S1
PIF Tender Evaluation Methodology UTN S1
The closing date is 21st July 2021.
Greater Merseyside Learning Providers Federation (GMLPF) is proud to announce that it has been awarded the contract to deliver a £500k Provider Improvement Fund. This project is funded through the European Social Fund (ESF) and Strategic Investment Fund (SIF) and is being taken forward in conjunction with the Liverpool City Region Mayoral Combined Authority.
The Provider Improvement Fund (PIF) programme runs from June 2021 to September 2022 and will be financed by the European Social Fund and Strategic Investment Fund via the Liverpool City Region (LCR) Skills and Apprenticeship Hub project.
The PIF programme will offer a comprehensive portfolio of CPD resources and support to all LCR-based learning providers with registered offices, employees or delivery hubs located in the region. The focus will be on the provision of CPD to our region’s learning providers. Specifically, objectives are to improve the quality and delivery of post-16 education, enhance the relevance of learning provision (apprenticeships in particular), build the capacity of providers, develop their performance through the review of quality assurance processes, and upskill provider employees to improve the delivery of existing and future curriculum areas.
GMLPF will manage the funding to deliver training and support programmes where impact is likely to be most significant. Initial emphasis will be on quality assurance, leadership and management training, tutor training and curriculum development, boosting English, maths and digital skills, improving mental health awareness, increasing employer engagement, developing new and improved standards, and improving governance, audit and compliance processes.
Ian Lomas, CEO of GMLPF, comments:
“This latest contract win is not only hugely positive for GMLPF, our members and the wider learning provider community; it also signifies a terrific boost to our sector’s post-pandemic recovery.
” We welcome the financial support from the European Social Fund and the Strategic Investment Fund and the commitment of the LCR Mayoral Combined Authority to channel investment into the local provider base, working collaboratively with GMLPF. The Provider Improvement Fund will allow providers to raise standards and drive their businesses forward and innovate.”
Bev Ellis is Training Director at TRS Training, a local apprenticeships provider specialising in logistics and warehousing. She acknowledges the positive impact the new PIF programme will have on providers and employees alike. She comments:
“We are delighted to hear about the launch of the new Provider Improvement Fund in Liverpool City Region. With its focus on improving the quality, capacity and standard of skills training by developing learning provider capability, it promises to boost the learning experience for young people and adults across the region. This unprecedented investment in the development of skills provider staff will be a crucial driver for the success of programmes like Apprenticeships.
“We would like to thank both the LCR Mayoral Combined Authority and GMLPF for creating this unique opportunity, and of course the European Social Fund and Strategic Investment Fund for financing the programme.”
GMLPF has already been in consultation with providers throughout the Liverpool City Region and is looking to start an initial programme of CPD but will be rolling out a more detailed programme of research to help shape a calendar of CPD to be available on the GMLPF website.
If you are an LCR based learning provider who wants to know more about the programme or a supplier of CPD courses that might be of interest to providers wishing to develop their staff, please contact [email protected]
Members should have automatically received this update from Ofsted, which was sent out week commencing 28th June regarding an updated Education and Skills Inspection handbook. Of note is the increased focus on sexual harassment as part of an inspection and extended inspection intervals.
Ofsted has revised its further education and skills inspection handbook with effect from 1 September 2021. You can view this here:
In the meantime, the version of the handbook published on 19 April remains in use until 31 August 2021:
The key changes to come into effect from 1 September 2021 are as follows:
The safeguarding section (paragraphs 268 to 279) under ‘Leadership and management’ is updated to take into account the findings and recommendations of Ofsted’s review of sexual abuse in schools and colleges in the context of further education and skills provision. It is recommended that you read this section. This includes, in particular, a new section entitled: ‘Sexual harassment and violence and online sexual abuse between learners who are children or young people’ added at paragraphs 275 to 279 which applies specifically to colleges (ie GFECs and SFCs). This explains what inspectors will evaluate in the light of the findings and recommendations of the review report. It includes the expectation that we will meet with groups of learners, in particular single-sex groups, as part of the inspection of safeguarding (see paragraph 119) and confirms that we will ask for and look at cases of sexual abuse/ harassment incidents (just as we might for other safeguarding cases, paragraph 132).
The transitional arrangements we currently apply to take account of the impact of Covid are extended, with necessary modifications, to cover the transitional recovery period up to March 2022 (see paragraphs 10 to 24). It is recommended that you read this section.
Ofsted intends to return to a full programme of inspection activity, including full inspections of all types of provider, from the autumn term 2021, subject to an early review of conditions in September.
When Ofsted published the handbook in April 2021, they included extended inspection intervals to make allowance for the impact of COVID-19 and the fact that Ofsted had to suspend inspection activity from March 2020 (and is now making a phased return to full inspection activity). This is a reminder that the extended intervals are expressed in terms of ‘within’ a timescale. That still means Ofsted may inspect at any point ’within’ that timescale. Full details are provided within the further education and skills inspection handbook.
View the main extensions/ changes to timescales (for specific details please refer to the handbook).
