Skills and Enterprise Development Academy (SEDA) - Ofsted

Skills and Enterprise Development
Academy (SEDA)
Focused monitoring visit report
Unique reference number: 58374
Name of lead inspector: Richard Beynon HMI
Last day of inspection: 14 December 2010
Type of provider: Independent learning provider
Address:
Published date 21 January 2011
Inspection Number 365542
225-229 Commercial Road
London E1 2BT
Telephone number: 02077 913355

Focused monitoring visit: Skills and Enterprise Development Academy (SEDA), 14 December 2010 1 of 5
FOCUSED MONITORING VISIT: MAIN FINDINGS
Context and focus of visit
Skills and Enterprise Development Agency (SEDA) is a voluntary sector not for profit
training provider focusing on small and medium enterprises within minority ethnic
communities.
Under a contract with the Skills Funding Agency, SEDA provides National Vocational
Qualifications (NVQs) at levels 1 to 4 in customer services, business administration,
information and communication technology (ICT), road passenger vehicle driving,
and food and hygiene. The company also provides NVQ level 3 assessment
qualifications (A1), NVQ level 4 internal verification qualifications (V1), advice and
guidance NVQs at levels 3 and 4, and literacy and numeracy skills qualifications. On
an individual level, SEDA offers tutorial and practical tuition and training, job
preparation, advice and guidance, mentoring, confidence building and personal
development. SEDA predominantly provides training in East and West London
boroughs, but also covers wider North East and other Greater London boroughs. Two
directors, two senior managers, eight assessors and trainers, and two administrative
staff manage the provision. The company’s previous inspection was in October 2008.
Grades were satisfactory in all areas.
Themes
Self-assessment and improvement planning
What is the provider’s capacity to self-assess and make and
sustain improvements?
Reasonable
progress
The previous inspection judged SEDA’s arrangements for quality improvement to be
incomplete with many activities either informal or new to the organisation. Initial
assessment arrangements are now more relevant to the learner programmes and
form a sound basis for further actions, including identification of any language or
communication support needs. Prior learning and experience are assessed
effectively, with this information used to ensure learners start at the correct NVQ
level. All assessors are observed using a feedback sheet that covers the assessment
process well. However, in some instances, the comments describe what the assessor
did rather than evaluate how well the assessment went. A more structured approach
to collecting and using learner and employer feedback has improved some of the
processes and reduced bureaucracy within the training. At the previous inspection
only two members of staff were qualified assessors; there are now twelve. A clear
training plan is in place to increase the number of internal verifiers and the number
of staff with an information, advice and guidance (IAG) qualification at level 4. All
staff contribute to the self-assessment process and increasingly effective use is made
of employer and learner views within the subsequent report.

Focused monitoring visit: Skills and Enterprise Development Academy (SEDA), 14 December 2010 2 of 5
Outcomes for learners
What progress has SEDA made in raising achievements and
outcomes for learners?
Significant
progress
Significant progress has been made since the previous inspection in raising outcomes
for learners. Across a three-year period, both overall and timely achievement of
NVQs has risen steadily. In skills for life literacy NVQ at level 1, timely achievement
has risen from 7.9% in 2007/08 to the current 79%, which is around five points
above the national average. Timely completion for customer service NVQs at level 2
has risen by around twenty percentage points and now stands at 97%, which is
nearly thirty points above the national average. For customer service NVQs at level 3,
timely completion stands at 100%, which is thirty-six points above the national
average. These increases in success rates have been brought about against a
background of significantly increased enrolments.
Employers report that levels of confidence and motivation are improving as a result
of the work undertaken by SEDA. Punctuality and attendance are also getting better.
In one organisation, a number of learners are now eager to apply for paid work,
progressing from the voluntary roles they currently have.
Quality of provision
What progress has SEDA made in improving individualised
planning and progress monitoring for learners?
Significant
progress
Significant progress has been made in the development of useful individual learning
plans (ILPs) and meaningful monitoring systems for learners. A new ILP gives much
improved planning, progress monitoring and evaluation opportunities, and is well
used by assessors and managers to plan training and identify learners’ needs.
Employers are fully involved in the initial planning of training at a three-way meeting,
with assessor, learners and employer present to discuss needs and training plans.
Employers also receive a good level of information about learners’ progress during
training. ILPs are now used effectively to monitor training, along with a clear and
well-used learner progress tracking form. Additional training and support needs are
swiftly identified and effective support is put in place. Assessors maintain clear and
frequently-updated records of learners’ progress, following weekly workplace review
and assessment visits to learners.
How has the planning for and embedding of skills for life
learning been improved?
Significant
progress
The development of skills for life provision was in the early stages at the previous
inspection, with progress identified on the implementation plan and some raising of
staff awareness having taken place. Skills for life are now successfully embedded into
the NVQ programmes and achievement of literacy and numeracy qualifications has
increased from 59% in 2007/08 to 94% in 2009/10. SEDA works well with employers

Focused monitoring visit: Skills and Enterprise Development Academy (SEDA), 14 December 2010 3 of 5
when recruiting learners and makes good use of an initial screening tool to identify
learners who may need to be signposted to another provider. The individual learning
plan is clearly linked to the initial training plan.
Learners respond well to the early identification of their strengths and areas for
improvement; for some learners this is the first time their strengths have been
acknowledged. The skills for life programme is very well structured, developing
background knowledge followed by practice tests. Learners undertake appropriate
additional activities if they do not achieve a suitable score on the practice test.
Assessors have effectively incorporated skills for life activities into the main
programme. Awareness training for staff is good, with the skills for life coordinator
ensuring assessors are kept up to date with new developments and supplied with
helpful additional resources.
Leadership and management
What progress has SEDA made in improving the
effectiveness and use of management information systems?
Significant
progress
Managers now engage in effective data gathering and review activities. All key staff
have a good understanding of the progress of various cohorts of learners, and are
clear about actions to maintain and improve progress. Weekly assessor visits are
swiftly translated into meaningful and accessible data that allow managers and
assessors to act appropriately when learners fall behind with their training. Managers
review progress frequently, and senior management team meetings have a clear
focus on learners’ progress and success. Information systems have been well
structured to produce clear reports for managers and assessors to access. All key
data reports are available remotely as well as in the networked learning centre.
What progress has been made in ensuring that staff have
appropriate development and training for equality and
diversity and safeguarding matters?
Reasonable
progress
Although equality of opportunity was satisfactory at the previous inspection, staff
development was judged to be insufficient, and safeguarding arrangements did not
include formal risk assessments of employers’ premises. A clear equalities policy is
now in place and this is shared with employers and other partners. The board of
directors sets improvement targets and effectively monitors equality and diversity.
The board has a good gender balance and from January 2011 another female board
member will take up a post. Staff are clear about how to deal with sensitive
emotional or cultural issues and, where appropriate, a female member of staff will
attend a support session or assessment. Learners are given formal opportunities to
raise any concerns on at least three occasions and also have contact details of key
members of staff. Learners feel well informed and comfortable about raising any
concerns they may have. Good progress has been made in broadening the gender
balance among learners. The proportion of female learners has significantly
increased and is now at 37% compared with 8% at the inspection. SEDA has also
increased the range and diversity of businesses it now works with. The routine use of

Focused monitoring visit: Skills and Enterprise Development Academy (SEDA), 14 December 2010 4 of 5
data to monitor improvements and set targets is very good. Staffing reflects the
culture of the local community well, although there are still too few female assessors.
The organisation acknowledges this.
The welfare and safety of learners is a high priority for SEDA. However, the
development of formal arrangements for safeguarding is slow. Plans are in place for
a key member of staff to receive training as the designated safeguarding officer and
regular awareness training sessions are currently being planned.

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