Quality improvement

In education there has been a gradual move from quality assurance to quality improvement so that the focus of quality processes is on improving provision. Learning and skills providers who know how to improve the quality of the provision themselves generally offer better learning provision and are less dependent on external agencies, such as inspectors, telling them what they need to improve. Self-assessment reports are accurate because quality processes have thoroughly informed judgments. We have a schedule of quality improvement activities that we believe reflects the most effective things that the better providers undertake to improve the quality of their provision.

Action or development planning

Action or development plans are produced as part of quality improvement procedures to set out how and when improvements will be made (linked to self-assessment and inspection reports).

Benchmarking

A 'benchmark' is a standard against which activities can be measured. Providers considering the use of benchmarks need to decide what aspects of their performance should be benchmarked and where they should look to decide on their benchmarks. The point of any benchmarking is to give a standard against which performance can be measured with a view to improving current standards.

Feedback

Feedback is an essential part of quality improvement that lets a provider know how they are doing in delivering training and assessment. It should involve all those involved in the training process, including learners, staff and employers.

Internal audit or quality checks

Internal audits are carried out as part of quality improvement procedures to ensure that paperwork and procedures linked to training are implemented in the way intended. Audits often have more on checking paperwork is in place rather than informing the provider how well processes are being carried out.

Internal verification in NVQ programmes

Internal verification involves quality checking procedures concerned with ensuring that assessment is carried out fairly and consistently to national standards and that any faults are improved. It should involve planned sampling of all assessment methods and units of qualifications with the aim of improving assessment practice.

Observation

Observation is part of quality improvement systems where staff carrying out teaching or other key activities (action planning, reviews, tutorials, support) are observed, judgments are made and feedback is given. Action planning may follow and results are used for self assessment.

Peer review and development

Peer review and development is the process whereby small groups of provider's quality assure each others' key quality improvement processes such as observations of teaching and learning and self-assessment reporting. This often mirrors inspection activity but is another way of validating internal quality improvement judgments.

Procedures

Quality procedures basically detail how key parts of the learning cycle should be carried out and monitored in a provider. They help to ensure consistency in approach to teaching, interviewing, reviews, etc.

Programme review (reviewing training)

Reviews of training programmes establish how a course that has just been run has performed. They form a key part of quality improvement procedures and provide information on performance from recruitment to achievement and progression.

Quality improvement of subcontractors

Subcontractors should carry out their role in training at least as well as the main contract holder (provider). Quality improvement procedures and management should help ensure that they are subject to the quality system of the main provider.

Quality policy

A quality policy should lay out the approach of the provider to both the quality assurance and improvement of training.

Self-assessment process and reporting

The self-assessment process should lead to at least an annual report by providers of government funded training in order to say 'this is where we are now'. The report should make clear judgments linked to the Common Inspection Framework and grade areas in the same way as Ofsted inspection reports.

Sharing good practice

This is a two-fold process in that it involves identification and sharing of good practice that occurs both within a provider and between providers. You can find good practice through reading Ofsted inspection reports of the best providers, good practice examples on the Excellence Gateway and through observation of training processes.

Use of data for quality improvement

Data can be used to tell the story of how well a provider is doing and to help set targets for improvement. Used properly it is a key tool to improve performance. It is a crucial source of evidence for self-assessment reports, funding bodies and inspection.

In our industry we have several quality frameworks which we aspire to:

• Ofsted
• Framework for Excellence
• Training Quality Standard
• ISO 9001

Ofsted is the Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills. It regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. Ofsted wants to raise aspirations and contribute to the long term achievement of ambitious standards and better life chances for service users. Their educational, economic and social well-being will in turn promote England's national success. We were awarded an Overall Grade 2 in August 2009: read our Ofsted report

The Framework for Excellence (FfE) is the Government's performance assessment tool for further education colleges and post-16 education and training providers who receive public funding.

The FfE has been designed in consultation with the sector and other partners including the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), the Department of Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) and Ofsted.

It has a small number of core performance indicators that will apply to all types of provider. The core indictors are supplemented by specific indicators that are relevant to particular types of provider and provision.

The table below sets out the FfE indicators for 2009/10.

We are looking forward to the published results in June 2010.

Financial Management and Control Evaluation (FMCE) 2009/10

The FMCE documents for 2009/10 that are to be completed by all colleges and providers in scope for the 09/10 Framework for Excellence. Our Financial Management and Control Evaluation was submitted to the Learning and Skills Council in January 2010. The Learning and Skills Council supported accountability, assurance and affordability and had a remit to ensure that providers delivered value for money. Our financial audit in October 2009 gave us a clean bill of health!

Training Quality Standard

Good training develops employees' skills and makes a difference to workplace performance. Good training providers support their customers with responsive service, ensure that their service will meet the customer's specific business needs, and back up their delivery with the right knowledge and expertise. At their best, these training providers focus on achieving impact and are looking constantly to improve what they do. The Training Quality Standard measures training delivery against these ideals. The Standard helps employers to know which organisations can deliver it to them; and it helps providers by offering a measure of how well their operations live up to the aspiration.

ISO 9001

Every organisation would like to improve the way it operates, whether that means increasing market share, driving down costs, managing risk more effectively or improving customer satisfaction. A quality management system gives the framework needed to monitor and improve performance in any area you choose. ISO 9001 is by far the world's most established quality framework, currently being used by around 897,000 organizations in 170 countries worldwide, and sets the standard not only for quality management systems, but management systems in general.

It helps all kinds of organizations to succeed through improved customer satisfaction, staff motivation and continual improvement. We aim to achieve this standard by December 2010