TRAINING PROVIDER SECURES BENEFITS FROM NATIONAL IMPROVEMENT PARTNER PROGRAMME

A national security sector-training provider is securing success with participation in one of the UK’s first quality improvement partner programmes. @talentedtrainin

Talented Training, based in Leeds, delivers a broad range of Security Industry Association (SIA) approved training and skills learning for hundreds of people looking to gain industry recognised qualifications to secure work as door supervisors and CCTV operators.

The company introduced Mesma’s subscription-based software in 2019 to help improve its model of quality assuranceacross frontline operations. The technology is used by training providers, colleges, universities, employment support providers and regulatory bodies to simplify complex processes, ensuring management information is used to target resources in the areas that have the most impact on the quality of the learner and customer experience.

Currently adopted by Talented Training’s senior management team but being rolled out to all 16 staff in the next 12 months including remotely located teachers, Mesma helps to centralise the management of important functions alongside more effective quality monitoring and feedback on progress against improvement plans. 

The software also contributes to the drive to continuously improve all round business performance according to quality manager, Karen Glencross, who enrolled the company in Mesma’s improvement partner programme – a move already reaping rewards.

The only one of its type in the UK, the programme utilises the company’s software to underpin collaborative action research opportunities for further education and skills providers to drive change and quality improvement.

The programme is designed to facilitate open and honest collaboration, removing barriers such as the ability to travel, time constraints and local competition, while allowing internal quality assurance outcomes to be opened-up to trusted external partners for scrutiny and to share ideas and solutions.

Karen Glencross said the value of the software as a tool to inform quality improvement is ‘priceless’ and added: “I’m better able to organise my time using Mesma; offering the flexibility to update actions and add SAR actions anytime, any place. For instance, I can quickly see when objectives are due and plan well in advance and then follow up with the Enquire module to check if they have been completed.”

A key element of the programme is Mesma’s support, which covers facilitating initial introductions among partners, including identifying collaborative themes and bringing the groups together online to share ideas to drive quality improvement.

“The value of the programme as a collaborative tool for improvement cannot be overstated,” said Karen Glencross. “Sharing ideas, swapping initiatives, seeing what works and what doesn’t, has enabled us to improve the way our learner assessments are carried out and tailor better training and learning resources. In other words, listening to other people’s experiences has led us to develop and implement a more productive plan for driving improvements in quality and compliance.”

Peer reviewing with training sector colleagues has been a big confidence booster for Talented Training, providing a high degree of reassurance that its self-assessment is robust and on track. The impact of working with Mesma on the quality of the learner experience has been positive, said Karen Glencross who added that the insight gained into how other organisations approach self-assessment has been revelatory.

“The use of the Observe module within insightQ has allowed us to identify areas of best practice and opportunities to improve our processes. We can better record learner progress, which is helping to improve the overall learning experience, ultimately improving our training provision and producing better qualified and more high skilled students, ready and fully equipped for the workplace.”

Louise Doyle, CEO at Mesma, said: “Our purpose is to help the people we work with do what matters most, for the people who matter most to them – their learners and customers. Technology is at its best when it brings people together with a shared goal and willingness to learn. We look forward to rolling out wave four of the programme in 2021.”

Mesma developed the platform to support clients Implement effective quality assurance and improvement processes, reducing complexity and cost. Their software and consultancy help an increasing number of training providers, colleges, universities, employment support providers and regulatory bodies simplify their approach, analyse data and target resources where most needed to continuously improve.