Policies

Customer Care Policy

We are committed to listening and responding to our customers, employees, associates and partners, to offer choice, access and flexibility. We aim to improve our services through customer feedback – positive or negative – and always welcome the opportunity to put things right if a problem has occurred.

Click here to view our Customer Care Policy

 

Whistleblowing Procedure

Babcock is very keen to ensure all of its sectors are operating safely, ethically and legally. To ensure this is always the case staff can use our Group confidential whistleblowing service to report any suspicions they may have concerning cases of malpractice or misconduct.

This service can be used if staff feel they are unable to raise concerns with local management teams. However any routine day-to-day issues of purely operational differences of view should be dealt with by local management.

The reporting service is confidential and is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Here are some examples of the issues that staff can report in confidence using the whistleblowing service:

  • Breaches of the Babcock Code of Conduct (including any suspected or attempted act of bribery of or by a Babcock employee, representative, contractor or agent)
  • Criminal offences or activities
  • Exposing fraud
  • Issues of bullying or harassment
  • Financial mismanagement or corruption
  • Endangering of individual health and safety
  • Failure to comply with legal obligations or breaches of legislation
  • Payments in exchange for awarding contracts
  • Risks to the environment
  • Occurrence of a miscarriage of justice

Any concerns reported will be investigated by an appropriate member staff and anyone reporting a genuine belief of malpractice or misconduct will be protected within the confines of the law. If you have a genuine belief please use the reporting system so we can put a stop to any wrong doing in our company.

If you are an employee in the UK, you can use one of the following options to report a concern:
Telephone: 0808 100 5689 (access code: 22226#)

Email: via www.intouchfeedback.com/babcock (access code: 22226#)

Write to:
In Touch (Babcock)
Blythe Valley Innovation Centre
Blythe Valley Park
Solihul
West Midlands
B90 8AJ

 

Babcock Training Limited & Babcock Skills Development and Training Limited strategic aims

Babcock deliver training and apprenticeships nationally across a diverse range of sectors. Our programmes are built to respond to the complex requirements of the employers we work with and delivery models consider the current and emerging needs of learners, their working environments and wider skills development.

Curriculums which include delivery from partner providers are key to our response to national and local needs for example in our delivery of Degree Apprenticeships, our Higher Education partners are an integral element to meeting the bespoke needs of our critical services employers.

We recognise the requirement to reduce the volume of subcontracted ESFA post-16 income and have such, developed a clear strategic framework for the use of sub-contractors in ESFA procured and non-procured activity.

In line with the requirement, Babcock will only consider sub-contracting elements of our ESFA funded provision in the following circumstances:

  • To utilise subject matter expertise where it doesn’t exist within Babcock
  • To support better geographical access for learners and the requirements of employers
  • To provide experiential learning opportunities which add value to the learners experience
  • To provide Higher Education expertise and Degree Awarding Powers

 

Governance for Subcontracting

Any curriculum which is enhanced by the use of sub-contractors for specific elements will have an educational rational for the subcontracted provision in place. These will be agreed before delivery with the Director of Civil Training and reviewed annually by Board.

 

Procurement

Babcocks Procurement & Supply Chain (P&SC) strategy is adopted across the training business. Based on achieving excellence in P&SC, the approach incorporates the Group’s functional standards, and a collaborative approach with the supply chain. We recognise suppliers as a vital extension to our business and a fundamental component in achieving businesses objectives.

Any aspect of ESFA funded delivery that is subcontracted to a third party is managed by P&SC with a robust key supply management activity. This activity is supported by subject matter experts (SMEs) from the operational contract and quality assurance activity from the quality teams.

Only suppliers approved on the Approved Vender List (AVL) can be selected. This AVL ensures partner providers have been scrutinised as per Babcock requirements before entering into any sub-contracted activity.

 

Due Diligence

All potential partner providers undergo through due diligence which includes:

  • Financial stability – a fit-for-business assessment
  • Suitability against requirement – a fit-for-purpose assessment
  • Organisational overview – management structure, directly employed staff, any outsourced activity
  • Evidence of appropriate capacity and expertise of staff
  • Evidence of previous delivery and results
  • Consideration of added value
  • Robust quality assurance systems
  • Current status with ESFA / other funding bodies and totality of provision with other providers
  • Evidence of required registers and accreditations such as the RoATP

 

Contract Management

Once a contract is in place, regular meetings between P&SC and the supplier will be scheduled to check operational performance against the SLA and KPIs.

Stakeholders, including a nominated quality lead and an operational lead, will contribute at such reviews. The reviews provide a forum where all issues (positive and negative) are addressed and where required remedial actions agreed and monitored. Progression monitoring, safeguarding / welfare concerns and learner / employer complaints are mandatory returns from all sub-contractors.

Continued underperformance will be managed accordingly and could include suspension of the subcontractor from the contracts Approved Vendor List (AVL) and starting a process to identify a suitable replacement. Where this action is taken, it shall be done in a timely manner and will focus on minimising the impact to learners. If a new subcontractor is proposed, or changes to current contracts agreed, P&SC will lead the activity in conjunction with the contract and quality lead. This process includes a review of the educational rational for sub-contracting for the curriculum which requires re-approval from the Director of Civil Training.

 

Management Fee Policy

Babcock Training do not subcontract whole programmes. Provision that is subcontracted relate to specific elements of Apprenticeship Programmes and costs for delivery are agreed with each subcontractor, Babcock does not charge a management fee for this element of subcontracting.

The following support and facilities will be made available to subcontracting organisations at no additional charge to them

  • Allocated contract manager to provide support on the management and administration of the subcontracted provision and answer any enquiries
  • Updates on key sector information including funding and eligibility changes
  • Learner data audits to ensure compliance against ESFA guidelines
  • Quality assurance audits detailing all feedback and recommendations
  • Teaching and learning observations and learner feedback to provide feedback and support to improve the quality of provision

When there is a clear educational rational for the use of sub-contractor, a dedicated procurement process is undertaken and partner providers are invited to quote for and receive 100% payment for the work they do.

 

Payment Terms

We want to spend time talking to our suppliers about new ideas, operational performance and total cost opportunities – not about payment. We understand the importance of predictable customer payments when running a business. Babcock is a signatory in the UK to the Prompt Payment Code and we would encourage others to do so.

Our suppliers have a critical responsibility for getting paid on time – by delivering on time and in full, following the required billing processes, and adhering to our standards for invoicing.

 

Subcontractors in active partnerships with Babcock Training

 

Remote Education Offer

Please click here to view our remote education offer.

Policy reviewed and updated on 15/06/22