CAN Training

Further education and skills inspection report

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Can Training Independent Learning Provider

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate Apprenticeships Inadequate

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Inadequate

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Summary of key findings

 Leaders and managers do not ensure that the principles and requirements of an apprenticeship are met.  Leaders’ self-assessment reporting is inaccurate, and their improvement planning is ineffective. As a result, leaders and managers have failed to identify and improve the poor quality of education and training.  Leaders and managers do not have enough understanding of the progress that residential childcare apprentices make; almost all apprentices make slow progress on their programmes.  Managers do not ensure that rigorous assessments are completed to establish apprentices’ and learners’ starting points. As a result, assessors do not have a clear understanding of what apprentices and learners already know and what new knowledge and skills they need to learn.  Assessors do not plan and deliver challenging enough learning activities that ensure that apprentices and learners develop substantial new knowledge and skills.

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Summary of key findings

 Too many apprentices and learners do not produce work of a high enough standard based on their prior knowledge and experiences.  Assessors do not provide useful feedback to apprentices and learners to help them improve their work.  Staff do not provide effective support, advice and guidance to motivate residential childcare apprentices to complete their programme and prepare for the next steps in their career.

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Summary of key findings

The provider has the following strengths

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Summary of key findings

 Leaders and managers have developed good links with employers and a university.

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Information about the provider

 CAN Training (CAN) is a privately owned, independent learning provider based in Crewe. CAN specialise in providing apprenticeships and training to children’s residential care workers, fostering services, early years settings and organisations working with young people. CAN works with employers across the country. All apprenticeship training takes place in the workplace or at external venues. Currently, CAN provides training to around 150 apprentices and 27 adult learners at levels 3 and above. Just over half of all apprentices follow programmes in children’s residential care at level 3. Approximately 70% of apprentices follow frameworks, with the remainder following standards-based apprenticeships. A third of adult learners study level 3 qualifications in residential childcare and a third study level 5 leadership and management in residential childcare. The provider has no subcontracted provision.

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What does the provider need to do to improve further?

 Implement an effective system to monitor apprentices’ and learners’ progress. Ensure that appropriate intervention strategies are put in place to help apprentices and learners catch up when they fall behind.  Ensure that an appropriate supervisory body is recruited to hold leaders and managers to account.  Improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment by ensuring that: – assessors collect and use the information on apprentices’ and learners’ starting points to identify what they need to learn so that assessors plan and deliver learning programmes that meet apprentices’, employers’ and learners’ needs – all apprentices receive their entitlement to high-quality off-the-job training – assessors work with employers to plan training programmes and to review the progress of their apprentices – managers implement clear actions for assessors to improve the quality of their teaching, learning and assessment to ensure that apprentices and learners acquire

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What does the provider need to do to improve further?

substantial new knowledge and skills and make expected levels of progress – assessors provide helpful feedback to apprentices and learners so that they know how to improve the quality of their skills and work and achieve their potential.  Leaders should improve the effectiveness of leadership and management by ensuring that: – they accurately identify the strengths and weaknesses of the provision in the self- assessment report – they set clear and specific targets in improvement plans to make swift improvements – they diligently monitor the progress that managers make in improving the provision – staff have specific performance targets and knowledge of what they need to do to improve.  Provide thorough careers information, advice and guidance to prepare and inspire apprentices and learners for their next steps and future careers.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

 Leaders and managers do not ensure that the provision meets the principles and requirements of apprenticeship programmes. They do not ensure that apprentices receive their full entitlement to off-the-job training. They do not identify or take the necessary actions when apprentices make slow progress or question why this is the case. Consequently, apprentices make consistently slow progress on their programmes, over a long period of time, and fail to improve the standard of their work.  Leaders and managers do not have an accurate oversight of the quality of teaching, learning and assessment. They have failed to identify accurately the poor quality of education and training that apprentices and learners receive. As a result, they have failed to put in place enough improvements to enhance apprentices’ and learners’ learning experiences.  Leaders and managers do not demonstrate high expectations for apprentices to make at

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

least their expected levels of progress. Managers’ actions to improve and increase the rate of progress that apprentices make are ineffective.  Managers have failed to ensure that assessors receive high-quality professional training and development. Assessors do not receive enough support from their managers to help them to improve. The development that assessors receive is not sufficiently precise to support them to improve their practice rapidly enough to benefit their apprentices and learners.  Leaders’ and managers’ improvement plans are ineffective. They do not clearly identify what changes are needed to improve the poor experiences that apprentices and learners receive. Too often, leaders set bold objectives to be achieved but they do not identify precise timescales to ensure that swift improvement occurs. Leaders have poor oversight of the progress that managers are making in improving the standard of education and training.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

 The management of staff performance is poor. Managers do not have rigorous processes in place to monitor assessors’ performance in their job role. Assessors do not have clear or specific performance targets. Consequently, assessors have insufficient knowledge of their strengths and weaknesses or what they need to do to improve their performance.  Support, advice and guidance for apprentices and learners are poor. When apprentices fall behind in their programme, too many leave as they are not given the support to catch up. The apprenticeship leavers often enrol onto the diploma course without fully understanding the implications on their future careers.  Leaders and managers do not ensure that apprentices and learners have a secure understanding of equality and diversity. Apprentices and learners do not fully understand the expectations and behaviours they need to be successful in their workplace.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

 Senior leaders have developed effective partnerships with employers and a university. This supports the company’s planned growth in working with learners and developing learning programmes to level 7 in the care sector.

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The governance of the provider

 Governance does not exist. Leaders and managers do not ensure that appropriate governance arrangements are in place. There is no external oversight that challenges or scrutinises the quality of the training and education that CAN provides. Consequently, leaders and managers are not held to account to improve swiftly the standard of education and training. Managers rightly recognise that this is an area for immediate improvement and are taking appropriate action to rectify this.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  The designated safeguarding lead has received appropriate training to carry out this role effectively. Staff receive appropriate training in safeguarding. They are aware of their responsibilities for the ‘Prevent’ duty. Staff know how to support apprentices and ensure that, if a referral needs to be made, they follow the correct processes and procedures. Managers ensure appropriate checking for criminal records for assessors of apprentices aged 16 to 18.  Leaders and managers identified a gap in their recruitment practices and now ensure that checks on staff qualifications and references are thorough.  Apprentices and learners feel safe and know how to keep themselves safe at work and online. Most know how to recognise the dangers associated with radicalisation and extremism. Apprentices in the care sector have been involved in reviewing their employers’ safeguarding policies as part of the apprenticeship programme. They can

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Safeguarding

articulate the processes they need to follow, should they have any safeguarding concerns.  Leaders and managers acknowledge that they did not have clear policies and procedures for dealing with apprentices who go missing from education. As a result, a new process has been implemented.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

 Managers and assessors do not plan the curriculum for apprentices well enough. Too many apprentices and learners are unable to apply theoretical knowledge to their workplace practice because they do not receive their full entitlement to off-the-job training. As a result, too many make slow progress.  Managers do not ensure that rigorous enough assessments of apprentices’ and learners’ starting points are completed. Consequently, assessors do not have a clear understanding of what apprentices and learners already know and what new knowledge and skills they need to learn. As a result, apprentices do not develop substantial new knowledge and skills. The vast majority do not achieve to the level of which they are capable.  Assessors do not use their knowledge and experience sufficiently to plan, sequence and coordinate effective on- and off-the job training. They place too much emphasis on the assessment of qualifications rather than ensuring that apprentices learn something new.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

 Assessors do not give useful feedback to help apprentices and learners understand how to improve the quality of their work. On too many occasions, assessors’ feedback is cursory and unhelpful. It focuses too much on confirming whether assessment criteria have been met or where more evidence is required, rather than ensuring that apprentices and learners understand how they could improve further.  Assessors do not always use apprentices’ English, mathematics and ICT assessments, completed at the start of the course, to plan learning activities to develop apprentices’ skills. Apprentices who have already achieved their qualifications required to complete their apprenticeship are not challenged to develop these skills further. Too few apprentices make the expected progress towards the achievement of their functional skills qualifications. Apprentices who fail these examinations do not receive the support they

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

need to improve, and consequently they lose confidence and the motivation to learn.  Assessors’ reviews of apprentices’ and learners’ progress are weak. The discussions often focus on tasks completed against qualification requirements and pay little attention to the development of the knowledge, skills, behaviours and understanding necessary in the workplace. Most employers are not involved in their apprentices’ reviews. As a result, apprentices do not know what they need to do to improve in their workplace. A few apprentices are unaware of the grades they are aiming for or the arrangements for end- point assessment.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Inadequate

 The vast majority of apprentices make slow or very slow progress on their programmes. They do not develop substantial new knowledge and skills as part of their apprenticeship. Records of apprentices’ progress contain insufficient detail as to how apprentices can improve their employment-related skills, including English and mathematics.  Assessors do not have high enough expectations for what apprentices and learners can achieve. On too many occasions, apprentices and learners produce work of a standard that is below what they are capable and so do not achieve their potential.  Apprentices and learners do not receive sufficiently high-quality support and guidance that inspires and motivates them to achieve. For example, several apprentices are not fully aware of the arrangements for end-point assessment, nor are they aware of the grade they are working towards. Others do not know if they are following a standards-

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Inadequate

based or framework apprenticeship.  Apprentices and learners, particularly those working in the residential care sector, feel safe and have a good understanding of how to keep themselves safe at work and online. They can articulate the processes they need to follow should they have any safeguarding concerns. They have a good understanding of the risks associated with radicalisation and extremism. However, apprentices in other business environments do not have the same level of understanding of these important topics.  Apprentices can link their understanding of British values to the workplace. For example, apprentices working in the care sector identify the importance of promoting tolerance and diversity when working with young people in a residential setting who need support in working together to overcome cultural differences.

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Outcomes for learners Inadequate

 Apprentices’ progress is poor. Most apprentices have not completed their programme within the planned time. Current apprentices are not developing enough new knowledge and skills.  The proportion of apprentices and learners who stay on their course until the end is low. In 2018/19, around a quarter of apprentices left their course early. One fifth of apprentices who are due to complete their course in 2019/20 have already left their programme.  Achievements of adult learners is low. Around a third of adult learners leave their course without achieving. Most of those who stay on their programme until the end pass their qualification.  Apprentices make slow progress in developing their English, mathematical and ICT skills. This is because leaders have failed to prioritise the development of these skills until very recently. Too few apprentices who need to achieve their functional skills qualifications in

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Outcomes for learners Inadequate

English, mathematics and ICT do so.  Managers do not routinely collect accurate information on the destinations of apprentices and learners. The destinations for three quarters of recent leavers are unknown. Consequently, managers cannot evaluate how effective the provision is in meeting the specific needs of apprentices and learners.  The standard of work produced by apprentices is at the level expected to meet requirements for their qualifications. Written work is well presented and well structured. In a few cases, apprentices use technical terminology effectively. Too often, assessors focus on meeting the minimum requirements expected. As a result, they fail to develop apprentices’ skills and knowledge to enable apprentices to produce work to the highest standards of which they are capable.

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Provider details

Type of provider Independent learning provider

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Provider details

Approximate number of all learners over the previous full contract year Principal/CEO Ann Gaffney

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Provider information at the time of the inspection

Main course or learning programme level Level 1 or below Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 or above Total number of learners (excluding apprenticeships) 16–18 19+ 16–18 19+ 16–18 19+ 16–18 19+

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Provider information at the time of the inspection

– – – – 1 16 – 11 Number of apprentices by apprenticeship level and age Intermediate Advanced Higher

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Provider information at the time of the inspection

16–18 19+ 16–18 19+ 16–18 19+ 1 – 1 105 – 45 Number of traineeships 16–19 19+ Total – – – Number of learners aged 14 to –

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Provider information at the time of the inspection

Number of learners for which the provider receives high- needs funding –

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Provider information at the time of the inspection

At the time of inspection, the provider contracts with the following main subcontractors: –

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Information about this inspection

The inspection team was assisted by the head of quality, as nominee. Inspectors took account of the provider’s most recent self-assessment report and development plans. Inspectors used group and individual interviews, telephone calls and online questionnaires to gather the views of learners and employers; these views are reflected within the report. They also observed learning sessions. The inspection took into account all relevant provision at the provider.

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Inspection team

Alastair Mollon, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Maria Rayworth Ofsted Inspector guidance ‘Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Inspection team

Learner View Learner View is a website where learners can tell Ofsted what they think about their college or provider. They can also see what other learners think about them too. To find out more go to www.learnerview.ofsted.gov.uk .

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Inspection team

Employer View Employer View is a website where employers can tell Ofsted what they think about their employees’ college or provider. They can also see what other employers think about them too. To find out more go to www.employerview.ofsted.gov.uk .

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Inspection team

excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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