Home Group Limited

The Home Group Limited Monitoring visit report

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Name of lead inspector: Christopher Jones, Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Type of provider: Independent learning provider

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Address:

2 Gosforth Park Way Salters Lane Newcastle upon Tyne NE12 8ET Monitoring visit: The Home Group Limited, 16–17 May 2019

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Context and focus of visit

From October 2018, Ofsted undertook to carry out monitoring visits to all newly directly funded providers of apprenticeship training provision which began to be funded from April 2017 or after by ESFA and/or the apprenticeship levy. This monitoring visit was undertaken as part of those arrangements and as outlined in the Further education and skills inspection handbook, especially the sections entitled ‘Providers newly directly funded to deliver apprenticeship training provision’ and ‘Monitoring visits’. The focus of these visits is on the themes set out below.

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Context and focus of visit

The Home Group Limited (Home Group) is a large national housing association. It is one of the largest providers of new homes and houses for affordable rent in the country, providing long-term integrated housing, health and social care to vulnerable young people and adults. As a levy-paying employer, it contracts with nine external apprenticeship providers. At the time of the monitoring visit, Home Group was training 70 apprentices through its own apprenticeship training division, Tyneside Foyer, to meet a variety of service needs in adult social care, housing, business administration, customer service, management, hospitality and contact centre operations. Forty-two of the apprentices were Home Group customers; these were vulnerable young people and adults in Home Group accommodation or receiving Home Group care and support. Four apprentices were new employees from outside the organisation. Twenty-four apprentices were employees who were improving their

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Context and focus of visit

skills or moving into new job roles. Fifty-one apprentices were working to apprenticeship standards at levels 2 and 3. Ten apprentices were on frameworks at levels 2 and 3. Nine managers were level 5 care leadership and management apprentices.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders do not take enough responsibility to ensure that their service managers comply with the requirements for apprenticeships. They do not monitor closely enough the time that apprentices spend in training away from the workplace.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders and managers recruit apprentices with integrity. The company’s employment services team works closely with service managers across Home Group to give apprentices the careers advice and guidance necessary to begin work in the right roles. However, managers do not do enough with the information that they receive about apprentices’ prior knowledge, skills and experience to adjust the duration and content of the apprenticeship when it is appropriate to do so. Monitoring visit: The Home Group Limited, 16–17 May 2019 Leaders and managers have identified key areas of business support throughout Home Group that can offer job roles to vulnerable adults and young people. Consequently, they provide apprenticeships in areas that support their residents and service users to live independently and securely. They fund the salaries paid to apprentices from a central fund so that apprentices without prior work experience

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Insufficient progress

can work as additional members of staff and gain valuable personal resilience and work skills.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders and managers see apprenticeships as vital to the stability and long-term growth of Home Group. Around three quarters of apprentices are Home Group customers. Many have had chaotic and unstable home lives and histories that mean they find it difficult to gain employment or accommodation elsewhere. Home Group provides them with housing and access to the training and support that they need to help them begin work as Home Group employees.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders, managers, assessors and workplace mentors work well with apprentices to develop the knowledge, skills and behaviours that they need to become successful and effective employees. Apprentices develop as confident and resilient workers, showing, for example, that they can work independently and without supervision to keep residences safe and well maintained.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices benefit from high-quality, mandatory off-the-job training that complements the knowledge and skills that they gain from their training in the workplace. They also benefit from gaining a comprehensive understanding of the work that Home Group does as a socially responsible housing association. Apprentices develop an appetite for learning, develop new skills quickly, and take on additional training in, for example, proof reading and using databases. Apprentices who begin work in one service area, such as customer support or contact centre operations, can move into other areas, such as adult social care.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices who complete their programmes benefit from a job guarantee and often progress into higher level training. Most apprentices progress from a level 2 apprenticeship to a permanent job, further training or a level 3 apprenticeship. Almost all level 3 apprentices who have completed their programme gained a permanent role during their training.

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Reasonable progress

Assessors and workplace mentors are knowledgeable and supportive. Apprentices value the support that they receive. They appreciate the well-directed care and understanding that their colleagues show when they need support to improve and maintain emotional health and well-being. The large proportion of apprentices who Monitoring visit: The Home Group Limited, 16–17 May 2019 complete and go on to get a job with Home Group enjoy working for the company and strive to do their best because Home Group has invested in their development and financial security.

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Reasonable progress

Despite this effective support, a small number of apprentices do not complete their apprenticeships because they find the transition to employment too challenging. They get the help they need to find appropriate follow-on training.

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Reasonable progress

Through monthly reviews of the progress that apprentices make, managers and assessors identify when apprentices are at risk of falling behind and provide additional support to help apprentices complete their work on time. Leaders and managers know how well individual apprentices are doing but cannot easily judge where there are inconsistencies in the quality of training, which results in a small number of apprentices not doing as well as they could.

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Reasonable progress

Managers are aware that assessors do not give apprentices working to an apprenticeship standard the feedback and direction that they need to prepare for the higher levels of attainment in end-point assessments. Leaders have plans to improve assessors’ understanding of the requirements of apprenticeship standards.

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Reasonable progress

Effective safeguarding is central to the work that Home Group does with its apprentices.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers ensure that apprentices and other employees go through the required pre-employment checks. They have put appropriate and proportionate safeguarding policies in place. Through well-structured induction and mandatory training, apprentices understand the complex and challenging backgrounds of their customers and how to make sure that they and their customers are safe.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices have a well-developed understanding of safeguarding and the risks of radicalisation and extremism. They appreciate the risks associated with working online and are knowledgeable about grooming, substance misuse and gang membership. They apply their knowledge well by, for example, handling sensitive information about customers carefully and respectfully. As a result of their training, apprentices recognise and can act appropriately when there is a perceived risk. Monitoring visit: The Home Group Limited, 16–17 May 2019 the 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 . Learner View Learner View is a website where learners can tell Ofsted what they think about their college or

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Reasonable progress

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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Reasonable progress

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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Reasonable progress

achieve 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. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

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Reasonable progress

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Reasonable progress

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Reasonable progress

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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