Absolute Care Training & Education Ltd

Absolute Care Training & Education Ltd 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: 3 Defender Court Sunderland Enterprise Park Sunderland SR5 3PE Monitoring visit: Absolute Care Training & Education Ltd, 18 – 19 June 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 the Education and Skills Funding Agency 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

Absolute Care Training and Education Limited has had its own contract to deliver higher-level apprenticeships since 2016. It began delivering apprenticeships at levels 2 and 3 in 2018. At the time of this monitoring visit, 72 apprentices were on an apprenticeship standard, of whom eight were level 2 adult care workers, 63 were level 3 lead adult care workers and one was a level 3 senior healthcare support worker. Currently, 52 apprentices are on an apprenticeship framework, of whom two are business administrators at levels 3 and 4, 27 are level 5 care leadership and management apprentices, 15 are level 3 children’s care learning and development apprentices, one is a level 3 learning and development apprentice and seven are business management apprentices at levels 2, 3, 4 and 5.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers have a clear and appropriate apprenticeship strategy. They understand the recruitment and training needs for the adult and residential childcare workforce. They work closely with employers to meet these needs and have introduced a new apprenticeship in residential childcare that meets the precise needs of a local employer.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers work well with employers to ensure that apprentices have time away from work for learning activities. They ensure, through frequent discussions with employers and one-to-one reviews with assessors, that apprentices complete the required off-the-job training.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers have started an extended programme of continuing professional development to ensure that staff understand the different training practices and expectations that come with standards and with teaching and Monitoring visit: Absolute Care Training & Education Ltd, 18 – 19 June 2019 assessing at higher levels. They have recruited additional staff with experience of delivering taught qualifications in health and social care. However, they have not yet recruited appropriately knowledgeable and experienced staff, or retrained existing staff, to teach at the higher levels.

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Reasonable progress

Managers take effective action to improve the quality of learning resources. This has ensured that learning activities and assessments meet the requirements of the apprenticeship standard or framework. It is too early to see the impact of this training on the capacity of higher-level apprentices to reflect more deeply about what they are learning and how it changes their approach to their work.

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Reasonable progress

Managers have improved the way that they recognise prior learning, and they adjust the length of apprenticeships appropriately to account for the knowledge, skills and behaviours that apprentices already have.

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Reasonable progress

Clear policies and expectations to develop apprentices’ knowledge and skills in English and mathematics are in place. Tutors develop and deliver well-structured learning programmes to enable apprentices to develop the knowledge and skills that they need to achieve functional skills qualifications.

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Reasonable progress

Most apprentices at level 3 make good progress towards completing their vocational qualifications. They understand their roles well and know about the range of available careers in the sector. They demonstrate appropriate standards of work. They describe well improvements in their knowledge, skills and behaviours, and apply their increasing knowledge to their practice. For example, apprentices have become more sensitive with clients, taking time to understand the causes of challenging behaviour.

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Reasonable progress

Assessors plan sessions in advance so that apprentices are aware of the content of the next session. They also provide presentations and relevant reading in advance. However, when preparing sessions, they do not take sufficient account of what apprentices already understand and how it relates to what they do at work.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices know the requirements for their end-point assessments and understand the grading system. They receive the training, support and guidance that they need to prepare for their examinations.

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Reasonable progress

Assessors plan the residential childcare qualification well. Apprentices learn quickly and effectively because assessors check what they know and remember at the start and end of sessions. Their assessments link knowledge and skills effectively. Most Monitoring visit: Absolute Care Training & Education Ltd, 18 – 19 June 2019 tutors give feedback that helps apprentices to improve their learning. Feedback to management apprentices, however, is not helpful enough.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders, managers and tutors plan their sequence of training sessions in English and mathematics well, so that most apprentices gain and can apply the skills that they need.

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Reasonable progress

Although higher-level apprentices reach the required standard to pass their qualifications, too much of their work shows little use of academic writing. In the best examples of work, such as the research project, apprentices carry out a literature review. However, they do not evaluate sufficiently or apply their findings and evaluations to existing research. Because tutors have limited experience of training at this level, apprentices cannot reflect deeply enough on how their learning impacts on their working practices.

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Reasonable progress

The approach to safeguarding is very clear and well structured. All apprentices and relevant staff go through a full check with the Disclosure and Barring Service.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices follow mandatory modules on the prevention of radicalisation and extremism, staying safe online, trust and British values. They cannot, however, speak with confidence about the wider risks that may affect them in their daily lives.

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Reasonable progress

Employers’ policies and training complement safeguarding training. Apprentices use these to support their service users to develop the skills and attitudes that enable them to live independent lives.

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Reasonable progress

Managers have updated policies and procedures to ensure that their risk analysis and ‘Prevent’ duty action plans refer to the areas in which apprentices work. Policies around lone working and safeguarding link well to employer referral processes and to whistleblowing. They also relate effectively to reporting when apprentices are concerned about the risks presented, or experienced, by their service users. Monitoring visit: Absolute Care Training & Education Ltd, 18 – 19 June 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 provider. They can also see what other learners think about them too. To find out more go to

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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

regulates and inspects to 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

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

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

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