Amdas Consultancy Ltd

Amdas Consultancy Limited Monitoring visit report

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Name of lead inspector: Jon Bowman Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Type of provider: Independent learning provider

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Address:

124 Cornwall Road Lambeth SE1 8TQ Monitoring visit: Amdas Consultancy Limited, 11–12 July 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

Amdas Consultancy Limited is a recruitment agency based in south London. Training is delivered by a sister company, Amdas Training, who support apprentices employed by existing clients of Amdas Consultancy Limited. In 2018 they received funding directly from the Education and Skills Funding Agency to deliver apprenticeships. Training takes place at employers’ premises through, in the main, one-to-one coaching sessions. At the time of the monitoring visit Amdas was delivering training to 90 apprentices on the facilities services Level 2 apprenticeship frameworks and seven on the team leader/supervisor Level 3 apprenticeship standards. The large majority are employed by one employer in central London and a high proportion speak English as their second language. A new operations manager has been in post for two months.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders and managers do not have sufficient oversight of the quality of the apprenticeship programme to ensure that apprentices benefit from a good-quality training experience. They do not fully understand all of the requirements they need to fulfil to ensure the effective delivery of the apprenticeship programme. As a result, nearly all apprentices are behind in their training and too many leave the programme early.

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Insufficient progress

Very recently, leaders and managers have begun to take remedial action to address weaknesses. However, strategies to improve the provision are new and have not had an impact on the quality of training that apprentices receive.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders and managers make poor use of information to identify strengths and weaknesses of the provision. For example, they do not gather information to help them fully understand the reasons why many apprentices are on a break from their Monitoring visit: Amdas Consultancy Limited, 11–12 July 2019 training. The self-assessment report and quality improvement plan do not provide a sound basis on which to implement the improvements needed.

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Insufficient progress

The monitoring of apprentices’ progress is poor. Leaders and managers do not track the progress of apprentices in sufficient detail. Employers are not routinely involved in reviews and too many apprentices do not benefit from regular and effective reviews of their progress.

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Insufficient progress

Most apprentices do not receive their entitlement of off-the-job training. Leaders and managers do not plan or track apprentices’ off-the-job training. As a result, they do not have an overview of who is or who is not satisfying this requirement.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders and managers do not benefit from independent scrutiny of their work. They have no form of governance in place to hold them to account for the quality of provision.

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Insufficient progress

Assessors do not help apprentices to develop their vocational skills and knowledge. They do not plan learning so that apprentices build and develop the skills, knowledge and behaviours that they need to be successful. Assessors do not deliver training sessions in ways that are relevant to apprentices’ job roles so that they understand the relevance of new learning to their workplaces.

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Insufficient progress

Assessors do not use the results of their assessments of apprentices’ prior knowledge and skills when planning learning. Most apprentices do not take any assessments to check their mathematical skills and a significant minority do not take assessments of their English skills. Action to improve apprentices’ English and mathematics skills is not effective. As a result, few apprentices make progress in developing their skills in these subjects.

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Insufficient progress

The induction of apprentices to their training is ineffective. Apprentices remember little from their induction sessions, which often take place well before they start learning. Assessors set few targets for apprentices and sessions do not help apprentices make the progress that they are capable of. Most apprentices make slow progress.

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Insufficient progress

When assessors complete observations during on-the-job training they provide detailed and useful evidence to show that apprentices are meeting the demands of the qualifications. However, they do not identify the extent to which apprentices develop new skills and knowledge or provide feedback to apprentices to indicate how they can improve their vocational skills further.

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Insufficient progress

Apprentices struggle to identify the new skills and knowledge that they develop during their apprenticeship. Although they improve their understanding of health and Monitoring visit: Amdas Consultancy Limited, 11–12 July 2019 safety practices, they are unaware of how well their other vocational skills are developing.

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Insufficient progress

Assessors develop effective links with apprentices during their one-to-one sessions. They help a few apprentices develop their grammar and punctuation skills and encourage apprentices to use technology to improve their vocabulary and understanding of industry-specific terms.

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Insufficient progress

Apprentices do not receive sufficient information on how to keep themselves safe. During their induction the information that apprentices receive does not include contact details on who to contact should they be concerned about their own or others’ safety.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders and managers have not assessed the risks to learners of radicalisation or extremism. They have no plan in place to implement the ‘Prevent’ duty. The training that apprentices receive does not include any material on British values, radicalisation or extremism. As a result, apprentices do not develop their understanding of these issues and how they are relevant to their work or personal lives.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders and managers ensure that there are appropriate policies and procedures are in place should an assessor have concerns about the safety and welfare of an apprentice, but these are, as yet, untested. Leaders ensure that the recruitment and selection of new staff meets safe recruitment standards. Monitoring visit: Amdas Consultancy Limited, 11–12 July 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 www.learnerview.ofsted.gov.uk .

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Insufficient 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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Insufficient progress

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Insufficient progress

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

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Insufficient progress

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Insufficient progress

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

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