Excel Training Limited

Excel Training Limited Monitoring visit report

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Name of lead inspector: Jacquie Brown, Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Type of provider: Independent learning provider

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Address:

Unit 64 Century Business Centre Century Park Manvers Rotherham S63 5DA Monitoring visit: Excel Training Limited, 14–15 November 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 (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 ‘Monitoring visits’ and ‘Monitoring visits to providers that are newly directly publicly funded’. The focus of these visits is on the themes set out below.

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Context and focus of visit

Excel Training Limited is an independent learning provider which has its head office in Rotherham. It provides training to apprentices in Derbyshire, Barnsley, and the East Midlands. The provider first received funding to deliver apprenticeships in April 2018. It currently has 17 apprentices enrolled on standards-based and framework- based programmes in health and social care. Apprentices are on programmes at level 2 in adult care worker and care team leading, at level 3 in lead adult care worker, and at level 5 in care leadership and management. The provider delivers to apprentices aged 16 to 18, but the vast majority are aged over 19.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders provide opportunities for apprentices to progress in their careers through their offer of apprenticeships from level 2 to level 5 in health and social care. They plan the curriculum well so that apprentices receive relevant training related to what they need to know when they start their programme. Leaders ensure that the curriculum enables apprentices to develop new knowledge, skills and behaviours, which they use in the workplace. The apprenticeships successfully meet the local need in the areas that the provider serves for residential care for the increasing number of older residents.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have appropriate resources in place to support apprentices to develop their knowledge and skills. Staff have expertise in their specialist areas which enables them to deliver high-quality training to apprentices. They use their expertise well to explain technical language and to relate theory to practice. Leaders ensure that staff Monitoring visit: Excel Training Limited, 14–15 November 2019 attend appropriate training to develop their subject knowledge. However, they do not provide sufficient training for staff to develop their teaching skills.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders ensure that the principles and requirements of an apprenticeship are met. Apprentices carry out an appropriate volume of off-the-job training, which includes first-aid training. Apprentices who do not have qualifications in English and mathematics at level 2 enrol on functional skills courses to develop their skills. They make expected progress towards achieving their qualifications.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders communicate the requirements of the endpoint assessment effectively to apprentices and employers. They ensure that apprentices prepare fully for the endpoint assessment through the completion of online tests.

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Reasonable progress

Although leaders understand the strengths and weaknesses of the provision, they do not monitor their progress towards tackling the weaknesses well enough. This means that progress in making improvements is often not rapid enough.

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Reasonable progress

Assessors successfully enable apprentices to develop new knowledge and skills so they can become more effective in the workplace. They use a variety of revision activities during workplace visits to check that apprentices retain what they have learned. As a result, apprentices improve the quality of care that they provide.

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Reasonable progress

Assessors have high expectations for all apprentices, including those who have support needs and those from disadvantaged backgrounds. They identify early in the programme if apprentices require additional support. They quickly put support in place to ensure that these apprentices can complete their programmes successfully.

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Reasonable progress

Assessors work flexibly to make sure that apprentices receive good-quality on- and off-the-job training. They plan training appropriately to ensure that apprentices learn the most important knowledge, skills and behaviours first and that any new learning builds on what apprentices already know. Assessors and employers work well together to ensure that apprentices enrol on the most suitable programme. Assessors use information from initial assessment to ascertain whether apprentices can meet all the components of the qualification. This allows apprentices, early in their training, to become effective in the workplace and become valued employees.

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Reasonable progress

Although assessors provide feedback to apprentices, its quality is variable and, too often, it does not help apprentices to know how to improve beyond the basic requirements of the qualifications. Consequently, apprentices, who are highly Monitoring visit: Excel Training Limited, 14–15 November 2019 motivated and capable of producing work at a higher level, do not consistently receive sufficient challenge.

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Reasonable progress

Assessors provide informal careers advice during workplace visits, but apprentices do not receive independent advice to recognise the diverse range of employment opportunities outside their own organisations. For example, apprentices are unclear about how to progress into the nursing or teaching profession.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders ensure that the designated safeguarding lead receives appropriate training to be effective in the role. They have relevant safeguarding, ‘Prevent’ duty and health and safety policies and procedures in place to keep apprentices safe. Leaders implement safe recruitment processes to ensure that staff are suitable to work with apprentices. They have implemented an appropriate ‘Prevent’ duty risk action plan. However, they recognise that it needs a stronger focus on enhancing apprentices’ understanding of local risks.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders provide apprentices and staff with effective safeguarding training . As a result, apprentices and staff know how to recognise safeguarding concerns and to whom they should report concerns. Apprentices have a basic knowledge and understanding of the risks of radicalisation and extremism.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have appropriate recording processes in place to track and respond to safeguarding concerns. They work effectively with external partners, where appropriate, in relation to these concerns. Monitoring visit: Excel Training Limited, 14–15 November 2019 regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for apprentices 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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Reasonable progress

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 .

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Reasonable progress

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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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