His Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC)

Winnovation Limited Monitoring visit report

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Name of lead inspector: Jonny Wright Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Type of provider: Independent learning provider

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Address:

Old Flowserve Building Shields Road Byker Newcastle-upon-Tyne NE6 2YP Monitoring visit: Winnovation Limited, 23–24 January 2020

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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 ‘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

Winnovation Limited began to deliver apprenticeships in April 2018. At the time of the monitoring visit, 31 apprentices were on a level 3 framework apprenticeship in children’s care and development, three apprentices were on a level 5 framework in care and leadership management, four apprentices were on level 3 standards-based apprenticeships in teaching assistant and two were on level 3 standards-based apprenticeships in lead adult care worker. Winnovation works with apprentices working for two employers in Newcastle and Sunderland.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers have a clear strategy to deliver apprenticeships for employers in the residential childcare and adult care sectors. They use their extensive sector experience to establish positive working relationships with employers. Employers benefit from the training provided by Winnovation.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers have designed a curriculum that supports apprentices well to develop the specialised knowledge, skills and behaviours required by employers in the residential care sector. Apprentices receive their entitlement to on- and off-the- job training. The small number of apprentices due to complete at the time of the monitoring visit did so successfully and on time.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers recruit highly experienced professionals from the residential childcare sector to deliver apprenticeships. A high proportion of training staff have been with Winnovation for over five years and have developed their teaching and assessment skills well.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers have a clear oversight of apprenticeships. They have an accurate understanding of the progress apprentices make and the quality of teaching and training apprentices receive. Where the progress of apprentices is too slow, Monitoring visit: Winnovation Limited, 23–24 January 2020 leaders ensure that managers and staff put in place support to ensure that improvements are made. Consequently, apprentices catch up and most are on target to complete their apprenticeship on time.

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Reasonable progress

Managers ensure that tutors/assessors carry out comprehensive assessments to check apprentices’ knowledge and skills gaps and to check that apprentices are suitable for an apprenticeship. Tutors/assessors use the results of assessments well to plan and appropriately sequence high-quality learning for apprentices.

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Reasonable progress

Managers and tutors/assessors do not focus sufficiently on developing apprentices’ English and mathematics skills. Apprentices who need to achieve functional skills qualifications do not have the opportunity to take these early in the programme. The planning of training for those apprentices who already have these qualifications does not include the further development of English and mathematics skills.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices use their learning well to enhance their effectiveness in their jobs and make significant contributions to their employers. Employers are actively involved in the design, review and modification of the programmes, which ensures that the skills apprentices develop on the programmes meet the needs of the organisation.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices significantly improve their confidence in working in their roles as a result of the support and training that they receive from their tutors/assessors and employers. They improve their motivation and their initiative, often enabling them to take lead roles on projects that enhance the care they offer to children and adults. For example, they lead projects around therapeutic care using pets and develop positive behaviour programmes for children with brain injuries.

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Reasonable progress

Tutors/assessors use assessment well to measure apprentices’ progress, particularly in their development of new knowledge. In most instances, tutors provide comprehensive and precise feedback which helps apprentices, who make good use of it to improve their work. Tutors/assessors observe apprentices’ practice to evaluate accurately the impact of the training and identify areas for further improvement.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices receive good support to enable them to overcome any barriers to learning. Those lacking information and communication technology skills quickly develop them as a result of the support provided. Learners with additional needs, such as dyslexia, access appropriate specialist resources to support them with their learning and enable them to make good progress. Monitoring visit: Winnovation Limited, 23–24 January 2020 Apprentices benefit from good guidance at the end of their programme about possible next steps, including to promoted posts and on to other courses. However, they do not receive sufficient structured careers guidance during their programme.

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Significant progress

Leaders have developed a strong safeguarding culture. They have put in place comprehensive and detailed safeguarding and ‘Prevent’ duty policies and procedures. Staff use the procedures well to keep apprentices and the children and adults they work with safe.

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Significant progress

Leaders and managers carry out appropriate background checks to ensure that staff are suitable to work with apprentices in the residential care sector.

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Significant progress

Designated safeguarding leads (DSLs) are highly experienced in their roles and are suitably trained. They receive frequent information regarding safeguarding and local risks from the local authority and specialist local agencies. DSLs cascade the information clearly to staff.

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Significant progress

Staff integrate safeguarding into learning very well and this enables apprentices to improve and consolidate their knowledge. Apprentices have a deep understanding of local issues, including online grooming and radicalisation, and how vulnerable people can be affected. Apprentices use their knowledge very well to support the children and adults they work with. Monitoring visit: Winnovation Limited, 23–24 January 2020 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

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Significant progress

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Significant progress

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Significant progress

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Significant progress

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

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