FBP Ventures Ltd

FBP Ventures Ltd Monitoring visit report

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Name of lead inspector: Steve Lambert, Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Type of provider: Independent learning provider

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Address: Unit GF4 Lilford Business Centre 61 Lilford Road London SE5 9HY Monitoring visit: FBP Ventures Ltd, 22–23 October 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 the Education and Skills Funding Agency and/or the apprenticeship levy. This provider received a monitoring visit under these arrangements and was found to be making insufficient progress against one or more themes.

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Context and focus of visit

On 17 March 2020, all routine inspections were suspended due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. As part of our phased return to routine inspections, we are carrying out additional monitoring visits to new providers that were judged to be making insufficient progress against one or more themes at their previous monitoring visit and would have been due their full inspection up to or during the interim phase but have not received it because of the suspension of routine inspections. This monitoring visit was undertaken as part of those arrangements as outlined in the interim phase operational note for further education and skills and with reference to the further education and skills handbook and is focused on the themes set out below.

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Context and focus of visit

FBP Ventures Ltd is a training organisation based in south-east London. They specialise in delivering adult social care apprenticeships for providers of domiciliary care services to elderly and vulnerable adults. At the time of this monitoring visit 26 apprentices, all over 19 years old, were on level 2 or 3 standards-based apprenticeships.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have an appropriate rationale for providing apprenticeships in the adult care sector to individuals working in domiciliary care. They work with a small number of employers to provide apprenticeships to care workers. Leaders and managers have taken care to offer apprenticeships only in the sector in which they have the experience to offer high-quality training.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers have worked well to ensure that apprentices improve their knowledge and use of English and mathematics. Tutors find out what apprentices do and do not know at the start of their apprenticeship. They then provide support to apprentices who use a range of resources to improve their knowledge and use of English and mathematics. This has contributed to an increase in the proportion of apprentices who pass their functional skills tests. Monitoring visit: FBP Ventures Ltd, 22–23 October 2020 Leaders have recruited tutors who have considerable experience in the care sector, which benefits apprentices. However, they do not have an effective enough process for monitoring the quality of teaching and learning. They lack an accurate enough overview of the quality of the training which apprentices receive. They do not support tutors well enough to make further improvements in the quality of training.

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Reasonable progress

Since the previous monitoring visit, leaders have worked with employers to ensure that commitment statements are in place. However, leaders are not rigorous enough in planning apprentices’ training with all employers. In a few cases apprentices are still not given adequate time for their off-the-job training. This is exacerbated by the high demand placed on apprentices’ time due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Reasonable progress

Tutors sequence the curriculum in a logical order. They teach topics that build on from each other and become more complex as the weeks go on. For example, apprentices first learn to communicate effectively with clients who have dementia. They then learn about legislation concerning informed consent and how this influences the way they communicate and provide care.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices are highly motivated and value the opportunity to develop new knowledge, skills and behaviours that are relevant to their job roles. Tutors help apprentices develop their knowledge, specifically related to their own job. For example, apprentices speak positively about the skills they gain in feeding their patients who have restricted mobility, developing nutritious meals and helping patients with their personal care.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices are well informed about the requirements of their end-point assessment and which forms of activities they will need to do. However, apprentices are not sufficiently informed about the different grades they could achieve.

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Reasonable progress

Tutors provide apprentices with relevant information at the start of the programme. They outline the curriculum units, the English and mathematics requirements and the end-point assessment. As a result, apprentices are clear on the structure of the course and expectations of them.

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Reasonable progress

When assessing apprentices, tutors do not identify adequately how apprentices can make improvements to ensure that they achieve a pass. As a result, apprentices do not always understand the progress that they make and what they need to do to improve the standard of their work. Monitoring visit: FBP Ventures Ltd, 22–23 October 2020

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers ensure that safeguarding arrangements are effective. They have suitable policies in place, which they review frequently. Leaders have put in place suitable staff to oversee and manage safeguarding, and apprentices have access to support when needed. Leaders and managers ensure that staff carry out appropriate pre-employment checks prior to an individual joining the organisation.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices receive appropriate safeguarding information from their employer, and through the unit in the course on safeguarding. Most apprentices work in clients’ homes and have been trained in how to be safe from the dangers of COVID-19 transmission. They have suitable personal protective equipment. They are rigorous about implementing suitable hygiene measures.

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Reasonable progress

While apprentices that inspectors spoke with say they feel safe, tutors do not check in enough detail apprentices’ knowledge of safeguarding during reviews. Too often, tutors only check whether there have been any safeguarding incidents at work, rather than an apprentice’s understanding of how to keep themselves safe. Monitoring visit: FBP Ventures Ltd, 22–23 October 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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Reasonable progress

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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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