Ashley Community & Housing Ltd

Ashley Community and Housing (trading as Himilo Training) Interim visit report

p.1

Name of lead inspector: Nick Crombie HMI

p.1

Type of provider: Independent learning provider Address: 2nd Floor Eden House Eastgate Office Park Eastgate Road Bristol BS5 6XY Interim visit: Ashley Community and Housing, 10–11 November 2020

p.1

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 ‘ interim visits ‘ to further education and skills providers. Interim visits are to help learners, parents, employers and government understand how providers are meeting the needs of learners and apprentices in this period, including learners with high needs and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

p.2

Context and focus of visit

We intend to return to routine inspection in January 2021 but will keep the exact timing under review.

p.2

Context and focus of visit

The focus of these visits is on the themes set out below and the findings are based on discussions with leaders, managers, staff and learners.

p.2

Context and focus of visit

Following changes to government guidance and the imposition of COVID-19 lockdown restrictions, we made this visit remotely to reduce pressure on the provider.

p.2

Information about the provider

Ashley Community and Housing Limited (ACH) is based in Bristol and the West Midlands. It is funded by the Education and Skills Funding Agency to provide apprenticeships for adults and young people. ACH also receives funding from the West Midlands Combined Authority to provide community-based adult learning programmes. Its training activities are delivered under the brand ‘Himilo Training’. At the time of our visit, ACH had taken all apprentice training in-house. It had six learners studying a level 2 property maintenance apprenticeship, all of whom had started in the previous two weeks. A further two learners were inducted to the same programme during our visit. Two small cohorts of level 3 gas engineering and level 5 management apprentices completed their programmes with two subcontractors (Ignite Ltd and PANDA Education and Training Ltd respectively) early this autumn.

p.2

stakeholders and adapts to changed circumstances?

Senior leaders say that while they quickly became aware that the pandemic would have a long-term impact on their training programmes, their response has involved a steep learning curve. They responded initially by using new and existing community- orientated funding to run programmes to improve adult learners’ digital skills for life and work. These covered topics including e-safety, contacting doctor’s surgeries remotely and accessing foreign-language-based COVID-19 information. Another initiative included the ‘digital accelerator’ programme for learners to build their Interim visit: Ashley Community and Housing, 10–11 November 2020 essential digital skills and then progress to more advanced digital marketing and programming skills. Leaders were able to provide digital tablets and Wi-Fi dongles for learners without internet access. Leaders at the subcontractor moved all apprentices’ training online. Apprentices report that this was managed without any disruption to

p.2

stakeholders and adapts to changed circumstances?

Leaders established a team of senior managers to focus on ensuring learners’ safety during training and engaged a health and safety consultant to advise them on coronavirus risk assessment. They have since appointed a full-time staff member to this role.

p.3

stakeholders and adapts to changed circumstances?

Leaders reduced online class sizes by around half to maximise the progress apprentices could make in learning. Community-based learners, who often struggled to get childcare while attending a face-to-face session, found they could learn online with their children at home.

p.3

stakeholders and adapts to changed circumstances?

Apprentices returned to face-to-face, practical learning sessions in June 2020. Leaders currently assume that hands-on, practical training for new apprentices will, in future, only be conducted face to face at apprentices’ workplaces.

p.3

stakeholders and adapts to changed circumstances?

Leaders note the financial impact of COVID-19 in terms of purchasing personal protective equipment, introducing social distancing measures and additional staffing. They explain how it has become essential for them to move away from paper-based systems and invest in new digital learning resources for apprentices and learners. These include a learner information management system, the introduction of e- portfolios and building a virtual learning environment. All these are work in progress.

p.3

the reasonable needs of learners?

Leaders have adapted their existing quality assurance and oversight arrangements in response to the pandemic. For example, they have increased teaching observations to check that online teaching is effective. Leaders meet with curriculum leaders each week to monitor the impact of curriculum quality improvement plans.

p.3

the reasonable needs of learners?

Leaders changed their curriculum for apprentices during the period of national COVID-19 restrictions. This focused primarily on providing online theoretical knowledge in the absence of practical training. Their subcontractor also provided apprentices with reading lists and paper-based reference materials. Leaders introduced dual-taught online sessions which allowed one teacher to teach learners while the other responded to their messages in real time and facilitated learner activity sessions.

p.3

the reasonable needs of learners?

Apprentices adapted quickly to online teaching sessions. They said they welcomed the online demonstrations of practical activities which helped them remember how to complete different activities, such as boiler servicing procedures. Apprentices told us they had logged all their learning over the lockdown period on a spreadsheet. This included Interim visit: Ashley Community and Housing, 10–11 November 2020 self-directed learning. Consequently, they could easily see what they had learned and how it linked to their practical work.

p.3

the reasonable needs of learners?

Leaders are developing the professional skills of their teaching staff. They use regular staff meetings to share good practice and to demonstrate how online teaching resources can be used to good effect. Managers value the way they can now provide more prompt feedback to learners. Managers recognise that they are not yet maximising the way they use their online learning platform.

p.4

the reasonable needs of learners?

Managers say they will tailor information, advice and guidance to meet the needs of different apprentice cohorts. They have already identified that the latest group of apprentices includes people working in supervisory roles without any management training. They have signposted them to other organisations that can provide relevant professional development.

p.4

the reasonable needs of learners?

Overall, leaders feel that the organisation and its learners dealt with the first period of national restrictions constructively and showed what people could do ‘when their backs are against the wall’.

p.4

potential risks, including from online sources?

Apprentices told us they had received information and guidance about safeguarding during their induction, and in subsequent learning sessions. They knew, for example, how to stay safe when working online and how to recognise and report potential domestic abuse observed when working in people’s homes. Apprentices each had someone in ACH they knew they could talk to if they had any concerns.

p.4

potential risks, including from online sources?

The designated safeguarding lead at ACH has dedicated time allocated in team meetings. This is used for staff training in safeguarding practice, and to discuss and raise issues about apprentices. Leaders have worked with their subcontractor to identify and manage any safeguarding risks to their apprentices due to COVID-19.

p.4

potential risks, including from online sources?

Managers intend that every staff member has up-to-date safeguarding training by implementing a training programme across the organisation. Managers are introducing monthly catch-up meetings to check on apprentices’ well-being. Interim visit: Ashley Community and Housing, 10–11 November 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 and child protection.

p.4

potential risks, including from online sources?

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 .

p.5

potential risks, including from online sources?

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

p.5

potential risks, including from online sources?

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.5

potential risks, including from online sources?

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

p.5