Agincare Group Limited

Agincare Group Limited Progress monitoring report

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Name of lead inspector: Alex Lang, Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Type of provider: Independent learning provider

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Address: Admiralty Buildings Castletown Portland Dorset DT5 1BB Monitoring visit: Agincare Group Limited, 10–11 February 2021

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Context and focus of visit

Agincare Group Limited was last inspected in January 2020. At that time, inspectors judged the overall effectiveness of the provision to require improvement.

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Context and focus of visit

This monitoring visit focused on the extent to which leaders and those responsible for governance are taking effective action to provide education and training in the current circumstances. It was undertaken as outlined in the operational note on visits carried out from January 2021 and with reference to the further education and skills handbook.

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Context and focus of visit

These visits are to help learners, parents, employers and government understand how providers are meeting the needs of learners in this period, including those with high needs and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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Context and focus of visit

Following changes to government guidance and the imposition of COVID-19 (coronavirus) lockdown restrictions, inspectors carried out this monitoring activity remotely. As a result, the range of evidence available to inspectors was narrower than would be the case during an on-site inspection. Therefore, this report provides a more limited level of assurance.

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Context and focus of visit

The impact of COVID-19 has been taken into account in the findings and progress judgement below. Inspectors did not evaluate leaders’ response to COVID-19 during the spring and summer of 2020, when there were no national expectations regarding remote education.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers have focused their improvement strategies on the weaknesses identified in the previous inspection report. However, progress has been hampered by the significant impact of the pandemic on apprentices working in domiciliary services and care homes.

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Reasonable progress

During the pandemic, leaders have improved relationships with care managers. They work together to select the most appropriate care and business apprenticeship qualifications, to ensure that apprentices study at the right level and gain the appropriate knowledge and skills to perform their roles. Leaders have trained care Monitoring visit: Agincare Group Limited, 10–11 February 2021 managers in mentoring and invigilation techniques, to better support apprentices in the workplace. Leaders penalise care managers for not releasing apprentices for their off-the-job training. As a result, apprentices now receive appropriate time away from work to complete their training.

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Reasonable progress

Managers have sequenced the curriculum appropriately so apprentices first learn the essentials they need to undertake their job role. For example, adult care apprentices start by learning about their roles and responsibilities and how to keep their clients and themselves safe. A minority of teaching and learning coaches (TALCs) do not allow sufficient time for the apprentice to learn the content covered in the training session. They do not check whether apprentices understand and can remember what they have been taught. Consequently, not all apprentices are progressing at the pace they should.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers have taken appropriate action to improve the teaching of the curriculum. They have recruited qualified and experienced teaching and learning coaches. Although leaders take firm action when a few TALCs consistently underperform, a few apprentices do not receive consistent, high-quality teaching.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have ensured staff are well prepared for teaching online. They reacted quickly when apprentices and staff struggled with the technology. For example, they changed the virtual meeting platforms and purchased electronic notepads for staff and apprentices to use.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices enjoy learning online. They now feel more confident using technology. The repeated opportunity to discuss elements of care practice has helped them feel better prepared for their final assessments.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices without the required qualifications in English and mathematics undertake an assessment of their starting point that identifies their gaps in knowledge and areas for development. Apprentices are then set an individual learning plan which is supported by tailored online resources, assessment and practice tests. A small number of apprentices have now taken functional skills exams in the workplace. In addition, leaders have appointed a functional skills tutor to reinforce apprentices’ learning. However, the tutor has been unable to start due to COVID-19 restrictions. This has delayed the progress apprentices are making in developing their literacy and numeracy skills.

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Reasonable progress

Newer apprentices benefit from a more organised apprenticeship programme. TALCs contact these apprentices regularly and ensure they are getting the right support. These apprentices are developing new skills, knowledge and behaviours, such as understanding how to handle conflict in the workplace through ‘tackling the issue, not the person’. Business administration apprentices learn how to dispose of personal information safely, and care apprentices quickly understand the importance of personalising care to meet their client’s specific needs. Managers rightly value the care, knowledge and skills new apprentices demonstrate in the workplace. Monitoring visit: Agincare Group Limited, 10–11 February 2021 Leaders have substantially improved apprentices’ access to careers education, advice and guidance. They have employed a full-time careers adviser who provides workshops, one-to-one guidance interviews and completes all new apprentice

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Reasonable progress

inductions. Apprentices use these sessions to develop their job application skills, apply to university, explore their career aspirations and identify the skills they will need to progress in their chosen profession. At the end of their course, all apprentices have an interview with the careers adviser to identify their next steps. As a result, apprentices have started higher-level courses, changed jobs and applied to university to complete a nursing degree.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers have trained staff to improve the support they give to apprentices during the pandemic. For example, they received mental health first-aid training, briefings about camera security and updates on how to recognise fake news and emails. Apprentices report they feel well supported by their TALCs.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and those responsible for governance should take further action to:

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Reasonable progress

 ensure all TALCs rapidly improve their teaching skills, regularly check apprentice’s skills and knowledge and ensure all apprentices make the progress they are capable of  ensure the strategies to improve the teaching of English and mathematics are fully realised so that all apprentices increase their literacy and numeracy knowledge and skills. Monitoring visit: Agincare Group Limited, 10–11 February 2021 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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