Plymouth Training and Consultancy Ltd

Plymouth Training and Consultancy Ltd Monitoring visit report

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Name of lead inspector: Nick Crombie, Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Type of provider: Independent learning provider

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Address: Office 26 Genesis 235 Union Street Plymouth PL1 3HN Monitoring visit: Plymouth Training and Consultancy Ltd, 29–30 March 2021

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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

Plymouth Training and Consultancy (PTC) is based in a regeneration area of Plymouth. It currently offers three standards-based apprenticeships: adult care at levels 2, 3 and 5, teaching assistant at level 3 and operations/departmental manager at level 5. It also offers four framework-based apprenticeships: supporting teaching and learning in schools at levels 2 and 3, children and young people’s workforce: residential childcare at level 3 and youth work at level 2. A level 5 framework programme in leadership and management was curtailed in July 2020 because all nine of the apprentices were made redundant. The great majority of the 25 current apprentices are employed in adult care or school settings.

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Context and focus of visit

PTC has not offered face-to-face training since the start of the pandemic. The impact of COVID-19 (coronavirus) has been taken into account in the findings and progress judgements below.

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Reasonable progress

New apprentices are recruited with integrity and leaders ensure that they benefit from an effective individualised curriculum. Consequently, despite the pandemic, the great majority of apprentices have continued to develop and apply new skills, knowledge and behaviours. The vast majority of apprentices enter full-time employment when their programme ends.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have good working relationships with local employers. Having halted apprentice recruitment at the start of the pandemic, leaders successfully recruited a new cohort of adult care apprentices for an employer at the beginning of this year. Employers value PTC leaders’ expertise and experience in developing new programmes, for example introducing a level 3 apprenticeship to provide a progression pathway for an existing level 2 apprentice. Having relocated to a Monitoring visit: Plymouth Training and Consultancy Ltd, 29–30 March 2021 Plymouth regeneration area, leaders will offer new courses as part of their strategic plan to improve local residents’ career prospects.

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Reasonable progress

Midway through the first year of the pandemic, leaders installed new management software which they are using increasingly well to monitor apprentices’ progress and for sharing information between the staff team. Apprentices now have much improved access to online learning resources, which they value.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders’ quality improvement planning is detailed. However, the numerous improvement actions identified have not been prioritised for action and progress has been slow. Leaders’ well-developed plans to appoint a board to provide objective oversight, support and challenge are on hold until the company is settled in its new offices.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders recognise that their previous arrangements to provide functional skills training and qualifications for apprentices who need them were ineffective, largely due to staffing and operational difficulties caused by the pandemic. As a result, a small minority of apprentices are not yet able to complete their apprenticeship but are still benefiting from ongoing training and support. New functional skills arrangements have been implemented rapidly, but it is too early to judge their impact.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices are gaining new knowledge rapidly and applying it in their work settings. Employers value how their apprentices have improved working practices. For example, an adult care apprentice used her new knowledge about sexual health to review her employer’s policy on this subject. A teaching assistant described how she had been able to redesign classroom displays to make them livelier and more engaging. Teaching assistant apprentices are having a very strong impact in the classroom and enabling pupils to thrive in class. For example, one is having a very positive influence on the development of key stage 2 pupils’ reading skills.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices are highly motivated, enjoy their programmes and feel very well supported by their trainers. Trainers are highly experienced and very well qualified vocationally and professionally. They use their extensive expertise to bring learning to life. Their individualised training, progress and learning review sessions are well planned and structured. They set apprentices clear targets. They adjust the sequence of the curriculum to accommodate apprentices’ changing circumstances. Trainers make good use of professional discussions with higher-level apprentices to help prepare them for final assessments. Monitoring visit: Plymouth Training and Consultancy Ltd, 29–30 March 2021 Trainers provide apprentices with useful informal careers advice when asked, but leaders’ formal arrangements for providing apprentices with careers information, advice and guidance are not well-enough planned or structured.

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Reasonable progress

Most trainers provide useful and developmental feedback on written assignments. Nevertheless, in too many instances trainers do not correct apprentices’ errors with spelling or grammar, and a few trainers introduce spelling errors of their own.

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Reasonable progress

PTC leaders work with employers who are committed to developing their staff and are closely involved in their apprentices’ training programmes. Employers allow apprentices sufficient time to study and attend training. PTC’s leaders record and monitor apprentices’ reported off-the-job training hours, but they do not do so in sufficient detail.

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Reasonable progress

All PTC staff have had safeguarding training to appropriate levels. PTC’s leaders are in routine working contact with local agencies and use their contacts to provide staff with regular updates on safeguarding matters. All staff have undergone enhanced disclosure and barring checks. Appropriate safe recruitment arrangements are in place.

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Reasonable progress

Employers and trainers are sensitive to the challenges that COVID-19 has presented and provide apprentices with useful support to maintain their mental health. One apprentice described how external counselling provided by their employer had been very helpful.

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Reasonable progress

Most apprentices have a reasonable understanding of safeguarding through their apprenticeship induction, subsequent learning reviews, and directly through their employment in adult care, schools and youth work settings. They are confident about reporting any issues and concerns. They have a thorough understanding of the relevant health and safety practices required at work, and they feel safe. However, their understanding of the ‘Prevent’ duty is sketchy. Monitoring visit: Plymouth Training and Consultancy Ltd, 29–30 March 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

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Reasonable progress

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

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Reasonable progress

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Reasonable progress

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

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