Riverside Group

One Housing Group Limited Monitoring visit report

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Name of lead inspector: Gayle Saundry, Her Majesty's Inspector

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Type of provider: Independent learning provider

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Address:

220 Arlington Road London NW1 7HE Monitoring visit: One Housing Group Limited, 26-27 May 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 the Education and Skills Funding Agency 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

One Housing Group Limited is a not-for-profit housing association based in Camden, London. In 2019, One Housing Group Limited began training apprentices and now teach six apprenticeship standards, ranging from levels two to five. At the time of the monitoring visit, they trained 95 level five operations/departmental manager apprentices, 50 level three team leader/supervisor apprentices and 26 apprentices across standards in care, customer services and business administration.

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Context and focus of visit

At the time of the monitoring visit, One Housing Group Limited was providing all training to apprentices online, including online lessons and coaching sessions, due to restrictions posed by COVID-19 (coronavirus). The impact of COVID-19 has been taken into account in the findings and progress judgements below.

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Significant progress

Leaders have given very careful consideration to the need to increase staff retention and improve the level of professionalism in the housing sector. They worked closely with other housing sector employers to design an ambitious apprenticeship programme to meet this need. As a result, they make a strong contribution both to their own business, and to the housing sector more generally. Recently, leaders demonstrated their commitment to diversity in their industry by introducing programmes that aim to address gaps in female and minority ethnic representation in management roles.

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Significant progress

Staff recruit apprentices who are very well matched to their programme and who have the opportunity to develop new knowledge, skills and behaviours through their apprenticeship. Monitoring visit: One Housing Group Limited, 26-27 May 2021 Staff are appropriately qualified and have experience in the sectors in which they teach. Leaders have created a strong culture of continuous professional development and use strategies, such as buddy systems and peer observations to share good practice.

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Significant progress

Leaders have taken appropriate actions to ensure that apprentices have a good understanding of how they will be assessed at the end of their programme. Coaches support apprentices to develop the skills they need to excel in these assessments.

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Significant progress

Leaders know the strengths and weaknesses of their apprenticeship provision. They quality assure the work of their staff effectively. They provide coaches with detailed feedback on their performance, in which they identify specific areas of pedagogic strengths and targets for improvement.

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Significant progress

Following completion of their apprenticeship, apprentices are typically retained in their current role or, in a minority of cases, promoted to more demanding roles, including leadership of training and in audit.

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Significant progress

Leaders have recently appointed governors to increase the level of external support and challenge that they receive. While new to their roles, governors have used their wealth of experience in the apprenticeship sector to understand the provider’s strengths and begin to challenge leaders on their areas for improvement.

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Significant progress

Leaders have created a high-quality apprenticeship programme, characterised by the very close collaboration between managers, coaches and apprentices’ line managers. From the outset, coaches make clear to line managers what demands will be placed on apprentices. They work collaboratively with line managers to ensure that what apprentices learn in workshops is reinforced while at work.

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Significant progress

Staff have high expectations of their apprentices and encourage them to take on work that is increasingly challenging. For instance, following a workshop on crisis management, in which level five leadership apprentices were required to respond to the challenges of an apartment block fire, apprentices could explain how they have used the skills they learned when managing difficult situations while at work.

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Significant progress

At the start of their programme, coaches conduct a thorough assessment of apprentices' knowledge, skills and behaviours. They use the outcome of this assessment to create a detailed training plan for each apprentice. In reviews, coaches evaluate effectively what apprentices have learned, and use these evaluations to set targets for apprentices to improve. Monitoring visit: One Housing Group Limited, 26-27 May 2021 Coaches plan the curriculum very carefully. They ensure that foundation knowledge, such as effective communication skills, is taught at the beginning of the programme. They then progress though their carefully mapped knowledge-based topics for each standard through a series of workshops, in which coaches use effective strategies to check apprentices’ understanding.

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Significant progress

Coaches set apprentices challenging assignments to test their knowledge and application of the theory they have been taught. Coaches provide thorough and helpful feedback to apprentices on their assignments and make clear how they can improve their work. As a result, apprentices' work is of a high standard.

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Significant progress

Specialist staff provide one-to-one teaching for apprentices who need to complete qualifications in English and mathematics. Since moving to the reformed qualifications, to date, all apprentices have passed their examinations in these subjects at the first attempt.

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Significant progress

Leaders have a thorough understanding of their safeguarding responsibilities to their apprentices. They have put in place comprehensive policies relating to safeguarding and have provided appropriate training for their staff which they revisit regularly.

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Significant progress

Apprentices report that their work environments are safe, and free from, for example harassment and racism. Apprentices have a good knowledge of safeguarding and particularly how it relates to their service users. They know the importance of following safeguarding procedures, how to identify signs of abuse, and how to make referrals.

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Significant progress

Where staff have identified safeguarding concerns, leaders have taken appropriate actions, including engaging with external agencies where appropriate. They make good use of the support provided by their specially trained pastoral staff member.

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Significant progress

Staff have a strong awareness of the mental health risks for apprentices who may witness distressing situations when working with service users. Coaches support apprentices by leading them through a comprehensive health and safety and safeguarding workbook. Monitoring visit: One Housing Group Limited, 26-27 May 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 and child protection.

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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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