Flexible Training Limited

Flexible Training Limited Monitoring visit report

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Name of lead inspector: Michael Worgs, Her Majesty's Inspector

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Type of provider: Independent Learning Provider

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Address:

Devonshire Business Centre Works Road, Letchworth Garden City Letchworth Garden City Hertfordshire SG6 1GJ Monitoring visit: Flexible Training Limited, 23 June 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 follow-up safeguarding monitoring visit has been carried out consequent to the provider being found to be making insufficient progress with respect to safeguarding at their previous monitoring visit. It follows the arrangements outlined in the ‘Further education and skills inspection handbook’.

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Context and focus of visit

The focus of this visit is only on the safeguarding theme below.

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Context and focus of visit

Flexible Training Limited (FTL) is an independent learning provider based in Hertfordshire. They offer standards-based adult care apprenticeships. At the time of the visit there were 26 apprentices studying level 2 adult care worker, level 3 lead adult care worker, level 4 lead practitioner in adult care, and level 5 leader in adult care standards-based apprenticeship programmes.

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Context and focus of visit

The impact of COVID-19 (coronavirus) has been taken into account in the findings and progress judgements below.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have made effective progress to safeguard their apprentices. Leaders have an effective action plan in place leading to sustained improvement. They have appointed a new designated safeguarding lead who is suitably trained to perform the role. Safeguarding leadership and its operational responsibility is now managed internally within FTL. As a result, leaders have resolved the concerns with the conflict of interest raised at the last inspection.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices feel safe and are aware of who to contact should they have any safeguarding or well-being concerns. They are adequately supported in their job roles and on their course. Leaders ensure that assessors and employers keep in frequent contact with apprentices. As a result, apprentices now receive effective support to maintain a healthy work-life balance.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders are taking reasonable steps to meet the requirements of the ‘Prevent’ duty. For example, they have established external links with the regional prevent coordinator and, as such, receive relevant updates. However, leaders do not always distribute swiftly these updates to assessors for them to promptly discuss local or Monitoring visit: Flexible Training Limited, 23 June 2021 regional risks with apprentices. As a result, assessors do not discuss in sufficient detail, potential concerns about local ‘Prevent’ duty related topics at their review sessions with apprentices. Leaders have yet to establish what learners’ understanding of local ‘Prevent’ duty related issues are.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have appropriate procedures for reporting and dealing with safeguarding and welfare incidents. Leaders have yet to establish an effective quality monitoring strategy to ensure that they have central oversight of safeguarding and welfare concerns. They are currently taking steps to establish a new advisory board, but it is too early to see any impact. Monitoring visit: Flexible Training Limited, 23 June 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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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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