Prime Life Limited

Prime Life Limited Monitoring visit report

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Name of lead inspector: Emma Woods, Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Address:

Caernarvon House 121 Knighton Church Road Leicester LE2 3JN Monitoring visit: Prime Life Limited, 3 and 4 February 2022

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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

Prime Life Limited provides residential care and nursing support to approximately 2,000 clients across 54 sites. Leaders started to offer apprenticeships in July 2020. Apprentices work in a range of settings, from small domestic houses to large, purpose-built homes. At the time of this monitoring visit, there were 74 level 2 adult care workers, 12 level 3 lead adult care workers, two level 4 lead practitioners in adult care, and seven level 5 leaders in adult care apprentices studying standards- based apprenticeships.

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Reasonable progress

The core purpose of Prime Life is to provide residential care and nursing to clients. The apprenticeships chosen help leaders to meet the significant need to train and retain staff in the care sector.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders recruit apprentices with integrity. Apprentices either have little or no experience or are more experienced but need significant upskilling. Assessors carry out thorough initial assessment to ascertain apprentices’ starting points. They use this information well to plan apprentices’ training.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders know that too many adult care worker apprentices leave their course before they finish it. Most leave due to unavoidable reasons relating to COVID-19. However, a few leave due to poor initial advice and guidance on their suitability for the apprenticeship. Leaders now provide clearer guidance to line managers and apprentices to address this, but it is too soon to see the impact.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders complete annual self-assessment and improvement plans, which are sufficiently evaluative. They identify suitable actions to help them address areas for development quickly. Monitoring visit: Prime Life Limited, 3 and 4 February 2022 Assessors hold suitable qualifications and have the relevant sector experience to undertake their roles. Assessors keep their industry practice current with frequent industry updating. However, they spend less time developing their teaching skills.

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Reasonable progress

Managers and assessors meet weekly to review the progress apprentices make. They quickly identify where apprentices need any support and agree actions to help them. Owing to demands at work resulting from COVID-19, line managers do not routinely attend apprentices’ reviews of progress. Assessors provide them with detailed updates to mitigate this. However, a few still do not understand what apprentices are studying and the impact this has at work.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders monitor apprenticeship performance through a suitable internal board structure. These discussions can be quite brief. Leaders have appropriate plans to improve the quality and amount of information leaders consider at these meetings, but it is too soon for inspectors to judge the impact of this.

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Reasonable progress

Most apprentices demonstrate a sound knowledge of the topics they learn. They relate theory to practical work situations well. For example, learning about dementia helps apprentices improve their communication skills and provide more detailed observations of clients.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders ensure that apprentices have individual training plans that meet their needs. Assessors make swift alterations to these plans if clients’ needs change. As a result, apprentices can adapt quickly to the requirements in their workplace. Assessors provide training to fit in with shift patterns, including sessions for apprentices on night shifts. Apprentices benefit from their on- and off-the-job training time. They complete relevant job shadowing and research tasks, which helps them broaden their knowledge.

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Reasonable progress

Assessors use probing questions effectively to check that apprentices understand what they learn. Spoken and written feedback to apprentices is clear and direct. Assessors rightly praise work that is high quality. Where necessary, assessors challenge apprentices to improve through useful comments, prompts and follow-up questions. However, assessors do not always pick up on apprentices’ written punctuation errors.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices who study mathematics and English rightly feel proud that they develop their knowledge in these subjects and pass the functional skills tests. Apprentices can set out written work more clearly and develop their skills to communicate effectively in writing as a result of their studies. Monitoring visit: Prime Life Limited, 3 and 4 February 2022 If an apprentice discloses a special educational need and/or disability, assessors make suitable adjustments to support them. However, they do not know the full range of support needs that apprentices have because they do not routinely screen for these at entry point.

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Reasonable progress

Where appropriate, assessors encourage apprentices to aim for distinction grades in final assessments. They help apprentices prepare for these assessments well and apprentices understand how to achieve distinction grades.

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Reasonable progress

Assessors diligently look for changes in apprentices’ behaviour. For example, they notice when apprentices do not use the online system as frequently as normal and investigate. This means that apprentices quickly receive support with any difficulties they experience.

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Reasonable progress

Assessors frequently check whether apprentices feel safe or have any concerns in reviews and catch-up sessions. Apprentices feel safe when they study, and at work. They clearly understand the importance of safeguarding clients. Apprentices know whom they should contact if they have a safeguarding concern.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders, managers and staff all undertake timely and appropriate safeguarding training. There are suitable safeguarding policies and procedures in place that staff understand. Leaders follow appropriate approaches to safer recruitment. Monitoring visit: Prime Life Limited, 3 and 4 February 2022 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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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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