Positive Approach Limited

Further education and skills inspection report

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Inspection of Positive Approach Academy for Hair Limited

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Inspection dates: 22 to 24 February 2022

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Apprenticeships Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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Information about this provider

Positive Approach Academy for Hair Limited is an independent learning provider which has its head office in Scunthorpe. It provides training to apprentices in 20 different locations across the country, with the largest sites being in Scunthorpe and Liverpool. The provider first received funding to deliver apprenticeships in January 2018. It currently has 142 apprentices working in the hair and beauty industry and completing apprenticeships at levels 2 and 3. 22 to 24 February 2022

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What is it like to be a learner with this provider?

Apprentices benefit from a curriculum that goes beyond enhancing their knowledge of industry expectations. They learn how to stay healthy through balanced nutrition and physical exercise, and, if they use alcohol, how it should be used in moderation. Staff ensure that apprentices understand their employment rights and responsibilities.

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What is it like to be a learner with this provider?

The order in which the curriculum is taught matches the requirements of apprentices’ roles in the salon and meets with employers’ expectations. Assessors structure the delivery of the standards in line with the units of the diploma, but they also take account of the specific skills and knowledge that individual apprentices need to develop, and then they adapt the sequence and content to meet these needs.

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What is it like to be a learner with this provider?

Apprentices learn how to operate safely using the correct personal protective equipment and how to recognise contraindications and influencing factors correctly. They learn how to communicate effectively with clients, how to operate safely when applying shampoo and conditioning, and how to cut and colour clients’ hair using basic techniques such as highlighting and root regrowth. However, in a few instances, apprentices do not demonstrate good-quality or safe application techniques, including rubbing tint into the cuticle.

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What is it like to be a learner with this provider?

Apprentices behave respectfully towards their colleagues, clients and trainers. They feel comfortable asking for help and ask relevant questions throughout training sessions. They are enthusiastic and engaged while carrying out practical work, which they are able to describe in detail. However, assessors do not ensure that apprentices are sufficiently committed to the development of their English and mathematical skills. Apprentices often become easily distracted by the messages that they receive on their mobile phones while in class, and this is not challenged sufficiently by staff.

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What is it like to be a learner with this provider?

Apprentices feel safe and well supported by staff. They know how to report any concerns and who to report these concerns to. Apprentices know how they would protect themselves from risks that are relevant to them, such as being bullied through social media and drink spiking.

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better?

Leaders and managers do not have sufficient oversight of the organisation, and, as a result, they are not sufficiently aware of the quality of the apprenticeship programmes being delivered. Consequently, the good quality of education in the highest-performing centres is not replicated in every centre. Leaders do not have any form of external challenge to hold them to account for inconsistencies in the quality of education across the provision. 22 to 24 February 2022

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Managers do not have sufficient oversight of what English and mathematics functional skills training is taking place, the quality of this training, or the progress that apprentices are making towards achieving functional skills qualifications. This means that they do not intervene well enough to make any necessary improvements. As a result, apprentices working towards these qualifications do not improve their skills quickly enough to achieve them in a timely manner.

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Leaders and managers have a clear strategic intent to provide high-quality training to help young people in their local areas to enter the hairdressing profession. They use their extensive knowledge of the profession effectively in order to support their centres and ensure that delivery staff are using the most current methods.

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Leaders and managers have developed and implemented an effective curriculum that is well sequenced and logically ordered. As a result, apprentices successfully gain new skills, knowledge and behaviours that prepare them to work at junior level in the industry. In most centres, the development of apprentices’ theoretical knowledge is aligned well with the practical skills that they develop.

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Assessors provide constructive feedback to apprentices on how to improve technical skills. For example, they explain to apprentices the importance of not repeatedly brushing over hair when it is dry, because this causes static, and to avoid leaving residue on the hair. In a few reviews, targets and feedback are not specific enough to ensure that apprentices are clear about what they need to do next. This slows the progress of a few apprentices in developing the specific skills that they need to master.

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Staff use their expertise well in relation to current salon practices and expectations. They encourage the use of technical vocabulary, such as ‘emulsification of tint products’ when ensuring that the skin and scalp are clean after colouring services. They draw apprentices’ attention to considering the use of sustainable products and the cost-effective use of resources to replicate industrial expectations.

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Staff consolidate apprentices’ understanding well, which enables apprentices to apply their technical skills effectively at work. They ensure that apprentices master techniques through repetition and practice. This allows apprentices to take on more responsibility in the workplace and provide more complex services to their clients.

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Assessors do not provide apprentices who need to improve their English and mathematical skills with sufficient expert support to enable them to overcome their reluctance to engage with these subjects and make good progress. Too often, apprentices are not clear about what specific skills they need to develop, and they do not receive sufficient one-to-one support to improve these skills.

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Staff reinforce apprentices’ understanding of the need for good attendance and prompt punctuality as employees. They follow up non-attendance and lateness with apprentices, their employers and apprentices’ parents. As a result, most apprentices’ attendance and punctuality at training sessions are good. 22 to 24 February 2022

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Tutors hold discussions with apprentices about their career options at the start of the programme, at the mid-point, and as apprentices approach their end-point assessment. However, this advice is focused exclusively on careers in the hair and beauty industry, such as progression to higher-level apprenticeships or employment within the sector, and does not consider sufficiently career options outside the industry.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Apprentices feel safe. They have a sound understanding of how to protect themselves from risks such as sexual abuse. Staff are trained appropriately in safeguarding, including protecting apprentices from a wide range of potential risks.

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Safeguarding

Managers have suitable safe recruitment processes in place. However, these processes have only recently been introduced, so their impact in ensuring that newly recruited staff are safe to work with apprentices cannot yet be measured.

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Safeguarding

Staff keep records of actions that they take in response to safeguarding concerns that come to their attention. However, leaders and managers do not have sufficient oversight of the reporting of safeguarding incidents. They do not ensure that all staff keep accurate records of how concerns are dealt with. Therefore, there is a risk that apprentices do not receive the support that they may need.

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What does the provider need to do to improve?

 Improve the way that safeguarding incidents are recorded and tracked to their conclusion, so that leaders and managers can be assured that apprentices receive the support that they need and that lessons can be learned about the risks that apprentices face.  Provide sufficient oversight of what functional skills training is taking place, the quality of this training and the progress that apprentices are making towards achieving their functional skills qualifications.  Put in place effective arrangements for oversight of the work of the organisation so that leaders and managers are fully aware of the quality of the apprenticeship programmes being delivered across all centres and can act to improve the quality in centres where it is not high enough.  Ensure that all apprentices are clear about what they need to do to make rapid progress and achieve their apprenticeships within the planned time.  Provide impartial careers guidance so that apprentices are fully aware of career

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What does the provider need to do to improve?

options beyond the hair and beauty industry. 22 to 24 February 2022

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Provider details

Address 14 Oswald Road Scunthorpe DN15 7PT

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Provider details

Provider type Independent learning provider

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Provider details

Date of previous inspection 29 October 2010

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Provider details

Main subcontractors Not applicable 22 to 24 February 2022

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Information about this inspection

The inspection team was assisted by the quality manager, as nominee. Inspectors took account of the provider’s most recent self-assessment report and development plans, and the previous inspection report. The inspection was carried out using the further education and skills inspection handbook and took into account all relevant provision at the provider. Inspectors collected a wide range of evidence to inform judgements, including visiting learning sessions, scrutinising learners’ work, seeking the views of learners, staff and other stakeholders, and examining the provider’s documentation and records.

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Inspection team

Glenise Burrell, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Charles Searle Her Majesty’s Inspector Joanne Stork Her Majesty’s Inspector 22 to 24 February 2022

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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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