Winnovation Limited

Further education and skills inspection report

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Apprenticeships Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this provider

Winnovation Limited, which is based in Newcastle upon Tyne, began to deliver apprenticeships funded through the apprenticeship levy in April 2018. All apprentices and employers are located in North East England. Winnovation Limited offers apprenticeships in the health and social care, childcare and residential childcare sectors. At the time of the inspection, there were 152 apprentices, of whom 33 were aged under 19. Apprentices study on 11 framework and standard programmes from level 2 to 5. Most apprentices are studying apprenticeship standards in the childcare sector, the level 3 early years educator standard having the largest proportion of apprentices. 11 to 13 April 2022

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

Apprentices benefit from the high expectations that tutors set for their progress and achievement at the start of their apprenticeship. They demonstrate a high level of commitment to their training and most have good attendance and are punctual. This enables them to develop the essential employability skills required in the sectors in which they work.

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

Apprentices enjoy their training, and they rightly value the support that they receive from their tutors. Apprentices and tutors develop strong mutually respectful relationships which create a positive learning experience. Apprentices take pride in their work and are eager to learn more. Tutors frequently provide additional work to help apprentices to progress quickly. Apprentices who require more time to complete work, often due to work commitments, receive one-to-one support to ensure that they remain motivated to achieve and make progress.

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

Tutors promote a calm and safe environment for apprentices to learn in, and they ensure that apprentices are safe in their workplace settings. They provide useful information to apprentices on how to keep themselves and those in their care safe. Apprentices benefit from a one-to-one approach that tutors use to personalise and individualise training. This ensures that tutors frequently consider and discuss apprentices’ welfare and well-being so they can quickly respond to any concerns and offer appropriate support. Apprentices successfully apply in their work roles their understanding of possible risks to vulnerable adults and children.

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better?

Leaders and managers have established highly effective relationships with regional and local employers to support the training needs of providers in the care sector. They have a clear intent to deliver high-quality training to meet the needs of the care sector and have selected appropriate care standards to meet these needs. Employers highly value the apprenticeship training and the contribution made by their apprentices to their settings.

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better?

Tutors plan and sequence the curriculum well in response to apprentices’ and employers’ needs. They work effectively with employers to tailor optional and additional content that employers need apprentices to know and demonstrate. This includes the optional handling medicines unit to meet the needs of children in a residential care setting who have additional and challenging needs. Tutors take account of apprentices’ different start dates. They make amendments to the choice of units if an apprentice starts in the spring to fit in with children transitioning in to school settings. The careful planning of the curriculum enables apprentices to become valued and effective in their roles.

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better?

Leaders and managers ensure that tutors have the appropriate qualifications, skills and experience to teach on the apprenticeships standards that they offer. Tutors are 11 to 13 April 2022

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knowledgeable and have a high level of expertise in the care sectors. They use their experience well to help apprentices develop their analytical and reflective thinking skills and apply what they learn to their workplaces and job roles. Tutors help apprentices better understand their workplaces and their job roles. They use care settings’ policies and procedures, such as safe medication storage, in training to help apprentices contextualise their learning and become more effective at work. Employers and apprentices value the training that tutors provide, finding it highly relevant and current.

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Leaders and managers carefully consider the caseloads of tutors, ensuring that caseloads are manageable. Tutors are confident that if they should have difficulties in managing their workload, they could discuss this with the apprenticeship manager who would actively support them and take account of their welfare. This support means that tutors are confident that they can deliver high-quality training to apprentices.

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Rigorous processes are in place to assure the quality of all aspects of the apprenticeship provision. Leaders and managers make good use of information gathered from appraisals, performance reviews, standardisation and training sessions to drive improvement. In most instances, managers ensure that staff are fully aware of any actions that they need to take to improve the experience of apprentices. However, in a few cases actions taken to improve quality are not specific enough and do not identify well enough improvements that staff need to make.

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Leaders, managers and tutors carefully monitor apprentices’ progress to help apprentices complete their programme within the planned timescales. This ensures that tutors can identify apprentices who fall behind and take swift action to help them to catch up. Leaders and managers are aware of how apprentices’ progress has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic due to illness and staffing shortages in their care settings. They have taken action to accelerate the progress of these apprentices and bring them back on track. Most apprentices are now on target to achieve within the planned timescales.

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Tutors use the results of comprehensive initial assessments well to plan individualised training for apprentices. They develop learning plans with apprentices that identify areas of strength in apprentices’ knowledge, skills and behaviours as well as identifying gaps. They use these plans well to ensure that apprentices quickly develop the skills and knowledge that they need.

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Tutors swiftly identify apprentices with additional learning needs at the start of programmes. They refer these apprentices to the relevant staff who provide them with the support that they need, including support for dyspraxia and dyslexia. Tutors carefully adapt their style of questioning and rephrase questions to enable apprentices with additional learning needs to understand more easily what they are being asked. 11 to 13 April 2022

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Tutors provide useful feedback on apprentices’ assignment work which is specific to the care sector and prompts apprentices to consider carefully the impact of what they have learned on the service users in their care. Leaders and managers ensure that feedback to apprentices includes helpful information about what they have achieved and how they can improve. This results in apprentices producing work of a good standard.

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Most apprentices make good progress towards achieving their functional skills English and mathematics qualifications. Leaders and managers have recently appointed a designated functional skills tutor to support apprentices and to help tutors with their delivery. However, in a few cases apprentices do not achieve their functional skills qualifications quickly enough to progress through the apprenticeship at the expected rate.

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Tutors provide apprentices with useful information that prepares them to live in modern Britain. They carefully integrate this information into apprenticeship programmes so that most apprentices have a thorough understanding of British values. Apprentices know what it means to contribute positively to society, to be tolerant and respectful of others, and to promote law and equality in their workplaces. In their reviews, apprentices discuss with tutors topics such as religious festivals and radicalisation, and events including anti-bullying week. Apprentices demonstrate a good understanding of these topics and reflect carefully on what they have learned and how to apply it in their settings.

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Apprentices swiftly develop confidence in their new job roles and conduct themselves effectively as a result of the training that they receive. Consequently, they are keen to take on higher-level roles and promotions, such as becoming the room leader in early years settings. On the children, young people and families practitioner apprenticeship, a few apprentices have gained promotions, moving from positions as coordinators to managerial roles in the first few months of their apprenticeship.

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Tutors provide helpful careers advice and guidance to apprentices. They frequently identify relevant personal goals to support apprentices to progress in their careers and into higher-level apprenticeships and higher education. Apprentices carry out developmental activities, such as first-aid training, that help them in their current workplace when caring for children. They consider longer-term goals beyond their apprenticeships, such as management training at level 5 and above, to progress their careers.

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Tutors provide apprentices with helpful advice to support them with living positive and healthy lives. They raise apprentices’ awareness of how to stay mentally positive and remain resilient. However, although apprentices aged 16 to 18 years have a basic understanding of healthy relationships, they do not receive a planned for, age-appropriate personal development curriculum early enough in their apprenticeship programmes about maintaining healthy relationships with others. 11 to 13 April 2022

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Governors have a clear understanding of their roles and statutory duties. They are aware of their duties under employment and health and safety laws and in relation to safeguarding. Governors have a clear oversight of the strengths and weaknesses of the provision. Managers provide accurate and comprehensive reports on actions taken to resolve issues. Frequent meetings take place to address issues and set actions. Governors hold leaders and managers to account well in order to improve the quality of the apprenticeship provision.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that appropriate safeguarding policies and procedures are in place, and they meet the requirements of the ‘Prevent’ duty. The designated safeguarding lead (DSL) and deputy DSLs are appropriately trained and experienced to carry out their roles. DSLs receive useful information from the regional Prevent coordinator and have a good awareness of local risks. Staff receive up-to-date training in safeguarding and the ‘Prevent’ duty and communicate information from this training to apprentices as appropriate.

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Safeguarding

Leaders and managers have put in place effective safe recruitment procedures and policies to ensure that staff are appropriate to work with young people and vulnerable adults. They collect references and disclosure and barring checks prior to the start of employment.

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Safeguarding

Apprentices have a good awareness of safeguarding issues, and they know how to keep themselves and the people they care for safe in their settings. Apprentices know how to identify and report any concerns.

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What does the provider need to do to improve?

 Ensure that apprentices who have fallen behind due to the impact of the COVID- 19 pandemic continue to receive good support to catch up.  Ensure that apprentices aged under 19 benefit early in their programme from age-appropriate information and personal development activity about maintaining healthy relationships.  Ensure that apprentices achieve their functional skills qualifications within the planned timescales so they can successfully achieve their apprenticeship.  Ensure that tutors consistently receive helpful guidance on how to improve their practice. 11 to 13 April 2022

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Provider details

Address Houghtons Yard Shields Road Newcastle upon Tyne NE6 2YP

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Provider details

Provider type Independent learning provider

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Provider details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Provider details

Main subcontractors N/A 11 to 13 April 2022

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Information about this inspection

The inspection team was assisted by the managing director, 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

Joanne Stork, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Chloe Rendall Her Majesty’s Inspector Mark Keen Ofsted Inspector 11 to 13 April 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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