Connective Care Education Ltd

Further education and skills inspection report

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Inspection of Connective Care Education Ltd

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

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

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Information about this provider

Connective Care Education Ltd (Connective) is a specialist training provider for the health and social care sector based in Pontypridd, South Wales. Connective began offering apprenticeships in England in January 2018. At the time of the inspection, seven apprentices were studying the level 4 children, young people and families practitioner apprenticeship, five apprentices were studying the level 3 lead adult care worker apprenticeship and five apprentices were studying the level 2 adult care worker apprenticeship. All apprentices were aged 18 and over. 18 to 20 May 2022

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

Apprentices are motivated, enjoy their apprenticeships and become more confident at work. They feel safe at work and in training. They value and learn from the occupational expertise and knowledge of trainers.

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

Apprentices have not all had face-to-face meetings with their trainers, or benefited from being observed by them in the workplace for much of their apprenticeship. This has been due to COVID-19 restrictions. As a result, apprentices are taking longer to complete their apprenticeships than originally planned.

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

Apprentices who need to achieve English and/or mathematics qualifications have not yet received all of the training they require. The very small number of apprentices for whom English is an additional language do not receive sufficient help to improve their reading and writing in English. Consequently, they are struggling with their apprenticeships.

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

Apprentices have regular, productive meetings online with their trainers. Trainers provide them with useful feedback on the progress made in developing new skills and knowledge and what they need to do to improve their work. Apprentices appreciate highly the flexibility and supportiveness of trainers. For example, when apprentices have had to cover for absent colleagues in their workplaces, trainers have readily changed the time of online meetings.

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

Trainers use their training expertise to ensure that apprentices understand the important knowledge, skills and behaviours they need for their role. For example, apprentices now know how to contribute thoughtfully to clients’ care plans and the importance of empathy to ensure that the dignity of clients is maintained. Apprentices learn about how to support clients who have medical conditions, such as diabetes or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

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better?

Leaders plan a curriculum which is logically sequenced and provides apprentices with the appropriate knowledge and skills they need for their work roles. However, leaders do not plan well enough with employers how to extend and develop further apprentices’ knowledge and skills in the workplace.

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better?

Trainers do not work closely enough with employers to coordinate what apprentices learn from their training with what they learn from their practice at work. As a result, apprentices do not always have timely opportunities to apply their off-the-job learning when in the workplace.

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better?

Leaders do not sufficiently encourage apprentices to learn independently. Apprentices rarely study the additional topics available to them online, for example short courses on personal care, autism spectrum disorder, diet and eating disorders. Too few attend the specialist workshops that Connective offers on topics such as 18 to 20 May 2022 physical wellness, mental health and resilience. As a result, they do not extend their knowledge and understanding of their roles beyond the minimum they need to pass their apprenticeship.

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better?

Training has improved since the previous monitoring visit in 2021, when inspectors judged Connective to have made insufficient progress in meeting the requirements of successful apprenticeship provision. Leaders have taken a sensible and cautious approach to the recruitment of new apprentices, only taking on a small number of new starters. This has enabled them to focus more closely on the quality of training. Leaders have correctly identified weaknesses and the actions needed to remedy them. Although improvements to the quality of education and training are evident, leaders do not sufficiently evaluate the effectiveness of the remedial actions they have taken.

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better?

Apprentices’ written work meets the minimum standard required by their apprenticeship but rarely exceeds it. Trainers routinely provide feedback to apprentices on their assignments and other writing. However, this consists too often of praise rather than information about what they need to do to continually improve their work.

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better?

Trainers are well qualified and have suitable expertise in their vocational areas. Leaders provide them with regular and effective professional training, such as infection control, mental health first aid, manual handling techniques, administering medication and data protection. This ensures that trainers have good knowledge and understanding of current legislation and occupational practices.

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better?

Trainers use effective questioning techniques to check and confirm what apprentices know and can do. They use examples from their professional experiences well to help apprentices retain knowledge so they can apply what they know in the workplace. For example, apprentices learn how to observe clients with dementia and how to monitor and recognise whether or not clients are sleeping and eating properly.

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better?

Trainers use their vocational experience effectively to enable apprentices to consider how they might behave and act in the workplace. For example, they use accounts of real, but anonymised, safeguarding incidents to help apprentices learn about how and when to raise a concern at work. They also use their meetings with apprentices well to develop apprentices’ knowledge and understanding of wider societal topics. For example, apprentices thoughtfully discuss international conflicts and the importance of freedom of speech.

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better?

Leaders have recently put in place suitable governance arrangements to provide strong support and challenge to the leadership team. New governors have substantial executive-level expertise in health and care, skills training and human resources. Governors have already established a formal framework for board meetings that sets out their requirements and expectations of leaders. However, it is still too early to see the impact of these arrangements. 18 to 20 May 2022

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have ensured that their staff are suitably qualified to safeguard apprentices. The designated safeguarding lead is appropriately experienced. Staff understand their safeguarding responsibilities well. They ensure that apprentices are cared for and know how to keep themselves safe at work. Apprentices have a suitable awareness concerning their own physical and mental well-being and about keeping themselves and others safe from radicalisation.

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Safeguarding

Leaders maintain detailed records of safeguarding matters. They respond to any concerns quickly. Actions they take are sensitive and appropriate. Procedures for the recruitment of new staff are rigorous, and ensure that staff are suitable to work with apprentices.

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What does the provider need to do to improve?

 Leaders must work closely with employers to ensure that apprentices can apply in the workplace what they learn from the training they receive from trainers.  Leaders must ensure that all apprentices needing to achieve English and mathematics qualifications and/or improve their English skills receive effective and timely training.  Leaders should properly evaluate the impact of actions designed to remedy weaknesses in the provision.  Leaders should ensure that apprentices attend the additional courses that are available to them so that they extend and deepen their knowledge and skills appropriately. 18 to 20 May 2022

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Address

13–14 Centre Court, Treforest Industrial Estate Pontypridd CF37 5YR

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Address

Provider type Independent learning provider

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Address

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Address

Main subcontractors None 18 to 20 May 2022

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Information about this inspection

The inspection team was assisted by the senior quality and project 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

Clifford Shaw, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector Christine Lacey Ofsted Inspector Kate Wills Ofsted Inspector 18 to 20 May 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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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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