Excel Training 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

Excel Training Limited is an independent learning provider which has its head office in Rotherham. It provides apprenticeships in Yorkshire and the East Midlands. Most apprentices are aged over 19 years. At the time of the inspection, 87 apprentices were receiving training. Most apprentices were on level 2 and level 3 adult care worker and level 2 hairdressing apprenticeships. The remainder were on level 3 business administration, level 3 early years educator, and level 4 and 5 leadership and management in the care sector apprenticeships. 3 to 5 August 2022

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

Apprentices demonstrate maturity and have positive attitudes to their work and learning. They treat customers, care home residents and each other respectfully and have good relationships with provider staff. They appreciate the importance of being part of a team and support each other well.

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

Hairdressing apprentices benefit from working in high-quality and busy salons. Employers have very clear expectations of apprentices regarding customer care, behaviour at work and attendance and punctuality. Apprentices are challenged and supported to meet these expectations and learn from the salon professionals who they work alongside.

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

Apprentices receive helpful careers advice and guidance from tutors to help them to identify their next steps. For example, adult care apprentices select their optional units based on their chosen career path by choosing units such as mentoring or medication to develop the skills that they need in order to apply for team leader or more senior positions.

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

Tutors provide a welcoming and inclusive learning environment that helps apprentices to feel comfortable and at ease and supports them with their learning. Apprentices speak highly of their tutors and value the individual support that they receive from them.

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

Apprentices feel safe at work and know who to speak to if they are concerned about themselves or others. Employers and provider staff work well together to ensure that apprentices are safe at work. Hairdressing employers have salon social media groups that they use to ensure apprentices arrive home safely if they work into the evening in the salon. Adult care apprentices who work night shifts can demonstrate what steps they would take to avoid local risks such as anti-social behaviour near their workplace. Apprentices have a good understanding of health and safety and their responsibilities at work.

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better?

Leaders have a clear purpose to provide apprenticeships in the health and social care and hairdressing sectors. They use their own extensive experience in these areas and their close relationships with employers to design good-quality training that meets employers’ requirements. They also offer employers in the health and social care sector training in business administration and management to support them to develop the skills their staff need.

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better?

Leaders understand the strengths and weaknesses of the apprenticeships that they provide. They undertake a wide range of quality assurance activities including gathering feedback from apprentices and employers, undertaking observations of teaching and progress review meetings, and scrutinising apprentices’ work. They have made improvements recently including providing apprentices with more helpful 3 to 5 August 2022

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feedback about their work. However, leaders recognise they need to improve how they use the information they collect from the quality assurance activities to plan the improvements they need to make more effectively.

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Leaders employ experienced and well qualified staff. Staff keep their vocational skills up to date with a good range of professional development activities in the health and social care and hairdressing sectors including by working in care homes and running hairdressing salons. However, leaders do not provide staff with sufficient training to update and improve their teaching and assessing skills.

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Tutors skilfully support apprentices to develop their knowledge and skills. They coach apprentices well to improve their practical skills and test their knowledge using effective questioning techniques. Tutors also direct apprentices to independent learning successfully. As a result, apprentices can understand key concepts before they progress onto more complex tasks. Hairdressing apprentices develop good sectioning skills before moving onto more complex tasks such as colouring hair. Adult care apprentices improve their confidence in managing challenging behaviour using the skills developed from studying positive behaviour strategies.

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Tutors use a range of assessment methods well to identify apprentices’ skills and knowledge in hairdressing and adult care and to identify any gaps in knowledge. Tutors frequently revisit topics to ensure that apprentices retain knowledge previously learned. For example, hairdressing apprentices complete consultations with customers throughout their apprenticeship which are frequently assessed by tutors. Apprentices develop good levels of practical skills which they use professionally with customers in prestigious salons.

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Apprentices produce a good standard of work that reflects the knowledge and skills that they develop through their apprenticeship. Administration apprentices develop an understanding of key business skills, legislation and effective communication. They apply these skills in the workplace when developing projects including the promotion of their business using social media. Adult care apprentices develop their research and academic writing skills well.

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Apprentices benefit from additional training that broadens their workplace skills. Hairdressing apprentices take part in professional photographic shoots to market their salons and undertake specific manufacturer product training. Adult care apprentices take part in training through a local authority hub to develop further their knowledge of supporting adults such as in dementia care.

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Tutors support apprentices well to improve their English and mathematics skills. Where needed, apprentices have additional one-to-one support from tutors to help them to improve. A high proportion of apprentices who need to pass their English and mathematics examinations do so at the first attempt enabling them to be more effective at work and to be ready for their end-point assessment.

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Leaders have established appropriate arrangements for governance that provides useful oversight of most aspects relating to the quality of education and the 3 to 5 August 2022

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progress that apprentices make. Governors have relevant experience in the health and social care sector and in safeguarding. However, leaders rightly recognise that they need to improve governance further to ensure that governors provide effective support and challenge to leaders.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have in place effective safeguarding policies and procedures that they use to keep apprentices safe. They have completed an effective ‘Prevent’ risk assessment and have completed improvement actions as required.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that staff are suitable to work with apprentices. They carry out appropriate background checks including right to work in the United Kingdom, references from most recent employers and enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service checks.

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Safeguarding

The designated safeguarding lead (DSL) and deputy have relevant experience and complete appropriate training to enable them to carry out their roles. They liaise closely with local authorities, the health and social care sector and the regional ‘Prevent’ duty coordinators to keep updated with safeguarding issues and they communicate this information effectively to staff and apprentices.

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Safeguarding

Staff complete appropriate training in safeguarding and the ‘Prevent’ duty. They update their training frequently and receive updates from DSLs including on topics such as peer-on-peer abuse and sexual harm among young people.

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What does the provider need to do to improve?

 Strengthen the arrangements for governance to ensure that leaders are held fully to account for the quality of apprenticeships.  Use the information collected from quality assurance activities more effectively to plan accurately to make improvements.  Provide tutors with helpful training in teaching and assessment. 3 to 5 August 2022

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Address

Unit 64, Century Business Centre Century Park Manvers Rotherham S63 5DA

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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 N/a 3 to 5 August 2022

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Information about this inspection

The inspection team was assisted by the director of quality assurance, 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

Jonny Wright, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Pauline Hughes Ofsted Inspector Jackie Moores Ofsted Inspector 3 to 5 August 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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