London Vocational College Limited

Further education and skills inspection report

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Inspection of London Vocational College Limited

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate

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

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Information about this provider

London Vocational College (LVC) is an independent learning provider based in Ilford in the London Borough of Redbridge. LVC provides education and training through apprenticeship and adult learning programmes within the adult care and childcare sectors.

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Information about this provider

At the time of the inspection, there were approximately 140 apprentices completing standards-based adult care apprenticeship programmes from levels 2 to 5. All apprentices are over the age of 18.

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Information about this provider

There were approximately 664 adult learners studying a range of programmes from entry level to level 3. These learners are funded by the Greater London Authority. A significant proportion of the adult provision is the level 3 diploma in adult care, functional skills qualifications in English and mathematics, and English for speakers of other languages. 19 to 22 July 2022

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

Learners and apprentices receive a poor quality of education and training at LVC. Leaders have low expectations of learners and apprentices. Too many learners and apprentices do not develop well enough their behaviours and attitudes for work and study.

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

A significant number of learners and apprentices do not attend lessons because they are not motivated by their assessors. As a result, learners and apprentices lack enthusiasm to engage in learning and prepare for their next steps. However, a small number of apprentices on adult care apprenticeship programmes take their professional behaviours and conduct seriously at work. For example, apprentices in senior care roles have learned how to adapt their communication methods to the need of patients.

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

Learners and apprentices do not consistently receive the careers advice and guidance they need to help them plan their next steps in training or at work. The quality of careers advice and guidance is too reliant on what each individual assessor does. Some assessors, for example, support learners with applications for university. However, too many apprentices and learners are not well supported by their assessors or by leaders at LVC.

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

Learners and apprentices do not benefit from opportunities in their curriculum to understand the risks associated with radicalisation and extremism and how British values apply in their personal or work lives. Leaders do not have sufficient oversight of the effectiveness of the work that assessors do in these areas. As a result, learners’ and apprentices’ understanding of how to keep safe is poor.

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

Learners and apprentices do not benefit from any activities outside of the learning programme or apprenticeship that supports their wider development and adds value to their training. Leaders and assessors do not plan a wider personal development curriculum for learners and apprentices.

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

Learners and apprentices say that they would report any concerns about their own safety or welfare to their assessor. However, leaders do not know well enough which learners and apprentices are in training. Therefore, they cannot assure themselves that learners and apprentices are safe.

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better?

Leaders have an inaccurate view of the strengths, significant weaknesses and general working practices that exist at LVC. There are no governance arrangements in place to hold leaders accountable for the quality of provision at LVC. As a result, leaders do not receive any challenge to improve the quality of provision. For example, leaders do not have an accurate overview of what training takes place, and when. They do not have an accurate list of which learners and apprentices are in learning and training. 19 to 22 July 2022

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Leaders do not have sufficient control over the way the curriculum is taught. Assessors decide how they sequence and teach the curriculum in their vocational area without any guidance or oversight from leaders. Assessors allow learners and apprentices to choose what they learn and when. As a result, there is too much variation in the quality of education that learners and apprentices receive due to a lack of leaders’ oversight.

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Leaders do not ensure that learning is adequately planned. Assessors sequence programmes in an incoherent way. Assessors focus too much on apprentices completing units of their qualification rather than planning a well-sequenced curriculum to build knowledge over time. As a result, learners and apprentices are not taught a curriculum to enable them to develop new knowledge, skills and behaviours.

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Assessors do not identify adequately what learners and apprentices know before they enrol on a course. They do not check that learners and apprentices are suited to their programme of study. For example, assessors do not ensure that learners and apprentices have the prior qualifications, experience and English skills they need to complete their qualifications. As a result, too many learners and apprentices struggle to complete their programmes.

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Leaders do not ensure that the apprenticeship curriculum meets the principles and requirements of an apprenticeship. Leaders do not plan the key elements of an apprenticeship curriculum. For example, inspectors found too many apprentices not in appropriate employment and too many not receiving their entitlement to training hours in work time. This leads to too much inconsistency in apprentices’ learning and development. As a result, too many apprentices are behind and not on track to complete within the planned time.

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Leaders and assessors do not communicate clearly enough with apprentices and their employers about the full requirements of their apprenticeship. For example, a few level 2 care apprentices do not realise they are apprentices. Assessors focus too much on apprentices completing their qualifications rather than participating in an apprenticeship programme.

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Leaders and assessors do not have sufficient oversight of the progress of apprentices. Too few apprentices receive regular progress reviews. Assessors do not use progress reviews effectively to enable apprentices to make progress. Too many apprentices are not on track to achieve as they do not receive sufficient feedback about their development.

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Leaders and assessors do not have robust processes in place to check that learners’ and apprentices’ work is their own. Inspectors found numerous instances where learners’ and apprentices’ work was plagiarised. As a result, it is unclear how much knowledge and skills learners and apprentices develop.

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Assessors do not provide good enough feedback on learners’ and apprentices’ work. 19 to 22 July 2022

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Too often, assessors give very limited feedback and do not guide learners and apprentices on how to improve.

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Leaders do not place a sufficient focus on developing assessors’ teaching skills. Leaders do not provide assessors with development opportunities to help them improve their teaching and assessment skills. As a result, learners and apprentices receive poor quality teaching, assessment and support.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have put the required safeguarding policies and procedures in place, including a ‘Prevent’ duty risk assessment. However, leaders do not promote a positive safeguarding culture effectively. They do not manage closely enough the work of assessors to ensure that they follow safe working practices. For example, they do not ensure risk assessments are in place for off-site activities.

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Safeguarding

Leaders do not ensure that assessors and deputy designated safeguarding leads (DSL) undertake basic safeguarding awareness and training, and training on the dangers of radicalisation. The DSL has only very recently undertaken suitable training to carry out their role. As a result, leaders and the safeguarding team do not have a thorough overview of safeguarding across the provision.

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What does the provider need to do to improve?

 Leaders must identify the strengths, weaknesses and working practices of the provision so they can take appropriate action to address the weaknesses.  Leaders must ensure they have an accurate oversight of the number of learners and apprentices in learning so they can ensure they are safe.  Leaders must ensure the requirements of an apprenticeship programme are met. They should ensure that employers understand their commitment to the apprenticeship training so that apprentices are in suitable employment and receive their entitlement to training in work time.  Staff must ensure that apprentices and learners have suitable skills and knowledge for the level of study on which they are enrolled.  Leaders must ensure that learners and apprentices receive a high-quality education that takes into consideration what learners and apprentices know and can do at the start of the programme.  Leaders must have suitable processes in place to ensure that learners’ and

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What does the provider need to do to improve?

apprentices’ work is their own.  Leaders must ensure that learners and apprentices benefit from opportunities that support their personal development beyond the requirements of completing the qualification components of their programme of study. 19 to 22 July 2022

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 Leaders must ensure that learners and apprentices receive impartial advice and guidance about their next steps in further learning and employment.  Leaders must ensure that learners and apprentices are taught how to protect themselves from possible harm.  Leaders must ensure that assessors and the safeguarding team receive suitable safeguarding training. 19 to 22 July 2022

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Provider details

Address London Vocational College 2nd Floor Heraldic House 160-162 Cranbrook Road Ilford IG1 4PE

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Provider details

Website https://londonvocationalcollege.com

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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 None 19 to 22 July 2022

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Information about this inspection

The inspection team was assisted by the internal quality assurance lead, as nominee. Inspectors took account of the provider’s most recent self-assessment report and development plans, and the previous new provider monitoring visit 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

Joanna Walters, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Jon Bowman Her Majesty’s Inspector Maureen Gilmartin Ofsted Inspector Victoria Copp-Crawley Ofsted Inspector 19 to 22 July 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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