Richmond Training Academy Limited

Further education and skills inspection report

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Inspection of Richmond Training Academy Limited

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good 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

Richmond Training Academy Ltd (Richmond) is an independent learning provider in the north-west of England. It provides training predominantly in Chester and the Wirral from its training centre in Ellesmere Port. Originally incorporated in 2011 to provide training for a large care provider, the primary focus for Richmond is on the delivery of health and social care apprenticeship standards at levels 2 to 5. Richmond was acquired by Think Trinity Limited (Think) in April 2022.

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Information about this provider

Richmond received its own directly funded contract in April 2020. It began training a small cohort of apprentices in October 2020. Prior to this, it provided apprenticeship training on behalf of other organisations.

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Information about this provider

At the time of inspection, Richmond had 22 apprentices. There are 15 apprentices on the level 2 adult care worker standard and 5 on the level 3 lead adult care worker standard. There are fewer than five apprentices on level 4 lead practitioner in adult care and level 5 leader in adult care. Five apprentices are currently on a break-in- learning. Most apprentices are aged 19 years or over. 16 to 18 August 2022

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

Most current apprentices value the opportunity to study and progress in their chosen career. Apprentices are mostly positive about their learning and appreciate the support they receive from their skills coaches and work colleagues.

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

Apprentices develop the professional behaviours they need to be successful at work. They become more empathetic and learn to understand their clients’ needs well. For example, they can identify changes in behaviour and pick up early signs of depression. They know how to report and follow up on these concerns so that their clients are provided with appropriate care.

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

Apprentices develop significantly in confidence as a result of their training. For example, apprentices on level 3 lead care worker programmes are better able to support new team members in the workplace. Level 2 adult care worker apprentices support clients effectively in their home settings.

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

Not all apprentices receive impartial advice and guidance before they start the course. Most apprentices are not made aware of the wider options available to them in the health and social care sector when they complete their course.

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

Apprentices do not have access to personal development activities beyond their main curriculum, such as volunteering or group activities.

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

Apprentices feel safe and know how to report any concerns they may have. They diligently follow lone-working policies.

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better?

Leaders and managers have a clear strategy for the curriculum that they offer. They ensure that the curriculum meets the needs of apprentices and employers. Leaders have identified key skills shortages within the health and social care sector. They have designed the adult care worker apprenticeships at level 2 and level 3 to meet identified gaps, or to upskill existing staff.

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better?

Leaders have selected staff who have the subject expertise to teach on apprenticeships. They ensure they provide professional development so that staff keep up to date in the health and social care sector. However, skills coaches do not receive training to improve their pedagogical skills.

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better?

Skills coaches adapt the curriculum to meet employers’ needs. For example, level 2 apprentices learn about additional topics such as basic life support, end-of-life care, mental health and learning disabilities. As a result, apprentices are better able to care for the specific needs their clients may have.

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better?

The curriculum is sequenced so that apprentices incrementally build their knowledge, skills and behaviours over time. For example, level 3 lead care worker apprentices 16 to 18 August 2022

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learn about how to keep adults in their care safe at the start of the programme before they move on to more complex topics such as person-centred care.

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Apprentices value the individual support they receive from their skills coaches. Skills coaches help apprentices catch up when they have been absent or are struggling with their work. They place a high priority on the well-being of apprentices; consequently, apprentices’ attendance is high.

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Apprentices gain substantial new behaviours that they apply confidently in the workplace. For example, they learn how to adapt their communication methods through hand signals so that their clients can understand instructions. They gain the courage to speak on behalf of clients to ensure their personal needs are met. Apprentices become valued care professionals.

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Most apprentices produce work of at least the expected standard. Most skills coaches provide clear feedback to apprentices on what they have done well and how to improve their work to rectify any gaps in knowledge they may have.

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Skills coaches do not use the information they collect about apprentices’ starting points to plan an ambitious or individualised curriculum. As a result, apprentices with prior experience do not make rapid enough progress. Skills coaches do not review the progress that apprentices make from their respective starting points.

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Employers do not fully participate in the review and planning of apprentices’ progress towards developing their knowledge, skills, and behaviours at work. Line managers of apprentices do not always know what they need to do to help apprentices apply their skills and knowledge at work. Consequently, a few apprentices do not make the quicker progress they could.

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Skills coaches do not set aspirational targets for apprentices to achieve in their reviews and in their final assessment. Apprentices do not know what they need to do to achieve their full potential. Often, targets focus only on the completion of tasks and not on the development of skills and behaviours in the workplace.

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Leaders do not ensure that apprentices develop the required English and mathematical skills they need for future progression. As a result, these apprentices are not prepared as well as they could be for the next steps in their career, such as moving into management roles.

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Leaders have not ensured, until very recently, that apprentices receive effective and impartial initial advice and guidance. Apprentices were unaware of the challenges they may face when working in the health and care sector. As a result, a significant number of apprentices left their course early last year, partly due to the effects of COVID-19 in the health and social care sector.

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Leaders and managers have not fully rectified all of the areas that required improvement at the last monitoring visit. New leaders have implemented a range of 16 to 18 August 2022

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new measures to improve the quality of education. However, it is too soon to judge fully the impact of these actions on securing sustained improvement.

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New board members set high expectations for staff to achieve. They provide support and challenge to managers. For example, they stopped the recruitment of new apprentices until they were confident the quality of initial advice and guidance was good enough.

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Safeguarding is effective

Leaders and managers place a high priority on the safeguarding of apprentices. Leaders complete the necessary checks when appointing new staff.

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Safeguarding is effective

Leaders ensure that employers have an appropriate lone-working policy in place, as apprentices care for clients in their own homes. Apprentices feel safe and are safe.

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Safeguarding is effective

The designated safeguarding lead (DSL) has the appropriate experience and training to carry out their role effectively. The DSL ensures that all staff receive appropriate training on safeguarding and the ‘Prevent’ duty.

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Safeguarding is effective

Leaders and apprentices do not have a good understanding of the local risks related to radicalisation and extremism.

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What does the provider need to do to improve?

 Skills coaches should use the information they collect about apprentices’ starting points to plan an ambitious and individualised curriculum. This should include personal development opportunities so that apprentices make rapid progress and realise their full potential.  Skills coaches should identify where there are any gaps in learning and set clear, measurable goals to help apprentices improve their work and to achieve higher grades.  Leaders should ensure that the on- and off-the-job training is effectively coordinated. Employers should participate fully in the review and planning of apprentices’ progress towards developing their knowledge, skills and behaviours at work.  Leaders should ensure that apprentices develop the English and mathematical skills they need for their future development so they are well prepared for their next steps in their career.  Leaders should ensure that all apprentices receive impartial advice and guidance

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What does the provider need to do to improve?

before they start the course and are made aware of the wider options available to them in the health and social care sector when they complete their apprenticeship.  Leaders and board members should ensure that rigorous quality improvement strategies are implemented and closely monitored so that the quality of education is swiftly improved. 16 to 18 August 2022

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Provider details

Address Unit 9 Rossmore Business Village Inward Way Ellesmere Port CH65 3EY

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Provider details

Provider type Independent learning provider

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Provider details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected 16 to 18 August 2022

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Information about this inspection

The inspection team was assisted by the operations manager, as nominee. Inspectors took account of the provider’s most recent self-assessment report and development plans, and the previous 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, employers and other stakeholders, and examining the provider’s documentation and records.

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Inspection team

Andrea Machell, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector Maggie Fobister Ofsted Inspector Emma King Ofsted Inspector 16 to 18 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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