EM Skills Limited

EM Skills Limited Monitoring visit report

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Name of lead inspector: Penny Fawcus, His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection dates: 14 and 15 September 2022

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Type of provider: Independent learning provider

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Address: Unit 4 Cavendish House Plumpton Road Hoddesdon EN11 0LB Monitoring visit: EM Skills Limited, 14 and 15 September 2022

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Context and focus of visit

From October 2018, Ofsted undertook to carry out monitoring visits to all newly directly funded providers of apprenticeship training provision which began to be funded from April 2017 or after by the Education and Skills Funding Agency and/or the apprenticeship levy. This monitoring visit was undertaken as part of those arrangements and as outlined in the ‘Further education and skills inspection handbook’, especially the sections entitled ‘Monitoring visits’ and ‘Monitoring visits to providers that are newly directly publicly funded’. The focus of these visits is on the themes set out below.

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Context and focus of visit

EM Skills Limited is an independent learning provider based in Hertfordshire. It started providing directly funded apprenticeship programmes in August 2021. It provides standards-based apprenticeship programmes for the adult care sector. Apprentices work in care homes in Hertfordshire, the Black Country, Greater Birmingham and Solihull, Peterborough, Cambridge and Dorset.

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Context and focus of visit

At the time of the monitoring visit, EM Skills had 12 apprentices training for the level 2 adult care worker and 18 apprentices for the level 3 lead adult care worker. EM Skills has fewer than five apprentices on the level 3 business administrator apprenticeship programme. Most apprentices are over 19 years of age and there are no apprentices in receipt of high-needs funding.

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Insufficient progress

The quality of information, advice and guidance for apprentices is weak. This weakness has resulted in too few apprentices enrolling on a programme tailored to meet their needs and abilities. For example, leaders do not establish apprentices’ existing skills and knowledge accurately at the start of the programme. Leaders do not identify the support needs of those apprentices with a learning difficulty or disability. As a result, too few apprentices are staying on the programme. Too many apprentices fail to meet planned deadlines for module completion.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders have a good understanding of the priorities and challenges of the care sector. They have developed a curriculum with progression pathways to produce future leaders in adult care. Leaders ensure that staff are well qualified and experienced to carry out their job roles effectively. Apprentices benefit from one-to- one teaching by subject specialists in English and mathematics. Leaders ensure that Monitoring visit: EM Skills Limited, 14 and 15 September 2022 staff carry out frequent and relevant professional development to maintain their vocational and teaching expertise. Leaders do not ensure that employers are fully committed and involved in the apprentice’s training programme. Leaders do not challenge employers to provide sufficient time for apprentices to do their training. Assessors do not work with employers to capture the new skills apprentices have developed at work. Assessors do not involve employers in the setting of apprentices’ developmental targets. As a

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Insufficient progress

result, too few apprentices receive their off-the-job training entitlement to make good progress.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders have a good understanding of the quality of their apprenticeship programmes. They have accurately identified weaknesses in their provision. They have agreed appropriate actions to address weaknesses. However, it is too early to judge the impact of their improvement plans.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders have not yet established arrangements for external oversight of apprenticeship programmes. Leaders do not receive support and challenge to drive improvement in the quality of learning and performance.

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Insufficient progress

Too few apprentices are making good progress on their apprenticeship programme. Leaders have relied on employers to recruit prospective apprentices for their care programmes. Leaders and assessors do not identify apprentices’ existing skills and knowledge effectively. Many apprentices have been out of education for a long time. As a result, too many apprentices are on a programme that they find too difficult. Assessors do not ensure that apprentices develop the academic and study skills they need to produce written work that meets the expectations of level 3.

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Insufficient progress

Apprentices develop new skills, knowledge and professional behaviours at their workplace. For example, they receive workplace training, such as medication management, moving and handling and PEG feeding. They learn how to communicate effectively with vulnerable adults and their families in a care setting. Apprentices treat residents receiving palliative and end-of-life care with dignity, sensitivity and compassion. Apprentices develop confidence and an ability to deal with the challenges and stresses of working in this sector. Many apprentices secure promotion because of their training programme.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders and assessors do not work effectively with employers to coordinate the apprentice’s workplace activities with off-the-job training. As a result, too few employers can help their apprentices to apply and deepen their new learning in the workplace. Leaders and assessors do not involve employers routinely in the progress review of their apprentices. Assessors do not provide helpful targets to support Monitoring visit: EM Skills Limited, 14 and 15 September 2022 apprentices to know what they need to do to improve. Consequently, too few apprentices make swift progress.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders and assessors are not preparing apprentices effectively for the final examinations. Apprentices and their employers are not clear about when the examination will take place and what apprentices will be required to do.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have established appropriate arrangements to keep apprentices safe. They know their apprentices very well. They work effectively with employers to support apprentices who are vulnerable and who may be experiencing complex personal challenges.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices feel safe. They have a good working knowledge of safeguarding in the care home. They are confident in knowing how to raise and report a safeguarding concern. Apprentices understand the importance of safeguarding vulnerable elderly residents in their care, many of whom have Alzheimer’s.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices do not have a deep enough understanding of how to keep themselves safe at work or home. They have limited awareness of risks within their local area. Leaders have not yet implemented a curriculum to develop apprentices’ understanding and awareness of inappropriate and abusive relationships. Monitoring visit: EM Skills Limited, 14 and 15 September 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

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Reasonable progress

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Reasonable progress

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Reasonable progress

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Reasonable progress

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