All Dimension Limited

Further education and skills inspection report

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Inspection dates: 21 to 23 November 2022

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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

All Dimension Limited (All Dimension) is a small independent learning provider based in Sidcup, within the London Borough of Bexley. All Dimension provides levy-funded standards-based apprenticeship programmes across London, Kent, Middlesex and Leeds. Most apprentices work within children’s services, early years and social care settings.

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Information about this provider

At the time of the inspection, there was one apprentice on level 2 early years practitioner and four apprentices studying level 3 business administration, while the level 3 early years educator, level 4 children and young people families practitioner and level 4 employability practitioner standards each had three apprentices. 21 to 23 November 2022

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

Apprentices are positive about their experiences and relationships with All Dimension staff. They enjoy their time on their programmes and are keen to learn. They are well supported throughout their training by knowledgeable and experienced assessors and managers. Apprentices develop new knowledge, skills and behaviours, achieve their learning goals and remain in employment with their employer once they complete their programme.

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

Apprentices take good-quality accredited professional development courses that complement their programmes and through which they develop their interests very well. For example, they are able to complete courses in general data protection regulation, cyber security, drugs and alcohol awareness, money laundering, first aid, designated safeguarding lead, diet and nutrition and learning disability awareness.

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

Apprentices receive helpful advice and guidance about their careers from suitably qualified staff. This helps apprentices make informed decisions about future learning and career opportunities available to them.

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

Most apprentices have a good understanding of how British values apply to their work and lives. This is because assessors regularly teach British values in lessons and progress reviews. For example, level 4 children and young people families practitioner apprentices develop their knowledge of the rule of law when studying legislation related to keeping children safe.

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

Apprentices feel safe and are aware of what they should do if they have concerns about personal or work issues throughout their programme. Staff create a positive culture and have a strong focus on supporting apprentices to do well. Assessors and managers have a good understanding of the pressures that apprentices may experience at work and in their personal lives. Assessors and managers provide good additional support and advice to apprentices who face challenges, such as mental health concerns.

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better?

Leaders have a clear rationale for the apprenticeship programmes they teach. They aim to support employers within the child, early years and social care sectors by equipping apprentices with new knowledge, skills, behaviours and qualifications.

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better?

Leaders and managers engage very well with employers to develop curriculum content for their programmes. Leaders take the time to understand the job roles apprentices have and meet with employers to understand the needs of their business. They use this information to develop additional specialist content. For example, the level 4 employability practitioner curriculum includes knowledge about trauma and attachment for apprentices who support care leavers and 21 to 23 November 2022

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unaccompanied asylum seekers. As a result, most programmes are well planned, challenging and highly relevant to what employers need.

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On the level 3 early years educator and level 4 children and young people families practitioner programmes, assessors plan and teach the programme well. They teach a logically sequenced curriculum effectively. They ensure that apprentices have a secure understanding of the key skills and knowledge of their subject before building on these with more complex concepts. For example, assessors on the level 2 early years practitioner apprenticeship ensure that apprentices know the theory of how children develop before they apply these theories to planning activities for children. However, assessors have not put the same thought into the level 3 business administration programme, which is not sufficiently planned. Assessors do not sufficiently plan and sequence the specific knowledge, skills and behaviours they expect apprentices to develop.

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Assessors work in collaboration with employers and apprentices to conduct discussions and assessments to identify accurately apprentices’ starting points. Assessors use the results from these assessments, and their good knowledge of apprentices’ job roles, to plan and teach a curriculum that is closely tailored to individual apprentices’ needs.

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Assessors make good use of regular meetings with apprentices and employers to review progress and plan helpful learning opportunities for apprentices when they are at work. There is good collaboration between all those involved in the apprenticeship so that apprentices can develop the skills they learn in their training session through their work practice.

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In the main, assessors provide feedback to apprentices on their work that is developmental and aimed at helping apprentices to improve. For example, they suggest apprentices make clearer the links between the theory they have learned and how they apply this in practice. However, assessors do not consistently identify spelling, punctuation and grammatical errors in apprentices’ work, which means apprentices do not improve their writing skills.

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Assessors prepare apprentices and employers well for the final assessments throughout and towards the end of the programmes. At the start of the apprenticeship, assessors explain the requirements and expectations of the assessment process clearly to employers and apprentices. Apprentices are very familiar with the format of the final assessments and the areas on which they will be tested. They are aware of how to achieve high grades. Assessors provide apprentices with additional support towards the end of their programme. Therefore, apprentices feel and are well prepared for the assessments. 21 to 23 November 2022

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders and managers have thorough processes and policies in place to safeguard apprentices. Designated safeguarding leads (DSL) support vulnerable apprentices well. Apprentices value the monthly welfare check-in meetings that DSLs have with them. When needed, DSLs signpost apprentices to external support agencies, such as talking therapy.

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Safeguarding

Leaders and managers have good links with a number of different local authority ‘Prevent’ duty teams. They use the information from different regions well to identify and assess the local and national risks posed to apprentices regarding radicalisation and extremism. Assessors teach apprentices effectively about these risks. As a result, most apprentices are able to demonstrate a good understanding of the risks associated with radicalisation and extremism and how it relates to their job roles.

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What does the provider need to do to improve?

 Assessors should ensure that apprentices receive feedback on their spelling, punctuation and grammar so they can further improve the quality of their written work.  Leaders and managers should plan and sequence the specific knowledge, skills and behaviours they expect apprentices to develop over time on the level 3 business administration programme. 21 to 23 November 2022

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Provider details

Address 5 Lewis Road Sidcup Kent DA14 4NB

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Provider details

Principal, CEO or equivalent Caroline Knight

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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 21 to 23 November 2022

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Information about this inspection

The inspection team was assisted by the managing director, 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

Joanna Walters, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector Sarah Wilding Ofsted Inspector 21 to 23 November 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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