QDOS Training Limited

Further education and skills inspection report

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Inspection dates: 28 February to 3 March 2023

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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 Good

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Information about this provider

QDOS Training Limited is an independent learning provider based in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire. It provides apprenticeships and traineeships across a range of curriculum areas. At the time of the inspection, there were 132 apprentices on qualifications from level 2 to level 5. Most apprentices were studying learning and skills teacher at level 5 or safety, health and environment technician at level 3. Apprentices on level 2 qualifications study apprenticeships in hair professional, beauty therapist, nail services technician or waste resources operative. A smaller proportion of apprentices study programmes at level 4. Two trainees on hair and beauty courses were close to the end of their studies. 28 February to 3 March 2023

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

Apprentices and trainees are supported well to improve the knowledge and skills that are relevant to their work and future careers. Waste resources operative apprentices find their course demanding but highly beneficial to their aspirations to progress to positions of responsibility in their workplaces. Trainees progress to apprenticeships in hair, beauty and business administration at the end of their studies. Apprentices and trainees are more confident in their everyday lives and carry out their roles professionally in the workplace.

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

Apprentices and trainees work in a positive and supportive culture. Their behaviour is exemplary. They are attentive in taught sessions and enjoy the work that they do in the workplace. Apprentices feel, and inspectors agree, that trainer assessors support them well with their work. Apprentices value the positive feedback that trainer assessors provide them with and are motivated by the enthusiasm of the teaching staff.

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

Apprentices and trainees feel respected in the workplace and believe that their views and opinions are valued. They feel able to talk to staff and know that they will receive support with their personal lives if they need it. Apprentices and trainees feel, and are, safe in their studies and at work.

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better?

Leaders have established a relevant and ambitious curriculum that meets the needs of their learners and the skills gaps identified by employers locally, regionally and nationally. Leaders have high aspirations for apprentices and trainees to achieve very good standards in their work and to progress to further learning or gain promotion at work.

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better?

Managers work effectively with employers to consider the sequencing of topics in the apprenticeships. Apprentices learn new knowledge and skills in a meaningful way. For example, level 3 safety, health and environment technician apprentices learn about the moral and legal obligations for safe working practices. Apprentices then use this knowledge competently to inform the risk assessments that they carry out in their workplaces. Trainer assessors swiftly adapt the curriculum to meet individual apprentices’ needs. Trainer assessors of level 5 leader in adult care apprenticeships changed the order of units to support apprentices working in care homes in providing family support and end-of-life care earlier in the course.

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better?

Leaders have created a calm and professional workplace. As a result, staff, apprentices and trainees enjoy their work and their studies. Apprentices and trainees attend their taught sessions and their work well.

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better?

Leaders have put in place a range of measures to ensure that staff feel valued and supported. Leaders manage staff workloads well and they are cognisant of staff 28 February to 3 March 2023

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members’ well-being. For example, they have put in place specifically trained staff to support staff and apprentices with mental health issues.

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Apprentices and trainees are respectful to each other, to clients and to staff. Apprentices understand the need for compassion and tolerance in their workplaces, such as when working with clients in care homes. Apprentices learn about relevant societal issues, such as homelessness and poverty.

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Trainer assessors identify apprentices’ skills and knowledge thoroughly at the start of their course. They use this information skilfully to plan individualised learning to meet the needs of the apprentice and the employer. Apprentices gain new knowledge and skills during their apprenticeship. For example, level 2 hairdressing professional apprentices understand how the use of heat and different products can affect hair before they carry out consultations on clients. Waste resources operative apprentices learn about health and safety legislation before moving on to learn how to segregate waste and deal with superfluous materials.

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Trainer assessors consider apprentices’ skills in English and mathematics carefully at the start of their course. They swiftly put English and mathematics teaching in place for apprentices who need to gain qualifications in these subjects. As a result, a high proportion of apprentices achieve their English and mathematics functional skills qualifications at the first attempt.

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Most apprentices develop good speaking skills. They become more confident in talking to peers and clients. Apprentices adapt their communication styles to meet the needs of their audience. For example, level 5 apprentices in leader in adult care talk professionally to the families of clients in care homes. Trainer assessors do not routinely extend apprentices’ English skills beyond the requirements of the qualification, however. Level 5 leader in adult care apprentices produce written work that is of a good standard, but trainer assessors do not encourage them to write in formats that are relevant to the workplace. For example, they do not teach them to write reports or ensure that apprentices consistently use accepted referencing systems so that they are prepared well for further studies. On the waste resources operative apprenticeship, trainer assessors do not correct apprentices’ spelling, grammar and punctuation consistently enough. As a result, apprentices repeat the

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same errors and do not develop the literacy skills they need for higher level, supervisory roles.

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Trainer assessors identify apprentices with learning difficulties appropriately at the start of the course. They put relevant adjustments in place. For example, trainer assessors use differently coloured paper or text colours where required. They provide apprentices and trainees with dyslexia lists of technical terms to help them learn terminology more easily and to use the terms accurately in their assignments.

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Most apprentices receive the relevant time away from work duties to complete their apprenticeship studies. Apprentices use this time effectively to complete assignments and to further their knowledge through research, work shadowing and training. On level 5 leader in adult care apprenticeships, trainer assessors and 28 February to 3 March 2023

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employers do not plan apprentices’ off-the-job training effectively enough. Apprentices do not have a good understanding of when their time away from work is scheduled. As a result, too many complete the required work in their own time.

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Trainer assessors conduct frequent reviews with apprentices to check on progress. Although trainer assessors routinely send records of reviews to employers, line managers do not participate in reviews or contribute towards the planning of future work. Line managers do not influence how the work that apprentices do in the workplace is aligned to the activities that they do during their off-the-job time.

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Trainer assessors do not provide apprentices with an understanding of the broad range of careers available to them when they have completed their apprenticeship. Apprentices understand the options that are available to them in their current workplace, but they do not explore more broadly what further education they can do or consider aspirational career options.

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Trainer assessors are well qualified and experienced in the sectors that they teach. For example, on care apprenticeships, trainer assessors are experienced, qualified nurses, and on the level 5 learning and skills teacher apprenticeship, trainer assessors have qualifications in special educational needs. Trainer assessors use their knowledge and skills expertly to help apprentices and trainees to understand new topics and the contexts in which they work. Leaders ensure that all teaching staff have relevant teaching or assessing qualifications.

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Leaders have high aspirations for trainer assessors to teach to a high standard. They carry out frequent observations of teaching, and the outcomes of these inform future training and development. Leaders put interventions in place swiftly when required and they support new teaching staff very well to teach lessons to a high standard quickly. Staff benefit from a broad range of staff training opportunities to help them to perform their roles more effectively. Teaching staff take courses in topics such as supporting dyslexia, and administrative staff take courses in dealing with challenging customers.

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Trainer assessors use interesting and effective techniques to teach topics and check apprentices’ learning. For example, they use probing questioning to extend apprentices’ and trainees’ knowledge and use discussions and podcasts to explore concepts more broadly and consider the views of others. Enthusiastic apprentices can accurately recall knowledge and apply their learning well in the workplace and in new situations. Trainer assessors swiftly correct any misconceptions or inaccuracies in apprentices’ and trainees’ understanding. As a result, most apprentices produce work that is of the level required by the standard. Safety, health and environment technician apprentices produce a good standard of work.

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Apprentices gain confidence on their courses. They value becoming more skilled at work and being able to perform their job roles more competently. As a result, a high proportion progress to the next level of study, take on additional responsibilities and gain promoted posts at work. For example, level 5 leader in adult care apprentices become confident to write and implement new policies and procedures. 28 February to 3 March 2023

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Most apprentices remain on their qualifications and achieve their apprenticeship. Trainer assessors ensure that apprentices know how to achieve high grades and prepare them well for their final assessments. Consequently, a high proportion of apprentices gain distinctions.

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Leaders have a strong focus on improving the quality of the provision. They work extensively with an experienced and skilled governing body to identify the main strengths and weaknesses of the organisation. Leaders do not, however, focus sufficiently well on variations in the performance of different apprenticeships at different levels. As a result, they do not know what these variations are and do not plan effectively to rectify them.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have established a strong culture of safeguarding. They have put in place a wide range of policies and procedures that they use effectively to keep apprentices and trainees safe. Safeguarding leaders, including a governor who is responsible for safeguarding, are appropriately trained and qualified.

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Safeguarding

Leaders liaise frequently with external bodies to ensure that their knowledge of safeguarding is up to date, including their understanding of local risks in the broad geographical areas that they teach. Apprentices and trainees understand and employ safe working practices in their workplaces.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have detailed recruitment policies in place to ensure that employees are safe to work with young people and vulnerable adults.

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What does the provider need to do to improve?

 Leaders and managers should ensure that they have a detailed understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the provision, including variations in the quality of different apprenticeships and levels, so that they can target improvements specifically towards those areas that require this.  Leaders must ensure that apprentices and employers on level 5 adult care have a sound understanding of their entitlement to off-the-job training and that apprentices routinely use that time effectively to extend and broaden their knowledge and skills on their apprenticeship programme.  Leaders must ensure that trainer assessors support apprentices to develop their English skills beyond the level required by the qualification, so that they are well prepared for further study and higher level employment.  Leaders must ensure that apprentices have a detailed understanding of the broad range of career opportunities that are available to them on completion of their

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What does the provider need to do to improve?

apprenticeship. 28 February to 3 March 2023

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Provider details

Address Byron House Commercial Street Mansfield NG18 1EE

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Provider details

Principal, CEO or equivalent Clare Parker-Doyle

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Provider details

Provider type Independent learning provider

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Provider details

Date of previous inspection 28 July 2015

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Provider details

Main subcontractors None 28 February to 3 March 2023

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Information about this inspection

The inspection team was assisted by the chief operating officer, 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

Lynda Brown, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector Alison Whatsize Ofsted Inspector Gareth Luke Ofsted Inspector Ralph Brompton Ofsted Inspector Julie Gibson Ofsted Inspector 28 February to 3 March 2023

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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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