Partners In Training (North West) Limited

Partners In Training (North West) Limited Monitoring visit report

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Name of lead inspector: Kim Bleasdale, His Majesty’s Inspector

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Type of provider: Independent learning provider Address: The Bridgewater Complex 36 Canal Street Bootle Liverpool L20 8AH Monitoring visit: Partners In Training Limited, 15 and 16 March 2023

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Context and focus of visit

Ofsted undertakes to carry out monitoring visits to all newly directly funded providers of apprenticeship training provision funded 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

Partners In Training (North West) Limited is an independent learning provider based in the city of Liverpool. There are currently 180 apprentices on standards-based apprenticeships in adult and children’s care. One hundred and five apprentices follow the level 2 adult care worker apprenticeship, 32 follow the level 3 lead adult care worker apprenticeship, 21 follow the level 5 leader in adult care apprenticeship, 13 follow the level 4 lead practitioner in adult care apprenticeship, seven follow the level 4 children, young people and families practitioner apprenticeship and two follow the level 5 children, young people and families manager apprenticeship. All apprentices are aged 18 years and above.

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Context and focus of visit

The provider does not work with any subcontractors.

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Reasonable Progress

Leaders and managers’ rationale for their curriculum is clear. They offer apprenticeships to meet the skills shortages within the adult and children’s care sectors. Leaders are passionate about their provision. They aim to provide the highest standard of training that produces competent professionals who care for the most vulnerable adults and children in our society. Leaders meet the principles and requirements of an apprenticeship. They provide sufficient off-the-job training, milestone reviews and mock assessments for apprentices.

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Reasonable Progress

Leaders ensure that tutors are suitably experienced and qualified to teach their subjects. They provide tutors with suitable training, for example the effective use of assessment, providing effective feedback, suicide awareness and dementia. As a result, tutors develop their subject knowledge and teaching skills further.

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Reasonable Progress

Managers carefully consider the well-being and workloads of their staff. They have regular meetings to discuss any personal or well-being and work-related concerns. Tutors feel that their workload is manageable and that they are well supported. Monitoring visit: Partners In Training Limited, 15 and 16 March 2023 Governors and leaders know the strengths and weaknesses of their provision. Leaders have appropriate processes in place to monitor the quality of apprentices’ training. They complete observations of teaching and monitor the quality of feedback given to apprentices. This helps managers to identify specific training, such as the effective use of assessment.

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Reasonable Progress

Governors carefully monitor leaders’ progress against improvement targets and provide effective challenge to leaders. For instance, to improve the quality of feedback that tutors give to apprentices to help them to improve their work.

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Reasonable Progress

A few apprentices have fallen behind in their learning. Tutors have effective support plans in place to help apprentices to catch up. This includes providing additional workplace visits and coaching sessions.

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Reasonable Progress

The curriculum has been sequentially and logically designed. This allows apprentices to incrementally build their knowledge, skills and behaviours. For instance, level 2 adult care worker apprentices start by initially learning about important ethical duties such as the duty of care and duty of candour. Next, they learn how to effectively safeguard the vulnerable individuals in their care. Then, apprentices learn the importance of clear communication and how to write reports concisely and accurately. As a result, apprentices become competent care professionals who are valued members of their teams at work.

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Reasonable Progress

Most tutors effectively plan and coordinate on- and off-the job training with apprentices’ managers. This ensures that apprentices benefit from sufficient opportunities to practise and hone their skills at work. For example, apprentices apply the strategies they learn to calmly and effectively manage the challenging behaviour of individuals in their care. Consequently, most apprentices make their expected progress.

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Reasonable Progress

Apprentices develop knowledge, skills and behaviours as a result of their apprenticeships. For instance, level 2 adult care worker apprentices accurately administer medication to individuals. Apprentices know the importance of maintaining confidentiality. They only discuss an individual’s personal details and support plans with other relevant professionals at work.

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Reasonable Progress

Most tutors use assessment effectively in order to identify gaps in learning and inform the curriculum. They ask probing questions, hold professional discussions and use quizzes in coaching sessions. This helps most apprentices to retain knowledge in their long-term memories. Monitoring visit: Partners In Training Limited, 15 and 16 March 2023 Tutors introduce apprentices and employers to the requirements of the final assessments from the start of training. Tutors ensure that apprentices benefit from routinely completing practice assessments. This ensures that apprentices feel well prepared for their final assessments. However, most tutors do not give apprentices targets in relation to the higher grades they could achieve on completion of their final assessments.

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Reasonable Progress

Senior leaders and managers place a high priority on keeping apprentices safe. They ensure that all members of the safeguarding team are suitably qualified. Leaders complete a range of appropriate checks when appointing new staff to make sure they are suitable to work with apprentices. All staff, including the designated safeguarding lead and their deputies, receive appropriate training on safeguarding and the ‘Prevent’ duty.

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Reasonable Progress

Leaders and tutors provide apprentices with information about safeguarding, online safety and the dangers of radicalisation and extremism. Apprentices know the local risks posed to their health and safety at home and in their workplaces, for example cuckooing, county lines, and gun and knife crime.

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Reasonable Progress

Apprentices feel safe and are enjoying their courses. They know how to spot the signs of abuse of a vulnerable person in their care and how to report this at work. Apprentices follow safe working practices when administering medication and moving and handling individuals. Monitoring visit: Partners In Training Limited, 15 and 16 March 2023 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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Reasonable Progress

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Reasonable Progress

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Reasonable Progress

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T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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