Wales England Care Ltd

Further education and skills inspection report

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Inspection dates: 25 April to 27 April and 24 May 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 Not previously inspected

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Information about this provider

Wales England Care Ltd (WEC) has its headquarters in Wales and offers apprenticeships in adult care, primarily in the southwest of England. Apprentices are taught and their skills assessed by development coaches on their employers’ premises. At the time of this inspection, 220 apprentices were studying with WEC. All apprentices were over 18 years old. Most apprentices study adult care apprenticeships at levels 2 or 3, and the remaining apprentices study at levels 4 and 5. 25 April to 27 April and 24 May 2023

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

Apprentices value their training and take pride in the new skills and knowledge that they develop. They appreciate the industry expertise of their development coaches, who use this to enrich learning and highlight the relevance of the new skills that apprentices gain. Development coaches provide most of their training in well- planned, one-to-one learning sessions, during which they support apprentices effectively to reflect on how they can improve the quality of care they provide in their job roles. As a result, apprentices become more confident and use their learning to inform their actions in the workplace. They develop a deep understanding of how policies inform their practice, and they use this to help improve the well-being of the people they care for.

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

Development coaches ensure apprentices develop the professional behaviours and skills they need to be successful in their jobs. They lead nurturing training sessions and reviews which model well the behaviours that apprentices need to adopt. Apprentices are well supported and appreciate the compassion which development coaches show. Apprentices who have dealt with unexpected challenging workplace situations appreciate development coaches swiftly making contact to check on their well-being and help them think about their actions’ positive impacts.

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

Development coaches provide effective careers advice that helps apprentices to recognise their interests and be ambitious. They guide apprentices well to develop career ambitions, and they know the opportunities for further study that are available to them. As a result, most apprentices work towards promotions, with many considering management positions or moving into nursing.

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better?

Leaders are highly aspirational for their apprentices, many of whom have no prior formal qualifications or recent training experiences. Leaders have established a culture in which apprentices feel valued and believe they can succeed. Most apprentices who stay until the end of their training achieve the full apprenticeship, and over half achieve merit and distinction grades. As a result of their training and gaining their apprenticeship, most take on additional responsibilities at work or move on to study at the next level.

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better?

Development coaches encourage apprentices to consider how they will apply new knowledge, skills and behaviours to their workplace effectively. They encourage apprentices to consider real-life scenarios and how their new skills could be used to better support the people they care for. In most instances, development coaches use their teaching skills well to deepen apprentices’ understanding of important new knowledge. For example, they begin teaching sessions with effective questioning, linking any new learning well to apprentices’ experiences in their workplace. Development coaches use effective resources as prompts to explore and discuss the apprentices’ new knowledge and skills in detail. As a result, most apprentices develop a strong understanding of the links between new knowledge and how it 25 April to 27 April and 24 May 2023

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supports them to be more effective employees. However, in a minority of taught sessions, development coaches do not check well enough what apprentices have learned and can remember. As a result, they are not able to identify gaps in learning and use this to adjust their teaching.

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Leaders and managers understand well the challenges that employers in the care industry face in recruiting and training workers. Leaders have developed effective training that supports the retention and development of vital staff. As a result, employers value the training that staff at WEC provide apprentices, and they recognise the positive impact it has on their businesses, providing them with skilled, confident staff. However, leaders and managers do not involve employers well enough in the design of the training. This means important opportunities for employers to contribute to the planning of the curriculums are missed. As a result, not all apprentices follow a training programme that is tailored sufficiently to take advantage of the best learning opportunities in their work setting.

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Leaders and managers recognise the impact of sector-wide staffing challenges on the training that apprentices receive. When necessary, they intervene effectively to ensure that apprentices receive the time for training to which they are entitled. They offer flexibility in the scheduling of teaching and often adapt plans to ensure apprentices catch up on any missed sessions. As a result, most apprentices receive the time they need to complete their training and employers feel well supported.

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Leaders have established well-considered processes to improve the training experience of apprentices. They use team meetings to identify improvement priorities and take appropriate actions. However, leaders recognise the need for increased scrutiny of the effectiveness of teaching sessions and progress reviews.

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Leaders have established an appropriate structure for governance that includes external specialist input from education consultants. Governors meet quarterly to review a relevant range of reports and provide useful challenge to leaders. However, leaders and governors rightly recognise the need to increase the level of scrutiny on the quality of teaching and to assess the impact of the changes that they make.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders and managers are appropriately trained and qualified. They follow safer recruitment processes thoroughly.

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Safeguarding

Leaders provide effective safeguarding support for their apprentices. They focus strongly on the well-being of apprentices and the safety of their work environments. Development coaches provide training which supports apprentices’ abilities to keep themselves and the people they care for safe effectively. As a result, apprentices are well versed in important health and safety and safeguarding themes. Staff model the high level of care which they expect apprentices to also adopt, interacting with 25 April to 27 April and 24 May 2023

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empathy and consideration. Safeguarding concerns are well documented and swiftly responded to.

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What does the provider need to do to improve?

 Ensure that development coaches identify apprentices’ gaps in learning and use this to inform teaching.  Ensure employers contribute to the personalisation of apprentices’ training programmes.  Ensure that leaders and governors develop and monitor improvement plans that lead to a positive impact on the quality of apprentices’ training. 25 April to 27 April and 24 May 2023

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Provider details

Address The Coach House Workshop Risca Newport NP11 6DF

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Provider details

Principal, CEO or equivalent Kim Churcher

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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 25 April to 27 April and 24 May 2023

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Information about this inspection

The inspection team was assisted by the business improvement director, as nominee. Inspectors took account of the provider’s most recent self-assessment report and development plans. 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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Information about this inspection

Very occasionally, Ofsted must pause an inspection due to illness of staff at a provider. For this reason, His Majesty’s Inspectors and Ofsted Inspectors began this inspection on 25 April, paused on 27 April and completed inspection activities on 24 May.

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Inspection team

Paul James, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector Karen Green Ofsted Inspector Steve Battersby His Majesty’s Inspector 25 April to 27 April and 24 May 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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