Learning For Excellence Ltd

Further education and skills inspection report

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Inspection of Learning for Excellence Ltd

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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

Learning for Excellence Ltd is an independent learning provider which has its head office in South Shields. It provides training to apprentices in Stockton-on-Tees and South Shields. The provider first received funding to deliver apprenticeships in September 2018. It is directly funded to deliver apprenticeship programmes from levels 2 to 5 in the health and social care sector. Currently, there are fewer than five apprentices, on a level 5 leader in adult care programme. All apprentices are over 19 years of age. 20 to 22 June 2023

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

Apprentices respond positively to the high expectations which are set by leaders, tutors and employers. They are enthusiastic about learning, and passionate about working in the care sector and being a force for improvement for their service users and their staff.

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

Apprentices are motivated to learn and succeed on their apprenticeship. This drives them to do additional work and research, which benefits them in their job roles. Apprentices are polite and respectful, and value the opportunity that they have to grow and learn in their roles. Their employers consider them to be role models in the workplace.

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

Apprentices grow significantly in confidence and independence on their programmes. They apply their new learning and skills directly to their roles and, through this, are able to take on more responsibility, lead on projects and have a positive impact on their organisations.

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

Apprentices feel safe and know how to stay safe. They have a thorough understanding of safeguarding and risks in their local region. Apprentices and tutors have a sound understanding of safeguarding processes and know how to report any concerns. Apprentices are confident that any concerns would be dealt with swiftly by the designated safeguarding lead (DSL) and deputy designated safeguarding lead (DDSL).

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

Tutors provide impartial careers advice throughout the programme. Apprentices are empowered to understand what opportunities the apprenticeship provides them, such as further training that they can do in their current role and opportunities they may wish to pursue in the sector.

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better?

Leaders have clear intent and purpose for the programmes that they offer. They have designed a curriculum to meet the skills needs of the health and social care sector, which is a regional and national priority for adult training and also their area of passion and expertise. Apprentices benefit from a curriculum which provides them with the knowledge and skills to succeed in their careers.

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better?

Tutors plan the curriculum well to meet the needs of apprentices and their employers. They work with individual apprentices and employers to choose the most appropriate optional units and to sequence the delivery to match apprentices’ job roles. Tutors change the order of topics in the planned schedule to better suit their apprentices’ work and personal lives. Apprentices build their learning cumulatively throughout their programme through a well-planned curriculum.

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better?

Leaders ensure that apprentices and employers have a good understanding of the commitment required to complete an apprenticeship. They work effectively with 20 to 22 June 2023

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employers to ensure that apprentices have access to high-quality and purposeful on- and off-the-job training that enables them to develop and implement their knowledge, skills and behaviours. Leaders have in place a rigorous recruitment process, which ensures that apprentices can commit to and benefit from their programme.

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Tutors are well qualified in their subject areas and have high levels of industry experience. They use their knowledge and skills to inform the content of the curriculum and to link theory to practice in the world of work. Tutors frequently carry out subject-specific training which meets their specific needs as well as training and development around the wider curriculum to develop their pedagogical skills. Teaching staff do domiciliary care shifts to ensure that their knowledge and understanding of the industry remain current.

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Tutors use a range of teaching methods effectively. In one-to-one sessions, tutors check learning at frequent intervals to make sure that apprentices have understood. They then check in the following session whether apprentices have remembered what they learned. This contributes to ensuring that apprentices make rapid progress and use what they have learned to become more effective in their job roles.

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Apprentices produce written work of a high standard, consistently meeting the criteria first time. They write well and clearly, using examples from their role and workplace to illustrate the points that they are making. Tutors provide helpful feedback and suggestions on completed work to extend apprentices’ understanding. However, tutors do not consistently support apprentices to learn how to write in an appropriately academic style.

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Leaders have created a flexible personal and social development programme for apprentices, which prepares them well for their wider lives. They provide tutors with resources to support the development of apprentices’ knowledge in a wide range of topics, such as financial health and budgeting, sexual health and relationships, domestic violence and knife crime. Tutors adapt the programme to make it contextually relevant and age-appropriate.

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Leaders have effective oversight of the provision and undertake a range of appropriate quality assurance activities. They complete visits to lessons, review learners’ work and hold meetings with apprentices and employers. They hold annual curriculum review meetings with all staff to discuss, evaluate and improve the quality of the learning journey and the programmes that they provide. Where necessary, they identify actions for improvement for tutors, and monitor these to ensure that improvements are implemented quickly.

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Leaders and managers are very considerate of staff’s workload and well-being, and carefully consider staff’s caseloads of apprentices. Staff value the care of leaders and speak proudly about working at the provider. 20 to 22 June 2023

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Apprentices benefit from opportunities to extend their learning beyond their apprenticeship through, for example, doing additional training in the care sector. However, they are not made aware of opportunities to develop their talents and interests beyond the care sector, such as by becoming involved in community or social action projects.

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Apprentices contribute very well in their workplaces as a result of their learning on their apprenticeship. They take on tasks which are new to them, and carry them out with confidence. Apprentices learn substantial new knowledge, skills and behaviours, and make rapid progress through the programme. They are being prepared well to take their end-point assessment in the near future and for the next steps in their career in care.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders and managers implement effective safeguarding policies and procedures that they use to keep apprentices safe. They have clear lines for reporting safeguarding concerns, and encourage professional curiosity. Leaders and managers recruit staff safely and ensure that all staff are suitable to work with apprentices.

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Safeguarding

The DSL and DDSL are appropriately trained and experienced for their roles. They understand their responsibilities for safeguarding apprentices, and support them with a range of issues. Leaders and managers provide staff with frequent training on safeguarding, the ‘Prevent’ duty and other safeguarding topics, and ensure that staff have the most up-to-date guidance about these topics.

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Safeguarding

Leaders and managers understand the need to prepare apprentices for the specific risks that they may face in the location where they work. The safeguarding team works effectively with agencies that can support them with safeguarding. They liaise frequently and have formed effective working relationships with the regional Prevent coordinator.

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What does the provider need to do to improve?

 The provider should develop apprentices’ academic writing skills.  The provider should offer more enrichment opportunities for apprentices that go beyond the care sector.  The provider should ensure that apprentices approaching end-point assessment complete their programme successfully. 20 to 22 June 2023

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Provider details

Address 3 Cookson House River Drive South Shields NE33 1TL

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Provider details

Principal, CEO or equivalent Gareth Massey

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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 20 to 22 June 2023

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Information about this inspection

The inspection team was assisted by the operations manager, 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

Sarah Seaman, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector Karen Anderson His Majesty’s Inspector 20 to 22 June 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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T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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