Phemagrace Ltd

Further education and skills inspection report

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate

The quality of education Inadequate Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Inadequate Leadership and management Inadequate Apprenticeships Inadequate Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this provider

Phemagrace Ltd is an independent learning provider based in Stourbridge in the West Midlands. At the time of inspection, there were 55 apprentices, all over the age of 18. Of these, 32 were on the level 5 leader in adult care, 21 on the level 3 team leader or supervisor, one on the level 3 business administrator and one on the level 5 children, young people and families manager apprenticeships. The provider does not work with any subcontractors. 13 to 15 June 2023

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

Apprentices enjoy their learning. They value the supportive environment provided by leaders and assessors where they are encouraged to achieve their goals. They are highly motivated, and consequently, attendance at taught sessions is high.

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

Apprentices speak positively of what they have learned. However, too few apprentices can articulate the new knowledge, skills and behaviours that they have developed as part of their apprenticeship. As a result, apprentices do not clearly understand how their apprenticeship is helping them in the workplace or preparing them for their next steps.

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

Leaders have close links with their community through faith groups and other organisations. They have supported a few former apprentices to start their own businesses in health and social care, many of whom employ the providers’ current apprentices. As a result, employers are highly engaged in supporting apprentices and act quickly on advice and guidance given by leaders.

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

Apprentices describe how the supportive culture at the provider has helped them to grow in confidence and self-esteem. They articulate well how the respectful culture is reflected in positive apprentice and assessor relationships where the principles of equality and diversity are valued, and where learners feel safe and supported.

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

Most apprentices have not been supported to develop an understanding of the risks associated with radicalisation and extremism. Most apprentices do not know how to recognise or report the signs of extremism, such as changes in service users and their colleagues’ behaviour at work. As a result, apprentices do not develop their resilience against the threat of radicalisation.

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

Apprentices feel safe and know who to go to if they feel they need help.

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better?

Leaders have a clear rationale for the apprenticeships that they offer. They work with community and faith groups to engage new apprentices, mostly from ethnic minority groups, in health and social care-related employment and training which is aligned with local, regional and national priorities.

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better?

Since the previous visit, leaders have not put in place suitably robust quality assurance procedures to allow them to identify the systemic weaknesses in their apprenticeships. Consequently, leaders are unable to take the swift and decisive action needed to rectify these issues. As a result, the quality of education has not improved.

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better?

The curriculums that all apprentices follow are not sufficiently well planned to ensure that they build substantial new knowledge, skills and behaviours over time. For example, apprentices studying level 3 team leader apprenticeships do not receive 13 to 15 June 2023

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teaching which is ordered in a logical way. Similarly, while leaders have a well- structured curriculum plan for the level 5 leader in adult care apprenticeship, assessors are not aware of this plan, and consequently, do not follow it. As a result, apprentices are not supported to develop or build on the skills they need to be successful in their apprenticeship and at work.

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Since the previous visit, leaders have not put in place an effective strategy to improve the teaching skills of assessors. They have sought external support to observe the teaching practice of assessors. However, they have not acted on the results of these observations. As a result, the quality of teaching, learning and assessment has not improved.

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Leaders and managers do not ensure that there are arrangements in place for the external scrutiny of their apprenticeships. They have engaged with a ‘critical friend’ who provides ad-hoc support and has assisted with improving safeguarding arrangements following the previous visit. However, they have not formalised the approach, nor sought any support or challenge on the quality of education that they provide.

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Assessors do not take the vocational starting points of apprentices into account when planning apprentices’ learning. While most apprentices undertake initial assessments, the results of these are not used by tutors to plan or adjust the teaching that apprentices receive. For example, the large majority of apprentices on the level 5 leader in adult care have prior qualifications in care between levels 2 to 4. However, they are taught much of this content again. As a result, too many apprentices repeat substantial prior learning unnecessarily.

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The teaching and assessment practice of assessors is poor. In too many cases on the level 3 team leader apprenticeship, they have failed to assure themselves that the work submitted by apprentices is their own. In other cases, assessors have provided written testimony to apprentices’ competence which has been duplicated from other apprentices’ work. Similarly, too few apprentices can articulate the content of their work, or what they have learned. As a result, it is unclear what work apprentices have completed themselves, and what has been completed on their behalf.

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Apprentices receive their entitlement to time away from the workplace to complete their studies. Employers articulate well their responsibilities for providing apprentices with this time, which apprentices use to attend taught sessions or to complete their work.

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Leaders do not ensure that reviews of apprentices’ progress are sufficiently well linked to their development of new knowledge, skills and behaviours. For example, apprentices’ progress is a measure of the time that has passed since they started their apprenticeship and does not measure the new knowledge and skills they have learned. As a result, too many level 3 apprentices are significantly behind in their apprenticeship, and the progress of level 5 apprentices is unclear. 13 to 15 June 2023

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Assessors do not use assessment well enough to ensure that apprentices develop substantial new knowledge, skills and behaviours over time. In too many cases, assessment is focused on the criteria of the qualifications. As a result, apprentices do not develop a wider understanding of the topics they study or develop the necessary skills to enable them to move on to their next steps.

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In too many cases, assessors do not set sufficiently challenging targets to ensure that apprentices make the progress of which they are capable. The targets they set are often imprecise or task specific. Consequently, the targets assessors set do not support learners to develop a broad set of substantially new knowledge, skills and behaviours.

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Assessors do not develop all apprentices’ English and mathematics skills routinely within the curriculums. Some level 5 apprentices have been supported to improve their communication skills. However, there is no planned development of English and mathematics skills throughout curriculums. As a result, apprentices are not well prepared for their next steps.

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Assessors do not provide apprentices with feedback which helps them to understand how to improve their work. In the majority of cases, feedback is too brief and does not tell apprentices what they have done well, or what they need to do to improve. As a result, apprentices do not know how to improve the quality of their work over time.

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Leaders have not planned the curriculums effectively enough to ensure that apprentices develop an understanding of life in modern Britain. Apprentices demonstrate knowledge of respecting different cultures and backgrounds directly related to their workplaces. However, they do not understand the importance of, or how to apply, the broader principles of fundamental British values outside their place of work.

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Too few apprentices receive useful, impartial careers advice. For example, the few discussions that take place focus on the role they are in and do not provide apprentices with an understanding of their potential next steps in employment or education. As a result, apprentices do not know what they need to do to achieve their ambitions.

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Assessors do not ensure that apprentices are aware of, or well enough prepared for, their end-point assessment. For example, level 3 team leader apprentices are anxious about their assessments, and most fail at their first attempt. Those that fail are reluctant to undertake further attempts, and consequently, most apprentices are significantly beyond the planned end date of their apprenticeship.

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Too few apprentices successfully complete their apprenticeship. While there are no planned achievements for the level 5 leader in adult care yet, too few level 3 team leader apprentices successfully complete their apprenticeship. 13 to 15 June 2023

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders and managers have in place appropriate arrangements to safeguard adult apprentices.

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Safeguarding

They have appointed an appropriately qualified and experienced designated safeguarding lead (DSL), who is supported by other trained and qualified staff.

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Safeguarding

The DSL has put in place appropriate policies and procedures, which includes a policy on the safer recruitment of staff, and has developed links with external agencies to seek additional support or make referrals.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have not yet had cause to use their safeguarding procedures. However, they have adopted them to record well-being issues of apprentices and demonstrate how these would work to refer a safeguarding case should this become necessary.

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What does the provider need to do to improve?

 Leaders should immediately rectify the poor practice of assessors and take steps to validate the work of all apprentices.  Leaders should immediately implement robust quality assurance measures which will enable them to have a clear oversight of the quality of education that they provide.  Leaders should put in place suitable governance arrangements to ensure they are held to account for the quality of education that they provide.  Leaders should ensure that the curriculums that apprentices follow are well planned to support them to develop substantial new knowledge, skills and behaviours over time.  Leaders should ensure that all apprentices are aware of the risks associated with radicalisation and extremism, and how these apply to their daily lives.  Leaders should ensure that all apprentices are well prepared for their end-point assessments and are aware of what they need to do to achieve their highest

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What does the provider need to do to improve?

grades.  Leaders should ensure that apprentices’ English and mathematics skills are routinely developed throughout their apprenticeship.  Leaders should ensure that the starting points of apprentices are considered when planning their learning. 13 to 15 June 2023

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Provider details

Address 3 Park St Lye Stourbridge DY9 8SS

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Provider details

Principal, CEO or equivalent Morenikeji Babatunde Dawud

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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 13 to 15 June 2023

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Information about this inspection

The inspection team was assisted by the general 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

Stuart Collett, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector Debbie Whiston Ofsted Inspector Kay Hedges Ofsted Inspector 13 to 15 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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