Park Education and Training Centre Limited

Further education and skills inspection report

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Inspection of Park Education and Training Centre Limited

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

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

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Information about this provider

Park Education and Training Centre Limited is an independent learning provider that specialises in health and social care training. Most of their apprentices are from the Brent and surrounding London boroughs. The provider began teaching apprenticeships in October 2020 under contract with the Education and Skills Funding Agency. At the time of the inspection, there were 215 apprentices studying standards-based apprenticeships at levels 2 to 5. There were 189 apprentices studying either the level 2 adult care worker apprenticeship, the level 3 lead adult care worker apprenticeship or the level 5 leader in adult care. Other apprentices were on healthcare assistant practitioner, children, young people and families manager or business administration apprenticeships. 5 to 7 July 2023

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

Apprentices have quite varied experiences in their training, depending on when they started their apprenticeship. Those who started a year or more ago have not had consistent training or reviews, and this has resulted in too many making slow progress. A high proportion of these apprentices have completed the adult care qualification required to work in care settings but have not completed the final components of their apprenticeship. Apprentices recruited within the past year have a more positive experience. They have regular reviews and training sessions and develop secure knowledge and practice about the care sector.

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

Apprentices experience too much variation in the quality of teaching. Assessors are not consistent in how they plan and teach the course and do not adjust their teaching enough to meet the demands of individual apprentices’ jobs. Assessors rely too heavily on apprentices learning from books and other resources, rather than teaching them the knowledge they need.

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

Apprentices develop confidence through their training. They are in suitable jobs, such as in domiciliary care, where they apply what they have learned. Apprentices develop their communication skills so that they provide better care for their clients. Through their increased confidence they can calmly manage their clients, particularly those who, through no fault of their own, have challenging behaviour.

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

Most apprentices learn useful new knowledge, skills and behaviours that help them to perform their work roles competently. For example, apprentices gain a good understanding of dementia and how it affects the brain. Adult care apprentices know how to read patients’ care plans and instructions on medication before administering this to them. They become proficient in different ways of lifting patients, including using hoists in a safe way that protects both their older clients and them from injuries.

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

Apprentices feel safe as they trust staff to take any concerns they have seriously. They know about safeguarding in the context of their jobs and most are well informed about risks, such as those related to radicalisation.

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better?

Leaders work effectively with employers to provide training that meets the needs of local people. The training provides valuable employment opportunities, mostly in the health, childcare and care sectors, for those living and working in disadvantaged communities. Most apprentices remain in employment at the end of the programme, gain promotion to management positions, progress to higher-level qualifications or set up their own business.

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better?

For the first cohorts of apprentices, the leaders and managers did not adequately make sure that assessors planned and taught the apprenticeship effectively. While slow to understand the issues they faced, they did correctly identify the need for 5 to 7 July 2023

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improved teaching and employer involvement in the programmes. For more recently recruited apprentices, leaders have created a programme that has sufficient involvement from employers and adequate teaching of subject knowledge through on- and off-the-job training to be purposeful for apprentices. However, leaders and managers still do not have a good enough overview of the quality of teaching. They have not identified well enough why too few apprentices achieve their qualifications within the planned time. As a result, they have been slow to implement actions to improve the situation.

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Tutors provide feedback at the end of each unit. On occasions, this is helpful to apprentices and shows what they need to do to improve their work. However, assessors do not routinely make apprentices aware of the level they are working at. Although apprentices submit work for assessment that is of a standard to pass their professional qualification, few produce work of a high standard.

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Assessors do not provide enough information or support for apprentices about their final assessment. They do not explain clearly enough to apprentices the different forms of assessment to be used, or the standard of work required to achieve high grades. They do not give apprentices enough practice, particularly in achieving the professional discussion component. As a result, apprentices are underprepared for their final assessment and a low proportion achieve. Tutors support apprentices well to achieve their qualifications in English and mathematics.

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Staff do not extend the curriculum they teach sufficiently beyond the content of the examined components. They do not develop apprentices’ knowledge well enough of topics such as maintaining a healthy lifestyle, remaining physically active or being an active citizen.

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For the more recently recruited apprentices, assessors take time to help them to understand the topics taught. They explain new content clearly. Through discussions and effective questioning, assessors ensure that apprentices can relate what they have learned to their own practice. This helps apprentices to become more effective in their jobs.

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Assessors help apprentices to understand the principles of equality and diversity well throughout their course. Apprentices speak confidently about the importance of tolerance and equality when working with service users from a range of backgrounds. They understand the importance of tolerance when working with service users who have challenging behaviours or views. Apprentices have a good understanding of appropriate professional behaviours. They know how to treat their clients with respect and dignity.

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Tutors check apprentices’ health and well-being at progress reviews. Apprentices use this opportunity to discuss with tutors who understand the sector some of the challenges they face in their work and studies. However, progress reviews are often infrequent, and assessors do not involve the apprentices’ line manager sufficiently. Consequently, employers are not aware enough of issues raised in progress reviews in order to make changes in a timely way. 5 to 7 July 2023

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have put suitable safeguarding measures in place. They have appropriate policies, including in relation to their obligations under the ‘Prevent’ duty. The designated safeguarding lead (DSL) is appropriately qualified and all staff complete safeguarding and ‘Prevent’ training annually.

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Safeguarding

The DSL has developed appropriate networks for referrals to local authorities and keeps in touch with local police to understand risks in the local area.

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What does the provider need to do to improve?

 Leaders and managers should ensure that on all programmes, assessors plan and teach a curriculum that is aligned to apprentices’ job roles and is not over-reliant on apprentices’ self-study.  Leaders and managers should develop their personal development curriculum further so that apprentices have a good understanding of topics beyond the vocational content of the qualification.  Assessors need to make sure apprentices know how to improve their submitted work so that they are able to produce work of a high standard.  Assessors need to make sure apprentices are aware of the requirements for their final assessments, including the standards required to achieve high grades.  Assessors should carry out reviews more frequently and involve employers in these reviews so that any issues raised are dealt with effectively.  Leaders and managers should improve their evaluation of the quality of the apprenticeships they offer so that they are more able to implement timely

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What does the provider need to do to improve?

improvement actions and raise the standard of training. 5 to 7 July 2023

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Provider details

Address Kingsbury House 468 Church Lane London NW9 8UA

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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 N/A 5 to 7 July 2023

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Information about this inspection

The inspection team was assisted by the director, 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

Steve Lambert, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector Sue Hasty His Majesty’s Inspector Claudia Harrison His Majesty’s Inspector Montse Perez-Parent His Majesty’s Inspector 5 to 7 July 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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