I & F Limited (trading as Skills4 Group)

Further education and skills inspection report

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Apprenticeships Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

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Information about this provider

I & F Limited, also known as skills4pharmacy, provides training for the pharmaceutical industry across the country. At the time of the inspection, there were 422 apprentices enrolled. There were 231 apprentices on the level 2 pharmacy services assistant and 191 on the level 3 pharmacy technician integrated apprenticeships. A total of 104 apprentices study functional skills English and/or mathematics qualifications. Most apprentices are over the age of 19, with 94 apprentices aged between 16 and 18. 22 to 25 August 2023

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

Leaders and tutors have high expectations for their apprentices. They are unwavering in their passion to produce the best pharmacy practitioners. Apprentices know what is expected of them, and they systematically meet these expectations. They enjoy their training and contribute enthusiastically to online lessons.

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

Apprentices develop the behaviours they need to be successful at work. Level 2 apprentices communicate professionally with doctors’ surgeries and care home staff to ensure that patients’ medication needs are accurately met. Level 3 apprentices confidently query prescriptions with doctors if they notice any errors.

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

Employers plan a broad range of opportunities for apprentices to experience. Apprentices in hospital settings benefit from job rotation so that they develop a broader understanding of the pharmacy technician role. In community pharmacies, employers provide apprentices with additional responsibilities, such as checking the blood pressure of patients. Apprentices make a valuable contribution to the businesses of their employers.

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

Most apprentices complete additional work to support community projects. Consequently, they extend their learning beyond the requirements of the apprenticeship. A few apprentices participate in competitions, such as the Lancashire Apprenticeship Awards.

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

Apprentices quickly develop their confidence and self-esteem. They work alongside and shadow skilled pharmacists. This enables them to quickly become part of the team and carry out their duties independently. Apprentices accurately read prescriptions and dispense medication ready for the pharmacist to check before supplying to patients. They confidently answer questions that patients ask about medications.

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

Apprentices work safely and follow safe working practices. They carefully follow standard operating procedures, such as ensuring that medication is stored in a secure area that is inaccessible to the public. Apprentices feel safe and know to whom to report any concerns.

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better?

Leaders have a compelling rationale for the curriculum that they offer. They have extensive experience of the pharmacy sector and are acutely aware of workforce shortages, particularly for support staff. The apprenticeship enables employers to fill significant skills gaps.

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better?

Leaders respond well to the needs of employers and offer additional qualifications as part of the apprenticeships. At the request of employers, apprentices complete additional training early on in their apprenticeship, enabling them to provide advice 22 to 25 August 2023

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on non-prescribed medications. Apprentices are trained to work as accuracy checking technicians. Tutors include in their teaching additional learning to help apprentices identify and recognise a fraudulent prescription and how to report this.

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Leaders and tutors ensure that curriculums are well sequenced, which allows apprentices to build their knowledge, skills and behaviours over time. On the level 2 pharmacy services assistant apprenticeship, apprentices first learn about professional behaviours, such as the importance of being honest, trustworthy and reliable. They then learn about the importance of person-centred care and health and safety in the workplace. In the latter stages of their apprenticeship, apprentices learn about more complex aspects, such as the supply of prescribed items and how to dispense these to patients.

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Leaders and tutors collect information about what apprentices know and can do at the start of their apprenticeship. Tutors support apprentices to develop their English and mathematics from the start of their learning. Apprentices accurately calculate the body mass index of patients, and they confidently take blood pressure readings. They answer customer queries and communicate clearly with colleagues and other healthcare professionals, such as GPs, dentists and care home staff. Tutors put appropriate support in place for apprentices with additional learning needs.

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Tutors use effective teaching strategies. They set frequent recall activities and ask probing questions to check apprentices’ previous learning. Tutors skilfully use online learning tools. These include quizzes, break-out rooms for collaborative working, independent research using reliable sources and acronyms to help apprentices remember complex scientific terms. Tutors use the results of this in-class assessment to inform further teaching.

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Tutors provide helpful feedback to apprentices that informs them of what they have done well and what they need to do to improve their work. They challenge apprentices to expand their answers to include fuller responses, more workplace examples or additional legislation and regulations. Tutors challenge apprentices to develop their skills beyond the requirement of the apprenticeship. For example, level 3 apprentices are required to use Harvard referencing. The work of apprentices improves over time in terms of format, structure and content.

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Tutors prepare apprentices effectively for their final examinations. They provide opportunities for apprentices to practise examination papers and undertake observations and professional discussions to familiarise themselves with examination techniques. Most apprentices are successful in their final assessments, and they achieve their functional skills qualifications in English and mathematics at their first attempt.

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Although apprentices achieve relatively well compared to the national rate, with one in four achieving distinction grades, too many apprentices leave before they complete their training, particularly on the level 2 apprenticeship. Leaders monitor this carefully and understand the reasons for non-completion. Leaders have retained significantly more apprentices this year. A high proportion of apprentices who 22 to 25 August 2023

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achieve their apprenticeship remain employed in the pharmacy sector. Over a third have secured a promotion to a more senior role.

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Tutors ensure that apprentices develop a secure understanding of fundamental British values. Apprentices model respectful behaviours towards their patients. They speak respectfully, listen carefully and consistently aim to provide person-centred care that focuses on what is best for the patient. A few apprentices have a limited knowledge of how the risks posed from radicalisation and extremism relate to them at work.

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Leaders provide impartial careers information so that apprentices know the opportunities and options available to them once they have completed their apprenticeship. Apprentices know that they can move on to higher levels of learning or seek pharmacy work in hospitals or prisons.

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Leaders have selected expert tutors to teach their apprentices. They recruit tutors who are experienced in a range of pharmacy settings to support effective curriculum delivery. This includes hospitals, primary care networks, prisons and community pharmacies. All tutors are registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council. Leaders ensure that tutors keep their sector knowledge up to date through monthly bank shifts in the sector.

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Tutors hold teaching qualifications or are working towards them. Leaders provide tutors with regular staff development, which enables them to develop effective online teaching strategies. This supports them to use interactive tools to keep online learning engaging and interesting for apprentices.

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Leaders have significantly improved the quality assurance and quality improvement arrangements since the previous inspection. Leaders use a range of metrics to monitor the quality of the provision, identify improvements and implement actions for improvement. Leaders monitor action plans closely to ensure a swift pace of improvement.

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Governors have a sound understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the provision. They provide effective support and challenge to ensure that leaders improve the quality of training, and they hold them to account for their actions. Governors set leaders actions for improvement, such as ensuring that employers are involved in tripartite reviews.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have a wide range of appropriate policies and procedures in place to safeguard apprentices and staff. These are updated annually and approved by the managing director and the governing board. Leaders ensure that safe recruitment processes are rigorously applied so that staff are suitable to work with apprentices. 22 to 25 August 2023

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Leaders have increased the safeguarding team to reflect the growth in apprentice numbers and the proportion who are under 18. The safeguarding team is well trained and experienced, and the team accurately records safeguarding concerns. Safeguarding records are well kept and up to date. Timelines of events show the actions taken by the designated safeguarding lead, such as referring cases to the Metropolitan Police’s Forced Marriage Unit.

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What does the provider need to do to improve?

 Leaders and tutors should increase the number of apprentices who are retained and then achieve their apprenticeship.  Leaders and tutors should ensure that apprentices are aware of the dangers of radicalisation and extremism in their locality and in the context of the pharmacy sector. 22 to 25 August 2023

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Provider details

Address Unit 6 Cable Court Pitman Way Preston PR2 9YW

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Provider details

Principal, CEO or equivalent Amerjit Singh

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Provider details

Provider type Independent learning provider

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Provider details

Date of previous inspection 29 June to 2 July 2021

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Provider details

Main subcontractors Not applicable 22 to 25 August 2023

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Information about this inspection

The inspection team was assisted by the operations 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

Helen Whelan, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector Anita Pyrkotsch-Jones His Majesty’s Inspector Maggie Fobister Ofsted Inspector Kim Bleasdale His Majesty’s Inspector Rachel Clark His Majesty’s Inspector 22 to 25 August 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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