Basegreen Academy Limited

Basegreen Academy Limited Monitoring visit report

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Name of lead inspector: Malcolm Fraser, His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection dates: 21 and 22 February 2024

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Type of provider: Independent learning provider

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Address:

Barnsley Business and Innovation Centre Barnsley S75 1JL Monitoring visit: Basegreen Academy Limited, 21 and 22 February 2024

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Context and focus of visit

Ofsted undertakes to carry out monitoring visits to all newly directly funded providers of apprenticeship training provision funded by the Education and Skills Funding Agency and/or the apprenticeship levy. This monitoring visit was undertaken as part of those arrangements and as outlined in the ‘Further education and skills inspection handbook’, especially the sections entitled ‘Monitoring visits’ and ‘Monitoring visits to providers that are newly directly publicly funded’. The focus of these visits is on the themes set out below.

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Context and focus of visit

At the time of the visit, 154 apprentices were on programme, of whom 46 were on the level 4 associate ambulance practitioner (AAP) standard and 28 on the level 3 ambulance support worker (ASW) standard. These apprentices work for employers in the private ambulance provider sector. A further 17 apprentices were on the level 2 adult care worker standard and 20 were on the level 3 lead adult care worker standard. These apprentices work for providers of adult care. The remaining apprentices were enrolled on level 3 team leader or supervisor, level 3 customers service specialist, level 5 leader in adult care and level 5 operations or departmental manager standards. Apprentices work for one of 23 employers across England.

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Reasonable progress

When developing apprenticeship programmes, leaders made effective use of their established relationships and experience gained through delivering full-cost training for employers in the private ambulance and adult care sectors. Recently, leaders have expanded the range of apprenticeships that they provide in team leading and management to support further the workforce development needs of employers.

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Reasonable progress

Most employers, particularly those from the ambulance sector, speak highly of the support that they receive from leaders to understand the requirements of apprenticeships. Leaders and managers ensure that apprentices are recruited appropriately and that the principles of apprenticeships are met by, for example, meeting the off-the-job training requirements. However, a small minority of employers in the adult care sector remain dissatisfied with leaders’ response to concerns that they have raised about their apprentices’ experiences.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders now ensure that employers are fully committed to the principles of apprenticeships. This was not consistently the case when they first started to deliver apprenticeships. Leaders analysed the reasons why a high proportion of level 3 ASW Monitoring visit: Basegreen Academy Limited, 21 and 22 February 2024 apprentices from one employer left early. They have subsequently strengthened the due diligence that they complete before engaging with employers to ensure that employers are committed to the requirements of apprenticeships. Leaders now share the off-the-job training dates for apprentices’ full programmes and obtain employers’ written agreement that apprentices will be released for these, prior to apprentices joining the programme.

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Reasonable progress

Managers have established effective oversight and quality assurance arrangements and have plans to strengthen these further. Leaders have a good awareness of the strengths of the provision and areas that need improvement or further development. Current challenges include ensuring greater consistency in the quality of education across all standards, apart from the two that leaders provide for private ambulance providers. Leaders have identified actions to resolve these issues.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders ensure that trainers are well qualified and have commercial experience in the subjects that they teach. For example, trainers on the AAP and ASW standards are highly experienced paramedics. All trainers have teaching qualifications. As a result, most apprentices experience well-planned and good-quality training.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers guide and support trainers to plan and sequence the curriculum effectively, taking account of apprentices’ starting points and work circumstances. Most trainers plan an effective curriculum and teach apprentices well so that they gain the knowledge, skills and behaviours that they need to make progress towards the goals of their apprenticeship. This is particularly the case for apprentices on the ASW and AAP standards. In a few cases, the curriculum for apprentices on adult care standards is not as well planned. As a result, a few employers are not aware of the full scope of the apprenticeship. This limits their awareness of what they could do to support apprentices fully to make good progress.

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Reasonable progress

Trainers across all apprenticeships carry out frequent progress reviews with apprentices and their employers. Trainers on the ASW and AAP standards effectively record apprentices’ progress, identifying support that they can provide and actions that apprentices can take if they are at risk of falling behind. However, the format that trainers use for progress reviews varies between standards and, in a small minority of cases, records are brief. This prevents managers from being assured that all apprentices are receiving the support that they need to make good progress.

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Reasonable progress

Trainers regularly assess apprentices’ work and confirm if the work meets required standards. Apprentices on the ASW and AAP standards receive feedback that clearly identifies what they need to do to improve their work and make progress. A few Monitoring visit: Basegreen Academy Limited, 21 and 22 February 2024 apprentices on adult care standards do not receive sufficient feedback about how they could improve their work.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders set a clear expectation for staff to promote a culture of safeguarding. The designated and deputy safeguarding leads (DSLs) are both suitably qualified. They ensure that all trainers have undergone appropriate checks to work with apprentices and that staff complete safeguarding training.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have completed risk assessments and established clear policies and procedures to safeguard apprentices. This includes a ‘Prevent’ duty risk assessment and action plan. The DSLs maintain a secure log of safeguarding and welfare concerns that staff or apprentices have raised. These include details of any support provided, including where other appropriate agencies are involved. Monitoring visit: Basegreen Academy Limited, 21 and 22 February 2024 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

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Reasonable progress

children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Reasonable progress

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Reasonable progress

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Reasonable progress

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Reasonable progress

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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