Homeserve Membership Limited

Further education and skills inspection report

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Inspection of Homeserve Membership Limited

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Inspection dates: 20 to 22 February 2024

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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

Homeserve Membership Limited (Homeserve) is an independent training provider based in Nottingham. Leaders offer apprenticeships in gas engineering in their purpose-built training academy. Homeserve provides training for their own employees and for other small businesses.

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Information about this provider

All apprentices study the level 3 gas engineering operative course. At the time of the visit, there were 29 apprentices. Almost all apprentices are adults, with two apprentices under 18 years of age. 20 to 22 February 2024

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

Leaders have high aspirations for their apprentices. Skilled industry tutors help apprentices to make connections between training and their daily job roles. Apprentices have positive attitudes and enjoy their training.

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

Apprentices benefit from block training at the academy where they study a suitable range of practical and theoretical subjects. Apprentices rightly value the training they receive and attend well.

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

Tutors work effectively with employers so that apprentices can apply their training and practise their skills in the workplace. Apprentices develop their skills swiftly and gain sufficient new knowledge and skills to test boilers and understand faults within the first three months of their course. Apprentices become more skilled and proficient in readiness for their careers as gas engineers.

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

Apprentices say their apprenticeship has a positive impact on their personal confidence. They rightly value the small groups they learn in, and the supportive ‘family feel’ of the academy.

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

Tutors provide apprentices with effective strategies to ensure their safety. They learn about dynamic risk assessments and what to do if they encounter aggression from customers. As a result, apprentices feel safe when attending the training academy.

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better?

Leaders have planned a well-thought-out curriculum, so apprentices gain expert skills swiftly. Apprentices develop the knowledge, skills, and behaviours that they need in the workplace. This includes working with new and emerging technologies. For example, leaders have recently invested in newly installed heat pumps for apprentices to work on.

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better?

Leaders have recently made changes to the course to add more focus on domestic gas, vented and unvented certification, and electricity. Apprentices learn a broad range of knowledge and skills that are useful for their future careers.

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better?

Leaders and tutors plan apprentices’ off-the-job training well and link it logically with apprentices’ job roles. Apprentices practise their new knowledge and skills in the workplace alongside their training. Apprentices become more fluent in their ability to carry out their new practical skills and this raises their confidence levels too.

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better?

Leaders and tutors have planned topics logically. Apprentices learn the basic skills they need to undertake workplace tasks, such as health and safety and safe isolation. They then move on to learn about more complex topics, such as gas piping and installation . 20 to 22 February 2024

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Tutors explain key topics clearly. They break down complex information into smaller components to aid learning. Tutors provide effective demonstrations on a range of appliances. This supports apprentices to learn topics such as pipe materials theory, pipe bending, pipe framing and how to re-establish a gas supply.

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Tutors place a strong focus on the use of key terminology. They expect apprentices to use the correct technical terms for appliances and devices in discussions, tests, and in written work. As a result, apprentices become confident to use these key terms in the workplace.

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Apprentices receive helpful and supportive feedback on their practical work. Tutors provide apprentices with clear explanations on how to improve their work further. However, too few apprentices receive guidance on how to improve the content and standard of their written work. In a small number of cases tutors do not consistently provide opportunities to allow apprentices to expand on their answers in detail.

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Tutors mostly use assessment activities, such as questioning and peer assessment, successfully. They ask probing questions to check depth of understanding. For example, how to check if an appliance has an oxygen depletion device and what tests to conduct. Tutors have a good understanding of apprentices’ knowledge and scaffold their training appropriately. They ensure apprentices are secure in each topic before moving on.

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Leaders and tutors support apprentices with additional learning needs well. For example, they provide one-to-one support that concentrates on retention of knowledge. Tutors organise concessions for assessments, such as professional discussion, instead of written accounts. Apprentices with additional support needs make good progress and, rightly, feel well supported.

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Leaders and tutors provide relevant training and external talks about personal development topics throughout the course. Apprentices understand the need to respect the cultural beliefs and values of the customers they work with. They appreciate the importance of listening to other people’s opinions.

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Tutors discuss different living situations with apprentices during training and make use of the simulated home environment at the academy as part of this. Apprentices are guided well. They do not make comments about customers’ clothing, home décor or assumptions about someone’s living arrangements. However, apprentices have little recall of other personal development topics, such as fundamental British values.

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Apprentices benefit from appropriate informal careers advice and guidance to support them with their next steps. The vast majority stay with their current employer or within the sector. However, leaders do not yet plan careers advice and guidance that goes beyond apprentices’ immediate next steps.

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Apprentices go on to become qualified gas engineers in a range of settings, such as roles with city councils in social housing. Around a quarter of apprentices who 20 to 22 February 2024

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complete the course successfully establish their own business.

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Leaders are aware of their strengths and areas for improvement and have put appropriate plans in place to improve this. Leaders recognise the need for appropriate initial advice and guidance to ensure that apprentices fully understand the purpose and content of the course from the start.

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Leaders and tutors now recognise the importance of swift intervention when apprentices fall behind. They identify any issues quickly and provide additional sessions to support apprentices to stay on track. Early indications show a positive impact in retention and achievement trends.

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Most apprentices complete their course and the majority achieve high grades. All apprentices required to pass functional skills English and mathematics do so at their first attempt.

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Leaders undertake an appropriate range of informal activities to monitor the quality of training and provide tutors with useful feedback to support their continued development. Tutors undertake teaching qualifications as well as opportunities to keep their technical skills current through training, trade demonstrations and attendance at trade shows. Apprentices benefit from up-to-date knowledge of new technology as a result, for example training on air source units, electrics for plumbers, low temperature systems and gas accreditation renewal.

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Leaders plan tutors’ workloads well. They effectively utilise the time between apprentices’ training blocks to ensure tutors have ample time to complete lesson preparation and administration tasks. Tutors rightly value the opportunity to have dedicated time to support planning, assessment and preparation.

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Leaders work effectively with employers to ensure the training meets their needs. They work well with companies who need to scale up the gas expertise of their workforce in addition to their own Homeserve employees. Employers recognise the positive impact training has on apprentices’ work standards.

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Governors have suitable levels of knowledge and experience. They attend formal board meetings bi-monthly, where they review the operation of the academy and apprentices’ progress. They also undertake walk-throughs of the academy and talk to apprentices and staff. Governors provide appropriate scrutiny and challenge. Currently, governance is from within Homeserve. Leaders aspire to have external scrutiny on the board in the future.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 20 to 22 February 2024

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What does the provider need to do to improve?

 Sustain the recent improvements to retention through effective initial advice and guidance, early identification of any concerns and swift intervention and support.  Ensure apprentices consistently benefit from developmental feedback in their written work.  Review the planning and delivery of the personal development curriculum with a particular focus on apprentices’ future career pathways and understanding of fundamental British values. 20 to 22 February 2024

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Provider details

Address Aspect Business Park Bennerley Road Nottingham NG6 8WR

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Provider details

Principal, CEO or equivalent Nick Kasmir

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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 February 2024

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Information about this inspection

The inspection team was assisted by the academy centre 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 Houghton, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector Nikki Brady His Majesty’s Inspector Angela Twelvetree Ofsted Inspector 20 to 22 February 2024

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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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