Excell for Training Limited

Further education and skills inspection report

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Inspection of Excell for Training Limited

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Inspection dates: 31 January to 2 February 2024

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate

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

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Information about this provider

Excell for training is an independent learning provider in the East Midlands.

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Information about this provider

Leaders offer apprenticeships at levels 2 to 5, primarily in the residential childcare and adult care sectors.

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Information about this provider

Of the 125 apprentices in training, 52 apprentices study the level 4 children, young people and families practitioner. Thirty apprentices study the level 3 lead adult care worker.

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Information about this provider

Most other apprentices study on other care or early years courses. A very small number study administration, customer service or management courses.

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Information about this provider

Almost all apprentices are adults. At the time of inspection there was just one apprentice aged under 18. 31 January to 2 February 2024

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

Apprentices do not develop enough knowledge and skills in their online teaching and learning sessions. Too much time is spent focused on upcoming assessment requirements. Apprentices fail to gain a sound understanding of key topics. As a result, they rely on their own internet research to complete their assessments.

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

In most cases, apprentices undertake a maximum of one hour’s training every two to four weeks. Training arrangements around these scheduled sessions is ad hoc and poorly planned.

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

Leaders and tutors do not involve employers in the review and planning of apprentices’ training. As a result, apprentices rarely undertake workplace training that links to their studies.

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

Too many apprentices leave their courses early, and too few achieve their qualifications on time. However, apprentices who complete their studies report that they develop in confidence. For example, they communicate more confidently with other healthcare professionals.

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

Apprentices have positive relationships with their tutors. They find them to be supportive about any personal or work-related challenges that affect their studies.

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

Apprentices feel safe. They know what to do should they experience any issues about their safety and well-being.

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better?

Apprentices do not receive sufficient well-planned, effective, and relevant training on their courses. Leaders and tutors give too little consideration to how apprentices will both acquire and build their knowledge and skills during their studies.

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better?

Apprentices’ training comprises of short online training sessions once or twice a month. In between these sessions, leaders and tutors encourage apprentices to undertake off-the-job activity. However, this is not carefully planned and focuses overly on compliance rather than meaningful activity. For example, apprentices undertake much generic activity such as mentoring or shadowing that does not have a specific focus. Occasionally, apprentices are permitted to record their daily job role as off-the-job training. For example, being a team leader throughout a twelve-hour shift.

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better?

Training is not always organised logically. For example, lead adult care worker apprentices do not undertake important topics such as manual handling and safe lifting until several weeks into their course. However, on young people and families practitioner courses, topics are organised more sensibly. For example, training covers children and young people’s development, then moves on to safeguarding children and young people. 31 January to 2 February 2024

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There is too little teaching in vocational training sessions. Tutors talk extensively about assessment criteria but fail to focus enough on the curriculum content. For example, in sessions about legislation and use of medication, tutors simply read out a list of relevant acts for apprentices to research. As a result, apprentices learn very little in their online sessions.

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Tutors use very few resources to support their verbal explanations. When they do use resources, these merely contain information copied directly from course assessment requirements.

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Assessment of learning is weak. Tutors make too few checks on what apprentices understand. When checks are made, they are very superficial. For example, tutors simply ask apprentices if they understand. Tutors do not routinely plan to revisit topics or include practice activities so apprentices can become more skilled over time.

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Tutors’ assessment feedback mainly focuses on achievement of criteria. They also give brief feedback about how to improve written work, for example to expand points made, or to add more real-life examples. However, few apprentices act on this feedback to improve their future work standards.

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Apprentices’ written work is too basic and generic for the level of course they study. For example, when asked to describe the purpose of team working, apprentices only list the benefits. Most apprentices do not link the written work they complete to their job role or workplace setting.

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Apprentices who remain on their course and complete their studies pass their end- of-course assessments. However, very few achieve high grades. Of those apprentices who complete their course, just over two thirds remain in paid employment at the end of their studies.

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Leaders have made recent changes to arrangements for functional skills English and mathematics, for example individual teaching sessions with qualified tutors. Tutors use a variety of techniques such as reviewing past papers and using interactive whiteboards. As a result of recent changes, more apprentices now pass their functional skills English and mathematics courses. The intention is for all apprentices to study these subjects early in their course. However, at the time of inspection, many apprentices who were significantly past their planned end date had not achieved qualifications in these important subjects.

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Tutors do not always ensure training sessions are appropriately scheduled or held in suitable environments. In a small minority of cases, apprentices join their sessions during holiday periods or after work. In a very small minority of cases, apprentices join sessions from noisy and distracting environments.

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Leaders and tutors make appropriate personal development resources available on the online learning platform. However, because they do not plan this learning as part of the curriculum, few apprentices access the resources. When apprentices do 31 January to 2 February 2024

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complete the work within the available resources, they are mostly unable to recall any useful learning.

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Apprentices benefit from helpful discussions with tutors and employers about their future job role opportunities within their current organisation. However, there is no planned approach to promote wider future career pathways within relevant sectors.

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Leaders’ actions do not ensure the quality of education and training is good enough. Observations of teaching and learning conducted have not identified the significant weaknesses in teaching and assessment. The current staff development matrix does not include any focus on ways to develop pedagogical practice.

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Trustees on the very recently appointed board are appropriate. They value the opportunity to bring their expertise to the education sector. However, the board is too new to have had any impact on standards of training.

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Leaders offer appropriate courses to meet local and regional skills needs. The young people and families practitioner course helps employers to upskill their workforce. The lead adult care worker course prepares apprentices for roles in care homes or within community care.

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There is appropriate consideration for apprentices with additional learning needs. A risk register contains information about any adaptations which apprentices require, for example extra time or alternative assessment methods such as verbal questioning.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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What does the provider need to do to improve?

 Undertake, as a matter of urgency, a full review of the planning and effectiveness of apprentices’ off-the-job training.  Involve employers in the planning of apprentices’ off-the-job training.  Establish an ambitious curriculum that ensures apprentices develop the required knowledge and skills.  Take immediate action to improve current teaching standards.  Ensure tutors’ ongoing professional development is sharply focused on teaching and assessment approaches.  Improve careers guidance to include advice about future pathways and options.  Establish an appropriately planned personal development curriculum.  Improve achievement rates and end-of-course high-grade rates.  Fully establish arrangements for external oversight. 31 January to 2 February 2024

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Provider details

Address Room 18 Northern Gateway Enterprise Centre Chesterfield S40 1UT

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Website

Principal, CEO or equivalent Steven Boyd

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Website

Provider type Independent learning provider

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Website

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Website

Main subcontractors None 31 January to 2 February 2024

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Information about this inspection

The inspection team was assisted by the 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

Vicki Locke, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector Sarah Houghton His Majesty’s Inspector Julie Ashton His Majesty’s Inspector 31 January to 2 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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