Smart Dental Academy Limited

Smart Dental Academy Limited Monitoring visit report

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Name of lead inspector: Anita Pyrkotsch-Jones, His Majesty’s Inspector Inspection dates: 13 and 14 March 2024

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Type of provider: Independent learning provider

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Address:

Navkar House Ground Floor Unit 5 Ashbrook Office Park Longstone Road Manchester M22 5LB Monitoring visit: Smart Dental Academy Limited, 13 and 14 March 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

Smart Dental Academy Limited (known as SDA) is an independent learning provider based in Manchester. SDA was set up in 2012 to train dental nurses in response to a national skills shortage. SDA was a subcontractor for the level 3 dental nurse (integrated) apprenticeships delivered by a large independent learning provider. In February 2023, SDA started to train level 3 dental nurse (integrated) apprentices under its own contract. Leaders also offer apprenticeships for level 4 practice managers, which provides a clear progression pathway for dental nurses. Leaders are yet to recruit apprentices to the level 4 practice manager apprenticeship. At the time of the monitoring visit, there were 31 apprentices in learning. Eight apprentices were under the age of 18.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have a clear strategy and rationale: to provide apprenticeships that meet identified skills gaps for dental nurses in the north west of England.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders rightly recognise that employers are not yet sufficiently involved in the development of the apprentice’s curriculum or the coordination of their on- and off- the-job training. Employers do not always know what apprentices are doing in their off-the-job training, which means that apprentices do not have the opportunity to practise and develop these new skills in the workplace.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have put in place quality assurance processes to evaluate and monitor the quality of the provision. Leaders frequently monitor the key actions for improvement identified through their self-assessment processes. Many of the quality improvement processes are recently implemented. It is too soon to measure the impact these processes have on the quality of training. Monitoring visit: Smart Dental Academy Limited, 13 and 14 March 2024. Leaders carefully and frequently monitor the progress that apprentices make. Leaders accurately identify when apprentices fall behind in their learning and ensure that tutors and assessors put appropriate support in place to help apprentices catch up with their work.

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Reasonable progress

Staff benefit from monthly one-to-one meetings and annual appraisals with their managers. However, leaders do not sufficiently monitor the targets and actions set for staff, for example following observations of teaching and learning, to evaluate the quality of training.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders do not yet have any governance arrangements in place. They have plans for a governing body, which includes board members with experience of apprenticeships.

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Reasonable progress

Tutors teach apprentices topics so that apprentices develop increasingly complex knowledge and skills. At the start of their training, apprentices learn about managing relationships and keeping safe before moving on to learn about infection control and recognising and dealing with dental emergencies. They develop this knowledge further throughout their training, such as working safely with patients who are undergoing dental treatment and ensuring that dental instruments are sterile.

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Reasonable progress

Tutors and assessors use a range of assessments to identify apprentices’ starting points. However, tutors and assessors do not use the results of these assessments to personalise apprentices’ training. As a result, apprentices are unaware of their starting points and do not understand how the information from assessments is used to plan their training.

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Reasonable progress

Tutors, assessors and employers are highly supportive of apprentices. Consequently, apprentices develop their confidence and resilience, and they demonstrate positive and mature attitudes in the workplace and during their training.

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Reasonable progress

Assessors meet frequently with apprentices and their employers to review what apprentices know and can do. However, targets set with, and for, apprentices are not precise enough. Targets focus on the activities that apprentices need to complete to achieve their qualification and not on the skills and behaviours apprentices need to develop further.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices receive and act on the helpful and accurate feedback from tutors and assessors following assessment, which helps them to improve their knowledge and the quality of their work. Monitoring visit: Smart Dental Academy Limited, 13 and 14 March 2024. Apprentices have a good understanding of their potential next steps with their employer and in the dental sector. They are aware of other roles and further training available to them on completion of the apprenticeship.

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Reasonable progress

The designated safeguarding lead (DSL) and the deputy DSL have received appropriate training and use their experience of safeguarding to carry out their roles efficiently. The safeguarding team deals with safeguarding concerns quickly and effectively. The team refers cases to external agencies such as the police and health services promptly. Safeguarding case notes are detailed and precise.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices feel safe and know how to report any concerns they may have. Apprentices have a limited understanding of the threats of radicalisation and extremism and how these may affect them.

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Reasonable progress

Minor administrative errors in safeguarding policies were rectified during the monitoring visit. Monitoring visit: Smart Dental Academy Limited, 13 and 14 March 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 children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Reasonable progress

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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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