Dental Professional Education Ltd.

Further education and skills inspection report

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Inspection of Dental Professional Education Ltd.

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Inspection dates: 28 February to 1 March 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

Dental Professional Education Ltd (trading as Education for Dental) was established in January 2017. It provides commercial dentistry qualifications to local and regional dental practices. The company became an approved apprenticeship training provider in September 2021 and began providing its first apprenticeships in February 2022. The company has sites in Dudley, Wolverhampton and Birmingham. There are currently 42 apprentices, all studying the level 3 dental nurse (integrated) apprenticeship. 28 February to 1 March 2024

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

Apprentices benefit from a positive and supportive culture and learning environment created by staff. They enjoy the calm and purposeful atmosphere which helps them to relax and learn. They collaborate well and respect each other’s views and opinions. They discuss and compare the different approaches used in their dental surgeries to extend their learning.

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

Apprentices are highly motivated to succeed and exhibit positive attitudes to their learning. As a result, attendance is high and good overall.

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

Leaders and managers ensure that apprentices have a good understanding of safeguarding and fundamental British values and how these relate to their personal lives and dentistry. Most have a reasonable understanding of radicalisation and extremism. Apprentices feel safe and are confident in sharing any concerns and questions with staff.

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better?

Leaders and managers have a clear strategic vision for their dental nursing apprenticeships, which meets the needs of employers in the region. They have deliberately selected an apprenticeship that allows apprentices to develop strong vocational, social and personal skills within the curriculum.

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better?

Leaders work proactively with the dental industry. They meet frequently with representatives through practice managers’ meetings and recruitment activities. Leaders work with the General Dental Council to identify sector requirements. However, leaders’ links with regional education and skills training bodies and networks are less well developed. As a result, leaders are not aware of how they contribute to national priorities and how their training complements other training within the region.

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better?

Leaders and managers have good links with local employers. Employers are suitably involved in shaping the curriculum. For example, managers responded positively to a suggestion made by some key employers who asked for more emphasis on dental charting earlier in the programme so that apprentices could make a quick and valuable contribution to their surgeries.

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better?

Leaders and managers have given careful thought to the design and sequencing of the curriculum. The first unit covers professional practice including conduct, attitudes and the use of social media. It is a core unit and used as a benchmark to monitor the progress apprentices make to more advanced content.

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better?

Assessors are well qualified. They all have sector experience and hold teaching and subject-specific qualifications. They use this expertise well to support apprentices to learn more and remember more. Assessors systematically check learning in lessons through frequent questioning and learning plenaries. They encourage the recall of 28 February to 1 March 2024

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prior topics to help apprentices ensure that their understanding of key concepts is secure.

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Apprentices develop substantial new knowledge, skills and behaviours. They make sustained progress from their starting points and apply their new learning in their vocational contexts, for example dealing with patients sensitively and demonstrating the correct use of technical terminology.

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Most apprentices’ work is well presented and is of the appropriate standard. Their work shows improvement over time. Assessors give both verbal and written feedback. They acknowledge those aspects that apprentices achieve well. They also point out how they can make further improvements.

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The programme is suitably ambitious. It includes elements of the level 4 qualification to stretch apprentices’ understanding and help prepare them for their next steps. The curriculum also incorporates some additional components, such as carrying out cardiopulmonary resuscitation, manual handling and fire safety, to benefit apprentices in the workplace.

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Apprentices receive good support to prepare them for their next steps. Managers have made recent changes to help apprentices have a better understanding of their career options. At the end of each module, apprentices reflect on what they have learned. They note the transferable skills they have gained and consider how these skills prepare them for a wide range of job roles both within and beyond the dental sector.

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Assessors provide useful information on how apprentices can maintain their emotional health and well-being. For example, assessors ask about how apprentices are feeling and check on their mental well-being. They ask about how apprentices are managing workplace stress. They also promote an active lifestyle by encouraging apprentices to take regular exercise and follow a balanced diet.

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Leaders and managers have taken appropriate actions to address the areas of improvement raised at the monitoring visit. For example, managers have made changes to further integrate personal development aspects into the curriculum. Each apprentice is required to revisit a personal development plan regularly to log their progress against their knowledge, skills and behaviours and wider development goals. As a result, apprentices are aware of the progress they are making.

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Leaders and managers give careful thought to ensuring that staff workloads are reasonable. They support staff in keeping up to date with their mandatory dentistry professional requirements. They also provide financial support to help them maintain their professional indemnity.

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Leaders have recently appointed an external member to the governing body. The member has a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the organisation. The member provides suitable scrutiny and challenge. For example, they have helped leaders and managers to improve reporting on apprentices’ 28 February to 1 March 2024

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progress and establishing a learner-at-risk policy. Board members receive relevant information, including on safeguarding to fulfil their duties.

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Leaders and managers have several systems in place to monitor the quality of apprenticeships, using observations, learners’ feedback and external verification. However, these are not collated well enough to identify how managers can further develop assessors’ skills in delivering high-quality training. Leaders are aware of this and have appointed a member of staff to undertake these responsibilities.

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Assessors support the development of English and mathematics in lessons by introducing apprentices to new terminology and techniques. However, assessors do not use the results of initial assessment to plan learning or to address the specific areas for development for those apprentices who have a level 2 or GCSE. Leaders have put plans in place to ensure diagnostic information is used for this purpose.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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What does the provider need to do to improve?

 Ensure that assessors use the results of initial assessments of English and mathematics to plan learning and address individual apprentices’ needs.  Ensure that assessors further develop the English and mathematical skills of all apprentices.  Ensure that managers gather and use information on teaching and assessment to inform actions to improve the quality of education. 28 February to 1 March 2024

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Provider details

Address Biz Hub Castle Mill Dudley West Midlands DY4 7UF

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Provider details

Principal, CEO or equivalent Samantha Bell

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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 28 February to 1 March 2024

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Information about this inspection

The inspection team was assisted by a 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

William Baidoe-Ansah, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector Jaswant Mann Ofsted Inspector 28 February to 1 March 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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