KEY 2 CARE LIMITED (trading as Derbyshire Care Services)

Key 2 Care Limited Monitoring visit report

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Name of lead inspector: Vicki Locke, His Majesty’s Inspector

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Address: Unit 1 Derwent Park 214 – 216 London Road Derby DE1 2SX Monitoring visit: Key 2 Care Limited, 12 and 13 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

Key 2 Care Limited (trading as Derbyshire Care Services) is an established company that provides adult care services at people’s homes and within the community. Leaders offer levels 2 and 3 apprenticeships for their employees. At the time of the visit, there were 58 adult apprentices. Of these, 33 study the level 2 adult care worker and 25 study the level 3 lead adult care worker. Just over half of all apprentices were on a break in learning.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders do not check thoroughly apprentices’ pre-existing knowledge and skills to ascertain their eligibility to undertake an apprenticeship. Initial assessment arrangements lack rigour. Assessment of prior learning merely takes place against the course in its entirety, not the many different topic areas apprentices will study.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders have not ensured apprentices receive their off-the-job entitlement. Leaders intend for this to be provided as part of staff rotas, but at the time of the visit, this was not the case.

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Insufficient progress

Apprenticeship training agreements do not specify how apprentices will undertake training, or how much is required. Leaders intend to develop training plans, but at the time of the visit, these were not available. As a result, apprentices do not have sufficient understanding of their apprenticeship entitlement or what their off-the-job training comprises.

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Insufficient progress

There are no current arrangements for leaders’ oversight of training or apprentices’ progress. The wider company has a range of appropriate quality assurance systems, such as audits, observations and surveys. However, these do not extend to cover the apprenticeship provision. Monitoring visit: Key 2 Care Limited, 12 and 13 March 2024 There are no current arrangements for external scrutiny or governance.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders have a clear rationale for the courses they offer to their staff. For example, they know training will present benefits such as staff retention and the provision of consistently high-quality care for their clients.

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Insufficient progress

Assessors have suitable expertise and backgrounds such as previous roles in crisis care or as managers of care settings. They hold relevant qualifications.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders and assessors do not plan apprentices’ off-the-job training effectively. Training is very informal and ad hoc. Attendance at webinars is optional, and apprentices do not have a clear plan of what they should learn and when.

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Insufficient progress

Apprentices’ line managers are not well involved in apprentices’ training. Line managers are not sufficiently aware of apprentices’ off-the-job entitlement, their progress or how their daily job roles link to their learning.

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Insufficient progress

Identification of apprentices’ prior learning is very simplistic. This does not properly evaluate apprentices’ starting points in relation to the knowledge and skills they require for their course. Apprentices do not know what progress they have made or what they need to do to be successful.

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Insufficient progress

Too many apprentices make slow or minimal progress. A significant number of apprentices are on a break in learning. There is no routine monitoring of apprentices’ progress from their starting points towards course completion.

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Insufficient progress

Assessors, apprentices and line managers are not sufficiently aware of the requirements for end-of-course assessments. As a result, apprentices who approach this point are not well prepared.

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Insufficient progress

When apprentices do receive training, they develop knowledge and skills that link to their work roles. For example, apprentices become more confident in dealing with challenging or aggressive behaviour.

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Insufficient progress

Assessors use their expertise well to help apprentices understand key concepts such as dignity and person-centred care. Apprentices benefit from helpful feedback that enables them to improve the quality of their written work. Monitoring visit: Key 2 Care Limited, 12 and 13 March 2024

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Reasonable progress

Leaders effectively promote a culture of safeguarding. Safer recruitment and training are thorough. Apprentices’ induction includes health and safety, safeguarding and wider topics such as stress management.

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Reasonable progress

Extensive arrangements ensure the continued health, well-being and safety of apprentices, for example an employee assistance programme, bi-monthly supervision and safety spot checks.

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Reasonable progress

The company’s wider safeguarding policies help apprentices spot any safeguarding issues in their daily work roles as adult care workers.

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Reasonable progress

There are clear procedures for apprentices to report concerns. Apprentices say they feel safe. They know who to go to if they have concerns about their workplace, clients or themselves. Monitoring visit: Key 2 Care Limited, 12 and 13 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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