Inspire Middlesex College Ltd

Inspire Middlesex College Report following a monitoring visit to a ‘requires improvement’ provider

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Name of lead inspector: Steve Lambert, His Majesty’s Inspector

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Type of provider: Independent learning provider

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Address: Suite 5 Neals Corner Hounslow TW3 3HJ Monitoring visit: Inspire Middlesex College, 9 and 10 May 2024

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Context and focus of visit

Inspire Middlesex College was inspected in March 2023. At that time, inspectors judged the overall effectiveness of the provision to require improvement.

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Context and focus of visit

The focus of this monitoring visit was to evaluate the progress that leaders and managers have made in resolving the main areas for improvement identified at the previous inspection.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers have recently implemented an online portfolio system through which they are starting to have a secure oversight of the quality of tutors’ feedback. They have supported tutors effectively with training to improve the quality of feedback they provide to apprentices. Through frequent reviews of apprentices’ work and standardisation meetings, leaders and managers share with tutors examples of good-quality feedback. Tutors provide apprentices with helpful guidance on what they have done well and what could be improved. While tutors have improved the extent to which they give guidance to apprentices on how to improve their work, they do not do this consistently. At times, apprentices are still unclear of the steps they need to take to make improvements. For the most part, apprentices value the feedback they receive from tutors, many of whom are practising pharmacists. As a result of tutors’ feedback, apprentices

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Reasonable progress

develop a better understanding of important pharmaceutical topics and how they relate to the workplace. This includes understanding the formulary variances in different regions and how they apply to approved medications for adults. Monitoring visit: Inspire Middlesex College, 9 and 10 May 2024

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers have redesigned the way they teach functional skills in English and mathematics. Tutors have a weekly plan of topics they teach for both subjects. These are linked to the topics that tutors teach in their vocational lessons. This helps apprentices to understand the relevance of English and mathematics in the workplace. Leaders and managers have improved how they track the progress that apprentices make progress in English and mathematics. This allows leaders and managers to identify apprentices who fall behind, and consequently to put in place the appropriate support. Staff have a good understanding of apprentices’ ability in English and mathematics at the start of their course. Staff ensure that all apprentices complete online assessments in these subjects at the start of their apprenticeship. In addition, apprentices have access to online learning resources based on the results of their

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Reasonable progress

online assessments. Apprentices use these resources to develop and practise the specific skills that they need to improve. This contributes to most apprentices being on track to achieve their functional skills within the planned timeframe. Leaders and managers have a good oversight of the quality of education that apprentices receive on the pharmacy and English components of their apprenticeship. They do not have sufficient oversight of the quality of education in mathematics.

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Reasonable progress

Staff now provide apprentices with more information on the range of opportunities available to them as qualified pharmacy technicians. Tutors use their own experience of working in a range of settings, such as doctors’ surgeries, hospital settings and community pharmacies so that apprentices understand how roles in these settings differ. Apprentices benefit from talks from former apprentices about their career journey. They learn about specialisms that they can go on to once in their pharmacy setting. These include adult or paediatric dispensing within a hospital setting, or doing additional training in order to be able to take a history of medicines used by patients. Apprentices enjoy hearing about future career opportunities from former apprentices. Monitoring visit: Inspire Middlesex College, 9 and 10 May 2024 Staff help apprentices to understand the importance of the pharmacy technician role. Tutors use their own experience to motivate apprentices by highlighting some of the

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Reasonable progress

skills that they will develop once qualified. This includes the specialist skills needed to prepare pre-filled syringes and the creation of infusion bags in sterile environments ready for patients receiving cancer treatment. This helps apprentices to understand the breadth of the pharmacy technician role. Apprentices benefit from frequent talks from professional body representatives. This provides apprentices with information independent of the provider on career options open to apprentices, including possible training as a pharmacist.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers have worked with employers to develop a personal development curriculum. Much of this is linked to behaviours and attributes that apprentices need in their jobs. For example, it includes sessions for apprentices to develop their customer service skills, which helps them be more confident in dealing with difficult patients. Apprentices have access to, and complete a range of additional learning through, their professional body, including in topics such as how to be more assertive, and effective time management. This helps them when dealing with patients in a busy community pharmacy. In addition, apprentices can undertake additional training in leadership in order to take on more responsibility, such as overseeing the work of other pharmacy technicians, as well as learning about the process for opening and closing the pharmacy at the start and end of the day. Tutors help apprentices to develop their understanding of fundamental British values.

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Reasonable progress

They skilfully integrate topics on respect and tolerance through role plays of apprentices dealing with difficult customers. Leaders and managers recognise that there is more to do to ensure that they expand the personal development curriculum to relate to topics that extend beyond the course. They have sensible plans in place to further develop the resources available to apprentices. Monitoring visit: Inspire Middlesex College, 9 and 10 May 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

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Reasonable progress

children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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