Partners In Training (North West) Limited

Further education and skills inspection report

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Inspection of Partners In Training (North West) Limited

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Overall effectiveness Good

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

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Information about this provider

Partners In Training (North West) Limited (PIT) is an independent learning provider based in Prescot in the city of Liverpool. PIT provides apprenticeships across the North West, East Midlands, West Midlands and the North East, Yorkshire and Humberside. There are currently 225 apprentices on apprenticeships in adult care. One-hundred and twenty-one apprentices study on the level 2 adult care worker apprenticeship, 64 study on the level 3 lead adult care worker apprenticeship, nine study on the level 4 lead practitioner in adult care apprenticeship and 31 study on the level 5 leader in adult care apprenticeship. All apprentices are aged 18 years and above. This is the first full inspection of PIT following the new provider monitoring visit in March 2023. 23 to 25 July 2024

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

Apprentices develop their confidence and resilience as a direct result of their apprenticeship. Level 5 leader in adult care apprentices work closely and sensitively with colleagues to identify and resolve potential instances of financial abuse of care home residents. They attend multi-disciplinary meetings and advocate for residents during mental capacity meetings. This enables apprentices to take on additional responsibilities, which benefits their employers’ businesses.

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

Tutors help apprentices to develop their understanding of radicalisation and extremism and how these relate to the service users that apprentices work with. Apprentices learn about how loneliness can make people vulnerable to radicalisation and discuss confidently how and why a member of the local community was jailed for preparing acts of terrorism.

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

Apprentices do not benefit from effective careers advice and guidance. Tutors provide apprentices with informal advice and guidance. Apprentices are reliant on their tutors’ knowledge of careers in the care sector to help them to make career choices. This leads to inconsistency in the guidance that apprentices receive. Apprentices do not receive enough information to make informed decisions about potential next steps after their apprenticeship.

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

Apprentices feel safe and know how to keep themselves safe. They understand their responsibilities for protecting the service users they care for and for reporting any concerns they may have.

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better?

Leaders and managers have a clear rationale for the apprenticeships they offer. They are ambitious to provide training that ensures a pipeline of competent and qualified care staff to work with service users who have a wide range of support needs.

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better?

Leaders work closely with employers to plan curriculums that meet the skills needs of employers and their apprentices. Leaders carefully plan the apprenticeships with apprentices and employers based on the different types of care provision in which apprentices work, such as care and nursing homes, centres for adults with learning disabilities, acquired brain injury centres and alcohol and drug detoxification centres.

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better?

Tutors skilfully use a range of teaching strategies, such as professional discussions, to develop, check and consolidate apprentices’ knowledge and skills. Tutors accurately identify gaps in apprentices’ knowledge and adapt their teaching so that apprentices develop a greater understanding of topics such as democratic, coaching style and laissez faire management.

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better?

Apprentices apply their learning effectively in the workplace. Level 2 adult care worker apprentices learn about and apply the duty of candour correctly when working with service users and their families. Level 5 leader in adult care 23 to 25 July 2024

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apprentices learn about leadership and management theories such as Lewin’s leadership styles and Urwick’s principles of management. They apply their new knowledge at work when implementing change, such as introducing new processes to deal with complaints.

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Most apprentices receive useful feedback from tutors following written assessments. The feedback identifies what learners have done well and what they need to do to improve the quality of their work. Level 5 leader in adult care apprentices improve their work by incorporating examples from the workplace and by using references correctly. In a few instances, level 2 adult care worker apprentices receive written feedback that is generic and does not specifically identify how they can further improve their work or help them to know what they need to do to achieve merit and distinction grades in their final assessments.

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Most apprentices achieve their apprenticeship. Approximately half of apprentices achieve merit and distinction grades in their final assessments.

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Leaders and managers care about the mental health and well-being of their staff. Staff feel well-supported by their managers. However, a few tutors’ workloads are occasionally unmanageable due to changes in staffing.

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Governors are experienced in their roles and have considerable expertise in apprenticeships. They have a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the provision. Leaders provide governors with high-quality reports about the provision, which enables governors to provide effective scrutiny and challenge to leaders.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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What does the provider need to do to improve?

 Improve the quality and consistency of feedback from tutors following assessment for level 2 adult care worker apprentices.  Improve the quality of the careers information, advice and guidance that apprentices receive.  Ensure all tutors have workloads that are manageable. 23 to 25 July 2024

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Provider details

Address Kings Business Park 13a Tiger Court Liverpool Merseyside L34 1PJ

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Provider details

Principal, CEO or equivalent Mark Partington

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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 23 to 25 July 2024

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Information about this inspection

The inspection team was assisted by the quality 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

Anita Pyrkotsch-Jones, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector Suzanne Horner His Majesty’s Inspector Zoe Ibbotson His Majesty’s Inspector 23 to 25 July 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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