Averee Ltd

Averee Ltd Report following a monitoring visit to a ‘requires improvement’ provider

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Name of lead inspector: Lynda Brown, Ofsted Inspector

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Type of provider: Independent learning provider Address: Titan House Bishops Square Business Park Bishops Square Hatfield AL10 9NE Monitoring visit: Averee Limited, 17 and 18 July 2024

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inspectors judged the overall effectiveness of the provision to

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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inspectors judged the overall effectiveness of the provision to

Averee Limited is an independent learning provider based in Hatfield, Hertfordshire with apprentices across England. At the time of the monitoring visit, Averee Limited had 55 apprentices on apprenticeship programmes. There were 14 apprentices who had started their end-point assessment (EPA) and five who had passed their EPA. Two apprentices were on breaks in learning. Most apprentices were studying in the care sector at level 3 and level 5. A smaller proportion of apprentices were studying business administration, team leader and customer service apprenticeships. Leaders have expressed the intention to teach only level 3 and level 5 apprenticeships in the future.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have recently introduced improved mechanisms for assessing apprentices’ skills and knowledge at the start of their apprenticeship programme. Apprentices, for example, now complete a self-assessment tool to evaluate their understanding of the requisite professional behaviours. Those apprentices who have started their programme since January 2024 have completed this.

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Reasonable progress

Tutors on the level 5 lead adult care worker apprenticeship routinely adapt apprenticeship programmes to meet the needs of individual apprentices and their starting points. Most level 5 lead adult care worker apprentices can describe how the course is adapted to reflect their job role and prior experience. Apprentices described how due to their prior knowledge and career aspiration, their apprenticeship focused on developing leadership and management skills. Other apprentices described how the tutor worked with them to look at their job descriptions for their newly promoted post and identified what support they needed. On the level 3 adult care worker, tutors do not routinely use this information on apprentices’ starting points to inform their teaching. Monitoring visit: Averee Limited, 17 and 18 July 2024 Apprentices learn new skills and knowledge on their apprenticeship which they can apply confidently in the workplace. Apprentices on level 3 have learned the

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Reasonable progress

importance of effective communication in care settings, such as writing reports and handover notes and how to administer medication. As a result, employers value the skills apprentices gain on their qualification and recognise that they can carry out their job roles more competently.

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Reasonable progress

A high proportion of apprentices have not made sufficiently swift progress and are passed their planned end date for completing their apprenticeship. Leaders have taken appropriate action and a small proportion of apprentices have recently achieved their end-point assessment. Most apprentices who are passed their planned end date have now entered for their final assessments. However, it is too early to see if they will achieve their qualifications.

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Reasonable progress

Since the previous inspection, leaders have taken positive actions to improve their approach to teaching English and mathematics. Staff are suitably qualified and experienced to teach on these subjects and most have undertaken training through a professional body. Staff frequently share best practice on teaching English and mathematics within the vocational curriculum. As a result, the proportion of apprentices passing their functional skills qualification in English at level 1 and 2 and in mathematics at level 1, at the first attempt, has increased. A small proportion of apprentices need to retake level 2 mathematics.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices use mathematics skills in their work roles, such as to calculate medicines. Apprentices can use these mathematics skills confidently. Tutors do not, however, develop apprentices’ mathematics skills further through their vocational teaching.

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Reasonable progress

Tutors support apprentices who need to achieve their English and mathematics qualifications diligently. Where apprentices continue to find the work difficult, tutors provide further support to help them to master the skills required. For example, with an apprentice who found fractions difficult, tutors provided additional resources and teaching to focus on this topic. Tutors have individualised their teaching approach effectively in order to reflect learners’ starting points in mathematics.

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Reasonable progress

Tutors do not routinely record apprentices’ progress in improving their English and mathematics skills. Consequently, tutors do not have a full understanding of the progress that apprentices make towards achieving their apprenticeship programme.

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Reasonable progress

Most apprentices produce work that demonstrates correct spelling, grammar and punctuation. In a minority of instances, at level 3 lead adult care worker, where tutors identify that spelling, grammar and punctuation need to improve, they do not Monitoring visit: Averee Limited, 17 and 18 July 2024 help apprentices to know what they need to do to get better. They do not make clear which words are spelled wrongly or how to correct them. They do not routinely emphasise the importance of apprentices checking their work for spelling and grammatical errors.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices receive valuable support from their tutors during their progress review meetings about their next steps. Tutors use the initial reviews to discuss apprentices’ career goals at the start of the course. Most level 5 apprentices benefit from their apprenticeship programme being adapted to meet their aspirations. Tutors support apprentices confidently to understand what they need to do to achieve their career aspiration. Where apprentices identified that they wanted to be a nurse, tutors provided helpful support for them to understand how to apply for an associate nursing programme. Other apprentices working in domiciliary care or as care coordinators aspired to progress to the level 5 leader in adult care qualification to broaden their opportunities.

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Reasonable progress

Most apprentices enjoy their current career and are committed to working in the care sector. Most have a good understanding of the opportunities available to them with their current employer. Employers help apprentices to understand different job roles within the sector. A few apprentices gain promotion during their apprenticeship.

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Reasonable progress

Although most apprentices are clear about what they need to do to pursue their chosen careers, they do not all have a broad understanding of the different options available to them at the end of their apprenticeship. A small proportion of apprentices on level 3 lead adult care worker have a good understanding of different careers available to them. Apprentices were able to talk about opportunities in pharmacy, social services, nursing or university.

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Insufficient progress

Following the previous inspection, leaders identified the need to form a governing board with the knowledge, skills and expertise required by the organisation. Leaders have, however, been too slow to implement this and the board is not established. Currently, an external consultant provides challenge to leaders predominantly based on compliance, but they have been scrutinising some aspects of quality more recently. Monitoring visit: Averee Limited, 17 and 18 July 2024 Meetings with the consultant are scheduled monthly, but these do not routinely occur. The external challenge provided is helpful and relevant recommendations to secure improvements are made. Although recommendations are made, action plans resulting from the meetings lack clarity about what needs to be done within specified timescales. Progress towards the achievement of actions is not monitored closely to ensure that improvements occur. Follow-up monthly meetings do not demonstrate

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Insufficient progress

that progress is being made against the actions and targets set. As a result, leaders do not ensure that the planned improvements are secured swiftly enough.

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Insufficient progress

There is limited external scrutiny of aspects of quality performance, such as teaching, standards of apprentices’ work, or the ongoing progress of apprentices.

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Significant progress

Apprentices have a detailed understanding of fundamental British values. Most apprentices can articulate what the main components of fundamental British values are. They demonstrate a thorough understanding of how they need to apply these within the workplace. They reflect confidently on how they now recognise that people have different values and how they adapt their working practices to meet clients’ needs. Apprentices on level 3 lead adult care worker were able to speak about recognising and respecting that people from different cultures may make different decisions about their care due to their cultural preferences. On level 5 leader in adult care, most apprentices understand the importance of individual liberty. Apprentices appreciate the importance of listening to clients carefully so that they understand their needs.

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Significant progress

Through their increased understanding of these values, apprentices appreciate the importance of them as a part of living in modern Britain. Apprentices say that they consider carefully how they apply these in their everyday lives, for example respecting those around them who are from different cultures or who are of different generations. Apprentices talk about listening more carefully to their own family’s needs and understanding others’ individual liberty, such as wearing their own choice of clothing and how to protect their rights and choices for family and children. Monitoring visit: Averee Limited, 17 and 18 July 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

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Significant progress

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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Significant progress

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Significant progress

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Significant progress

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Significant progress

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