Mediprospects

Further education and skills inspection report

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Inspection dates: 07 to 08 and 21 to 22 August 2024

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Adult learning programmes Requires improvement Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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Information about this provider

Mediprospects is an independent learning provider based in the London borough of Newham. Mediprospects teaches level 3 courses in to adults funded through advanced learner loans.

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Information about this provider

At the time of the inspection, there were 35 learners studying access to higher education in nursing and midwifery (access to HE), and 28 learners on the level 3 early years educator (early years) course. 7 to 22 August 2024

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

Learners experience a markedly different quality of education and training depending on which course they study. Access to HE learners gain valuable knowledge and skills throughout their course that prepare them well to study at university to become midwives or nurses. However, leaders have not created an ambitious enough early years curriculum. They do not enable early years learners to gain the English and mathematics skills and knowledge they need that will help them in their careers. This limits the career options for some learners who do not hold level 2 qualifications in English and mathematics.

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

Learners are taught in respectful and calm environments. Learners, many of whom are parents of young children, value the opportunity that trainers provide to study at times that fit around their family and work placement commitments. For example, trainers offer learners choices of lessons in evenings or at weekends. This allows learners to balance their work and family lives with their education. As a result, most learners have high attendance and stay on their course to complete their studies.

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

Learners participate in a good range of additional courses and gain extra useful qualifications. These courses help learners to develop knowledge and skills beyond the core curriculum, and prepare them for their next steps such as work placement, employment or further study. For example, most early years learners gain safeguarding qualifications that employers value.

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

Learners feel safe at Mediprospects and in work placements and know how to raise concerns.

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better?

Leaders work effectively with employers and stakeholders to plan a curriculum offer in health, education and care sectors. They focus on nurse and midwife shortages in the NHS and shortages of skilled staff in the adult and early years care sectors. The curriculum provides opportunities for learners to develop knowledge and skills to gain sustainable employment in a deprived area of London. They plan a curriculum that is responsive to the needs of local employers. For example, leaders use feedback from employers to include additional content to the curriculum such as dementia care for learners who work in specialist residential adult care.

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better?

Leaders do not apply the same thorough quality monitoring processes they have in place for the access to HE course to the early years course. They do not sufficiently identify the strengths and weaknesses of the early years course, or hold staff to account well enough to make timely improvements to the weaknesses. For example, leaders do not assess well enough on the early years course the quality of teaching, learning and assessment. They have not identified the inconsistent quality of trainers' feedback to learners on their written assignments, and concerns around the 7 to 22 August 2024

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authenticity of learners’ work. As a result, early years learners do not have the same positive experience as their access to HE peers.

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For the past year, leaders have not had sufficient governance arrangements in place to provide challenge and hold them to account. This has contributed to the lack of accountability and oversight of the provision. Leaders have very recently recruited skilled and experienced governors to help improve the accountability and quality assurance of the provision. They have suitable plans in place to improve the weaknesses. However, it is too soon to judge the impact of their actions.

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Trainers are well qualified and experts in the subjects they teach. They use their expertise well to structure the curriculum logically so learners develop new knowledge and skills over time. For example, early years trainers teach learners about the impact of poor diet and nutrition on children’s health and development before they teach children’s exercise. This means learners learn key knowledge about nutrition and the body before they plan exercise activities for children.

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Most trainers give clear explanations and use effective teaching strategies in lessons to teach new content. For example, in access to HE, trainers use analogies, case studies and repetition well to help learners remember key points. Most learners have good recall of what they are taught. In most instances, trainers check what learners can remember, for example through questioning and quizzes. However, in a few instances trainers do not suitably check what learners have learned before moving on to teach new content.

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Most trainers use information they gain about what learners know and can do at the start of programmes well. They use information gained through discussions with learners to plan a challenging curriculum. As a result, most learners develop new knowledge and skills. However, in a few instances, learners who have prior knowledge on specific topics are taught content they already know and are not sufficiently challenged.

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Trainers do not consistently provide high-quality developmental guidance and feedback to learners on their work. Access to HE trainers provide helpful guidance to learners about academic writing, and how to improve the standard of their work that includes spelling, punctuation and grammar. Most access to HE learners achieve distinctions for their work. However, early years trainers do not provide the same standard of guidance and feedback. They do not adequately check the authenticity of learners’ work. As a result, learners do not improve the standard of their work over time, or present work that is not demonstrably their own and with insufficient referencing to their source material.

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Trainers teach learners about fundamental British values well. They skilfully link topics to the roles learners aim to work in. For example, access to HE trainers teach learners the importance of understanding cultural differences and how to provide care for people from different cultural backgrounds through case studies. As a result, learners have good knowledge of British values and how these apply in their daily lives and at work. 7 to 22 August 2024

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Trainers provide learners with good quality impartial careers advice and guidance. For example, during induction, tutors discuss with early years learners career pathways in different types of provision such as children’s centres and private nurseries. In access to HE, trainers discuss a range of universities and career pathways with learners. As a result, learners make informed decisions about their next steps and careers. A high proportion of learners move to employment or higher-level study at university.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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What does the provider need to do to improve?

 Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the early years course and take timely action to improve the quality of education and training learners receive.  Give effective feedback to learners on the early years course so that they can improve the standard of their work over time.  Check learners’ work on the early years course to make sure it is their own, with suitable referencing of their source material.  Teach learners on the early years course the English and mathematics skills and qualifications they need to progress in their careers. 7 to 22 August 2024

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Address

Principal, CEO or equivalent Shafi Choudhury

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Address

Provider type Independent learning provider

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Address

Date of previous inspection 13–16 February 2018

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Address

Main subcontractors None 7 to 22 August 2024

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Information about this inspection

The inspection team was assisted by the chief executive officer, 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

Claudia Harrison, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector Rebecca Jennings His Majesty's Inspector Joanna Walters His Majesty's Inspector 7 to 22 August 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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