Alpha Care Agency Limited

Alpha Care Agency Limited Report following a monitoring visit to a ‘requires improvement’ provider

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Name of lead inspector: Paul Manning, His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection dates: 16 and 17 October 2024

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Type of provider: Independent learning provider

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Address: Suite 5 Tottenham Town Hall Town Hall Approach London N15 4RY Monitoring visit: Alpha Care Agency, 16 and 17 October 2024

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Context and focus of visit

Alpha Care Agency Limited was inspected in October 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 have sensibly reduced the number of apprenticeships they offer, and now only recruit apprentices from a few committed employers. Leaders provide clear information to employers at the beginning of the apprenticeship which gives them a thorough understanding of its requirements, including the need to support their apprentices in the preparation for their final assessments. As a result, employers give apprentices sufficient time to complete their off-the-job training and study for their English and mathematics examinations.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders communicate frequently with employers about the progress that apprentices make, and in turn employers provide helpful support to apprentices when preparing for their final assessment. However, in a minority of cases, leaders have not made sure that all apprentices understand the final assessment process. As a result, a few apprentices approaching the end of their apprenticeship do not clearly understand the process and content of their final assessment.

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Reasonable progress

Assessors provide effective support to most apprentices to prepare for their final assessment. Assessors lead extra one-to-one and group sessions, where they use well considered scenario-based questions effectively. This helps apprentices to prepare for their professional discussion. Assessors provide helpful feedback to apprentices to improve their responses. For example, when apprentices discuss staff performance, assessors encourage them to include theories they have learned such as the six stages of Gibb’s reflective cycle.

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Reasonable progress

Following the previous inspection, leaders withdrew those apprentices past their expected end dates who had ceased to engage with their apprenticeship. This has affected their achievement rates, which are low. However, the effective actions to Monitoring visit: Alpha Care Agency, 16 and 17 October 2024 improve, taken by leaders since this point, have improved learners’ outcomes, and retention is now high. Almost all apprentices who remain on their programme successfully pass their final assessment, and two thirds achieve merit grades. Most apprentices secure long-term employment, and a few achieve promotions.

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Reasonable progress

Since the previous inspection, leaders have taken effective actions to improve the teaching of English and mathematics. Assessors now use apprentices’ starting points well to plan and teach suitable topics early in apprentices’ training. Leaders track apprentices’ progress thoroughly. They provide helpful examination preparation sessions and extra sessions for apprentices who they identify as needing more support. Almost all apprentices pass their examinations on the first attempt.

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Reasonable progress

Most assessors teach mathematics well. They use effective methods to help apprentices understand and know how to approach examination questions. They check that apprentices understand what they have learned by setting mock examinations and checking answers. Assessors set apprentices useful homework activities to reinforce topics such as how to calculate averages. Apprentices quickly learn new knowledge through repetition and practice.

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Reasonable progress

A few assessors do not provide effective support for apprentices working towards their level two reading assessment. Leaders have not provided sufficient training to assessors in how to teach English effectively using online lessons. They have not provided sufficient training, for example, in how to teach English comprehension to learners who speak English as an additional language.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders now have a clear oversight of the progress that apprentices make. Assessors use the results from a thorough first assessment of apprentices’ vocational knowledge and knowledge of English and mathematics to plan their training. Leaders have put in place effective monitoring systems to accurately track the progress that apprentices make from their starting points.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders use tracking information effectively in weekly meetings with assessors. They identify and discuss which apprentices are not making the expected progress. They plan and put in place effective support plans for apprentices. For example, assessors conduct extra workplace visits and one-to-one sessions where they clearly explain what apprentices need to do and set targets that break down tasks into manageable chunks. Leaders liaise effectively with employers to arrange for apprentices to have Monitoring visit: Alpha Care Agency, 16 and 17 October 2024 more time to attend catch-up sessions. The vast majority of apprentices who fall behind catch up and remain on their apprenticeship.

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Reasonable progress

Assessors provide apprentices with useful verbal feedback about their written work. For example, they highlight spelling, punctuation, and grammatical errors and advise apprentices to use checking software. They also support apprentices to rewrite answers, adding more explanations and examples from their workplaces where required. Assessors make skilful use of praise and positive developmental feedback, and this helps apprentices to improve their confidence and the quality of their work.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders provide effective careers advice and guidance to learners and apprentices. Assessors explore effectively with learners and apprentices the different roles they can take on once they enter their chosen industry. For example, sports assessors teach learners about the different client groups in which they can specialise such as post-natal care. Staff teach level 5 apprentices who are deputy managers in children’s homes what they need to do to become registered managers. As a result, learners and apprentices have a good understanding of the options available to them when they complete their courses.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have added some useful personal development opportunities for learners and apprentices. Leaders use frequent newsletters to draw their attention to useful topics such as healthy eating, the importance of physical activity and self-care. Assessors have helpful discussions with learners that are tailored to their programme. For example, with personal trainer learners, assessors discuss the importance of setting professional relationship boundaries while at work, and with beauty learners, how to consider a client’s religion to ensure they provide treatment with dignity. Learners and apprentices find these sessions helpful because they are well-linked to their chosen careers.

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Reasonable progress

Most apprentices and learners have a thorough understanding of the risks associated with radicalisation. Leaders make sure that assessors include relevant topics in their sessions. For example, personal trainer assessors consider scenarios such as the risk of influence on newcomers of large groups of males who use the gym together. In other sessions, assessors skilfully discuss the impact of local riots and the extreme views held by those who took part. However, in a few cases, apprentices do not always recall the topics taught and do not know specifically what risks they could face in life or at work. Monitoring visit: Alpha Care Agency, 16 and 17 October 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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Reasonable 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Reasonable progress

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