Urban Care Community Limited

Urban Care Community Limited Monitoring visit report

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Name of lead inspector: Philip Elliott, Ofsted Inspector

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Type of provider: Independent learning provider

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Address: 61 Cranbrook Road Ilford IG1 4PG Monitoring visit: Urban Care Community Limited, 4 and 5 March 2025

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Context and focus of visit

Ofsted undertakes to carry out monitoring visits to all newly directly funded providers of adult learning provision where the provision offered is in scope for inspection. This monitoring visit was undertaken as part of those arrangements and as outlined in the ‘Further education and skills inspection handbook’, especially the sections entitled ‘Monitoring visits’ and ‘Monitoring visits to providers that are newly directly publicly funded’. The focus of these visits is on the themes set out below.

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Context and focus of visit

Urban Care Community Limited (UCC) is an adult education independent learning provider founded in 2017. UCC initially focused on recruitment to the health and social care sector, but in 2023 secured a contract with the Greater London Authority to deliver health and social care programmes to adult learners.

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Context and focus of visit

At the time of the monitoring visit, UCC was providing training for 29 adult learners. All learners studied the level 3 diploma in adult care on a fast-track programme over eight months. There were no learners in receipt of funding for additional learning support.

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Context and focus of visit

Most learners completed their studies while working in the health care sector. Learners carried out a variety of roles caring for service users in their own homes or residential facilities.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have a clear vision for their curriculum. Leaders have designed a curriculum structure and delivery model that meets and responds to employers’ needs. For example, employers requested more training for learners working with service users with complex needs. Leaders extended the training programme to include additional storytelling sessions that improved learners’ knowledge of aspects of care such as toileting. As a result, learners were able to improve their impact at work.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders sequence the curriculum to teach learners new knowledge and skills in a logical order, so that they can apply these at work. For example, tutors develop learners’ verbal communication skills from the start of their programme. This helps learners to become confident to speak up at work, and employers value their contributions. Monitoring visit: Urban Care Community Limited, 4 and 5 March 2025 Governors bring extensive experience and knowledge to their roles. They help shape the strategic direction of the provider. For example, governors maintain excellent relationships with large employers who provide employment for learners in the care sector. Governors provide effective coaching and support to leaders. However, arrangements to hold leaders to account, for example by setting and reviewing targets or through performance management, are not yet implemented.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have put in place robust quality assurance arrangements, such as the use of evaluative self-assessment reports. Leaders’ observation records for tutors are sufficiently detailed and clearly identify what is working well and what could be improved. However, leaders do not always set actions or provide tailored training to address areas for development. As a result, some persist over time.

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Reasonable progress

Employers and leaders work together effectively. They maintain close communication, track their learners’ progress and agree assessment opportunities. Leaders have oversight of the mandatory training that employers provide, but do not yet coordinate this with their taught curriculum.

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Significant progress

Managers and tutors carry out thorough advice and guidance meetings with adult learners at the start of their programme. These ensure learners are placed on the correct level of course to achieve their identified career goals. Staff assess learners to identify any support needs. Learners, including those with additional needs, benefit from extensive tutor support at scheduled fortnightly sessions. All learners stay in learning and achieve their qualifications.

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Significant progress

Well-qualified and experienced tutors make effective use of teaching and learning strategies to support learners to develop substantial new vocational knowledge and skills. They create helpful resources, give clear explanations and demonstrations and devise activities that interest and stimulate learners. Learners’ attendance at lessons is high because they value the teaching they receive.

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Significant progress

Tutors enable learners, most of whom speak English as an additional language, to develop their English speaking and listening skills from the outset of their training. For example, learners work in pairs to prepare their answer to a question before contributing to a whole-class discussion on health, safety and well-being. This promotes learners’ confidence by practising an answer before talking in front of the whole class. However, tutors do not routinely develop learners’ reading and writing skills to the same high level during lessons.

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Significant progress

Leaders provide effective support for learners to develop their digital skills. They provide learners with laptops, and tutors offer ongoing support in well-attended Monitoring visit: Urban Care Community Limited, 4 and 5 March 2025 additional sessions. As a result, learners develop digital skills in writing and sending emails and completing timesheets at work.

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Significant progress

Tutors support learners to develop their mathematical skills and knowledge effectively. For example, tutors provide help with budget control for service users’ personal shopping. This helps learners to develop the mathematical skills essential for their workplaces and the completion of their assignments.

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Significant progress

Managers and tutors monitor learners’ work and progress rigorously to ensure that learners complete their programmes. Learners who fall behind are supported until they catch up. As a result, all learners complete their course, and increasing numbers complete their training within the short, planned timescales.

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Significant progress

The importance of safeguarding is deeply embedded throughout learners’ experience. From the start of their training, safeguarding is given high priority. Staff are well trained to appropriate levels, and work closely with external agencies, such as the Prevent coordinator for London, to help learners develop a sound awareness of local risks such as phone snatching or pickpocketing.

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Significant progress

Learners develop highly supportive relationships with their peers, work colleagues and staff at UCC. For example, learners develop respect and tolerance via discussions about Ramadan and its importance for Muslim learners. As a result, learners from a wide range of cultural backgrounds thrive in an inclusive and harmonious learning environment.

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Significant progress

Leaders have carried out a comprehensive and detailed Prevent risk assessment. This provides a robust approach to managing risks, and most actions are complete or underway. For example, leaders identified that security arrangements at the front desk were not sufficiently rigorous. They now ensure that security staff are more vigilant in monitoring access. As a result, learners feel safe at the centre. Monitoring visit: Urban Care Community Limited, 4 and 5 March 2025 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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Significant progress

children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, 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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T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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