Nerams

Further education and skills inspection report

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate

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

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Information about this provider

Nerams is an independent learning provider in Chilton, County Durham. It began to provide apprenticeships in May 2023. At the time of the inspection, there were 22 apprentices studying the level 3 ambulance support worker standard. Apprentices were enrolled on the ambulance care assistant or emergency care assistant pathway. Apprentices were 19 years of age and over. 24 to 26 June 2025

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

Apprentices do not receive sufficient training and support to enable them to achieve their apprenticeship in a timely manner. They have made slow progress with the mandatory clinical elements of their course. Many apprentices are significantly past their planned completion date.

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

Apprentices do not benefit from an effectively planned curriculum beyond the initial training that they receive at the start of the course. They do not routinely receive training beyond this initial phase. As a result, apprentices depend heavily on the training they have at work to develop new knowledge and skills and have insufficient opportunities outside of work to consolidate and deepen their theoretical understanding.

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

Despite the lack of training, most apprentices display positive attitudes to their learning and are determined to achieve their qualifications and progress in their careers. They attend the initial training sessions well and display professional attitudes and behaviours in the workplace. They wear their uniforms with pride and demonstrate the empathy and compassion expected of them.

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

Apprentices feel safe during their training sessions and in the workplace. Trainers cover safeguarding and health and safety well at the beginning of the course, and workplace mentors reinforce this. Apprentices work in a high-risk profession, and those who work in emergency ambulance worker roles feel very well supported after witnessing traumatic events, such as attempted suicide and cardiac arrest.

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better?

Leaders and managers have not implemented actions quickly enough to respond to the weaknesses identified at the previous inspection. They have recently appointed a new trainer and a manager with responsibility for training, which is beginning to have a positive impact.

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better?

Leaders and managers do not have an accurate oversight of the quality of education that they provide. Their quality assurance measures are weak and do not focus on the quality of training. The activities that leaders and managers carry out are solely related to checking that trainers assess apprentices effectively against the apprenticeship standards.

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better?

Until very recently, leaders’ and managers’ oversight of the progress that apprentices make has been weak. However, they have recently completed an in-depth review of the current position and now have an accurate understanding of where each apprentice is in their studies and what they still need to do to achieve. Leaders and managers now provide additional training sessions to help apprentices to catch up. However, it is too soon to see the impact. 24 to 26 June 2025

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Trainers do not assess apprentices’ work accurately or provide clear and timely feedback to help apprentices improve their written assignments. On the rare occasions where trainers provide feedback, apprentices do not act on this to make improvements to their work. The work that apprentices produce is rarely of the expected standard. It too often lacks coherence, structure and the detail and depth required to show a deep understanding of the subject.

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Trainers do not review apprentices’ progress frequently enough. As a result, too few apprentices know what they still need to do to achieve their apprenticeship. Trainers have recently improved the frequency of reviews, but apprentices remain unclear about what they need to do to complete their apprenticeship.

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Trainers do not communicate clearly to apprentices their entitlement to off-the-job training. Apprentices do not have sufficient time to complete their assignments due to their busy shift patterns, which has further slowed their progress.

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Too few apprentices receive effective career information and advice. Trainers do not provide structured guidance around apprentices’ career aspirations or help them know how to progress to the opportunities available to them.

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Most apprentices do not have an appropriate understanding of the potential risks of extremism and radicalisation. Trainers give information on these topics at the start of the apprenticeship but do not revisit them or check apprentices’ understanding. Apprentices are not able to articulate well enough how they would respond to a concern in the workplace.

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Governance arrangements are weak. While governors have the appropriate experience and expertise, leaders do not provide them with accurate information to enable them to provide effective scrutiny.

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Tutors are suitably qualified and use the experience they have gained from working in the health sector when training apprentices. In the initial phase of training, trainers use a range of effective teaching methods, including scenario-based learning and group discussions, which help to deepen apprentices’ understanding. Trainers are skilled in explaining new concepts, which helps apprentices to understand newly taught content.

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Leaders and managers have a clear purpose for their provision, which is to respond to local, regional and national shortages of ambulance support workers in the healthcare industry. They prioritise the recruitment of local people, who are keen to contribute to public health and community well-being.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 24 to 26 June 2025

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What does the provider need to do to improve?

 Provide apprentices with the necessary training to enable them to achieve their apprenticeship in a timely manner.  Provide effective careers information, advice and guidance to apprentices so they understand how to progress to their next steps.  Support apprentices to have a good understanding of extremism and radicalisation.  Assess apprentices’ work accurately and frequently and provide clear feedback to enable apprentices to improve their work to the professional standard required.  Provide governors with accurate information to enable them to provide effective scrutiny and challenge.  Review the progress of apprentices more frequently so that they know what they need to do achieve their apprenticeship. 24 to 26 June 2025

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Provider details

Address The Old GP Surgery Durham Road Chilton Durham DL17 0EW

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Provider details

Principal, CEO or equivalent Allan Wheatley

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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 24 to 26 June 2025

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Information about this inspection

The inspection team was assisted by the director of operations, 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

Jacquie Brown, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector Shanna King Ofsted Inspector Rhys Davies Ofsted Inspector 24 to 26 June 2025

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