Alt Valley Community Trust

Alt Valley Community Trust

Address: The Communiversity, Altcross Road, Croxteth, Liverpool, Merseyside, L11 0BS Unique reference number (URN): 58913

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, learners are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect providers for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The provider has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not met: The provider has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

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Inclusion Needs attention

Staff have not had sufficient training in supporting learners with special educational needs and/or disabilities or on how to fully support learners with barriers to their learning. Staff do not routinely review learners’ needs or record modifications to learners' support needs where appropriate.

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Inclusion Needs attention

Leaders have created an inclusive culture, where the curriculum is accessible for all learners, including those who have barriers to their education. Compassionate staff provide support to learners that removes a range of barriers that would otherwise prevent them from completing their course. Leaders provide free nail kits to learners on nail technician courses so they can practise and hone their skills at home. For many learners who are in financial hardship, leaders provide access to a community food pantry, vouchers for school uniforms and advice on legal, debt management and fuel efficiency matters.

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Inclusion Needs attention

Teachers make appropriate adaptations to their teaching. They adjust teaching resources, allow frequent breaks in class for learners with anxiety and arrange additional time in examinations. Teachers support learners to use assistive technology, such as reader pens and specially adapted chairs for learners with a physical disability. This enables learners to participate, focus and be more independent in class.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Leaders have not rectified most of the weaknesses identified at their previous inspection. However, they have been too slow to implement thorough quality assurance and improvement procedures and use these to rectify areas of weakness in the quality of teaching and training. In observations of teaching, leaders do not identify well enough how teachers can improve their teaching skills further. While board members complete their statutory duties, they do not provide the necessary scrutiny and challenge required to drive swift improvements to the quality of training that learners receive. This is because leaders do not provide sufficient information to board members about the weaknesses in the quality of the provision.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Leaders have a clear purpose for their provision. They work closely with a range of employers to provide relevant courses to meet the need for skilled practitioners within the region’s growing beauty industry.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Leaders employ qualified and experienced experts to teach learners. Teachers routinely update their occupational knowledge with training, such as in basic life support, automated external defibrillation and the management of anaphylaxis. This enables teachers to incorporate their updated knowledge within their teaching. However, leaders have not provided teachers with training to improve their teaching skills further or on how to assess, plan and review support for learners. Leaders place a high priority on their staff’s health and wellbeing. They make sure that staff have manageable workloads. Staff feel valued and are very proud to work at the provider.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Leaders ensure that learners study in a safe, respectful and inclusive environment, where they feel welcomed and supported. Learners appreciate the support they receive from staff who listen, respond sensitively and help build their confidence and self-esteem.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Learners know the high expectations that leaders have for attendance and professional behaviour. Most learners generally attend well and participate enthusiastically in class discussions and practical sessions. Staff quickly follow up any absences and arrange catch- up sessions for a few learners who have fallen behind due to personal circumstances.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Staff provide appropriate careers advice and guidance that helps learners to plan routes into employment or self-employment. Learners aspire to become salon managers and proficient nail technicians and beauty therapists.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Teachers extend their teaching to incorporate wider development opportunities within the curriculum. For example, they teach additional modules on micropigmentation, where learners gain additional knowledge and skills in skin structure, wound healing and factors affecting treatment suitability and pigment retention that enable them to carry out effective micropigmentation procedures on clients’ eyebrows, eyes and lips.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Learners do not experience any form of bullying, harassment or discrimination. They know that leaders have a zero tolerance and if any incident occurs, staff will act quickly and appropriately.

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Achievement Needs attention

The proportion of learners who achieve their qualifications has declined over the previous 4 years, remaining low against national rates. Leaders have now stemmed this decline by streamlining their offer and modifying the content of their curriculum. To date this year, the number of learners who have achieved their qualification has improved significantly. Learners who have barriers to their education achieve in line with their peers.

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Achievement Needs attention

Teachers ensure that learners develop a range of industry-relevant knowledge and skills. Learners studying level 3 complementary therapies understand clearly the importance of how lifestyle factors, such as excessive caffeine intake, dehydration, lack of sleep and stress, affect their clients' wellbeing and subsequent treatment.

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Achievement Needs attention

Teachers incorporate appropriate careers information, advice and guidance into the curriculum. This supports most learners to move quickly on to their next steps. After completing their courses, most learners gain employment, become self-employed or move on to further study.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Teachers do not set appropriate targets for learners to develop their knowledge, skills and behaviours quickly from their individual starting points. They often set targets that are too vague and do not identify specific knowledge and skills for learners to focus on. In many cases, teachers do not set any specific targets for learners. As a result, too many learners do not complete their qualifications on time.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Leaders have a clear rationale for their curriculum offer to meet skills gaps within the beauty industry. They offer an inclusive curriculum with level 3 and 4 qualifications to provide progression routes into employment or self-employment.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Teachers mostly use a range of appropriate assessment techniques and teaching strategies to teach learners relevant knowledge and skills. They recap previously taught content frequently and use quizzes, question and answer and demonstrations. This helps learners remember what they learn over time. Learners studying level 3 nail technician recall clearly their previous learning about the structure of the skin and nails, which they use when carrying out manicures and pedicures safely and hygienically.

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What it's like to be a learner and/or an apprentice at this provider

Learners appreciate the trusting relationship they have with staff, who are caring, nurturing and welcoming. When they arrive at their training, learners know that they are in a safe space, where they feel supported and included. Learners, including those with barriers to education, enjoy their learning and are motivated to achieve so that they can realise their goal of working in the beauty industry.

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What it's like to be a learner and/or an apprentice at this provider

Learners develop a wide range of relevant knowledge, skills and behaviours that they apply effectively when working with clients. Those studying level 3 beauty therapy treatments accurately identify different skin types and know how to safeguard their clients from skin infections. Learners are acutely aware of the high professional standards in their industry. They routinely apply this knowledge when they are polite and respectful to clients. Learners observe closely the boundaries around friendliness and professionalism when carrying out clients' treatments. They work hygienically, following closely health and safety regulations and wear appropriate personal protective equipment, such as gloves, aprons, eye goggles and safety shoes.

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What it's like to be a learner and/or an apprentice at this provider

Learners develop their confidence and self-esteem as a result of their courses. They speak confidently to clients and explain procedures knowledgeably during pre-treatment consultations. Learners ask important questions to gather their clients’ medical information. Learners studying level 3 nail technician confidently provide information to clients about fungal infections.

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What it's like to be a learner and/or an apprentice at this provider

Learners generally improve their English and mathematical skills. For instance, learners understand and use a wide range of technical vocabulary, such as epidermis, cuticle, microdermabrasion, rejuvenation and contraindication. Learners studying level 4 advanced beauty therapy calculate accurately their clients’ body mass index and basal metabolic rate.

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What it's like to be a learner and/or an apprentice at this provider

Learners feel safe and know who to report any concerns they may have about themselves or others to. However, too many learners cannot recall the risks associated with radicalisation or extremism.

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Next steps

Leaders should provide staff with appropriate training to develop their teaching, including training on how to plan, implement and review support for learners with special educational needs and/or disabilities and other barriers to learning. Leaders should assess the quality of their provision thoroughly and use their findings to rectify any areas of weakness they identify swiftly, so that the quality of training that learners receive is high. Leaders should provide detailed and accurate reports to board members about the quality of the training that learners receive, so that board members can support and challenge leaders to drive improvements where needed. Leaders should ensure that staff set appropriate targets for learners to develop quickly their knowledge, skills and behaviours from their starting points, so that they make appropriate progress.

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About this inspection

Following our renewed inspection framework, all inspections are now led by His Majesty’s Inspectors (HMIs) or by Ofsted Inspectors (OIs) who have previously served as HMIs.

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About this inspection

Inspectors spoke with the provider staff, learners, and employers during the inspection.

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Team inspectors:

Michael Worgs, His Majesty's Inspector Rick Fothergill, Ofsted Inspector

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Facts and figures used on inspection

The data was used by the inspector(s) during the inspection. More recent data may have been published since the inspection took place.

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Education programmes for young people

Alt Valley Community Trust (AVCT) is an independent learning provider based in Croxteth, Liverpool, with an additional training centre in Birkenhead, Wirral. Leaders offer training mostly for adults who want to work within the beauty industry.

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Education programmes for young people

At the time of the inspection, AVCT had 41 learners, mostly on levels 3 and 4 qualifications in beauty. A few learners were studying the level 3 education and training qualification.

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Education programmes for young people

Chief Executive Officer: Danielle Forman

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national average

'This provider' and 'national average' figures are taken from the publicly available DfE achievement rates. Where the DfE have supressed the figures, usually due to small cohorts, this has been mirrored in the Report Card and will be shown by an 'S'.

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other providers can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The provider reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

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Expected standard

The provider is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The provider needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.

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Urgent improvement

services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Urgent improvement

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Urgent improvement

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk . Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

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Urgent improvement

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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