Mobius Partners Limited

Mobius Partners Limited

Address: 3 Grooms Court, Parbrook, BILLINGSHURST, RH14 9EU Unique reference number (URN): 2626852

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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 Expected standard

Leaders have developed a culture of inclusion that underpins the training and support apprentices receive. An experienced and qualified specialist member of staff successfully coordinates the identification, support and monitoring of apprentices with barriers to learning.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders identify apprentices' needs accurately at the start of their apprenticeship. Leaders work closely with apprentices to create helpful learning support plans. They put in place reasonable adjustments and useful strategies that help apprentices to overcome their barriers. Leaders train staff effectively to recognise long-term or temporary barriers and provide suitable support. Leaders keep support under review, reducing or increasing it appropriately in response to apprentices’ changing needs.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Staff use a range of useful and generally effective strategies, such as extra tutorials, use of speech-to-text software, writing frames and sentence starters. This contributes to those with barriers to learning broadly achieving in line with their peers.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders have strengthened their management oversight of inclusion by introducing the concept of ‘spotlight’ learners to identify the effectiveness of the support they provide. This level of strategic oversight is new and not fully embedded. Leaders use data they collect to identify trends and are starting to use this information to adapt practices at a strategic level.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders have a clear vision to meet the recruitment and retention demands of the early years and adult social care sectors. They collaborate very effectively with stakeholders to meet the needs of these sectors in the region. By working with the regional council, leaders have supported the reduction of recruitment gaps, particularly for higher-level apprenticeships in early years settings.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders have a secure understanding of the quality of provision and take timely action to improve it. Since the previous inspection, they have prioritised careers guidance, so apprentices understand their next steps clearly. Leaders are taking sensible steps to reduce the proportion of apprentices who withdraw from training early and more now remain in learning. Leaders have very recently appointed an experienced governance advisor and are strengthening their knowledge of apprentices’ destinations to better evaluate the impact of training. It is too early to see the full effect of these actions.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders are highly supportive of staff and consider their workload carefully. They provide staff with very useful opportunities for professional development. Leaders identified an increase in the proportion of apprentices with mental health challenges or additional learning needs and have put in place comprehensive training for staff to support these apprentices. Staff who are new to training benefit from robust induction and support to help them quickly build the knowledge and skills they need to provide appropriate training and support for apprentices.

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Achievement Expected standard

Apprentices, including those with barriers to learning, typically achieve well and, where known, progress to positive destinations. Leaders have successfully increased the proportion of apprentices who remain in learning in level 3 early years education. They are taking sensible action to reduce the small proportion of apprentices on level 2 early years education who withdraw early. It is too early to see the impact of this work. Of those apprentices who remain in learning, almost all pass their final assessments. Many achieve distinction grades. Apprentices who need English qualifications achieve highly, but the smaller proportion of apprentices studying mathematics do not achieve as well.

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Achievement Expected standard

Apprentices typically produce work of an appropriate or higher standard, particularly in level 3 early years education. Apprentices are well prepared for their job roles. Early years apprentices use their knowledge of child development and inclusion to design effective learning activities for young children, including those with additional needs.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders have a secure understanding of the quality of training and use this to make effective improvements. When leaders identified an increase in the proportion of apprentices with additional needs, they trained staff successfully to use inclusive teaching strategies and technologies. Consequently, apprentices with additional needs make progress that is broadly in line with their peers.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders work closely with employers to design training that meets the needs of the early years and adult social care sectors. For example, leaders collaborated with employers to develop training that equips apprentices with the knowledge and skills to support adults living with dementia.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Experienced staff provide purposeful and high ‑ quality training. They plan sessions effectively and ensure that online training is interactive and engaging. Staff model specialist vocabulary well. They use a range of effective teaching activities and resources that help apprentices to strengthen their theoretical understanding and professional skills. Staff use assessment successfully to identify and address gaps in apprentices’ knowledge. They generally provide feedback that helps apprentices to improve although, in a very small number of cases, feedback does not support apprentices to sustain improvements or avoid repeating the same errors in their work.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders ensure that the principles of an apprenticeship are met. They recruit apprentices appropriately. Staff ensure that on ‑ and off ‑ the ‑ job training is aligned and that apprentices receive sufficient off ‑ the ‑ job training time. Staff complete helpful review meetings but do not ensure they are sufficiently recorded, which can limit their effectiveness in helping apprentices, staff and employers to reflect on apprentices’ progress.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Since the previous inspection, leaders have prioritised apprentices’ wider development. Staff now help apprentices to understand how to stay physically and mentally healthy. They support younger apprentices to develop a secure understanding of positive relationships. Staff promote topics such as equality and diversity with care, which helps prepare apprentices for life in modern Britain.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Leaders have strengthened the quality of careers education they provide. Staff are trained in providing effective careers guidance. Apprentices now receive helpful information that enables them to understand their next steps.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Staff create respectful and professional learning environments in which all apprentices, including those with barriers to learning, feel valued. They ensure that apprentices know how to keep themselves safe, including from the risks associated with radicalisation and extremism.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Staff have high expectations for apprentices, who are typically motivated and enthusiastic about their studies. Most attend their training very well. Apprentices quickly develop positive professional behaviours. For example, those on adult social care courses become increasingly resilient and able to handle sensitive situations, such as end-of-life care. Early years education apprentices grow more confident in working with parents and guardians to plan support for the children in their care.

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

Apprentices, including those with barriers to learning, value the culture of care and support that leaders and staff have established at the provider. An increasing proportion of apprentices have mental health challenges and additional learning needs. Leaders have responded positively by introducing additional staff training, support and strategies so they can help these apprentices grow in confidence and resilience. When apprentices take a break in learning, staff check on their wellbeing sensitively and support them to return.

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

Apprentices develop high levels of professional behaviours and skill through their training. When they face challenging situations, such as supporting people in end-of-life care or managing difficult conversations, they do so with resilience and professionalism. Apprentices in early years education are highly aware of their responsibilities and care for babies and young children safely and sensitively.

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

Since the previous inspection, leaders have improved the personal development curriculum. Apprentices now have high-quality opportunities to learn about topics beyond their training. They learn about fundamental British values and demonstrate these effectively in their roles. Apprentices take part in a wide range of additional activities, such as local charity events, which help them become active contributors to their community. Leaders have improved careers guidance and apprentices now have a secure understanding of their next steps.

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

Apprentices typically remain in learning, and when they take their final assessments, they often achieve distinction grades. Leaders are taking appropriate steps to reduce the number of apprentices who withdraw early. Leaders are taking action to improve mathematics outcomes for the very small number of apprentices who require these qualifications.

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

Apprentices are safe and cared for by staff. Leaders and staff use effective welfare systems. Apprentices know how to access support and are confident that leaders will act promptly on any concerns.

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Next steps

Leaders should continue to further embed governance arrangements to provide leaders with the support and challenge they need to improve the quality of provision. Leaders should continue to improve their knowledge of apprentices’ destinations after their apprenticeships to understand the effectiveness of training fully. Leaders should continue their work to ensure that more apprentices achieve their mathematics qualifications. Leaders should continue to increase the proportion of apprentices on level 2 and 3 early years courses, who remain in training and complete their apprenticeships. Leaders should continue to strengthen their management oversight of inclusion and use the data they collect to identify trends and adapt practices at a strategic level. Leaders should ensure assessors' feedback to apprentices is of a consistently high quality, so that all apprentices improve their work over time.

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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

Inspection activities: Inspectors spoke with the senior leaders, governors, managers, training and business staff, apprentices, employers and other stakeholders during the inspection.

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Team inspectors:

Viki Faulkner, His Majesty's Inspector Mark Hillman, His Majesty's 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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Apprenticeships overall achievement rate

Mobius Partners Limited (trading as Brighter Horizons) is a training provider based in West Sussex. Brighter Horizons became an apprenticeship provider in 2020, offering training for apprentices in the childcare sector, and since 2023 has broadened into apprenticeships in the adult social care sector. Staff provide primarily online, live training, as well as visits to apprentices in the workplace. At the time of the inspection, there were 104 apprentices studying level 2 to 5 apprenticeships in early years educator or practitioner and 39 apprentices studying level 2 to 5 apprenticeships in adult care. Apprentices work in a range of early years and adult care settings nationally.

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Apprenticeships overall achievement rate

Founder and Director: Antonia Ogden-Meade

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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

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Urgent improvement

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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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