Career Group Courses Limited

Career Group Courses Limited

Address: Lancaster House, 70 Newington Causeway, London, SE1 6DF Unique reference number (URN): 2791007

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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 created a culture in which learners, including those who are disadvantaged, are welcomed and supported effectively. They have clear processes to make sure that learners receive the support they need.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Staff thoroughly assess learners before and throughout their training. Skills scans, interviews and English and mathematics assessments are used effectively to identify support needs and barriers to learning. Staff closely monitor the progress of learners who face barriers or are disadvantaged. They use this information to make sure learners receive the help they need to succeed.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Staff take effective action to reduce barriers to learning. Teachers and learners agree individual learning plans, which they revisit frequently throughout the training. For example, teachers plan additional time for written assessments, provide written and verbal instruction for assignments and plan regular short breaks for learners. Consequently, learners who are disadvantaged or face barriers achieve as well as their peers.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders makes sure that staff receive the training that they need to support learners who face barriers or are disadvantaged. However, they recognise that they need to broaden the training offer as the provision grows and numbers of permanent staff increase.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders have a clear purpose for the training that they provide. The training offer aligns clearly to the values of the organisation. Leaders aim to provide routes to work and further education, and to improve career prospects for underrepresented groups. They have a focus on putting learners at the centre of their decision-making. For example, leaders have invested in extra staff to support learners to search and apply for jobs. However, it is too early to see the full impact of this.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Governors understand their roles and responsibilities well. They provide effective support and challenge to leaders. Governors have expertise in safeguarding, funding and training, which they use effectively to support leaders. For example, they support with policy development, quality assurance activities and stakeholder engagement.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders provide a range of appropriate professional learning opportunities for staff. For example, learner enrolment and employer engagement teams complete initial advice and guidance training to support them with their work with learners. Trainers receive support to achieve qualifications. However, managers do not use the outcomes of teaching observations effectively in order to provide bespoke training based on trainers' identified areas for development.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders value and care about their staff. They provide a range of wellbeing support and benefits, including discounted gym membership and access to private medical appointments. Staff feel valued and supported. Managers appreciate the opportunity of coaching and benefit from the support that they receive from leaders and governors.

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Achievement Expected standard

Most learners pass their courses. Some employed learners receive pay rises and promotions because of their training. However, the number of unemployed learners securing interviews and employment is too low.

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Achievement Expected standard

Learners' work is generally of the expected standard. In a few cases, learners do not receive the help they need to improve their work. Consequently, on occasion, learners' work has multiple spelling, punctuation and grammar mistakes.

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Achievement Expected standard

Learners develop new skills because of the training they receive. They understand well the impact of early diagnosis of autism and how to support children effectively. Learners gain the confidence to share strategies with their peers on how to support children who struggle to focus and settle on activities.

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Achievement Expected standard

Learners achieve their personal targets. For example, they gain the confidence to challenge specialist services and are more equipped to support the children in their care with autism.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders make sure that the curriculum aligns with local and regional employment demands. They work with local employers in care settings to discuss and plan the curriculum and workplace skills needs.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders have designed the curriculum to equip learners with specialist knowledge in autism. This training gives an overview of autism and builds on what learners already know. For example, health and social care workers further develop their skills in how to communicate with children with autism effectively.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Trainers are knowledgeable and skilled in the topics that they teach. They explain technical subject knowledge well. Trainers plan a range of interesting and effective activities to support learners to develop new knowledge. They use videos and scenarios effectively to generate group discussions and share real-life experiences. Learners value the opportunity to hear from their peers. Trainers create effective and well-considered resources based on real-life cases. This helps learners to understand the different stages of autism from childhood to adolescence and finally to adulthood.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Trainers plan a range of mostly effective assessment strategies. Professional discussions, reflective accounts and research tasks are used well to check learners' progress. However, feedback to learners on written work is less effective. In the better cases, feedback identifies strengths and areas for improvement. Less effective feedback does not consistently identify spelling mistakes or how to improve the structure of work. Consequently, a few learners continue to make the same mistakes.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Leaders set high expectations for learners' attendance and behaviour. There are clear processes in place to support learners to catch up if sessions are missed. Learners' attendance is consistently high. They enjoy studying in a safe and inclusive environment.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Trainers support learners well to understand what fundamental British values mean in their lives. In class, learners demonstrate tolerance when working in groups and they respect the opinions of their peers during classroom discussions. Tutors include topics such as the Equality Act and the Children’s Act, which helps learners to understand how these apply to their intended job roles.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Learners benefit from effective careers information and guidance. Leaders plan careers events and invite guest speakers, who provide information about the care sector and the range of jobs in the sector. These events lead to a few learners achieving interviews and acquiring employment.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Leaders plan a mostly effective wider curriculum for learners. Activities focus primarily on employment skills and include workshops in self-employment and interview practice. However, there are limited opportunities for learners to develop their wider skills and interests.

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

Learners thoroughly enjoy their training. They are supported well throughout their courses. For example, leaders provide access to laptops, clothes loans for interviews and support with travel costs. Learners highly value the support and guidance provided. They are motivated to do well and most complete their training successfully.

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

Learners have a positive attitude towards their training. They value the flexibility of hybrid learning and the additional one-to-one sessions provided. Learners appreciate discussions about anxiety and wellbeing. These help them to reflect on how they can better cope with the demands of study, work and family.

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

Learners quickly develop the skills required to support clients and family members who have autism. They apply these skills in their daily lives and work. Learners gain the skills to identify early signs of autism in young children. They gain the confidence and knowledge to converse with families with compassion and empathy when they discuss the impact of autism. For example, they learn how to plan and implement effective strategies to manage overstimulation in busy environments for young people with autism.

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

Learners feel safe and know how to report a safeguarding concern. They understand their duty of care for vulnerable people when in the workplace. They gain the skills to support parents of children with complex needs to understand how schools safeguard their children. Learners understand how vulnerable people can be radicalised and how to identify signs of behaviour change in the communities where they live and work.

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Next steps

Leaders should implement effective quality assurance arrangements for all aspects of learners' training. Leaders should continue to broaden the training they provide to staff on inclusive practices. Leaders should ensure that assessment is frequent and clearly identifies how learners can improve their work. Leaders should increase the number of learners that secure job interviews and employment on completion of the course. Leaders should implement effective continual professional development opportunities for teachers based on the outcomes of their observations.

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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 CEO, the head of further education, governors, tutors and learners during the inspection.

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About this inspection

Career Group Courses Limited (trading as Career Tree) is an independent learning provider based in the London Borough of Southwark and Buckinghamshire. Career Tree began offering funded level 2 short courses for adults in understanding autism and preparing to work in adult social care in January 2024. At the time of the inspection, there were 24 adult learners studying short level 2 courses in understanding autism. Teaching is both online and face-to-face. Career Tree has offered Skills Bootcamps but, at the time of the inspection, there were no current learners.

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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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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 .

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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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