Dianthas Ltd

Dianthas Ltd

Address: Unit 62-64, Woodside Business Centre, Birkenhead, Wirral, CH41 1EL Unique reference number (URN): 2539236

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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 established an inclusive culture in which apprentices’ individual needs are met. Apprentices who have barriers to learning typically achieve their apprenticeships as well as their peers.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders use a range of appropriate strategies, including an initial needs analysis, to identify accurately apprentices’ needs and potential barriers to learning. These include reviewing apprentices’ additional learning needs, English and mathematics skills and any personal barriers they may have. In a few instances, coaches do not consistently record support strategies or interventions so that these can be reviewed and, where applicable, reduced over time.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders quickly identify apprentices with significant barriers to learning, such as caring responsibilities or poor mental health, and ensure that coaches provide apprentices with appropriate support. Leaders provide wellbeing and practical support, such as loans of laptop computers and referrals to external agencies. Leaders maintain their high expectations of what apprentices can achieve, which helps apprentices to remain on their apprenticeships and achieve their qualifications.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Coaches receive appropriate training to help them to understand apprentices’ barriers to learning including autism, dyslexia and dyspraxia, so that they can adapt their teaching to ensure that they meet apprentices’ individual needs.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders and board members have a clear understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the provision. Leaders quickly identify weaknesses and take effective actions to rectify these. For example, when retention of apprentices was identified as an area for improvement, leaders reviewed the provision to identify why apprentices leave their apprenticeships early. They strengthened recruitment processes and the advice and guidance provided to apprentices and employers. Retention and achievement rates across almost all apprenticeships improved as a result.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Board members have significant experience and expertise in further education and finance. Leaders provide board members with detailed reports that include quality improvement updates and a range of data analysis including monitoring of apprentices’ progress and inclusion data. Board members challenge leaders to make sustained improvements. They set leaders clear, measurable improvement actions that are reviewed frequently.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders work closely with employers to plan the curriculums. Leaders and employers encourage adult apprentices to study for English and mathematics qualifications even though these are no longer a mandatory requirement of the apprenticeship.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Coaches have the experience and expertise for their roles. Most coaches continue to work in the social care sector. Coaches benefit from professional development activities that improve their teaching skills. Leaders work diligently to ensure that staff have manageable workloads. They carefully monitor coaches’ caseloads and place a high priority on staff's wellbeing. Leaders offer incentives and additional annual leave to recognise staff achievement.

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Achievement Expected standard

Leaders’ actions have increased the proportion of apprentices who remain in learning and complete their apprenticeships. Most apprentices achieve their apprenticeship, including those with barriers to their learning. Just under three quarters of apprentices achieve merits or distinctions in their final assessments.

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Achievement Expected standard

Apprentices acquire substantial new knowledge and skills that they need to be successful at work. They use critical reflection to improve their practices. Apprentices respect individual preferences and involve service users in choosing their meals. They acquire the English, mathematics and digital skills that they need to be proficient in their roles. Apprentices produce accurate and comprehensive care plans and use candour in their interactions with service users. Apprentices studying English and/or mathematics qualifications pass their examinations. Most pass on their first attempt.

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Achievement Expected standard

Most apprentices are ready for their next steps and progress to positive destinations, remain in employment, gain promotions or progress to further study.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders have a generally accurate understanding of the quality of the curriculum, teaching, and training. They support coaches to improve their practices.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Staff plan curriculums that are sequenced appropriately. Apprentices firstly study a preparing to learn module to equip them with the academic skills that they will need to be successful in their studies. Staff prepare apprentices well to undertake research projects. Apprentices research Huntington’s disease, therapy care and the benefits of taking animals into care settings. Apprentices studying the lead adult care worker apprenticeship agree specialist modules with their employers. They study specialisms that are of benefit to their roles and workplaces such as medication, dementia and supporting individuals with multiple conditions. Apprentices are mostly taught well. Coaches use a range of appropriate teaching strategies including using scenarios, debates and group discussions. They provide apprentices with clear explanations and use helpful examples. Coaches share case studies of breaches of the duty of candour in the healthcare sector to illustrate its importance.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Coaches largely use assessment effectively. They mostly provide constructive feedback that identifies what apprentices have done well and what they need to do to improve their work. However, in a few instances, feedback is confirmatory. In these instances, apprentices are not supported to optimise the progress that they make.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders ensure that the curriculums are accessible and responsive to apprentices’ needs. They offer online training to enable apprentices, many of whom work in domiciliary care, to access training. Leaders ensure that apprentices access face-to-face training where this is needed.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Leaders ensure that apprentices access training in inclusive environments where bullying or harassment are never tolerated. Staff routinely promote fundamental British values and the relevance of these to apprentices’ workplaces and wider lives, such as the importance of liberty in providing service users with choices.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Staff set clear expectations for apprentices to attend training, meet deadlines, and follow online etiquette. Apprentices mostly adhere to these expectations. They offer considered contributions in discussions and keep their cameras on in lessons. Most apprentices have high attendance to their training.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Leaders promote wider opportunities and experiences including visits to galleries and theatres. Around two thirds of apprentices participate in voluntary or community activities. In addition, leaders provide apprentices with access to ‘hot topics’ on a range of subjects including mental and physical wellbeing.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Leaders ensure that apprentices are prepared well for their next steps. Coaches hold career conversations with apprentices to help them to move toward their career goals. Apprentices know the career pathways available to them including progression into leadership roles, care work in different disciplines and roles with regulatory bodies. Leaders do not consistently track or monitor the effectiveness of careers guidance.

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

Apprentices feel welcomed, valued and respected in an inclusive environment where staff recognise and are sensitive to their individual needs. Apprentices benefit from well- structured training. They appreciate that they can ask questions and receive clear explanations from coaches with experience in the care sector. They benefit from training sessions that are recorded to help them to revisit their learning. Coaches understand the needs of apprentices, such as those with autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. They make reasonable adjustments and provide additional support including additional time to complete assessments so that apprentices make swift progress. Apprentices are particularly appreciative that coaches understand that although they may need additional support in some aspects of their apprenticeship, they may also excel in others.

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

Apprentices find that coaches are supportive, approachable and always willing to help. Apprentices benefit from one-to-one support whenever they need extra help. The curriculums are relevant to apprentices’ job roles and have helped them to develop their knowledge, confidence and practical skills and subsequently apply these in the workplace.

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

Apprentices learn about mental health and wellbeing. They study mental capacity, the Capacity Act and restrictive practices and consent. This helps them to support effectively the health and wellbeing of service users.

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

Apprentices studying English and/or mathematics benefit from face-to-face meetings with their coaches. They access mock examination papers via an online portal. They appreciate that coaches share helpful methods, such as how to calculate fractions and decimals.

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

Apprentices are positive role models in the workplace. Service users provide positive feedback and look forward to apprentices’ visits. Apprentices complete key person and companionship visits to ensure that service users can remain living independently at home. Employers and service users greatly appreciate their service.

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Next steps

Leaders should ensure that the recording of apprentices’ support strategies and interventions is consistent so that support for apprentices can be swiftly increased, reduced or removed, as necessary. Leaders should provide training for coaches to further improve their teaching and assessment practices. Leaders should provide apprentices with high-quality careers guidance throughout their apprenticeships to ensure that all apprentices acquire a detailed and assured knowledge of future career pathways and how to achieve these. Leaders should further develop the personal development curriculum to ensure that apprentices receive tailored personal development opportunities to develop their wider skills.

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About this inspection

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

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Lead inspector:

Anita Pyrkotsch-Jones, 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

Inspectors spoke with leaders, managers, apprentices, coaches, employers and board members during the inspection.

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Apprenticeships overall achievement rate

Dianthas Ltd is an independent learning provider based in Birkenhead, in the borough of Wirral, Merseyside. It specialises in apprenticeships for the social care sector. Apprentices are based in the North West of England and in London. At the time of the inspection, there were 96 apprentices on apprenticeships from levels 2 to 5. There were 5 apprentices studying the level 2 adult care worker, 35 on the level 3 lead adult care worker, 40 on the level 3 children, young people and families practitioner, 2 on the level 4 lead practitioner in adult care, 6 on the level 4 children, young people and families manager and 8 on the level 5 leader in adult care. Four apprentices were under 19 years of age.

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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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