Vision Training (North East) Limited

Vision Training (North East) Limited

Address: 12 Yarm Road, Stockton-on-Tees, TS18 3NA Unique reference number (URN): 2495302

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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 Strong standard

Leaders have a carefully planned approach to inclusion. They are passionate about providing an environment in which all apprentices, including those with barriers to learning, can achieve their apprenticeship. Leaders meet the needs of the large proportion of apprentices from disadvantaged backgrounds very effectively.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Staff identify apprentices’ barriers to learning quickly through a prior learning assessment which takes place before apprentices enrol on the course. Staff discuss with apprentices their barriers to learning sensitively and in a non-judgemental way.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders provide comprehensive training to staff to help them provide high-quality support to apprentices. Tutors systematically review the support that apprentices receive to ensure that it remains beneficial. Wherever possible, tutors try to reduce support so that apprentices become more independent over time.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders carefully monitor the progress of all apprentices including those with barriers to learning. Through this work, they identified that apprentices with additional support needs were not achieving grades above a pass. Leaders have taken very effective steps to improve this, and these apprentices are now achieving higher grades in line with their peers.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders consistently review their inclusion strategy. Recently, they have placed more emphasis on the importance of hidden disabilities following an increase in welfare concerns related to mental ill-health.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders and governors have a clear understanding of strengths and areas of improvement in their apprenticeships. They use comprehensive quality processes to identify how they can continue to make improvements, such as altering and enhancing curriculum design to reduce the proportion of apprentices leaving before completion.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders have developed high-quality curriculums to meet the significant skills needs in the adult care sector. They have considerable experience and knowledge of adult social care and understand the pressures in the sector. Leaders liaise effectively with employers and apprentices, adapting curriculums to meet the specific needs of different care settings.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Experienced governors have a thorough understanding of the adult care sector and apprenticeships, providing leaders with appropriate support and challenge. Governors ask searching questions of leaders focusing on how continuous improvements can be made.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders provide valuable professional updating for staff, which supports improvements in teaching, assessment and understanding of additional support needs. Tutors benefit from monthly training sessions on a range of useful topics, such as scaffolding learning more effectively, which helps them develop their practice. Leaders continue to focus on ensuring that teaching and assessment is of a consistently high-quality.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders place a high priority on ensuring they support staff wellbeing. Tutors have manageable workloads. All staff have helpful wellness action plans to identify how they can best be supported. Staff talk positively about their work-life balance and the support provided by leaders and managers.

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Achievement Expected standard

Apprentices who stay on programme achieve well, including those with barriers to learning. A high proportion now achieve grades above a pass. Leaders have increased the proportion of learners who complete their apprenticeships, with achievement rates increasing from below to around national rates. A high proportion of apprentices achieve English and mathematics qualifications on their first attempt.

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Achievement Expected standard

Apprentices develop new knowledge and skills quickly, gaining a clear understanding of person-centred care. They complete care plans accurately and take their responsibilities for medication seriously, such as correctly recording and calculating doses. Apprentices produce work of the appropriate standard.

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Achievement Expected standard

Tutors skilfully prepare apprentices to work in adult social care. This results in most apprentices being retained in the adult care sector and around two thirds progressing to more senior roles.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Tutors teach curriculums that are carefully planned. They meet the needs of apprentices working in a range of settings, including domiciliary care, day care and residential care. They plan teaching so that apprentices can quickly apply what they are learning in the workplace. Tutors, liaising with employers, select modules which are vital to apprentices in their specific settings, such as medication and end-of-life care.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Tutors use their subject expertise to enthuse their apprentices, using a range of techniques, including a coaching model. Tutors use scenarios very effectively to, for example, help apprentices promote choice and decision making for clients with dementia. In a few instances, tutors do not use questioning effectively to assess apprentices' understanding of the topics they are being taught.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Tutors provide apprentices with a choice of how they will be assessed, such as essays, presentations or professional discussions. Apprentices value this choice. Tutors provide apprentices with very clear and meaningful feedback that recognises what they are doing well and signposts what they need to do to improve the quality of their work.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Apprentices with barriers to learning are skilfully supported by staff. Tutors take time to get to know their apprentices and make sensible changes to the planned programme to support them.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Employers mostly contribute sufficiently to reviewing apprentices’ progress. However, too often, employers do not attend tripartite reviews. Whilst tutors secure employer's feedback before or after the review, employers are often not present to shape and contribute to the discussion to help set next steps.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Leaders have developed a culture that prioritises apprentices’ mental and physical wellbeing. Staff motivate apprentices, supporting them effectively to manage the pressures of working in the demanding adult care sector.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Apprentices model professional behaviours, take pride in their work and value the support and flexibility tutors provide. Apprentices value diversity and promote equality.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Apprentices’ attendance at training sessions is high. Tutors helpfully schedule sessions based on apprentices’ work patterns, which is particularly valued by apprentices working in domiciliary care settings.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Leaders have developed an appropriate personal development curriculum. Most apprentices develop their understanding of topics such as fundamental British values and the risks of radicalisation and extremism. Apprentices understand the importance of safeguarding in the contexts of their work settings. Leaders have extended the personal development curriculum to include a basic understanding of other topics such as ‘mate crime’.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Leaders and staff provide clear, useful careers information, enabling most apprentices to raise their aspirations and plan their next steps. Apprentices understand how they can develop their careers in the adult care sector, such as progressing into supervisory or management roles. However, tutors have not discussed sufficiently with apprentices who choose not to take English and mathematics qualifications, the potential impact on career progression for those intending to progress into promoted roles or further study.

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

Apprentices thrive and grow in confidence during their apprenticeships. They are very positive about their experience, with staff going above and beyond to make sure they are well supported. They quickly apply what they are learning to their respective workplaces. Their employers recognise that apprentices are developing industry-standard knowledge and skills and provide high-quality care to clients in a range of care settings.

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

Apprentices feel safe and welcomed. They have positive and mutually respectful working relationships with their dedicated tutors. They are able to give their views and feel listened to. Tutors and leaders make sensible changes to apprentices’ training, such as broadening the range of assessment techniques tutors use following apprentices' feedback.

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

Apprentices are well prepared for careers in adult social care. Tutors teach them in a way which builds on their existing knowledge. For example, apprentices develop their understanding of how legislation, such as the Mental Capacity Act 2005, is relevant in their settings when working with vulnerable clients with dementia.

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

Apprentices who have barriers to learning, or are experiencing challenging personal circumstances, recognise how flexible their tutors are. Tutors provide a very personalised programme. This helps to prevent apprentices feeling overwhelmed and falling behind. Staff work well with a wide range of external agencies and services to provide more specialised support for apprentices, such as making referrals to mental health and family support organisations.

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

Apprentices are prepared well by their tutors for their final apprenticeship assessments. Tutors use skilfully timed mock professional discussions to replicate the external process. Apprentices, including those with additional support needs, value how successfully tutors prepare them for their final assessments.

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Next steps

Leaders should make sure that employers are sufficiently involved in reviewing the progress that apprentices make. Leaders should continue to develop tutors' teaching skills to ensure consistently high- quality practice. Leaders should continue to ensure that apprentices develop their depth of understanding of how personal development topics are relevant to their personal and professional lives.

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Team inspectors:

Alison Gray, Ofsted Inspector Rebecca Iverson, Ofsted Inspector Jacquie Brown, 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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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 apprentices, tutors, managers, leaders, governors and employers during the inspection.

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About this inspection

The inspectors confirmed the following information about the provider:

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About this inspection

Vision Training (North East) Limited, established in 2008, is an independent learning provider delivering apprenticeships in the adult social care sector. It is based in Stockton- On-Tees. Apprentices are primarily based in the North East.

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About this inspection

At the time of the inspection, there were 200 apprentices in learning. Ninety-seven apprentices were studying the level 3 lead adult care worker apprenticeship, 45 apprentices were on the level 2 adult care worker apprenticeship, 24 were on the level 4 lead practitioner in adult care apprenticeship and 34 were on the level 5 leader in adult care apprenticeship. Most apprentices were over 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

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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