Autism Community Network

Autism Community Network Unit 11, Mill Batch Farm, East Brent, Somerset TA9 4JN

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monitoring inspection report:

During the monitoring inspection, inspectors focused on the following themes:

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monitoring inspection report:

 leadership and governance - specifically the progress leaders and managers have made in designing and delivering relevant adult learning provision that has a clearly defined purpose, and in identifying and supporting the needs of adult learners

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monitoring inspection report:

 inclusion - specifically the progress leaders have made in identifying the needs of individual learners putting suitable support in place, in particular for those who are disadvantaged, those with special educational needs and/or disabilities or high needs, those who are known (or previously known) to social care, and those who may face other barriers to their experiences and opportunities, including those without level 2 English and/or mathematics

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monitoring inspection report:

 curriculum, teaching and training - specifically the progress leaders and managers have made in ensuring that learners benefit from high-quality adult education that prepares them well for their intended job role, career aim and/or personal goals

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monitoring inspection report:

 safeguarding arrangements - specifically whether leaders and managers have ensured that effective safeguarding arrangements are in place

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Leadership and governance

Reasonable progress : the provider’s actions are already having a beneficial impact on learners and/or apprentices. Improvements are sustainable and are based on the provider’s thorough quality assurance procedures.

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Leadership and governance

Leaders have high expectations and are committed to understanding and responding to learners’ needs. They work well with employers, the NHS, the Department for Work and Pensions and learners themselves. They use learner reviews, programme performance data and stakeholder feedback effectively to inform curriculum development. This ensures that programmes have a well-defined purpose and remain relevant and responsive to local, regional and national priorities. Recent adaptations, including the Monitoring inspection report: Autism Community Network 26 and 27 August 2026

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introduction of enhanced digital learning resources, illustrate leaders’ proactive approach to improving learners’ experiences and outcomes.

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Leaders maintain oversight of curriculum quality through systematic reviews of programme performance data, learner feedback and findings from external monitoring and quality assurance activities. However, leaders rightly recognise the need for more targeted professional learning to strengthen staff’s ability to support learners with special educational needs and/or disabilities and improve the quality of teaching and support.

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Leaders’ internal quality assurance processes do not provide sufficient rigour or independence to evaluate the quality of the curriculum, teaching, learning and assessment or the progress that learners make over time. Leaders recognise that their current governance and oversight arrangements are underdeveloped.

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Curriculum, teaching and training

Reasonable progress : the provider’s actions are already having a beneficial impact on learners and/or apprentices. Improvements are sustainable and are based on the provider’s thorough quality assurance procedures.

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Curriculum, teaching and training

Leaders ensure that learners receive inclusive teaching in which every learner’s voice is valued. Staff use a range of effective teaching strategies to promote participation and ensure that learners make progress. Timely sensory breaks and appropriate sensory regulation tools help learners remain focused. Learners have access to digital and hard- copy resources that enable them to engage with learning in ways that best meet their individual needs.

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Curriculum, teaching and training

Leaders have designed the curriculum based on their experience in the health and social care sector. They respond effectively to skills gaps identified by employers and practitioners by incorporating relevant topics such as equality, diversity, inclusion and workplace expectations. Learners develop practical employability skills by writing CVs and identifying how their existing strengths align with potential employment opportunities.

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Curriculum, teaching and training

Leaders encourage learners to reflect on their knowledge and skills at the start and end of their course. However, assessment arrangements rely too heavily on learners’ self- reported confidence levels rather than on evidence of their demonstrable knowledge, skills and behaviours. Because of this, tutors cannot consistently demonstrate the full extent of learners’ progress from their starting points or sufficiently adapt learning to account for learners’ existing knowledge and prior experience.

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Inclusion

Reasonable progress : the provider’s actions are already having a beneficial impact on learners and/or apprentices. Improvements are sustainable and are based on the provider’s thorough quality assurance procedures. Monitoring inspection report: Autism Community Network 26 and 27 August 2026

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Leaders have an effective process to identify and meet learners’ individual support needs. This begins at the application stage, where learners can disclose any barriers to learning. Before training starts, staff work with learners to develop individual learning plans and discuss any support requirements. On the first day of training, tutors review learners’ needs to ensure that support is in place and identify any additional requirements that learners may not have previously disclosed.

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Leaders provide a range of effective support arrangements to help learners succeed. These include easy-to-read course materials, coloured overlays for learners with dyslexia, and tinted glasses for learners who are sensitive to light. Where needed, learners receive one-to-one support to help them stay on track and close gaps in their knowledge. Staff use assistive technology effectively, including speech-to-text and captioning software, to support learners with communication needs.

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Leaders have recently established an effective learner-monitoring system to help them evaluate the impact of any additional learner support. They capture key information from mid-course and end-of-course reviews to assess the effectiveness of support arrangements. However, at the time of the inspection, it was too early to evaluate the full impact of this approach.

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Safeguarding arrangements

Reasonable progress : the provider’s actions are already having a beneficial impact on learners and/or apprentices. Improvements are sustainable and are based on the provider’s thorough quality assurance procedures.

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Safeguarding arrangements

Leaders have appropriate policies that support effective safeguarding arrangements for adult learners. These policies provide a consistent approach and clearly define staff accountability. Leaders ensure that staff understand their safeguarding responsibilities and their role in maintaining a strong safeguarding culture.

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Safeguarding arrangements

The designated safeguarding lead (DSL) is suitably experienced and appropriately qualified. Although no safeguarding concerns had been raised at the time of the inspection, the DSL has effective monitoring and review systems in place. Staff understand how to report concerns and can do so by telephone, email or in person.

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Safeguarding arrangements

Staff receive annual safeguarding and ‘Prevent’ duty training. They also receive prompt updates when relevant safeguarding information arises. Learners receive clear guidance on staying safe, including staying safe online and recognising the risks associated with radicalisation and extremism. Tutors introduce these topics at the start of learners’ programmes and revisit them throughout their learning. Tutors use well-designed posters to reinforce key messages and encourage learners to keep this information accessible. Learners feel safe and know how to report concerns. Monitoring inspection report: Autism Community Network 26 and 27 August 2026

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About this inspection

Ofsted carries out monitoring inspections to all newly directly funded providers of adult learning provision where the provision offered is in scope for inspection.

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About this inspection

The purpose of this monitoring inspection was not to determine grades for any of the evaluation areas set out in the further education and skills inspection toolkit. The purpose was to report on the provider’s progress in relation to the 4 themes set out above.

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About this inspection

Autism Community Network is a very small independent learning provider based in the south west of England. Leaders offers a Skills Bootcamp in health and social care, mainly for learners with autism. At the time of the monitoring inspection, there were 10 learners enrolled.

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Lead inspector

Stephen Battersby His Majesty’s Inspector

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needs funding at time of inspection

None Monitoring inspection report: Autism Community Network 26 and 27 August 2026

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achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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