Ofsted round-up – This week: Three providers from across the UK receive reports

 Janard Training, Hartlepool

 

Summary of grades awarded:

Effectiveness of provision Satisfactory: Grade 3

Capacity to improve Satisfactory: Grade 3

Achievement and standards Satisfactory: Grade 3

Quality of provision Satisfactory: Grade 3

Leadership and management Satisfactory: Grade 3

Equality of opportunity Contributory grade: Satisfactory: Grade 3

Sector subject areas:

Health, public services and care Satisfactory: Grade 3

 

Since 1996, Janard Training and Assessment Centre LTD (Janard) has been providing privately funded health, public service and care training. Training extended to include LSC funded Train to Gain provision in 2005. Of the 396 Train to Gain funded learners, 297 are following National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) at Levels 2 and 3 in health, public services and care programmes and 39 are following literacy and numeracy awards. Janard also provides a rang of short accredited programmes with the most popular being administering medication and health and safety.

The overall effectiveness of the provision is satisfactory with most learners improving their occupational skill while on programme. Through the use of more effective performance monitoring success rates have improved, however, some learner’ progress remains slow. Janard is found to plan training and assessment carefully so as not to disadvantage learners working alone in domiciliary settings, receiving effective information, advice and guidance throughout their programme.

Ofsted has found that Janard has satisfactory capacity to improve and has worked hard to remedy the areas for improvement identified through self-assessment. Although Janard’s recently developed quality assurance schedule is adequately supported by operational policies, very few policies contain performance or qualitative targets. The self-assessment process is satisfactory and inclusive with staff showing a clear understanding of the process, appreciating its value and linking it to quality improvement. The quality improvement plan reflects self-assessment judgements effectively but actions towards improvement are insufficiently detailed or measurable.

Key strengths within Janard include, good acquisition of additional qualifications, well-considered actions to support organisational development, very effective staff training and development planning and good strategies to engage and inform employers. Achievement and standards, as identified in the self-assessment report, are satisfactory. Overall success rates have increased yearly and are now satisfactory with overall success rates on literacy and numeracy awards being good at 76%. Overall success rates on health care are satisfactory and have improved from 51% to 67%, conversely, success rates for the small group of learners on cleaning and support services remain very low at 38%.

 

Network Training North East Limited, Tynemouth

 

Summary of grades awarded:

Effectiveness of provision Satisfactory: Grade 3

Capacity to improve Satisfactory: Grade 3

Achievement and standards Satisfactory: Grade 3

Quality of provision Satisfactory: Grade 3

Leadership and management Satisfactory: Grade 3

Equality of opportunity Contributory grade: Satisfactory: Grade 3

Sector subject area:

Health, public services and care Satisfactory: Grade 3

 

Established in 2004 with a head office in Tynemouth, Network Training North East Ltd (NTNE) is a private company. Until 2007 NTNE offered training for foster carers on a commercial basis, now, in addition to its commercial training, NTNE contracts with Yorkshire and Humber and Northeast and Northwest LSCs to provide government-funded Train to Gain provision. Learners are foster carers and residential care staff, working towards National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) at Levels 2 and 3 in Health and Social Care. Currently NTNE have 91 learners enrolled.

The overall effectiveness of NTNE is satisfactory with learners developing good levels of confidence and vocational skills. Ofsted found that NTNE’s training is highly effective with training sessions being planned and delivered well. Tutors and assessors were found to be knowledgeable and experienced in their specific field, however, Ofsted found that tutors are using targets insufficiently in planning, monitoring and reviewing learners’ progress.

Ofsted has found that NTNE has a satisfactory capacity to improve with the implementation of the quality improvement plan progressing well. The self-assessment process was found to be satisfactory and taking appropriate account of the views of staff, learners and all other stakeholders. The self-assessment report is accurate and areas for improvement identified broadly reflect inspection findings and matched all self-assessment grades. Key strengths within NTNE include good skills development, particularly effective training and very effective partnership working employers and foster care agencies.

Achievement and standards are satisfactory. Development of new and existing skills is good with learners developing good skills that help them to deal with the issues foster children may encounter. The success rate for the 12 learners who completed the programme in 2007/08 is satisfactory at 75%. The number of learners has now increased to 91 and many are making good progress. The standard of work in most learners’ files is satisfactory with portfolios containing a sufficient range of satisfactory evidence and clearly showing links between the knowledge gained in training sessions and practical experiences in the workplace.

 

Nichols Agency Limited, London

 

Summary of grades awarded:

Effectiveness of provision Satisfactory: Grade 3

Capacity to improve Satisfactory: Grade 3

Achievement and standards Good: Grade3

Quality of provision Satisfactory: Grade 3

Leadership and management Satisfactory: Grade 3

Equality of opportunity Contributory grade: Satisfactory: Grade2

Sector subject area:

Health, public services and care Satisfactory: Grade 3

 

Nichols Training Limited (NTL) is a wholly owned subsidiary company of CMB2, which is a minority-led business support organisation founded in 1984 providing recruitment, training and consultancy solutions to the public, private and voluntary sector. NTL was established in 2001. NTL offers accredited training to the health and social care sector. Many of its learners are based in the client’s private homes on a domiciliary basis, a number are in care homes. NTL currently has 80 learners on programme working towards National Vocational Qualifications (NVQ) n care. The company gained its first contract with the LSC in 2007 and receives funding from London LSC.

Ofsted has found that the overall effectiveness of the provision is satisfactory with NTL demonstrating satisfactory capacity to improve. Most learners who joined the programme in 2008 are making satisfactory progress towards completing their qualification. Ofsted has found that there are significant areas for improvement, for example the quality improvement processes are incomplete. NTL recognises that more formal quality improvement arrangement are required to quality assure the learners’ experience and further develop the training programme.

The self-assessment process is satisfactory. The company produced its first self-assessment report in December 2008 and includes the results of feedback from learners and employers and contributions from all staff. The report was found to be sufficiently critical and details many of the strengths and areas for improvement identified by inspectors. NTL has already started to effectively address some of the key areas for improvement set out in the quality improvement plan. Key strengths within NTL include, good development of new knowledge and work-based skills, very high participation of learners from minority ethnic groups, particularly good understanding of equality of opportunity practices, very effective partnership working and good strategic initiatives for business development.

Achievement and standards are satisfactory with learners developing good new occupational skills and knowledge. They are able to build confidence within their work setting and develop their self-esteem. Success rates are satisfactory at 60% for 2007/08. Most learners who joined the programme in 2008 are making satisfactory progress towards completing their qualification. However, 21 learners who started their learning in October 2007 are making slow progress. NTL does not use data to identify differences in performance between different groups of learners.

Natalie Hailes