Team Domenica receive high praise from Ofsted and The Tizard Centre
Setting the standard for supported employment
At Team Domenica, we’re passionate about creating brighter futures for people with learning disabilities. Our commitment and tailored approach have earned recognition from Ofsted and The Tizard Centre. Earlier this year, both of these respected organisations completed independent evaluations of our supported employment programmes.
We’ll be sharing key insights from these reviews and highlighting our recent feature in the Local Skills Improvement Plan by Futures Skills Sussex and Sussex Chamber of Commerce. Each of these accomplishments underscores the meaningful impact we’re having on our candidates, their families and society as a whole.
The Tizard Centre
The Tizard Centre, at the University of Kent, are a leading research centre in autism and learning disability studies. Earlier this year, they completed an independent review of Team Domenica, focusing on our impact. To do this, they spoke with our staff, candidates, parents, employer and the wider community.
When collating and evaluating the input from these parties, the researchers found that:
Team Domenica is making a meaningful difference to lives of many young adults with learning disabilities and/or autism, with reported positive knock-on effects for parent carers, staff, employers and the wider local community.
Padden & Evans, An Independent Evaluation of Team Domenica: Final Report, 2024
In addition to creating supported employment opportunities, we also hope to change people’s perceptions of people with learning disabilities. We want to demonstrate our candidates’ talents and personalities and highlight the benefits of a more inclusive society.
In the Tizard Centre’s survey, 41% of respondents from the wider community agreed that their perceptions of people with learning disabilities had been positively changed by our work.
It increases the visibility of people with learning disabilities in the local community. It has helped people see [their strengths] and that they are capable and deserving of paid work and have much to offer.
Anonymous respondent
Thank you to Dr Ceridwen Evans and Dr Ciara Padden for completing this study and running an inciteful data capture training session for our team. Our learning will help us continue to measure the impact of our work in an effective and meaningful way.
Ofsted Monitoring Visit
Team Domenica became a registered independent Specialist Further Education Provider in September 2023. As part of this transition, our education programmes are now inspected by Ofsted, and we have a new Board of Governors, led by Ann Potterton.
In July, Ofsted carried out a New Provider Monitoring Visit. Unlike a typical inspection, these visits look at a provider’s progress within their first 18 months. They do not assign one-word judgements – something that will be reflected in all inspections going forward. Instead, they make a judgement against our progress in three key areas, including safeguarding where they saw “Significant Progress”.
Below is a summary of their findings at Team Domenica. Definitions for the assigned outcomes can be found at the bottom of this page. Alternatively, you can read the whole report by following this link.
Providing tailored learning programmes that suit the individual needs of learners: Reasonable Progress*
“Leaders have developed a carefully planned curriculum which focuses effectively on helping learners with SEND move into employment.”
Programmes develop independence, communication, skills and work-related goals: Reasonable Progress*
“Learners acquire relevant knowledge and useful skills which they learn in classrooms and the training cafés. Trainers help learners to understand, and remember, workplace tasks effectively. This prepares them for future work well.”
Effective Safeguarding: Significant progress**
“Leaders have created a highly effective culture of safeguarding. They have acted swiftly and successfully to create, implement and embed a comprehensive range of new, age-appropriate policies and procedures which very positively contribute to keeping learners safe.”
Future Skills Sussex: Local Skills Improvement Plan
Another notable achievement was our feature in the Local Skills Improvement Plan by Future Skills Sussex and Sussex Chamber of Commerce. In this review, Team Domenica were highlighted as a case study and leader in creating a more inclusive employment landscape. They said:
Initiatives such as […] the holistic and person-centred support offered by Team Domenica demonstrate effective pathways into employment for those with SEND.
Thank you to everyone who makes our work possible
To support Team Domenica, and help people with learning disabilities reach their full potential, please consider donating to our programmes. Every contribution helps us provide life-changing opportunities, empowering our candidates to reach new heights and thrive. Donate Now.
*Reasonable Progress: the provider’s actions are already having a beneficial impact on learners, and improvements are sustainable and are based on the provider’s thorough quality assurance procedures
**Significant Progress: progress has been rapid and is already having considerable beneficial impact on learners
