The Chief Constable Of Northumbria

The Chief Constable of Northumbria Monitoring visit report

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Address:

Training and Communications Centre North Road Ponteland Newcastle upon Tyne NE20 0BL Monitoring visit: The Chief Constable of Northumbria, 5–6 November 2020

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Context and focus of visit

From October 2018, Ofsted undertook to carry out monitoring visits to all newly directly funded providers of apprenticeship training provision which began to be funded from April 2017 or after by ESFA and/or the apprenticeship levy. This provider received a monitoring visit under these arrangements and was found to be making insufficient progress against one or more themes.

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Context and focus of visit

On 17 March 2020, all routine inspections were suspended due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. As part of our phased return to routine inspections, we are carrying out additional monitoring visits to new providers that were judged to be making insufficient progress against one or more themes at their previous monitoring visit and would have been due their full inspection up to or during the interim phase but have not received it because of the suspension of routine inspections. This monitoring visit was undertaken as part of those arrangements as outlined in the interim phase operational note for further education and skills and with reference to the further education and skills handbook and is focused on the themes set out below.

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Context and focus of visit

The Chief Constable of Northumbria (Northumbria Police) secured a place on the Register of Apprenticeship Training Providers in January 2018, recruiting its first apprentices in May 2018. At the time of this inspection, there were three apprentices on customer service practitioner standards at level 2. Since May 2018, there have been a total of 34 apprentices studying customer service practitioner standards at level 2 and emergency service contact handling standards at level 3. Apprentices work in the Northumbria Police Communication Centre, dealing with emergency and non-emergency calls from members of the public. Northumbria Police also has around 400 learners on a Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship; this provision was not in scope for this monitoring visit.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers have taken effective action to address the weaknesses found at the previous monitoring visit. They have overseen considerable improvements to the quality of training that apprentices receive. These improvements have ensured that a high proportion of apprentices complete their programme successfully.

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Reasonable progress

Through careful planning, leaders ensure that the programmes that they provide are compliant with the apprenticeship requirements, including the appropriate amount of Monitoring visit: The Chief Constable of Northumbria, 5–6 November 2020 off-the-job training. Since the previous monitoring visit, leaders have enabled all apprentices who need to achieve qualifications in English and mathematics to take courses with a subcontracted partner at an appropriate point in their programme.

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Reasonable progress

Senior leaders of Northumbria Police have a very clear rationale for the recruitment and development of apprentices as part of their workforce. They identify many benefits to their operations. These include the improved retention of employees who work in challenging job roles and the new ideas that apprentices bring to make the management of the emergency call contact centre more efficient.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders, managers and those holding the role of governance have a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the apprenticeship programmes. Leaders recognise that, should they recruit further apprentices, they would need to restore the more formal governance arrangements that were in place prior to the significant reduction in the number of apprentices over the last few months.

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Reasonable progress

Staff involved in the apprenticeship programmes are occupationally experienced and have suitable qualifications to fulfil their role. Many have teaching and assessor qualifications.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders recognise that they need to improve the careers education, information, advice and guidance that they provide to apprentices. They have very clear plans for how they will do this. However, as they are currently unable to recruit new apprentices, they have yet to put these plans into action.

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Reasonable progress

Tutors and mentors skilfully plan the apprenticeship programme to ensure that apprentices swiftly develop substantial new knowledge from the start of their training. Throughout the programmes, tutors ensure that apprentices have ample opportunities to develop their behaviours in a range of complex and demanding situations before they undertake formal assessments.

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Reasonable progress

Staff use assessment well to check apprentices’ understanding. Mentors build on apprentices’ learning incrementally and agree actions with apprentices that build on and improve their knowledge and skills over time. Staff prepare apprentices well for their end-point assessments. A large proportion of level 2 customer service practitioner apprentices achieve an overall distinction grade in their end-point assessment.

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Reasonable progress

At the start of apprentices’ programmes, staff train apprentices using simulated situations that closely reflect the work that apprentices will undertake. This allows apprentices to practise the way they handle emergency and non-emergency calls so that they quickly develop the skills that they need to do their job well. Mentors Monitoring visit: The Chief Constable of Northumbria, 5–6 November 2020 provide apprentices with extensive support throughout their programme, focusing on the areas of their practice that need further development. For example, they support apprentices to communicate clearly in stressful or highly emotionally charged situations.

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Reasonable progress

Managers have arrangements in place to identify apprentices’ prior experiences, knowledge and qualifications at the start of their programme. They have carefully restructured the activities that form the apprenticeship induction period. It now includes a detailed explanation and agreement of the apprenticeship commitment statement.

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Reasonable progress

Since the previous monitoring visit, leaders have ensured that apprentices’ line managers have gained a better understanding of the apprenticeship standard. As a result, line managers now help apprentices to apply their off-the-job training in their job roles.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers place high importance on keeping apprentices safe. They ensure that apprentices have access to the emotional support that they need when they handle particularly distressing emergency calls.

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Reasonable progress

All staff undertake appropriate safeguarding training. Leaders draw on the expertise of operational officers at Northumbria Police to train staff so that they have a thorough understanding of safeguarding issues, such as domestic abuse, county lines and the ‘Prevent’ duty.

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Reasonable progress

Reports of safeguarding incidents are rare, but managers handle those that are reported well.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have a detailed ‘Prevent’ duty risk assessment and action plan. Apprentices have a comprehensive understanding of the risk of radicalisation and extremism in their local area. Monitoring visit: The Chief Constable of Northumbria, 5–6 November 2020 regulates and inspects to 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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Reasonable progress

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Reasonable progress

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Reasonable progress

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