East Of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust

East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust Monitoring visit report

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Name of lead inspector: Linnia Khemdoudi, Her Majesty's Inspector

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Address:

New Market Training Centre Tulip House 1 Craven Court Willie Snaith Road Newmarket CB8 7FA Monitoring visit: East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust, 10 June 2021

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Context and focus of visit

This monitoring visit focused on safeguarding arrangements and was undertaken as outlined in the operational note on visits carried out from January 2021 and with reference to the further education and skills handbook.

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Context and focus of visit

The visit took place following safeguarding concerns that had been brought to Ofsted’s attention. This is the first monitoring visit the trust has received. At the time of the visit a total of 661 apprentices were studying on level 3 and level 4 standards- based apprenticeships. The visit took place face-to-face at the Trusts main training centre.

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Context and focus of visit

The impact of COVID-19 (coronavirus) has been taken into account in the findings and progress judgements below.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders have been too slow making changes to improve the safety of their apprentices. Senior leaders have significantly increased the number of staff in the safeguarding team. However, these recent changes have not yet stopped the inappropriate behaviour that a significant minority of apprentices still experience.

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Insufficient progress

Managers’ questioning of apprentices, related to safeguarding, is too general. Leaders and managers do not ask apprentices specific questions about colleagues’ behaviours in the workplace. They do not encourage apprentices to discuss low level concerns that arise. Leaders rely too much on service-wide surveys to gain relevant information. As a result, managers have an overly optimistic view of the issues that still exist in the service.

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Insufficient progress

Managers fail to investigate centre reports that state that there are no safeguarding concerns. Managers are too accepting of these returns, given the history of issues within the service. Managers present data that outlines the number and type of referrals made. However, reports do not reference which concerns relate specifically to apprentices.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders do not have a robust action plan to ensure that compliance with their new safeguarding arrangements improves rapidly. They do not act quickly enough to ensure that staff update their safeguarding knowledge in a timely way. Leaders do not identify which apprentices still need to complete safeguarding training. Monitoring visit: East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust, 10 June 2021 Leaders clearly promote the high professional standards they expect staff to adhere to. Leaders fully support managers to establish the culture change needed within the service. Leaders take swift action when concerns are raised about a staff member. This includes, when necessary, removing staff from their post.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders have instigated a broad range of targeted services to support apprentices’ psychological and social well-being. This includes a ‘Freedom to Speak Up’ Guardian. However, it is too soon to measure the impact of these support processes. Monitoring visit: East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust, 10 June 2021 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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Insufficient progress

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Insufficient progress

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Insufficient progress

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Insufficient progress

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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