Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust

Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust Monitoring visit report

p.1

Name of lead inspector:

Jon Bowman, Her Majesty's Inspector Inspection dates: 30 June - 1 July 2021

p.1

Address:

Royal Free Hospital Pond Street London NW3 2QG Monitoring visit: Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust, 30 June-1 July 2021

p.1

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 the Education and Skills Funding Agency and/or the apprenticeship levy. This monitoring visit was undertaken as part of those arrangements and as outlined in the ‘Further education and skills inspection handbook’, especially the sections entitled ‘Monitoring visits’ and ‘Monitoring visits to providers that are newly directly publicly funded’. The focus of these visits is on the themes set out below.

p.2

Context and focus of visit

At the time of the monitoring visit there were 20 apprentices in training on standards-based apprenticeships. Five were studying at level 2 on the healthcare support worker apprenticeship and 15 were studying at level 3 on the team leader/supervisor apprenticeship.

p.2

Context and focus of visit

Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust (the Trust) began teaching the team leader apprenticeship in January 2020. At the start of the pandemic, apprentices were deployed to support managing the increased demand on health services. Apprentices were put on a break in training. Their training resumed online in September 2020. The first cohort of healthcare support worker apprentices started in November 2020. The impact of COVID-19 (coronavirus) has been taken into account in the findings and progress judgements below.

p.2

Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers have designed the apprenticeship training to meet the needs of the Trust so that their staff provide high-quality health care. The training builds the capacity of new managers to become effective leaders early on in their managerial career. The healthcare assistant apprenticeship provides an appropriate first step for those seeking a career in the healthcare sector. Healthcare assistant and team leader apprentices have good opportunities to progress within the Trust once they complete their training.

p.2

Reasonable progress

Leaders ensure that the requirements of the apprenticeship programme are met. Line managers are clear about their responsibilities towards apprentices. They routinely take part in reviewing the progress that apprentices make. This ensures that activities are planned in the workplace that help apprentices develop their skills, knowledge and behaviours. Line managers ensure that apprentices get sufficient Monitoring visit: Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust, 30 June-1 July 2021 time to study as a part of their working week. In a minority of cases, apprentices struggle to get sufficient time to study because of the unpredictable demands of their jobs.

p.2

Reasonable progress

Senior leaders provide suitable oversight of the training. They have established a steering group to oversee the provision. They frequently review the provision with operational managers. Leaders and managers are establishing ways of systematically gathering a wide range of information on the training to give them a more detailed picture of the strengths and areas for improvement of the training.

p.3

Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers take action across the two training programmes to improve the quality of education that apprentices receive. However, manager’s plans to improve the provision are too narrow and do not reflect all of the areas for improvement. As a result, there is some variation in the quality of education that apprentices experience. For example, tutors prepare healthcare assistants well for their final assessments. However, tutors do not begin team leader’s preparation for these assessments early enough in their training.

p.3

Reasonable progress

Managers and tutors ensure that the curriculum helps apprentices develop new knowledge, skills and behaviours over time. As a result, apprentices are valued for their contribution at work. For example, team leader apprentices develop their organisational and time management skills, leading to greater efficiency in their department.

p.3

Reasonable progress

For healthcare assistants, managers plan and sequence the curriculum well. This enables tutors to teach apprentices the basics of the care, such as infection control, and the duty of care at the very start of their training. They then move onto more complex areas such as undertaking clinical tasks. While managers have revised the team leader apprenticeship curriculum, they have not yet considered how best to sequence the training so that it most effectively supports apprentices’ learning.

p.3

Reasonable progress

The teaching team has good experience in nursing and management. They keep their professional skills and knowledge up to date. Specialist nurses contribute to the training. They provide apprentices with good insight into other areas of the Trust, such as the work of the dialysis unit.

p.3

Reasonable progress

Teachers use effective strategies to check that apprentices remember what they have been taught. For example, they assess apprentices through observing them at work. They ask apprentices to demonstrate their knowledge, use questioning well and frequently recap previous learning. The feedback they give helps apprentices become more competent in their job roles. Monitoring visit: Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust, 30 June-1 July 2021 Healthcare apprentices are well prepared for their final assessments. For example, through repeated practice they grow in confidence in public speaking in readiness for their professional discussion. However, for team leader apprentices, managers do not plan preparation for apprentices’ final assessments early enough in the training.

p.3

Reasonable progress

Apprentices know who to turn to if they have any concerns about their own or others’ welfare. They have received effective support throughout the pandemic through, for example access to a mental health professional should they need it.

p.4

Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers have in place a comprehensive range of policies and procedures to safeguard apprentices and promote their welfare. These include a suitable safeguarding policy and ‘Prevent’ risk assessment.

p.4

Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers ensure that recruitment and selection procedures are in place so that staff are suitable for their roles. Managers who recruit staff are suitably trained to do so. They also carry out appropriate pre-employment checks for new staff.

p.4

Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers have put measures in place to ensure that apprentices attending classes can do so safely with, for example social distancing being maintained in classrooms. Health, safety and safeguarding are significant features of the curriculum and apprentices gain a good understanding of the safeguarding responsibilities they have in their roles. Monitoring visit: Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust, 30 June-1 July 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

p.4

Reasonable progress

children's services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

p.5

Reasonable progress

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.5

Reasonable progress

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.5

Reasonable progress

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.5

Reasonable progress

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

p.5