Yorkshire Ambulance Service National Health Service Trust

Yorkshire Ambulance Service National Health Service Trust Monitoring visit report

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Name of lead inspector: Jacquie Brown, Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection dates: 13 and 14 October 2021

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Address: Elm Bank Training Centre Stanley Road Wakefield WF1 4LH Monitoring visit: Yorkshire Ambulance Service National Health Service Trust, 13 and 14 October 2021

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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 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.

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Context and focus of visit

Yorkshire Ambulance Service National Health Service Trust is an employer provider based in Wakefield, West Yorkshire. It began to deliver apprenticeships in October 2018. At the time of the monitoring visit, 289 apprentices were enrolled on level 3 and level 4 standards-based apprenticeships. Of these, 156 were on an ambulance support worker (ASW) apprenticeship and 133 were on an associate ambulance practitioner (AAP) apprenticeship. All apprentices are 19 years of age and over. The trust has subcontracting arrangements in place with Selby College and JM Training to provide functional skills courses in English and mathematics.

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Significant progress

Leaders have a very clear vision and rationale for their apprenticeship provision. They have responded to a national shortage of paramedics by creating apprenticeships to train their own staff to become skilled paramedics. Apprentices benefit from a clear progression pathway on which they commence their training on a level 3 ASW programme, progress to a level 4 AAP programme, and then complete their training on a level 6 programme that enables them to become a paramedic. During their time on the apprenticeship programmes, apprentices receive helpful careers guidance to plan their progression.

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Significant progress

Leaders have implemented an ambitious curriculum which goes beyond the requirements of the qualification. Apprentices on the level 3 ASW programme cover anatomy and physiology in more depth than necessary so that they are in a stronger position to cope with the demands of the level 4 AAP programme onto which those wanting to become paramedics progress.

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Significant progress

Leaders respond exceptionally well to meeting regional needs by successfully adapting the curriculum. For example, apprentices working in Leeds learn how to use the primary Monitoring visit: Yorkshire Ambulance Service National Health Service Trust, 13 and 14 October 2021 access line so that they can dial directly into the hospital and speak to doctors, nurses and consultants.

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Significant progress

Leaders recruit highly qualified, experienced and knowledgeable educators who deliver high-quality training. All educators are practising paramedics who keep up to date with practice and legislation.

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Significant progress

Leaders have a thorough oversight of the quality of apprenticeship programmes and the progress that apprentices make. They carefully evaluate the quality of training and hold regular quality assurance meetings to discuss and resolve any issues. Leaders often temporarily withdraw from operational duties any apprentices who are at risk of falling behind so that these apprentices are able to catch up quickly.

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Significant progress

Leaders manage well the subcontractors that they work with. They meet regularly with managers from the subcontractors to discuss the progress of each apprentice, and they respond swiftly to any issues raised.

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Significant progress

Leaders benefit from rigorous governance arrangements that ensure effective scrutiny and challenge. The quality of the apprenticeship programmes is a standing item on the agenda for meetings of the clinical portfolio governance board, and it is discussed at each board meeting. This scrutiny contributes significantly to ensuring that leaders and managers implement high-quality training.

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Significant progress

Educators accurately identify apprentices’ prior experiences, knowledge and qualifications at the start of the programme. They use this information very well to ensure that apprentices are enrolled onto the correct level of programme. Educators ensure that apprentices have a clear understanding of the expectations and demands of the programme.

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Significant progress

Educators plan and sequence the curriculum exceptionally well, systematically building apprentices’ knowledge and skills. Apprentices on the level 3 ASW programme learn about anatomy and physiology and how the body works under normal circumstances before moving onto looking at how the body works when it has been affected by a medical condition.

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Significant progress

Apprentices develop a wide range of substantial new skills and knowledge which they successfully put into practice in their jobs. Apprentices know how to use a computer application to check contraindications when administering drugs and what reading to expect when measuring blood pressure in a range of patients. They have a thorough understanding of the requirements for end-point assessment. Monitoring visit: Yorkshire Ambulance Service National Health Service Trust, 13 and 14 October 2021 Educators use a range of assessments skilfully to check apprentices’ understanding in order to inform teaching. For example, they check apprentices’ understanding during demonstrations with manikins, eliciting explanations of procedures. Apprentices benefit from very clear feedback on their work and when improvements are identified they respond well and resubmit work of an enhanced quality.

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Significant progress

Educators use a range of effective strategies to help apprentices recall prior learning. For example, they use acronyms to help apprentices remember clinical terminology and stress the use of correct medical terminology such as anterior and posterior.

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Significant progress

Educators support apprentices well to develop the English and mathematics skills that they need as a paramedic. Most apprentices already have qualifications in English and mathematics at level 2 when they start their apprenticeship and educators help them to improve their English and mathematics skills further. For example, in mathematics, apprentices learn about stopping distances and safe speeds for acceleration when driving ambulances. The minority of apprentices who do not have level 2 English and mathematics qualifications benefit from high-quality support from educators at the subcontractors. As a result, they make good progress.

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Significant progress

Apprentices benefit from thorough training on safeguarding and the risks of radicalisation and extremism. They have extensive knowledge of these topics. For example, they know how to recognise the signs of domestic abuse when visiting patients’ homes and have a clear understanding of how to report it.

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Significant progress

Leaders ensure that apprentices have access to very effective support through well-being mentors. They provide apprentices with time away from operational duties after dealing with a traumatic incident.

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Significant progress

Leaders ensure that there are rigorous information technology security systems in place to safeguard apprentices. For example, firewalls are in place to identify if an apprentice or member of staff has attempted to search the internet for information that might suggest extremist activity.

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Significant progress

The head of safeguarding has significant experience and training to be effective in her role. Leaders have rigorous policies and procedures in place to safeguard apprentices and to ensure that staff are appropriate to work with apprentices. Monitoring visit: Yorkshire Ambulance Service National Health Service Trust, 13 and 14 October 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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Significant progress

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Significant progress

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Significant progress

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

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