The Chief Constable of West Yorkshire

The Chief Constable of West Yorkshire Monitoring visit report

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Name of lead inspector: Malcolm Fraser, Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Address:

West Yorkshire Police Headquarters 87-93 Northgate Wakefield WF1 3DD Monitoring visit: The Chief Constable of West Yorkshire, 28 and 29 June 2022

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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

The Chief Constable of West Yorkshire (West Yorkshire Police) places new staff onto a number of different apprenticeship standards to provide the training that they need for their jobs. All but one of these standards is delivered for the force by other training providers who were out of scope for this visit. West Yorkshire Police has a direct funding contract to deliver the level 3 emergency service contact handling apprenticeship standard. At the time of the monitoring visit, 56 apprentices were enrolled on this standard. Due to the nature of the work, all apprentices are aged 18 or over.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders regard apprenticeships as integral to the force’s people development strategy. They have made it a priority to ensure that the apprenticeships on which they place employees are of a high quality and meet the needs of apprentices and West Yorkshire Police. Leaders carefully reviewed the training that they previously provided to new employees in emergency call centres and have developed a new curriculum which effectively meets the requirements of the emergency service contact handling standard.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers ensure that those recruited to the apprenticeship are suitable candidates. All apprentices are new to the role of emergency call handler and have little or no previous experience in call centres. Leaders and managers ensure that apprentices develop substantial new knowledge, skills and behaviours throughout their training.

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Reasonable progress

Course leaders monitor apprentices’ performance closely through all aspects of the curriculum. They agree individual courses of action with apprentices who fall behind Monitoring visit: The Chief Constable of West Yorkshire, 28 and 29 June 2022 or struggle with aspects of the apprenticeship. They then monitor well the steps that staff take to help apprentices overcome difficulties that they experience.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and senior staff responsible for governance maintain effective oversight of the progress that apprentices make and the quality of training. Senior leaders with responsibility for governance receive and consider a detailed range of information to keep themselves well informed about the quality of the programme and the progress that apprentices make. They provide effective support and challenge to course leaders and managers.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and governors have an accurate awareness of the areas of provision that require improvement. They are currently working with the subcontractor that delivers courses in English and mathematics to the small number of apprentices who need to achieve qualifications in these subjects to resolve staffing issues which have delayed apprentices’ progress. However, this weakness is yet to be resolved.

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Reasonable progress

Managers and trainers plan and sequence the curriculum logically to enable apprentices to develop their knowledge, skills and behaviours progressively. Apprentices complete an extensive eight-week off-the-job training block. They learn about the role, how to use specialised information technology systems, and how to apply their skills in a range of challenging emergency call handling scenarios.

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Reasonable progress

Trainers, mentors and supervisors provide apprentices with helpful guidance and support to improve their skills. Apprentices first practise and demonstrate their skills and abilities to take live calls in a training environment before joining shift teams. They receive effective and supportive ongoing mentoring in the workplace from trainers and shift supervisors.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices develop their knowledge, skills and behaviours well over time. They develop a sound understanding about working with partnership agencies, risk management, welfare, working as part of a district team, and local policing priorities such as wildlife crime. Apprentices receive helpful feedback on assignments that they complete which helps them to make improvements. They produce work of a good standard.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices’ trainers and supervisors use progress reviews effectively to discuss apprentices’ progress and agree targets to improve their practice further in the workplace. Through ongoing discussions, apprentices have a good understanding about potential next steps in their careers. Monitoring visit: The Chief Constable of West Yorkshire, 28 and 29 June 2022 Apprentices who need to improve their English and mathematics skills and gain qualifications in these subjects do not receive sufficiently effective support to do so. They have had some support to improve their English skills, but very little in improving their mathematical skills.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices are well informed about most parts of their apprenticeship at the start of their programme. However, their understanding about the end-point assessment is too superficial. Trainers do not provide apprentices with enough helpful information or support about how to prepare for the end-point assessment.

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Significant progress

Leaders ensure that the need to effectively safeguard staff and the public has a very high profile within West Yorkshire Police. The designated safeguarding lead and his team ensure that both trainers and apprentices engage in carefully designed safeguarding training activities covering a wide range of topics. As a result, apprentices have a thorough understanding about how to keep themselves safe. Apprentices have a comprehensive understanding of risks and dangers, including radicalisation and extremism, knife crime, gang culture, county lines and other criminal behaviour such as child sexual exploitation and female genital mutilation. Apprentices respond appropriately when handling emergency calls that relate to these issues.

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Significant progress

Apprentices know how to report any concerns about safeguarding issues. They have a very well-developed understanding of local risks. They understand the importance of being vigilant when coming to and from work, including the requirement not to display publicly their lanyards and uniforms. Monitoring visit: The Chief Constable of West Yorkshire, 28 and 29 June 2022 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

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Significant progress

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Significant progress

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Significant progress

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Significant progress

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

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