Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust

Further education and skills inspection report

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Inspection of Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Apprenticeships Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this provider

Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust (the Trust), provides physical, mental health and social care for people of all ages across Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Swindon, Wiltshire, Bath and North East Somerset. Services are delivered at community bases, hospitals, clinics and in people’s homes.

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Information about this provider

The Trust has been providing apprenticeships for its own staff since January 2018. It provides apprenticeship training from level 3 to level 7, mostly in the health sector. At the time of the inspection, there were 70 learners studying level 6 psychological well-being practitioner apprenticeship. There were 41 level 3 senior healthcare support worker apprentices, including 24 apprentices aged 16 to 18 years on a nursing cadet programme. Non-clinical apprenticeships included 22 level 3 business administration apprentices, eight level 3 team leaders, 10 studying level 5 operations or departmental managers and 18 level 7 academic professional apprentices. The Trust does not work with any subcontractors. 2 to 5 August 2022

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What is it like to be a learner with this provider?

Apprentices are very satisfied with the quality of education and training they receive. They attend classes and the workplace well and apply themselves positively to their learning. They feel well supported by the course team and their line managers. They highly value the skills and experience of their tutors who help them to link their learning to the workplace. Apprentices feel confident in asking for help and appreciate the support they get in improving their written and practical work.

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What is it like to be a learner with this provider?

Apprentices develop new knowledge and skills swiftly which they apply confidently in the workplace. For example, management apprentices who learn about coaching are better able to support new staff members. Academic professional apprentices are now writing research proposals and using digital learning techniques such as breakout rooms and online quizzes confidently in their teaching.

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What is it like to be a learner with this provider?

Apprentices have a strong understanding of British values and how they align with the values of the NHS. Apprentices treat service users with respect, on the wards and in community settings. Nurse cadets describe how they have become tolerant of language that patients use which they would have otherwise considered socially unacceptable, since understanding this is a symptom of illness.

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What is it like to be a learner with this provider?

Apprentices are clear about how the apprenticeship fits into their career development plans at the Trust. Leaders ensure apprentices know about the range of roles they can move into on completion of their apprenticeship. Apprentices are well prepared for their next steps. Many gain additional responsibilities, receive promotions or go on to higher level studies as a result of their training.

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What is it like to be a learner with this provider?

Apprentices, many of whom work in emotionally or physically challenging settings, feel safe and know how to keep themselves safe. Psychological well-being practitioner apprentices understand how to maintain an appropriate professional distance from clients during online consultations. Management apprentices rightly and confidently challenge unexpected visitors. Healthcare support workers learn about moving and handling, so they work safely with service users.

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better?

Leaders and managers have developed a clear workforce development plan of which apprenticeships are an integral part. They have ensured that the apprenticeships align with the mission and vision of the Trust. Leaders have successfully used their apprenticeship offer to fill skills gaps, widen participation and introduce new routes for staff to progress their careers. They use the nurse cadet scheme to attract younger entrants and diversify pathways to nursing. Experienced healthcare support workers can now move into nursing or allied health professions on successful completion of their apprenticeship.

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better?

Tutors are well qualified. They have relevant vocational experience, which they use very well in the apprenticeships they teach. Tutors benefit from useful, targeted 2 to 5 August 2022

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professional development which helps them to maintain professional competency and update their subject knowledge. For example, tutors study Master’s-level modules in dementia before updating course content for apprentices. Other apprentices shadow senior staff to build their understanding of forensic mental health nursing so they can better support apprentices moving into that field.

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Leaders and managers ensure that all apprentices benefit from high-quality teaching. They have a well-established culture of peer observations which enables teaching staff to learn from the practice of colleagues. New staff benefit from studying the academic professional apprenticeship which supports their development and enables them to become more effective teachers.

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Leaders and managers provide helpful support for employees’ well-being, through counselling services and intranet resources, which staff appreciate greatly. Managers provide staff, including apprentices, with opportunities for development, such as secondments to support their career progression. They deliver appropriately on their promises of support and time off to enable staff to study effectively and maintain a suitable work-life balance.

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Tutors teach well-planned programmes which enable apprentices to build new knowledge and skills logically. For example, psychological well-being practitioners learn about communication skills and how to engage with patients, before learning about interventions and treatment. Management apprentices learn about self- awareness before moving on to managing others. Nurse cadets rehearse physical observations in the classroom, before moving onto wards to put this learning into practice with patients.

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Managers identify apprentices’ starting points appropriately. However, they do not always use these starting points to adapt programmes to reflect apprentices’ experiences. As a result, a very small number of apprentices on the senior healthcare support worker and management apprenticeships repeat some learning and are not progressing as quickly as they could.

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Leaders work effectively with most line managers to plan apprenticeship programmes. Most line managers are fully involved in the apprenticeship. They attend frequent, helpful reviews with their apprentice. They understand how to support their apprentice in the workplace and are well informed about the progress they are making. However, a very small number of managers did not fully appreciate the expectations of the apprenticeship at the start. As a result, a very small number of apprentices on the senior healthcare worker and management apprenticeships do not benefit from sufficient time to complete their studies and the support they need from their line manager.

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Governance and oversight of the quality of education are effective. Leaders have recently introduced a new quality improvement cycle and committee structure which is already having a positive impact on their awareness of what and how to improve. Senior leaders in the Trust are well informed about the strengths and weaknesses of apprenticeship provision. They provide appropriate challenge to managers, which 2 to 5 August 2022

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leads to continuous quality improvements. For example, senior leaders challenged the department about the lack of diversity in their apprenticeship intakes. As a result, leaders have embarked on a new schools engagement project to address this.

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Leaders have a strong overview of the progress that each apprentice makes. Managers act swiftly and effectively to put in place support for apprentices at risk of falling behind and quickly action those needing breaks in learning. Consequently, apprentices make good progress

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have implemented a well-established culture of safeguarding across the organisation. Staff understand well the roles they play in keeping their employees and the service users they care for safe. Managers undertake suitable checks on new staff, including Disclosure and Barring Service checks on trainers, to ensure they are safe to work with apprentices. They ensure staff receive up-to-date training to help keep apprentices safe.

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Safeguarding

The apprenticeship safeguarding lead works closely with the well-qualified and experienced safeguarding team at the Trust. Safeguarding leads capture and record incidents appropriately and in line with the learning and development department’s safeguarding procedure.

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Safeguarding

Apprentices feel safe in training and the workplace. They receive training on safeguarding and the ‘Prevent’ duty when they start and revisit this at monthly review meetings. As a result, they know how to seek support and report any concerns.

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What does the provider need to do to improve?

 Leaders and managers should ensure that all line managers understand their roles within the apprenticeship programme so that they can support apprentices’ progress.  Leaders and managers should use apprentice’s starting points to better tailor programmes to ensure apprentices with prior experience progress quickly. 2 to 5 August 2022

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Provider details

Address Unipart House Garsington Road Cowley Oxford OX4 2PG

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Provider details

Provider type Independent learning provider

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Provider details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Provider details

Main subcontractors None 2 to 5 August 2022

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Information about this inspection

The inspection team was assisted by the apprenticeship manager, as nominee. Inspectors took account of the provider’s most recent self-assessment report and development plans, and the previous inspection report. The inspection was carried out using the further education and skills inspection handbook and took into account all relevant provision at the provider. Inspectors collected a wide range of evidence to inform judgements, including visiting learning sessions, scrutinising learners’ work, seeking the views of learners, staff and other stakeholders, and examining the provider’s documentation and records.

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Inspection team

Viki Faulkner, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Darren James Ofsted Inspector Gerri Nevin Ofsted Inspector Richard Kirkham Her Majesty’s Inspector 2 to 5 August 2022

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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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