MYF Training Limited

Further education and skills inspection report

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Inspection dates: 20 to 23 September 2022

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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

MYF Training Limited (MYF) is an independent training provider based in south east England. MYF began delivering subcontracted apprenticeship provision in 2001. In May 2017, MYF gained its own funding contract and started to deliver its own directly funded apprenticeships. At the time of the inspection, there were 302 apprentices. There were 297 apprentices on level 3 veterinary nursing standard apprenticeships and five were at the final stages of their apprenticeship framework qualification. MYF does not work with any subcontractors. 20 to 23 September 2022

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

Apprentices are proud to be training as veterinary nurses, and they value the support they receive to become better at their jobs. As a result of their training, they gain confidence and are able to deal with clients and their pets with knowledge, confidence and empathy.

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

Apprentices develop good knowledge, skills and behaviours that they use in their workplace successfully. For example, apprentices learn how to correctly position an animal for X-ray. They understand how to correctly monitor an animal’s breathing while under anaesthesia. Consequently, apprentices develop their skills quickly and become more adept veterinary nurses.

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

Apprentices value the individualised training they receive from their clinical supervisors in the workplace, which enables them to become more independent and make a greater contribution in the workplace. For example, apprentices use their training to improve processes for patient discharge.

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

Apprentices benefit highly from the qualification they achieve, in addition to their apprenticeship, which gives them the professional license to practice, as recognised by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons. This gives them authority to dispense particular types of drugs, for example parasite control, and enables them to run nurse and mobile clinics.

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

Lecturers, assessors and clinical supervisors provide effective careers advice and guidance to prepare apprentices for progression in the veterinary sector. Apprentices nearing completion of their apprenticeship are suitably supported in their next steps. For the few apprentices who wish to pursue careers outside the sector, staff provide one-to-one support to identify alternative pathways.

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

Leaders recognise that apprentices work in a highly stressful and physically demanding environment. Staff support apprentices’ well-being effectively. For example, they work closely with a specialist charity to help apprentices to develop their mental resilience, especially around assessment and exam preparation, stay healthy, and balance their work and study.

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

Apprentices are safe in an inclusive and respectful environment. They are confident that staff will respond quickly to their concerns. However, apprentices do not know enough about the specific risks associated with their vocation, such as animal rights activism or specific local risks, and so do not know how to keep safe from these potential threats.

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better?

Leaders have an ambitious and focused rationale for the specialist veterinary programme they deliver. Their well-considered aim is to provide specialist veterinary nurse training to meet the needs of practices in the geographical area. Leaders and 20 to 23 September 2022

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staff strive to share their specialist skills and experience with the next generation, successfully helping to redress the recognised skills shortage of nurses in the veterinary sector.

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Leaders have established a logical and well-sequenced curriculum that develops the knowledge and skills apprentices need to succeed in practice and with their exams. They have rearranged the order in which apprentices take their exams to ensure that they gain, retain and use knowledge from their long-term memory. For example, they plan time for targeted revision sessions prior to the examinations, and as a result, apprentices are well prepared and many achieve high grades.

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Enthusiastic teaching, clinical and assessing staff have appropriate experience and qualifications in veterinary nursing. They are supported well to keep their knowledge and skills current through returning to practice and attending external training relevant to the sector. As a result, apprentices benefit from up-to-date knowledge and gain new and often innovative practical skills.

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Apprentices benefit from high-quality resources and a well-organised learning environment. They make good use of practical resources to improve their skills in using the latest industry standard equipment, and they understand their safe use in clinical practice. Apprentices rightly value the ongoing availability of high-quality online learning resources. They find these particularly helpful when revising for academic examinations.

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Lecturers have high expectations of apprentices and expertly use a variety of teaching methods. They present information clearly and concisely, which helps apprentices understand key concepts, consolidate their learning and apply it to their clinical practice. For example, lecturers skilfully demonstrate authentic empathy through appropriate and professional communication. As a result, apprentices develop their emotional intelligence and the interpersonal skills required when conveying their condolences to pet owners following the death of a beloved animal.

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Lecturers identify and plan for apprentices with specific learning needs, including those with an education health and care plan, effectively. For example, they use detailed plans successfully in order to help apprentices with autism spectrum disorder cope with change. Consequently, these apprentices with specific needs achieve as well as their peers.

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Apprentices develop their literacy and numeracy skills well throughout the course. They develop their sector-specific vocabulary, use of professional language and academic writing skills while completing their written assignments. They improve their mathematic skills while performing practical tasks such as preparing medication suitable for a pet’s size and weight. As a result, they have increased confidence in their clinical skills, such as conducting veterinary calculations and writing clinical notes.

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Leaders have a reasonable understanding of the strengths and areas that require improvement within the organisation. The recent pandemic and the effect it has had on the veterinary sector has slowed down some of the planned improvements following the 20 to 23 September 2022

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provider’s monitoring visit. As a result, leaders’ plans to resolve many issues have been significantly delayed.

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Leaders and staff do not sufficiently monitor all aspects of the programme sufficiently well. As a result, they do not have a detailed understanding of apprentices’ overall progress. Staff do not set sufficiently detailed targets for apprentices, and as a result, it is not always clear what apprentices need to do to improve and how.

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Leaders do not collect or use destination data sufficiently well to inform them of whether their apprentices are going on to appropriate, high-quality careers. Leaders have identified this as a weakness and have logically planned actions to improve this moving forward.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders are fully committed to keeping all their apprentices and staff safe. They have appropriate policies and codes of conduct in place and implement their ‘Prevent’ duty appropriately. The designated safeguarding lead (DSL) and deputy are appropriately trained for their role. They ensure staff understand their roles within safeguarding.

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Safeguarding

The DSL and deputy check that staff are safe to work with apprentices.

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Safeguarding

The DSL and deputy identify quickly and intervene successfully when safeguarding issues occur. They record and monitor these issues closely.

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What does the provider need to do to improve?

 Leaders should ensure that academic, clinical and assessing staff formally collaborate to monitor apprentices’ progress across all elements of the apprenticeship programme.  Leaders should ensure that staff set more specific targets so that apprentices are clear about what they need to do to improve.  Leaders must ensure that all apprentices understand the risks associated with working within the veterinary sector. 20 to 23 September 2022

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Provider details

Address 78–82 Victoria Road Aldershot GU11 1SS

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Provider details

Principal, CEO or equivalent Julie Ouston

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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 20 to 23 September 2022

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Information about this inspection

The inspection team was assisted by the director and head of centre, 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

Tricia Collis, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector Jo-Ann Henderson His Majesty’s Inspector Jackie Shopland-Reed Ofsted Inspector Carolyn Langford Ofsted Inspector Colin Smith Ofsted Inspector 20 to 23 September 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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