CVS (UK) Limited

Further education and skills inspection report

p.1

Inspection dates: 22 to 24 November 2022

p.1

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

p.1

Information about this provider

CVS (UK) Limited (CVS) is a large company that owns veterinary practices and other veterinary-related services across the United Kingdom. It employs 8,000 staff. Its publicly funded apprenticeship provision, known as Chester Veterinary Training Centre (CVTC), moved into the education department of CVS in December 2021. CVTC had been part of a veterinary referral hospital that was acquired by CVS in 2010. The training centre continued to be based at the referral hospital until August 2022, when it relocated to its own premises.

p.1

Information about this provider

At the time of the inspection, apprentices at CVTC followed the level 3 apprenticeship standard in veterinary nursing. This programme enables apprentices to become registered with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) as a registered veterinary nurse. There were 43 students on this level 3 programme, 31 of whom were apprentices and in scope for the inspection. All apprentices were employed in a training practice and attended the training centre for one day per week, with the rest of the time spent in the workplace. At the time of the inspection, leaders were introducing a new level 2 and level 5 qualification to promote career progression within the veterinary nursing profession. 22 to 24 November 2022

p.1

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

Apprentices learn in a caring and supportive environment. They are confident and participate enthusiastically in lessons. Almost all apprentices have a positive approach to learning and frequently ask questions to check their own understanding. Apprentices enjoy the smaller group sizes and feel that they have many opportunities to discuss topics, including revisiting those that they do not understand fully. Apprentices say that lessons are well planned and interactive. They value the support that they receive from their tutors.

p.2

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

Apprentices understand the challenges of their profession quickly. They learn about the veterinary nursing professional standards and the expectations of the industry throughout their first unit. Tutors teach them skilfully about how to deal with issues such as compassion fatigue and building resilience. Apprentices feel that staff support their mental health and well-being very effectively. Tutors help students to understand that they may not pass every assessment first time. It is a challenging and wide-ranging programme. This understanding helps apprentices to become stronger in their studies and in their practices.

p.2

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

Apprentices benefit from a deep understanding of ethics and the importance of this in their professional practice. They discuss regularly ethical considerations observed in practice and recall how learning in this topic enables them to explore issues such as euthanasia. This further supports the development of apprentices’ resilience, confidence and independence.

p.2

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

Apprentices feel that staff are approachable and supportive. There is a positive culture of respect between staff and apprentices. Leaders are swift to respond to the views and opinions of apprentices. Apprentices feel comfortable in making recommendations for improvements, such as improving their break-out and recreational areas or asking for additional help on topics that they find more difficult.

p.2

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

Apprentices enjoy their time at the centre. Their attendance at sessions is high. Tutors’ industry experience helps them to relate to apprentices and to emphasise the importance of balancing work, life and learning.

p.2

better?

Leaders are passionate about the veterinary nurse profession. Their curriculum prepares apprentices to become effective, well-rounded and highly competent veterinary nurses. Leaders meet the principles and requirements of an apprenticeship fully. Staff are ambitious for their apprentices and for what they can achieve in the sector.

p.2

better?

Apprentices link what they learn in the centre to the practical activities that they undertake in the workplace skilfully and effectively. They build substantial new knowledge, skills and behaviours over time. Apprentices use relevant technical 22 to 24 November 2022

p.2

3

vocabulary fluently in their written work and in their practices. For example, using an interactive game, apprentices recalled the scientific names of parasites and what specific drugs are used to treat them, such as prescribing fenbendazole to eradicate roundworms.

p.3

3

Apprentices develop the skills that they need for their industry quickly. They are confident to recognise best practice and to challenge their employers when they identify out-of-date or poor practice. For example, apprentices learn the most recent and effective industry practices in scrubbing and clipping patients for surgery. They develop knowledge and skills that they implement in their workplaces, such as developing a new ‘pain-scoring’ system and introducing the ‘Diff-Quick’ staining process into their surgeries.

p.3

3

Tutors have relevant industry experience. For example, in teaching thoracostomy tube procedures, tutors relate their experiences using a variety of different types of patients to prompt discussion. Consequently, apprentices develop knowledge that is useful and relevant to their workplace.

p.3

3

Tutors demonstrate expert knowledge in a variety of subject areas. They relate the content of the subjects that they teach to real work scenarios and what apprentices undertake in practice. This is effective in helping apprentices to understand why they carry out certain tasks, such as using the coccygeal vein for blood sampling in certain species. Tutors reinforce concepts regularly by linking them to prior learning and by asking apprentices to apply them in different practical situations.

p.3

3

Tutors use a variety of assessments in lessons to monitor apprentices’ progress and to provide the opportunity for them to demonstrate how they know more and can do more since starting the apprenticeship programme. Consequently, apprentices develop skills and knowledge that they use readily in their work. For example, apprentices learn how to correctly identify different parasites under the microscope, as well as demonstrate their ability to position patients for x-ray correctly. They use knowledge about x-rays in previous modules to develop their understanding of potential faults in the x-ray process, such as overexposure.

p.3

3

Apprentices build substantial new knowledge and skills quickly. These help them to work with a patient from the beginning to the end of their diagnosis and treatment, and increasingly to use their initiative. For example, apprentices work with clients to process patients themselves, develop appropriate plans with anaesthetists and set up surgery. This involves calculating gas flow rates. Furthermore, apprentices learn how to monitor anaesthetics accurately and complete full handovers to ward nurses, which prior to their apprenticeship programme they would not have been able to do on their own.

p.3

3

Apprentices demonstrate high levels of ability in their academic writing. They write eloquently and knowledgeably, using highly relevant references to support their explanations and discussions. Feedback on apprentices’ written work is detailed and comprehensive. It explains specifically what knowledge content the apprentice has omitted and what they should have included to have achieved a better grade. 22 to 24 November 2022

p.3

4

However, leaders’ arrangements for the marking of apprentices’ work independently from the centre do not ensure that tutors receive feedback routinely on what topics apprentices find more difficult. Consequently, tutors do not include these more challenging topics in their planning of future lessons.

p.4

4

Apprentices benefit from comprehensive careers advice and guidance while on their apprenticeship programme. They hear from external guest speakers and experience visits that broaden their knowledge of different career pathways within their profession. Apprentices are fully aware that they can become referral nurses or have careers in physiotherapy, dentistry, management or work abroad.

p.4

4

Leaders work widely and closely with national partners, such as trailblazer groups for the level 3 apprenticeship standard, the RCVS and awarding organisations. These relationships help leaders to influence and promote training for veterinary nurses nationally and to inform the curriculum at the centre. Their involvement in national networks provides contacts and links with employer groups beyond those they work with at the centre. Consequently, apprentices benefit from up-to-date information and links in their apprenticeship.

p.4

4

Leaders support their staff effectively. They manage their workloads carefully and provide sufficient time for tutors to prepare lessons fully and to a high standard. Leaders oversee and support staff’s well-being regularly. They demonstrate high levels of care towards their staff, and staff demonstrate care for each other. All staff are proud to work for the organisation. Leaders provide relevant ongoing continuous professional development opportunities that are varied and ensure that staff remain professionally up to date with their teaching practices. Leaders set specific targets in appraisal meetings that ensure that staff are equipped to deliver high-quality training to their apprentices.

p.4

4

Leaders and managers ensure that they review the quality of apprentices’ work regularly and in detail. They have improved their approach to quality assurance and improvement since their new provider monitoring visit. Leaders and managers have a good understanding of each apprentice’s progress in each assessment and over time. However, they acknowledge that they need to implement a more strategic approach as they start to grow to ensure that they maintain an effective oversight of the quality of education across their apprenticeship provision.

p.4

4

Members of the governance function are fully aware of the training provider’s curriculum and related activities. They challenge leaders effectively and follow up issues in future meetings. Members have high expectations of apprentices and focus specifically on the development of high-quality general practice nurses for the sector. As a result, they invest regularly in the training provider and ensure that leaders have the resources they need to deliver high-quality training.

p.4

4

While governance is currently effective, members recognise that they need a more formal structure for the governance function to prepare them for future growth. 22 to 24 November 2022

p.4

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.5

Safeguarding

Leaders, managers and governors take their responsibilities for safeguarding very seriously. Apprentices can contact the safeguarding team out of hours if necessary. Apprentices receive appropriate training on safeguarding and ‘Prevent’ duty. Apprentices know how to keep themselves safe at work, including around sexual abuse at work. They learn about the risks related to their profession, such as mental health, compassion fatigue, suicide and the access and risks relating to controlled drug use.

p.5

Safeguarding

The designated safeguarding lead, deputy and all members of staff receive appropriate training.

p.5

Safeguarding

Staff pre-employment checks are robust and in place before new members of staff start working at the centre.

p.5

What does the provider need to do to improve?

 Leaders should ensure that tutors set targets based on individuals’ previous experience and starting points to ensure that they progress at a rate commensurate with what they already know and can do.  Leaders should ensure that feedback on externally marked work is shared swiftly and comprehensively with tutors to ensure that they know how to support and improve apprentices’ understanding of a topic swiftly.  Leaders should ensure that they implement a more strategic approach to quality assurance and improvement to ensure that, as the organisation starts to grow, they maintain an effective oversight of the quality of education across their apprenticeship provision.  Leaders and members of the governance function should implement a more formal structure for the governance function, to prepare them for future growth. 22 to 24 November 2022

p.5

Provider details

Address Unit 12, Telford Court Gates Lane Dunkirk Trading Estate, Chester Gates, Gates Lane Chester CH1 6LT

p.6

Provider details

Principal, CEO or equivalent Jackie Evans

p.6

Provider details

Provider type Independent learning provider

p.6

Provider details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

p.6

Provider details

Main subcontractors None 22 to 24 November 2022

p.6

Information about this inspection

The inspection team was assisted by the 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.

p.7

Inspection team

Suzanne Wainwright, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector Iain Glendinning Ofsted Inspector 22 to 24 November 2022

p.7

8

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.

p.8

8

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.8

8

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.8

8

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

p.8

8

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

p.8