Yorkshire Ambulance Service National Health Service Trust

Further education and skills inspection report

p.1

Inspection of Yorkshire Ambulance Service National Health Service Trust

p.1

Overall effectiveness Good

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

p.1

Information about this provider

Yorkshire Ambulance Service National Health Service Trust is an employer provider based in Wakefield, West Yorkshire. It began to offer apprenticeships in October 2018. At the time of the inspection, there were 398 apprentices, of whom 197 were on the level 3 ambulance support worker (ASW) standard, and 201 were on the level 4 associate ambulance practitioner (AAP) standard. The level 3 ASW apprenticeship includes four weeks of ‘blue-light’ ambulance driver training. The apprenticeships provide a career pathway to becoming a paramedic. The provider has academies in Wakefield, Leeds, Doncaster and York. It has subcontracting arrangements in place with Selby College (part of Heart of Yorkshire Education Group) and JM Training to provide functional skills courses in English and mathematics. 6 to 9 June 2023

p.1

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

Apprentices enjoy a very productive, collaborative learning culture and environment, which enables them to learn well. At all times, apprentices show a high level of respect for each other’s opinions and personal experiences. This is especially evident when apprentices evaluate their own and their peers’ performance during practical role-play scenarios. Apprentices are prepared to give critical and challenging feedback to their peers and respectfully receive similar feedback about their own performance.

p.2

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

Apprentices’ behaviour is exemplary, reflecting the high standards expected from them in line with the trust’s values and as professionals. Apprentices are punctual, and their attendance at sessions is very high. They attend sessions in full uniform, with all the required materials and equipment, such as high-visibility vests and safety equipment, ready for practical activities.

p.2

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

Apprentices demonstrate extremely positive attitudes to their learning. They value their training and recognise the importance of gaining high levels of knowledge and skills to become crucial members of the frontline emergency services. In the workplace, apprentices are highly effective in using their knowledge and skills to respond to exceptionally challenging situations.

p.2

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

Apprentices are prepared very well for life in modern Britain through a carefully considered personal development curriculum. They learn how to treat everyone fairly and how to work together as one team to provide the best possible patient care. Apprentices explore topics related to fundamental British values, such as deprivation of liberty and informed consent, so that they are better equipped to deal with a range of diverse patients.

p.2

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

Educators build apprentices’ confidence and resilience very effectively. As a result, apprentices gain the skills they need to cope with stressful and demanding situations in the workplace. At level 3, apprentices demonstrate high levels of resilience and integrity in situations such as assisting clinicians in difficult circumstances and treating elderly patients with dignity and respect when they have had a fall at home. Level 4 apprentices recognise the significant change in their role, from being directed at the scene of accidents to making decisions confidently and directing others.

p.2

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

Leaders, managers and educators ensure that there is a very clear focus on apprentices’ mental and physical well-being. When apprentices are exposed to casualty trauma at critical incidents, staff provide high-quality and rapid support and guidance. Apprentices have a ‘hot debrief’ and are helped by a ‘post-incident care’ service to support their mental health. Health and well-being leads support and signpost apprentices to additional services, either within the trust or externally, such as counselling services and bereavement support.

p.2

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

Apprentices feel safe because all staff place a strong emphasis on safeguarding everyone in the organisation. 6 to 9 June 2023

p.2

What does the provider do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders have established a clear vision and rationale for the level 3 and level 4 ambulance apprenticeship standards that they offer. The level 3 programme supports the need for growth and sustainability in the number of reliable clinical practitioners, while the level 4 significantly increases workforce expertise. The apprenticeships sit within a clearly defined career progression pathway from the level 3 apprenticeship to a level 6 paramedic apprenticeship, which is provided by partner universities.

p.3

What does the provider do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders have designed a well-planned curriculum, which successfully builds on apprentices’ knowledge, skills and behaviours. On the level 3 ASW apprenticeship, educators start by teaching apprentices about the fundamental legal aspects of their roles before moving on to physically treating casualties. Apprentices at level 4 learn how to carry out effective patient assessments and provide appropriate emergency medical treatments, so they are then able to make key decisions about further courses of action independently. Almost all level 4 AAP apprentices aspire to become paramedics.

p.3

What does the provider do well and what does it need to do better?

Educators have teaching qualifications and are well qualified and highly experienced paramedics. They carry out a wide range of relevant professional development activities to maintain their registration with the Health and Care Professions Council and to keep their knowledge and skills current. They use their knowledge and experience effectively to teach the course content, enhancing the curriculum through the use of real-life scenarios. They teach the core content as prescribed by leaders, ensuring that apprentices receive consistency in ambulance response and clinician training to the required level across the academies.

p.3

What does the provider do well and what does it need to do better?

All apprentices learn substantial new knowledge, skills and behaviours, and most make good progress. Team leaders provide helpful reviews with apprentices in the workplace. However, due to the operational demands of working in emergency front-line services, reviews are often delayed, which hampers apprentices’ progress. Consequently, around a quarter of apprentices are currently beyond their planned end date.

p.3

What does the provider do well and what does it need to do better?

Until very recently, leaders and managers did not use data well enough to inform their actions to improve apprentices’ progress and achievement. As a result, they did not take swift action to ensure support was in place for the apprentices who were not making the progress that they should. Leaders have now appointed an experienced apprenticeship manager, who is using data more effectively and putting constructive actions in place for those apprentices who are behind. These improvements are starting to have a positive impact, and apprentices are beginning to catch up.

p.3

What does the provider do well and what does it need to do better?

Educators use assessment well. Apprentices complete a wide range of assessments throughout their apprenticeship. These range from short-answer tests, to giving presentations and observations of their professional practice. Educators provide apprentices with very specific feedback, which is extremely valuable in helping them 6 to 9 June 2023

p.3

4

to develop their learning further. Driving educators support apprentices to analyse their driving performance though a daily reflection of their practice and the factors that have influenced their performance.

p.4

4

Educators support apprentices to continue to develop their English and mathematic skills during off-the-job training. Apprentices are taught academic writing skills so that they improve their note-taking and report writing when attending incidents. They are tasked with calculating respiration and pulse rates when assessing a casualty to understand if they are critically ill and require more urgent treatment. The very small number of apprentices who need to complete a functional skills qualification in mathematics attend online sessions with Selby College or JM Training. Managers monitor the quality of subcontracted provision carefully.

p.4

4

Apprentices who require additional support are quickly identified, and appropriate support is put in place. However, the identification and sharing of learning support needs only takes place once apprentices start their programme, rather than when they first apply and undertake the initial assessment. As a result, actions taken to provide the required support, such as a dyslexia assessment and subsequent help, do not happen as early in apprentices’ programmes as needed.

p.4

4

Leaders and managers have effective arrangements in place for evaluating the quality of teaching. This includes observations of teaching by managers, who provide clear evaluations of educators’ performance and identify specific actions for improvement. All staff have an annual appraisal and career conversation, which includes discussions around health and well-being, aspirations and future career plans. Appraisals lead to precise objectives, which improves staff performance.

p.4

4

Governors support and guide the strategic ambition and direction of the provider. However, leaders and managers do not provide governors with sufficient detail about the quality of the apprenticeship provision. As a result, governors are not sufficiently well informed to ask probing questions to hold leaders to account about the quality of education that apprentices receive.

p.4

4

A very high proportion of apprentices on the level 4 AAP standard who complete the programme achieve all aspects of the apprenticeship. A high proportion of apprentices who complete the level 3 ASW standard achieve, although this has declined in the last year. Having identified the underlying issues, managers have made significant improvements to the structure of the apprenticeship. It is, however, too early to see the impact of these actions.

p.4

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.4

Safeguarding

Leaders and governors promote a culture of safeguarding. They demonstrate a high level of commitment to supporting apprentices and staff to ensure that they are all safe. The designated safeguarding lead (DSL) is very experienced. The DSL reports 6 to 9 June 2023

p.4

5

issues and concerns to the quarterly safeguarding executive group so that members of the group are fully informed of the actions taken to keep apprentices safe.

p.5

5

Leaders implement their safer recruitment policy effectively and recruit staff who are appropriate to work with apprentices. Staff carry out a wide range of relevant safeguarding training. All staff and apprentices achieve a level 2 safeguarding qualification, and all managers achieve a level 3 safeguarding qualification.

p.5

5

Leaders have a sound understanding of the ‘Prevent’ duty and their role in supporting apprentices to understand the risks of radicalisation. All apprentices receive major incident training, which helps to keep them safe in high-risk situations, such as terrorist attacks.

p.5

What does the provider need to do to improve?

 Ensure that apprentices who are not making sufficient progress receive appropriate support to help them catch up rapidly.  Ensure that support for apprentices’ learning needs is in place from the start of their apprenticeships so that they quickly receive the extra support they need.  Provide governors with sufficient detail about the quality of the apprenticeships so that they can hold leaders to account. 6 to 9 June 2023

p.5

Provider details

Address Elm Bank Training Centre Stanley Road Wakefield WF1 4LH

p.6

Provider details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

p.6

Main subcontractors

Selby College (part of Heart of Yorkshire Education Group) JM Training 6 to 9 June 2023

p.6

Information about this inspection

The inspection team was assisted by the head of the Yorkshire Ambulance Service Academy, 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

Philippa Firth, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector Malcolm Fraser His Majesty’s Inspector Chloe Rendall His Majesty’s Inspector Mark Keen Ofsted Inspector Kathryn Townsley Ofsted Inspector Shabana Mahmood Ofsted Inspector 6 to 9 June 2023

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