East Suffolk And North Essex NHS Foundation Trust

East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust Monitoring visit report

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Name of lead inspector: Georgina Ager, His Majesty’s Inspector

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Address:

Colchester Hospital Turner Road Colchester Essex CO4 5JL Monitoring visit: East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust, 20 and 21 June 2023

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Context and focus of visit

Ofsted undertakes to carry out monitoring visits to all newly directly funded providers of apprenticeship training provision funded 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

East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust is an employer provider. They provide apprenticeships predominantly in healthcare and business and management. Training mainly takes place at Colchester and Ipswich hospitals. At the time of the inspection, there were 85 apprentices in training. There were 39 apprentices studying on level 3 senior healthcare support worker, 11 apprentices were studying on level 2 healthcare support worker, 19 apprentices were studying on level 3 team leader and 10 apprentices were studying on level 3 business administration. The remaining apprentices were studying customer service standards or the operations and departmental manager standard. Most apprentices are over the age of 19.

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Context and focus of visit

At the time of the inspection, East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust did not have any subcontracted provision. There were no apprentices in receipt of high needs funding.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have a clear rationale for their apprenticeship provision. Leaders plan appropriately to train and develop their future workforce. Leaders and managers are ambitious for their apprentices. Leaders have developed clear progression routes. Apprentices can progress from level 2 through to higher level apprenticeships, such as the nursing associate apprenticeship.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers have ensured that their programmes meet the apprenticeship requirements. Apprentices receive sufficient off-the-job time to enable them to undertake their studies. As a result, most apprentices are developing the new knowledge, skills and behaviours their apprenticeship standards require. Monitoring visit: East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust, 20 and 21 June 2023 Apprentices understand the requirements for their final assessments. However, too many apprentices are not aware of the grading requirements. As a result, they do not know what they need to do to achieve the best possible outcomes.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have ensured that they have recruited well-qualified staff. Tutors have the technical qualifications and experience to be able to support apprentices appropriately. Healthcare support worker tutors have considerable clinical experience. As a result, tutors can clearly use examples to make learning relevant to the apprentice’s job roles.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers support tutors effectively to improve their teaching practice. Tutors attend useful standardisation meetings to share and improve their teaching practice. Tutors attend webinars on different teaching approaches. They shadow more-experienced tutors. Leaders have plans in place to ensure that all staff have appropriate teaching qualifications.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders take appropriate action when they identify areas where they need to improve the quality of their training. Leaders have made sensible changes to improve their English and mathematics courses. Apprentices now receive additional teaching. This has provided apprentices who work different shift patterns with a wider range of sessions to attend. However, it is too early to assess the impact of these changes on apprentices’ progress in English and mathematics.

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Reasonable progress

Governance arrangements are effective. Leaders have ensured that they have the governance structures in place to provide sufficient challenge. Leaders have recently introduced a new apprenticeship performance group to further increase their focus on improving the quality of the apprenticeship provision.

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Reasonable progress

Tutors have effectively sequenced the curriculum. As a result, apprentices build their skills and knowledge over time. Team leader apprentices learn firstly about emotional intelligence and self-awareness. They then apply these concepts in their leadership module.

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Reasonable progress

On- and off-the-job training is well coordinated. Apprentices working in outpatient services gain experience of working with patients receiving acute care. Team leading apprentices have opportunities to lead on the implementation of projects. They shadow meetings and interviews for new staff. As a result, apprentices benefit from a broad range of workplace activities. This supports the development of the knowledge, skills and behaviours required for their apprenticeship. Monitoring visit: East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust, 20 and 21 June 2023 Tutors know their apprentices well. Tutors consider apprentice’s departmental backgrounds during teaching sessions. Tutors use real-world examples that are relevant to their apprentices within teaching sessions. As a result, apprentices gain a sound understanding of concepts such as the importance of management data and reporting.

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Reasonable progress

Tutors use a range of effective assessment methods to check apprentices understand concepts. Tutors use questioning appropriately. Tutors quickly correct apprentices when they give incorrect answers. Tutors provide apprentices with useful and constructive feedback on their written work. Tutors give clear instructions on how to add further depth and breath. As a result, apprentices are clear on what they need to do to improve. The quality of their written work improves over time.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices gain new knowledge and skills while studying their apprenticeship. For example, team leader apprentices gain a greater understanding of budgeting and finance. Senior healthcare apprentices learn about the rationale behind the policies they must follow in their job roles. Apprentices quickly become useful members of their teams.

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Reasonable progress

Workplace managers value the training apprentices receive. Level 3 healthcare support worker apprentices develop their professional relationships with colleagues. Apprentices develop an understanding of how to communicate with different team members on the hospital wards. Level 2 healthcare support worker apprentices learn about different ways in which they can support nurses.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have a good understanding of the progress apprentices are making on the technical areas of their apprenticeship. Tutors effectively track the knowledge, skills and behaviours apprentices are developing. Leaders ensure that actions are in place if apprentices are at risk of falling behind. However, leaders do not have clear enough oversight of the progress apprentices are making in their English and mathematics studies.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices feel safe within the workplace. Apprentices have a secure understanding of safeguarding. They know how to report concerns.

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Reasonable progress

Tutors have undertaken appropriate safeguarding training. Within level 3 senior healthcare worker sessions, tutors use case study scenarios to remind apprentices of the risks to their own well-being when dealing with traumatic events and difficult situations. Tutors check apprentices prioritise their own well-being. Tutors ensure that apprentices know where they can receive support if required. Monitoring visit: East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust, 20 and 21 June 2023 Leaders have ensured that there are clear processes in place for staff to report safeguarding concerns. Leaders follow safer recruitment processes. However, leaders have not yet ensured that their safeguarding policies have sufficient focus on education and training.

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Reasonable progress

Safeguarding leaders across the trust take an active part in external networks. Leaders understand the local safeguarding risks. However, too many apprentices are not aware of the local risks within the areas in which they work and live. Monitoring visit: East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust, 20 and 21 June 2023 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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Reasonable progress

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Reasonable progress

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Reasonable progress

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Reasonable progress

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

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