South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust

South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust Report following a monitoring visit to a ‘requires improvement’ provider

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Name of lead inspector: Sara Woodward, His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection dates: 13 and 14 September 2023

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Address:

Bone Lane Newbury RG14 5UE Monitoring visit: South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust, 13 and 14 September 2023

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Context and focus of visit

South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust was inspected in late November 2022. At that time, inspectors judged the overall effectiveness of the provision to require improvement.

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Context and focus of visit

The focus of this monitoring visit was to evaluate the progress that leaders and managers have made in resolving the main areas for improvement identified at the previous inspection.

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Context and focus of visit

South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust serves the counties of Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hampshire and Oxfordshire, as well as Surrey and Sussex, for non-emergency transport services. At the time of the monitoring visit, there were 42 apprentices studying the level 3 ambulance support worker standard and 26 apprentices studying level 4 associate ambulance practitioner. All apprentices were aged 19 years and over. Five apprentices were studying English or mathematics functional skills. The provider does not work with any subcontractors.

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Reasonable progress

Since the previous inspection, leaders have improved the quality of English and mathematics functional skills teaching. Apprentices benefit from dedicated time for these subjects, which helps them to develop their literacy and numeracy skills effectively. Leaders now ensure that apprentices benefit from earlier, one-to-one support in these subjects. As a result, most apprentices pass their functional skills in a timely manner, and many achieve well.

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Reasonable progress

The well-qualified and experienced functional skills teacher uses information about apprentices’ starting points to plan and adapt teaching well. The teacher uses model examples, practice questions and recap effectively, which helps apprentices to consolidate mathematical approaches fluently, such as calculating fractions and percentages. Consequently, most apprentices build new knowledge and skills quickly and are well prepared for the final examination.

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Reasonable progress

Teaching staff ensure that apprentices apply and develop functional skills in their day-to-day work skilfully. They plan training with work-based mentors to ensure that apprentices have valuable opportunities to practise and consolidate these skills. For example, mentors demonstrate to apprentices how to communicate with confused Monitoring visit: South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust, 13 and 14 September 2023 and anxious patients successfully. As a result, apprentices become increasingly proficient members of ambulance teams over time.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have improved the systems they use to monitor apprentices’ progress in functional skills successfully. They ensure that information is shared routinely at reviews with clinical team educators and mentors who monitor apprentices’ on-the- job progress. For example, where apprentices fall behind, staff intervene quickly. As a result, staff ensure that apprentices benefit from any additional support they require, progress well and complete their qualifications successfully.

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Significant progress

Since the last inspection, leaders have rapidly improved provision for apprentices with learning difficulties/special educational needs to ensure that they are successful in their programmes. They have appointed a highly qualified special educational needs coordinator, who ensures these apprentices’ needs are identified, planned for and met very well.

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Significant progress

Leaders and staff have worked diligently across the organisation to ensure that apprentices’ learning needs are recognised and supported very effectively throughout their training. Work-based mentors have significantly improved the communication between teams to ensure that these apprentices benefit from highly personalised on- and off-the-job training. As a result, apprentices with learning difficulties/special educational needs swiftly acquire the knowledge, skills and behaviours to be highly competent in non-emergency and emergency ambulance roles.

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Significant progress

Teaching staff use information about the individual needs of apprentices to plan learning and support apprentices very well. They ensure that these apprentices benefit from specialist resources, such as online dictation tools and extra time in assessments. Teachers provide highly individualised support and feedback that helps learners to understand how to improve their work. As a result, apprentices with learning difficulties/special educational needs make rapid progress and achieve as well as or better than their peers.

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Significant progress

Leaders and staff have significantly strengthened quality assurance processes in order to check apprentices’ progress carefully. Apprentices with learning difficulties/special educational needs who are at risk of falling behind are quickly identified and support plans put in place to ensure that they do not. As a result, almost all apprentices with learning difficulties/special educational needs achieve their courses in the planned timescale very successfully. Monitoring visit: South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust, 13 and 14 September 2023

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Reasonable progress

Leaders ensure that apprentices have access to their full off-the-job entitlement. Leaders and members of the executive board are also taking sensible steps to better protect apprentices’ off-the-job entitlement when they are working in demanding patient transport and emergency ambulance team roles. However, it is too early to judge the impact of these plans.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers have redesigned the level 4 associate ambulance practitioner curriculum and assessment plan carefully. They have ensured that apprentices benefit from sufficient off-the-job time to complete assignment work when they attend centre-based training. Apprentices also benefit from dedicated study days towards the end of their programme. As a result, these apprentices are up to date with their assignment work and prepared well to pass their assessments. Monitoring visit: South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust, 13 and 14 September 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

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Reasonable progress

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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