North Bristol National Health Service Trust

Further education and skills inspection report

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Inspection of North Bristol National Health Service Trust

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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

North Bristol NHS Trust (NBT) is an employer training provider based in Southmead Hospital, Bristol. It began training apprentices in the health and social care sector in 2011 as a subcontractor to South West Association of Training Providers Ltd (Swatpro). NBT began training apprentices as a directly funded provider in September 2021. At the time of the inspection, 11 apprentices were studying customer service practitioner at level 2; 21 apprentices were studying business administration at level 3; and 26 apprentices were studying team leader/supervisor at level 3.

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Information about this provider

Nearly all apprentices were adults, with one apprentice aged 16 to 18. There were no apprentices with high needs. The provider does not teach Skills Bootcamps or work with subcontractors. 12 to 15 March 2024

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

Apprentices are proud to work for NBT. They enjoy their studies and value how tutors make many lessons collaborative so that they can discuss topics in depth and then apply the knowledge they gain in their job roles. For example, apprentices studying team leading explore and debate their own unconscious bias, and this helps them to become more empathetic and inclusive leaders. A minority of apprentices have active roles promoting apprenticeships at internal and external careers events outside of their studies. For example, two apprentices are regional apprenticeship ambassadors; another represents disabled apprentices as part of a national NHS network.

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

Apprentices are committed to their studies. They attend well and study diligently. Apprentices inform their tutor when work commitments prevent them from attending lessons. Tutors are swift to support apprentices to catch up with their studies by scheduling extra study time and additional one-to-one meetings to discuss the content of missed lessons.

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

Apprentices behave very well. They exhibit consistently the high expectations tutors have of them to be respectful and caring to others. Apprentices grow in confidence because of the training they receive and apply the knowledge and professional behaviours they gain in their job roles well. For example, tutors teach level 3 team leader apprentices about behavioural theories, such as assertiveness and solution- focused coaching, which apprentices then use successfully with their staff in the workplace.

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

Most apprentices have a very good understanding of British values. Apprentices studying level 3 business know how their employers’ policies are informed by data protection laws . As a result, they are acutely aware of patient confidentiality and are vigilant in the workplace when handling sensitive information. Apprentices are knowledgeable about a patient’s right to make their own decisions without pressure; they reflect this in their conduct and how they perform their job roles. Apprentices studying customer services understand well how an inefficient service would have a negative impact on patients’ waiting times for the treatment they need. As a result, they learn how to prioritise their work to ensure that information is promptly processed.

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

Most apprentices have a good understanding of how to keep themselves safe from the risks of radicalisation. They understand well the differences between radicalisation and terrorism.

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

A minority of apprentices study the additional online courses which leaders make available to them on topics such as safeguarding, fire safety and menopause training. However, leaders do not promote the wider curriculum well enough. As a result, the majority of apprentices do not know about these courses and do not study a wider curriculum. Leaders have rightly recognised this and have taken sensible actions to increase apprentices’ participation in this curriculum in the context of a very busy hospital trust. 12 to 15 March 2024

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Tutors provide apprentices with effective impartial advice, guidance and information during the frequent review of progress meetings. Tutors make good use of guest speakers from a wide range of the trust’s departments to deepen apprentices’ knowledge of careers within the trust, such as clinical services, finance and human resources.

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Apprentices feel safe. They know who to go to if they have a concern and are confident that staff would act swiftly to address harassment or bullying.

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better?

Tutors are well qualified. Most are very experienced and those tutors who are less experienced receive excellent mentoring and support from senior colleagues as part of a robust tutor induction programme. Tutors work closely with employers to plan apprentices’ training so that it meets their needs well. For example, tutors increased the amount of training level 2 customer services apprentices receive in communication skills so they can successfully lead staff induction sessions in their departments.

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better?

Tutors plan training carefully so that most apprentices build on and secure the knowledge and skills they need for their jobs. For example, tutors teach apprentices about British values and equality and diversity early in their course and revisit these topics frequently. Consequently, apprentices use this knowledge well to foster good relations across the trust with patients and staff. Level 3 team leader apprentices particularly value how this helps them to lead a diverse workforce. However, a minority of tutors do not set apprentices tasks at the appropriate level. For example, a few level 3 business apprentices gain only a superficial knowledge of the principles of business analysis because they have not been taught enough about the role of external influences.

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better?

Tutors assess apprentices’ work accurately and provide them with useful feedback to help them to improve. For example, following workplace observations tutors showed apprentices how to use non-verbal skills effectively when communicating with hearing-impaired patients. As a result, apprentices become more confident in taking on customer-facing responsibilities at work. Tutors provide apprentices with feedback that enables them to improve the standards of their written English. As a result, apprentices learn how to be more descriptive and improve sentence structures when writing assignments or documents as part of their job.

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better?

Tutors teach apprentices English and mathematics knowledge and skills exceptionally well. Tutors assess apprentices’ starting points in mathematics well. They swiftly put in place extra teaching for those apprentices who start with a good understanding of mathematics so they can take their examination early in their apprenticeship. Tutors plan carefully lessons that focus well on teaching and helping to fill apprentices’ gaps in knowledge and preparing them for the examination. Tutors ensure that apprentices who speak English as an additional language are 12 to 15 March 2024

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taught in small groups to increase the individual support they receive to improve their English skills. Consequently, nearly all apprentices successfully achieve their English and/or mathematics functional skills qualifications at their first attempt.

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Many tutors plan lessons that are fun and encourage apprentices to contribute and discuss their ideas and experiences at work. As a result, this helps apprentices to retain knowledge. For example, level 3 team leader apprentices enjoy an activity where tutors require them to work together and imagine they are setting up a bed and breakfast business. Tutors provide apprentices with set costs, timescales and target groups to take account of; apprentices present their final proposals to tutors and their peers. As a result, apprentices learn transferable knowledge and skills such as how to work to deadlines, how to cost materials and labour and how to work collaboratively.

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Leaders plan an ambitious curriculum to ensure that the apprenticeships contribute positively to the strategic priorities of the NHS. For example, leaders have carefully selected apprenticeships which support three key trust strategies: workforce retention, commitment to local communities and workforce development and training.

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Leaders have put in place effective quality assurance and improvement processes. They have taken high effective actions to improve, for example, apprentices’ knowledge of British values and the standards of written English in their coursework. However, leaders do not evaluate the quality of teaching well enough to identify the most important skills that teachers need to improve. As a result, tutors receive too little training to improve their teaching skills to ensure that all teaching is of a very high standard.

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Leaders prioritise rightly the well-being of apprentices and tutors. They provide flexible working arrangements for staff, so they have a healthy balance between their work and home life. Leaders ensure that staff are trained in mental first aid and encourage them to access free trust services such as physiotherapy.

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Leaders ensure that all apprentices who complete their apprenticeship successfully pass their qualification, and nearly half achieve at the highest grade. Almost all apprentices who complete their apprenticeship progress to a positive destination, such as securing permanent employment or gaining a promotion. However, just over half of those apprentices who started their apprenticeship achieved their qualification within the expected timescale. Leaders have rightly recognised this and have taken robust actions which have resulted in an increase in the proportion of apprentices who stay on their apprenticeship and successfully achieve their qualification.

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Governors are knowledgeable about apprenticeships and the wider health service trust. They use their expertise well to provide leaders with appropriate support and challenge. For example, governors provided valuable support to leaders to establish the new leadership structure. As a result of this, leaders have very clearly defined roles which enable them to focus on the quality of education, safeguarding and 12 to 15 March 2024

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employer engagement to improve the experience of apprentices. Governors successfully championed leaders’ requests to raise the pay of apprentices and, as a result, this has helped to increase the recruitment of apprentices from the local community.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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What does the provider need to do to improve?

 Ensure that opportunities to develop apprentices’ personal skills and knowledge are planned, promoted and implemented effectively within each apprenticeship.  Ensure that tutors receive ongoing professional development in pedagogy to improve further the quality of teaching.  Ensure that most apprentices stay and achieve their qualification within the expected timescales. 12 to 15 March 2024

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Provider details

Address Southmead Hospital Southmead Road, Westbury-on-Trym Bristol BS10 5NB

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Provider details

Principal, CEO or equivalent Hannah Woodland

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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 12 to 15 March 2024

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Information about this inspection

The inspection team was assisted by the head of apprenticeships and early careers, 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

Cliff Shaw, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector Lucinda Sanders Ofsted Inspector Gavin Murray Ofsted Inspector 12 to 15 March 2024

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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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