Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Authority

Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Authority Report following a monitoring visit to a ‘requires improvement’ provider

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Name of lead inspector: Joanne Stork, His Majesty’s Inspector

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Address: Nissan Way Sunderland SR5 3QY Monitoring visit: Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Authority, 30 and 31 May 2024

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Context and focus of visit

Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Authority was inspected in August 2023. 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

Since the last inspection, leaders have introduced level 3 emergency contact handler and level 3 community safety adviser apprenticeships for a small number of apprentices in addition to the level 3 operational firefighter standard.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers have developed a useful tracking process for apprentices to identify their existing knowledge, skills and behaviour at the start of the programme. Staff oversee apprentices’ completion of the tracking document to ensure that the information collected is accurate. However, the starting points are not yet shared with instructors during the initial training period. Leaders and managers are working to develop a process to share the information with instructors so that it can be used to inform the training that apprentices receive earlier in the programme.

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Reasonable progress

Staff on the level 3 operational firefighter apprenticeship review individual apprentices’ progress frequently. After each activity and learning module, instructors check learning through graded assessments and informal debriefs following practical activities. When apprentices are unsuccessful in an aspect of their practical training, instructors are very supportive and provide effective coaching to help apprentices understand where they went wrong and what they need to do to improve.

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Reasonable progress

Instructors provide a wide range of helpful activities to develop apprentices’ knowledge, skills and behaviours. They plan scenarios based on apprentices’ level of ability. For apprentices who are making rapid progress, staff introduce additional, more advanced topics into the training, such as how to locate people hiding during a fire situation.

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Reasonable progress

Instructors conduct progress meetings in the early stages of basic training for level 3 operational firefighters to consider the overall performance of each apprentice. At Monitoring visit: Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Authority, 30 and 31 May 2024 these meetings, instructors review progress against actions in apprentices’ learning plans and capture the key aspects of firefighting that apprentices need to work on to improve their practice. For apprentices who are at the end of their basic training and progressing to placement in fire stations, the information from the reviews provides a useful starting point for crew and station managers to plan the next stage of their training.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers have strengthened their quality assurance processes and improved their oversight of the provision. They now carry out a risk assessment of instructors based on their experience of teaching, and this will inform the frequency with which managers carry out observations of teaching.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have recently developed a useful method to evaluate the quality of teaching that apprentices receive. They use an online dashboard to record the results of their observations and to identify strengths and areas for improvement clearly. They aim to use this information to identify individual and team training needs and plan the staff development that instructors receive.

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Reasonable progress

Staff revisit the curriculum content and its sequencing following completion of each cohort. They review the training that has been completed to see where they can make improvements. On the level 3 operational firefighter apprenticeship, instructors have produced new resources and activities that better prepare apprentices for working as firefighters, such as using a smoke-filled basement with loud music to replicate an illegal rave.

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Reasonable progress

The majority of instructors have now achieved a teaching qualification. Leaders have plans in place to ensure that the remainder are qualified soon so that all instructors are well prepared to deliver the initial training.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers in the prevention and education department have a clear overview of the progress that apprentices make on the newly introduced level 3 community safety adviser apprenticeship. They carry out a customer satisfaction survey and analyse apprentices’ record-keeping. Team leaders review apprentices’ progress at work. As a result, apprentices on this programme receive frequent feedback on their progress and rapidly develop their skills in advising the public about fire safety. Monitoring visit: Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Authority, 30 and 31 May 2024

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers have started to address the challenges of instructor workloads. Instructors are well supported by leaders when they move into training roles. They appreciate the support that they receive through coaching and mentoring. Leaders have secured two additional instructor posts for the level 3 operational firefighter programme. However, they had been unable to fill the posts at the time of the visit, meaning that staff workloads remain high.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers have implemented a range of strategies to use instructors’ time more efficiently in order to reduce workloads. Leaders ensure that cohorts of apprentices remain small. They have changed the delivery pattern so that instructors have some non-teaching time during the week. Leaders have supported staff to make more effective use of session time by working with small groups of apprentices to develop specific knowledge and skills. As a result, apprentices develop their knowledge more securely and are better prepared for their assessments. Consequently, less instructor time is used helping apprentices revisit practical tasks where they have performed less well when assessed. Monitoring visit: Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Authority, 30 and 31 May 2024 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

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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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