Lite (Stockport) Limited

Further education and skills inspection report

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

The quality of education Outstanding Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding Apprenticeships Outstanding Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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Information about this provider

Lite (Stockport) Limited (Lite) is an independent learning provider. Lite specialises in training apprentices to be skilled veterinary nurses for the veterinary sector. Lite has recently ceased the recruitment of level 2 apprenticeships. Lite has two sites located in Stockport and St Helens, in North West England. Currently, Lite has 134 apprentices, of which 131 study the level 3 veterinary nurse apprenticeship and less than five study the level 2 dog grooming apprenticeship. All apprentices are aged 18 and over. 4 to 7 June 2024

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

Apprentices consistently demonstrate mature and ambitious attitudes to their studies. They enjoy their learning sessions and are highly motivated to learn and develop their skills further. Apprentices value the calm and relaxed environment that they learn in . They participate in ‘lunch and learn’ specialist training sessions on topics such as sustained release implants for dogs, canine behaviour and animal weight management.

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

Attendance is very high, and apprentices behave exceptionally well. Apprentices consistently meet, and often exceed, the targets they are set by tutors and monitoring officers. They are proud of the new knowledge and skills that they have learned. Apprentices learn about compassion fatigue and how to use light massage techniques to influence the behaviour and health of the animals in their care. Apprentices competently take blood samples and use intubation during clinical procedures of animals.

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

Apprentices value highly the compassionate support they receive from staff at Lite. They have access to counsellors, mental health first aiders and a 24-hour helpline for financial, health, loneliness and suicide awareness support.

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

Apprentices develop high levels of confidence and resilience on their apprenticeship. They complete client consultations, undertake supervised anaesthesia of animals and intra-muscular injections. Apprentices cope with setbacks extremely well and demonstrate a commitment to make swift improvements to their work. Apprentices carefully consider ethical dilemmas, such as the euthanasia of healthy animals and dealing with clients who are unable to finance the treatment of their animals.

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

Apprentices are enthused to participate in further activities and training. They become pet travel scheme champions and complete pharmacy qualifications to enable them to prescribe, supply and dispense veterinary medication. Apprentices support hedgehog rehabilitation schemes, foster animals for rescue centres and work with veterinary surgeons in Africa to support charities that promote the welfare of wild animals such as lions and rhinoceroses.

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

Apprentices feel safe. They clearly articulate the risks that they can encounter at work, such as aggressive animals, the use of cytotoxic drugs and manual handling when lifting heavy animals. Apprentices are aware of local risks, such as county lines and anti-vaccinationist protestors. They have a heightened awareness of how their access to veterinary drugs can make them a target for drug dealer gangs.

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better?

Leaders have a clear and highly ambitious intent for the veterinary nurse curriculum. Their aim is to provide a pipeline of skilled veterinary nurses to meet the skills shortages of the sector locally, regionally and nationally. Leaders are committed to 4 to 7 June 2024

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providing a high-quality education across the veterinary nurse curriculum. As a result, apprentices who study with Lite achieve extremely highly.

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Leaders, tutors and clinical supervisors have very high expectations for all apprentices. Apprentices learn a large amount of complex content in a relatively short period of time. Tutors and monitoring officers set ambitious targets for apprentices. These targets support them to make swift progress.

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Leaders have built very strong and highly effective partnerships with employers. They work collaboratively to implement improvements to the apprenticeship. Leaders have swiftly included additional content to meet the needs of apprentices and employers. For example, a practical session of a heart dissection has now been included in apprentices’ learning plans.

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Leaders ensure that staff are highly qualified professionals and experts in their field. All staff are registered with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons and complete the training requirements needed to maintain their professional registrations. Leaders are highly supportive of staff development activities and encourage staff to complete degrees, teaching qualifications and specialist courses such as advanced anaesthesia training.

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Leaders have sequenced the curriculum extremely well. Apprentices develop substantial new knowledge, skills and behaviours during their apprenticeship. Apprentices learn about industry legislation, codes of conduct and the role of a veterinary nurse before progressing to more complex topics such as pharmacology, infection control and the debridement and suturing of wounds. Apprentices become highly skilled veterinary nurses.

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Leaders and tutors accurately monitor the progress of apprentices. Staff successfully implement interventions and additional support if apprentices fall behind. This results in almost all apprentices making at least their expected progress and achieving their apprenticeship, with nearly half attaining distinction grades.

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Leaders and tutors ensure that apprentices’ on- and off-the-job training is highly effective. Apprentices, with the support of their clinical supervisors, practise what they have learned in lessons when they return to work, which helps them to develop their skills swiftly. They learn about x-rays and milliamperage, before taking x-rays of animals and using collimation to improve images.

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Apprentices develop their specialist terminology quickly. Apprentices use Latin names when identifying parasites in their theory work but use simplistic names when communicating with clients in consultations. Apprentices use their mathematical skills accurately when calculating medication dosage rates for the animals in their care.

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Tutors provide detailed and constructive feedback to apprentices. Apprentices have a very clear understanding of what they have done well and what they need to do to improve. Apprentices use the feedback that they receive to improve their work. The 4 to 7 June 2024

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standard of apprentices’ practical and written work is consistently high. Apprentices produce highly evaluative and critical writing and know how to use academic referencing to support their work.

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Teaching is highly effective at helping learners to understand key concepts. Tutors have developed useful revision tools such as board games and challenge cards that help apprentices revisit key topics throughout their course. Tutors use highly effective strategies to check apprentices’ previous learning and understanding of topics. They use questioning, quizzes and worksheets effectively. This enables apprentices to recall complex content about parasites, myotomy, parenteral and adjuvants.

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Apprentices are exceptionally well prepared for their next steps. They receive high- quality, specialised careers information, advice and guidance. They learn about specialist roles such as anaesthesia, referral and first opinion nursing. Apprentices participate in secondments to veterinary practices. This enables apprentices to gain new knowledge and skills of advanced equipment, such as computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging scanners in veterinary hospitals and referral centres. Apprentices progress to permanent employment as veterinary nurses, clinical coaches and head nurses following the completion of their apprenticeship.

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Leaders are highly supportive of staff workload and well-being. Tutors have reduced teaching hours and leaders use external markers to support the workload of staff. Staff have access to a mental health first aider and flexible working patterns.

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Leaders have formed professional partnerships with awarding and regulatory bodies. They work together to develop, and review, the content of the curriculum and new qualifications. This ensures that recent developments within the sector are incorporated into apprentices’ learning. Leaders are swift to implement new processes to further improve their provision, such as ensuring that apprentices are fully prepared for their objective structured clinical examinations.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 4 to 7 June 2024

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Provider details

Address 23 Fletcher Street Stockport Cheshire SK1 1DY

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Provider details

Principal, CEO or equivalent Jackie Shopland-Reed

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Provider details

Provider type Independent learning provider

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Provider details

Dates of previous inspection 19 and 20 June 2018

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Provider details

Main subcontractors None 4 to 7 June 2024

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Information about this inspection

The inspection team was assisted by the centre manager, 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

Suzanne Horner, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector Iain Glendinning Ofsted Inspector Sarah Houghton His Majesty’s Inspector 4 to 7 June 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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