East Suffolk And North Essex NHS Foundation Trust

Further education and skills inspection report

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Inspection of East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation 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

East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust is an employer provider. It provides 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 148 apprentices in training. Fifty were studying on level 3 senior healthcare support worker (SHSW), 53 on level 2 healthcare support worker (HSW), 14 on level 3 team leader and 22 on level 3 business administration. The remaining apprentices were studying customer service or the operations and departmental manager. Most apprentices were aged 18 and over. 6 to 8 August 2024

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

Apprentices gain significant new knowledge, skills and behaviours because of their apprenticeship. Level 3 SHSW and level 2 HSW worker apprentices become knowledgeable and more confident in taking physiological measurements, such as cannulations and electrocardiogram tests. Level 3 SHSW apprentices understand the results of these measurements in much greater depth and have the confidence to report the results to managers if they are concerned. Rather than simply following instructions, apprentices become increasingly more inquisitive about the purpose of the tasks given to them by their managers. Apprentices quickly become more self- assured and effective in their roles.

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

Apprentices are committed to their studies and keen to learn. They listen to each other in class and value the contributions of their peers. They are respectful of each other and appreciate the opportunity to learn about the different care settings that other apprentices work in, such as community and hospital settings.

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

Most apprentices attend their teaching sessions well. They are punctual and arrive ready to learn. Level 2 HSW apprentices do not consistently attend the monthly mandatory workshops once they have completed their initial eight-week training and are on the wards full time. On a few clinical programmes, particularly in frontline patient-facing services, apprentices’ attendance is negatively affected by operational pressures relating to staffing levels on wards, where patient safety is prioritised. When this occurs, coaches provide apprentices with one-to-one support to help them to catch up.

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

Coaches teach apprentices about the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle through, for example, exercise, having a healthy diet and understanding how to cope with stressful situations. Apprentices are confident to report concerns to coaches regarding their workload and well-being. Managers and coaches work effectively with line managers on hospital wards to change apprentices’ work schedule if there are concerns, especially for the few who are under 18 years of age. For example, they reduce the length of shifts, ensuring that apprentices do not work night shifts.

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

Apprentices feel safe. They benefit from supportive meetings with their coaches which enable them to understand how to keep themselves safe in the workplace.

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better?

Leaders have a clear and ambitious rationale and vision for the apprenticeships that they provide. They recognised that the NHS has an overreliance on international recruitment and that it was becoming increasingly difficult to fill clinical roles. They decided to remedy these issues by offering apprenticeships in healthcare, administration and management to enable new and existing staff to develop the skills, knowledge and behaviours that the trust needs. Apprentices are now accessing job roles the trust has historically found hard to fill. The apprenticeship 6 to 8 August 2024

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provision provides opportunities for career progression, and leaders are seeing improved staff retention and skills.

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Leaders have made the curriculum accessible to potential apprentices who face barriers to learning or entering the world of work. They offer the level 2 HSW academy for new members of staff who have limited or no previous care experience. Managers and coaches support these apprentices to progress to a range of clinical careers, such as nursing and therapy support.

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Managers and coaches plan and teach a well-structured curriculum to make sure that apprentices build essential knowledge and skills over time. The level 2 HSW apprenticeship begins with an intensive eight-week programme of learning which includes work placements in the trust to allow apprentices to swiftly practise their new skills and knowledge. Business administration apprentices start by exploring the value of their skills, which helps them understand organisational structures and where they fit into the team.

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Coaches do not use the information that they gather from apprentices’ starting points to plan individualised learning. Apprentices learn the same information, regardless of their previous knowledge and skills. This slows the progress of learning for a few apprentices.

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Most coaches use a range of teaching strategies effectively to check learning and consolidate apprentices’ knowledge and skills, including questioning, quizzes, patient case studies and group activities. Apprentices benefit from the extensive knowledge and experience of the healthcare industry that coaches have, which makes learning relevant to them. For example, coaches explore how signs and symptoms of modern slavery may be different for an apprentice working in community settings as opposed to a hospital setting. Apprentices learn more and remember more over time.

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Most coaches provide apprentices with helpful and constructive feedback. Most apprentices know what they need to do to achieve the highest possible grades. Business administration apprentices receive feedback on how they can provide more depth to their work, such as greater detail relating to legislation and the role of stakeholders. Most apprentices’ work improves over time and becomes more evaluative, and apprentices produce work that is of a good standard. However, apprentices on the level 2 HSW apprenticeship do not receive guidance on how to improve their written work so that they can achieve the highest possible grades in their final assessments.

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Coaches support apprentices towards their potential next steps through appropriate careers advice and guidance. In addition, apprentices have access to the national NHS ‘Talent for Care’ team throughout their apprenticeship, which provides wider careers information, advice and guidance. Apprentices know what opportunities are open to them when they complete their apprenticeship. 6 to 8 August 2024

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Leaders and managers have in place a range of quality assurance processes to monitor and evaluate the training that they provide. They have a good understanding of the strengths of their provision, and they accurately identify areas for improvement and take appropriate action. They correctly identified that too many apprentices were leaving HSW apprenticeships and improved the initial information, advice and guidance that apprentices receive. Apprentices now fully appreciate the shift work patterns that they will have to work and the difficulties that they may face in the sector. As a result, more apprentices are remaining on their apprenticeship.

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Coaches are highly experienced in the subjects that they teach. A few are qualified teachers, and the remainder are working towards a level 3 in education and training. Managers review coaches’ teaching practice and provide them with an evaluation of their performance which identifies what they need to improve. Coaches keenly access training to keep their subject specialisms up to date. However, leaders do not ensure that coaches routinely access training to update their teaching practice.

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Leaders do not have clear oversight of the progress that apprentices make towards achieving functional skills English and mathematics qualifications. They have not ensured that apprentices receive effective and timely support and training. In a few cases, apprentices receive training too late in their apprenticeship to enable them to improve the English and mathematical skills that they need in the workplace. A few apprentices have not been able to access their end-point assessment as they have not achieved their mathematics qualification. Leaders and managers recognise this and have put appropriate actions in place to make improvements, but it is too early to see the impact.

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Leaders care about the well-being and workload of their staff and apprentices. They have in place a range of policies and processes to support staff and apprentices. Staff and apprentices benefit from the wide range of health and well-being services and activities provided by the trust, such as a ‘freedom to speak up’ email and a ‘well-being hub’, where they can access support regarding their mental health, stress management and financial support. Staff and apprentices feel valued and well supported.

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Those responsible for governance are knowledgeable and appropriately experienced. Leaders provide them with accurate and comprehensive information about the performance of the apprenticeships that the trust provides. They understand the strengths and weaknesses of the provision and what needs to be improved. They challenge leaders well, holding them to account for the quality of education. For example, they challenged leaders about the reasons why apprentices were leaving their jobs before completing their apprenticeship and continue to monitor this in monthly meetings.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 6 to 8 August 2024

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What does the provider need to do to improve?

 Ensure that the information that coaches gather at initial assessment is used to plan and teach appropriately individualised learning so that apprentices make good progress.  Closely monitor the progress that apprentices make towards achieving their functional skills English and mathematics qualifications, ensuring that they access lessons in these subjects at an appropriate stage in their programme to quickly improve their skills.  Ensure that level 2 healthcare support worker apprentices receive effective feedback on their written work that helps them to achieve the highest possible grades in their final assessments.  Ensure that coaches have access to professional development so that they continue to develop their teaching skills. 6 to 8 August 2024

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Provider details

Address Colchester District General Hospital Turner Road Colchester CO4 5JL

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Provider details

Principal, CEO or equivalent Peter Bishop

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Provider details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Provider details

Main subcontractors None 6 to 8 August 2024

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Information about this inspection

The inspection team was assisted by the head of apprenticeships, 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

Philippa Firth, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector Glenise Burrell His Majesty’s Inspector Mark Keen His Majesty’s Inspector 6 to 8 August 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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