Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust

Further education and skills inspection report

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Inspection of Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS 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

Barking, Havering, and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust covers two hospitals, Queen’s Hospital and King George Hospital. The trust employs approximately 8,500 people. It became an employer provider of apprenticeships in April 2022 and a provider of apprenticeship to individuals from other organisations from April 2024. The first apprentices began their training in October 2022.

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Information about this provider

The trust’s apprenticeship and career hub is responsible for the provision of apprenticeship training across the trust. This includes apprentices who were in scope for this inspection as well as apprentices from other providers who are on placement in the hospitals.

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Information about this provider

At the time of the inspection, there were 208 apprentices. Most apprentices were on the level 3 business administrator or senior healthcare support worker apprenticeships. A smaller number were on level 2 customer service, level 3 team leader, level 4 associate project manager, or level 5 operations/departmental manager or coaching apprenticeships. 29 to 31 January 2025

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

Apprentices enjoy working and studying at the trust. They quickly learn the skills they need to become effective members of their departments. Throughout the training apprentices gain in confidence. For instance, customer service apprentices who work as ward clerks learn to communicate confidently with a wide range of people, from patients and their families to consultants. The majority of apprentices achieve their apprenticeship.

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

Apprentices are helped by staff to become more resilient and maintain their well- being. This is because staff provide apprentices with a range of good support in maintaining their physical and mental health. Apprentices also have access to the same effective well-being and support that all staff working at the trust have.

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

Apprentices receive effective careers guidance, and most are keen to stay in their job roles. Apprentices value the trust as a place of work and are ambitious to progress their careers there. They know about and appreciate the opportunities to develop their careers at the trust, such as going from healthcare apprentices into nursing.

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

Apprentices have a good understanding of topics that are pertinent to their roles, such as confidentiality, unconscious bias and the importance of respecting their patients’ beliefs and cultures. Staff support apprentices well throughout their apprenticeship and they feel safe both at work and while in lessons.

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better?

Leaders and managers throughout the trust are committed to providing apprenticeships for residents of the three London boroughs from which they recruit their staff. They understand the importance of apprenticeships in improving social mobility and providing careers to individuals who want to work in the NHS. Leaders and managers have set ambitious targets for the proportion of staff they aim to recruit through apprenticeships.

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better?

Coaches structure the training well and make sure that apprentices have a thorough foundation knowledge before moving on to more complex topics. On the level 5 coaching apprenticeship, coaches teach apprentices about the importance of emotional intelligence and self-awareness skills before moving on to the theories and practices of coaching. This helps apprentices to become more effective in coaching more junior colleagues in the workplace.

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better?

Coaches use a range of effective approaches to teach apprentices. They use group discussions skilfully to help apprentices reflect on their own workplace practices and consolidate what they have learned. Coaches provide apprentices with clear explanations of topics, such as in mathematics where they provide step-by-step guidance on calculating the area of a circle. On the level 3 business administrator 29 to 31 January 2025

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apprenticeship, coaches help apprentices apply what they have learned in lessons to their job in the trust.

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In a few online lessons, coaches do not set expectations with apprentices regarding their participation in sessions. They do not consistently enforce their protocols for having cameras turned on. This results in a small proportion of apprentices not being visible during lessons, and tutors being unaware about whether apprentices are engaged in activities.

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In the workplace, apprentices receive well-structured on-the-job training. Apprentices’ line managers are aware of what apprentices are taught each week and help to ensure that apprentices have ample opportunities to apply what they have learned. For example, level 3 healthcare assistants working in the hospital’s operating theatres regularly spend time on a surgical ward so that they can practise taking a patient’s blood pressure and heart rate, and learn how to change a fluid bag.

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Education coaches give apprentices detailed and guiding feedback on their written work. For example, after apprentices have completed mock examinations, functional skills mathematics and English, tutors identify where they have missed out on any marks and correct their misconceptions. They use their understanding of any gaps in apprentices’ knowledge well to plan further training and recap on aspects that apprentices did not fully understand. Apprentices mostly improve their work to be of a high standard.

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In a few instances, coaches do not correct apprentices’ spelling and punctuation or show them how to identify errors, resulting in apprentices continuously making the same mistakes in their written work. They do not always mark work in a timely manner.

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Coaches hold reviews with apprentices and their line managers, but these are not done consistently well enough. At times, coaches do not identify well enough the knowledge, skills and behaviours that apprentices need to develop, and subsequently apprentices do not have specific enough targets to work towards. In a few cases, reviews are not frequent enough.

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A board of non-executive directors has good oversight of the apprenticeships. They are highly committed to the training and provide effective support to leaders and managers to develop the provision. Leaders and managers have a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the provision. They use their evaluation of the quality of the training to provide effective staff training.

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Leaders provide good training to coaches so that they are proficient in their roles. They support them to achieve teaching qualifications and use the resources of the trust to help coaches maintain and further their expertise. For example, coaches spend time shadowing professionals in different departments so that they are aware of the environments in which their apprentices work. 29 to 31 January 2025

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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What does the provider need to do to improve?

 Set and reinforce expectations for apprentices when participating in online lessons.  Provide timely feedback to apprentices on their written work, including on any errors in spelling and grammar.  At reviews, provide apprentices with targets that relate to specific knowledge, skills or behaviours that they need to develop. 29 to 31 January 2025

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Provider details

Address Queens Hospital Rom Valley Way Romford RM7 0AG

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Provider details

Principal, CEO or equivalent Lesley Roberts

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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 Not applicable 29 to 31 January 2025

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Information about this inspection

The inspection team was assisted by the quality and compliance 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

Steve Lambert, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector Eileen O’Gara Ofsted Inspector Rebecca Jennings His Majesty’s Inspector 29 to 31 January 2025

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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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