Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Further education and skills inspection report

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Inspection of Chelsea and Westminster Hospital 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 Requires improvement

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Information about this provider

Chelsea and Westminster NHS Foundation Trust is a teaching hospital in west London and an independent learning provider. It teaches apprentices at Chelsea and Westminster and West Middlesex hospitals. At the time of the inspection, there were 33 apprentices studying a level 2 healthcare support worker apprenticeship.

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Information about this provider

The provider has a subcontracted partnership with West Thames College to teach functional skills English and mathematics. 8 to 10 April 2025

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

Apprentices feel well supported by the managers, mentors and colleagues with whom they work. They very much enjoy working as part of a team with the other clinicians on the ward. They feel that other clinicians recognise the importance of their role as a healthcare assistant. Apprentices take on additional responsibilities such as supporting colleagues who are new to wards once they are further into their apprenticeship.

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

Apprentices take pride in working with the patients in their care and enjoy their apprenticeship. They are keen and motivated to do well. Apprentices grow in confidence, develop good communication skills and learn how to work effectively in teams with clinicians, ward managers and nurses. They learn how to respect patient choice through person-centred care practices. Once they finish their apprenticeship, most apprentices remain in the trust, complete higher-level training and a few gain promotions.

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

Apprentices feel safe when they are at work. They appreciate the effective security arrangements that are in place. They know how to protect their own safety and well-being. For example, they understand the risk of having their mobile phone stolen if they use it in a public space. They know about the trust’s escalation process and to whom they should report any concerns.

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better?

Since the previous inspection, leaders and managers have taken effective actions to improve the areas identified for development. These actions are having a positive impact. For example, leaders have changed the way they teach functional skills in English and mathematics so that apprentices now benefit from frequent one-to-one teaching and additional support.

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better?

Apprentices receive good-quality education, training and support. Staff have considered carefully the sequencing of the curriculum to build on apprentices’ knowledge and skills over time. For example, practice facilitators and subject matter experts first teach apprentices how to use different types of medical equipment. Apprentices then apply their knowledge by using these devices to measure patients’ vital signs, such as blood pressure, oxygen and blood sugar levels.

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better?

Practice facilitators make highly effective use of a range of teaching strategies to teach apprentices. For example, they use reflection tasks, demonstration, discussion and questioning to ensure that apprentices’ knowledge is secure. Practice facilitators and subject matter experts who teach apprentices are highly skilled and have extensive experience in specialist areas such as infection prevention control, blood transfusion, midwifery, radiography and learning disabilities. They use their expertise to teach apprentices important new skills, for example how to remove a cannula and monitor a patient’s catheter. Apprentices apply these skills adeptly to provide high standards of care to patients. 8 to 10 April 2025

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Practice facilitators do not consistently use the information they gather when apprentices start their apprenticeship to personalise the curriculum well enough. The targets for development that facilitators set are too broad and focus on the completion of tasks. As a result, it is not clear to apprentices what knowledge, skills and behaviours they need to learn to make progress over time.

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Practice facilitators prepare apprentices well for their final examinations. They explain clearly the different components and how to achieve a distinction grade. For example, they explain to apprentices that they must use medical terminology such as hypoglycaemia and hyperglycaemia accurately in addition to demonstrating a sound understanding of patient symptoms associated with these conditions. They give apprentices helpful tips to use during their professional discussions and encourage apprentices to use real-world situations to exemplify their answers.

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Most apprentices achieve their apprenticeship and many gain distinctions. However, a few apprentices have not yet passed their final examination because they have not passed their functional skills mathematics qualification. Leaders and managers continue to provide support for these apprentices.

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Managers provide apprentices with good opportunities to develop their knowledge beyond the main requirements of their apprenticeship. For example, apprentices complete training in conducting medical procedures such as doing an electrocardiogram test, carrying out a bedside emergency assessment and doing a venepuncture. Apprentices value the opportunities to extend their knowledge and learn skills that are highly valuable in their workplace.

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Practice facilitators and managers provide apprentices with good careers information, advice and guidance. They organise for guest speakers who have clinical and non-clinical roles in the hospital trust to talk to apprentices about their work in areas such as midwifery and nursing. Staff arrange careers fairs and have one-to-one careers discussions with apprentices. Apprentices are well informed about the options open to them once they complete their apprenticeship.

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Leaders and managers have good oversight of their provision. They understand their strengths and areas for development. They monitor their improvement actions rigorously. They track apprentices’ progress closely and put in place adjustments such as extra time to complete assignments when apprentices need it. They work well with members of the education strategy board who use their extensive knowledge of the healthcare sector to provide effective governance.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 8 to 10 April 2025

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What does the provider need to do to improve?

 Use information about apprentices’ starting points to set individual targets that identify the knowledge, skills and behaviours that apprentices need to learn.  Enable the few apprentices who have not yet achieved their functional skills mathematics qualification to do so, so that they can complete their apprenticeship promptly. 8 to 10 April 2025

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Provider details

Provider type Independent learning provider

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Provider details

Date of previous inspection 14 to 16 December 2022

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Provider details

Main subcontractors West Thames College 8 to 10 April 2025

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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

Andrea McMahon, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector Joanna Walters His Majesty’s Inspector 8 to 10 April 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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