Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation

Trust

Address: Workforce and Organisational Development, Acre Mills, Acre Street, HD3 3EA Unique reference number (URN): 1278631

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, learners are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect providers for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The provider has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not met: The provider has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Staff use a range of helpful strategies to understand apprentices’ initial and emerging needs. They meet apprentices at recruitment events, establish their aspirations and identify barriers to learning due to apprentices' special educational needs and/or disabilities, family circumstances or socioeconomic disadvantage. They put in place appropriate adaptations to training and work schedules and apply adjustments in external assessments and observations.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Staff are passionate about supporting apprentices to see beyond perceived barriers to achievement and support them to move closer towards their goals and aspirations. They proactively recruit apprentices from a wide range of backgrounds so that the service reflects the community that it serves.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Staff review the effectiveness of the adaptations that they put in place with assessors and employers and modify them where appropriate. For example, they reduce scribe support in response to apprentices’ improving skills and independence with written communication.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Staff receive appropriate training to adapt their teaching and training successfully. They break down assessments, modify resources and arrange one-to-one support where needed. Leaders rightly recognise the need to plan further specialist training for staff in line with growing areas of need, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and developing oracy.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders identify areas of strength and priorities for development well. They complete a range of useful quality assurance activities and use the findings to inform improvements.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Those in governance roles have clear oversight of the apprenticeship. They are committed to their roles and have in-depth knowledge of the provision. They work closely with leaders to ensure there is appropriate support, scrutiny and challenge. Collectively, they embody the shared ethos and mission to grow their own staff, stabilise their workforce and retain local talent.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders have a very clear intent to provide an apprenticeship that meets local needs. Their healthcare support worker apprenticeship provides a starting point for those seeking a career in the healthcare sector. Leaders create their apprenticeship alongside healthcare professionals, which ensures that they equip apprentices with the skills and values needed to be successful. Leaders provide a wide range of training and development opportunities for staff. They ensure that staff remain up to date with the latest industry standards through clinical experiences. Staff appreciate the training, which supports them in their roles and prepares them for progression opportunities. Teaching staff hold level 3 qualifications in teaching. However, leaders recognise that staff would benefit from targeted training on the craft of teaching.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders consider the wellbeing and workload of staff. They provide flexibilities to manage workload, such as working from home. Leaders recruit additional assessors to ensure caseloads are manageable, and staff have access to a wide range of supportive services, such as counselling services.

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Achievement Strong standard

Apprentices make significant progress from their starting points and almost all move on to positive destinations, including paid employment and further study. A very high proportion of apprentices complete their apprenticeship and achieve distinction grades, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those with barriers to learning.

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Achievement Strong standard

Through continual support, practise and repetition, apprentices develop and hone their confidence and skills, which contributes towards their high levels of achievement.

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Achievement Strong standard

Apprentices produce written and practical work of a consistently high standard. They demonstrate high-quality practical skills on the wards. For example, apprentices skilfully take the relevant observations from patients to calculate the national early warning score. They present themselves very professionally and competently in their work environments.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Staff have developed an effective curriculum, which meets the skills needs of the healthcare service. The healthcare support worker apprenticeship provides a critical stepping stone into employment for people who often have no previous experience in healthcare.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Tutors use appropriate teaching and learning activities in lessons. They use their vast experience in healthcare to share real-life experiences and ensure that lessons are interesting and enjoyable for apprentices. Staff plan apprentices' training together with line managers to ensure that the curriculum is tailored to apprentices' needs and the work of the ward. For example, where necessary, apprentices have training in topics, such as mental health and dementia care.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Assessors use a range of assessment techniques well. They use observation of practice, professional discussions and projects effectively. Apprentices receive helpful feedback on their practical and written work, including how they can improve it in the future.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Staff skilfully plan high quality on-the-job training that links very well to the knowledge, skills and behaviours that apprentices need. Apprentices apply what they learn at work and become more independent, quickly growing into invaluable members of staff. Apprentices with special educational needs and/or disabilities and other barriers to learning are supported very well. Line managers and ward staff put in place the arrangements these apprentices need in the workplace.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders have a clear understanding of the quality of provision. For example, they have taken decisive action to resolve concerns about their previous arrangements for the teaching of functional skills and now work with a different subcontractor.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Staff create welcoming and supportive environments in which apprentices develop the skills and confidence to balance work with study and succeed in demanding roles. When apprentices experience challenges, such as supporting families through bereavement, staff support them to manage their emotions and build resilience.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Apprentices are aware of the high expectations that staff set. They model the care values they are taught in their interactions with fellow apprentices, patients and staff, showing compassion, patience and empathy. Apprentices wear their uniforms with pride and are polite and professional.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Staff provide effective support for apprentices’ wellbeing. They help apprentices to consider personal signs of stress and how to manage any triggers. When apprentices require more specialist support, they access this quickly from trained clinical practitioners.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Apprentices learn about matters related to their health and wellbeing through the curriculum, including the importance of good nutrition and sleep in relation to performance at work. However, staff do not fully support apprentices to understand how this applies to their personal lives.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Staff provide apprentices with helpful guidance to inform their future career goals, including pathways into specialist roles, such as nursing. Apprentices gain insights into these roles through additional training opportunities, such as practical obstetric training.

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What it's like to be a learner and/or an apprentice at this provider

Apprentices value the supportive, welcoming environment, both in the classroom and during their time on the wards. They quickly develop the practical skills to become effective at work, which supports the development of their confidence and resilience. When apprentices struggle with aspects of their placement, such as when caring for service users at end of life, staff explore apprentices' emotional response and support them to remain and succeed on their placement.

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What it's like to be a learner and/or an apprentice at this provider

Staff support apprentices to develop their English, mathematics and digital skills well. Apprentices develop academic writing skills through completing a range of written assignments, which prepares them for future academic study. Apprentices create digital questionnaires about sources of infection in their areas of work, which they then analyse and report on for line managers.

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What it's like to be a learner and/or an apprentice at this provider

Apprentices are highly motivated and appreciate the opportunities provided by the trust. They benefit from the option to move directly into paid employment on completion of their apprenticeship, which provides them with a sense of belonging and feeling valued. Apprentices are confident in the knowledge and skills they develop and are ready to progress into permanent roles within the trust.

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What it's like to be a learner and/or an apprentice at this provider

Apprentices gain a range of skills to support them both in the workplace and at home. They enjoy their learning and see the impact they have on their patients. Apprentices with special educational needs and/or disabilities benefit from appropriate adaptations to support them to achieve. They appreciate the time taken by staff to understand their needs, provide one-to-one support and allow them time to process information. Those with medical needs feel well supported in managing these while at work and in training. For example, leaders ensure that apprentices with arthritis are able to carry out their roles and their training without having to stand for long periods.

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Team inspectors:

Alison Dennis, His Majesty's Inspector Mark Keen, His Majesty's Inspector

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Facts and figures used on inspection

The data was used by the inspector(s) during the inspection. More recent data may have been published since the inspection took place.

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Next steps

• Leaders should further develop the wider curriculum so that apprentices can apply the topics that they learn about to their day-to-day lives, as well as in their roles as healthcare support workers. • Leaders should ensure that teaching staff benefit from ongoing training and development in pedagogy to develop their teaching skills. • Leaders should ensure that staff benefit from training that enables them to support apprentices with needs in areas, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

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About this inspection

Following our renewed inspection framework, all inspections are now led by His Majesty’s Inspectors (HMIs) or by Ofsted Inspectors (OIs) who have previously served as HMIs.

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About this inspection

Inspection activities: Inspectors spoke with trust senior leaders, directors, programme leaders, ward managers, line managers, apprentices and a range of staff, including tutors and assessors, during the inspection.

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About this inspection

Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust is an employer provider that provides one apprenticeship in healthcare support worker at level 2. Apprentices are based either at Huddersfield Royal Infirmary or Calderdale Royal Hospital. Training is delivered face to face and online. The provider uses one subcontractor, Calderdale College, to provide the teaching of English and mathematics functional skills. At the time of the inspection, there were 86 apprentices, all aged over 18, with fewer than 5 working towards achieving functional skills qualifications in English and/or mathematics.

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About this inspection

Head of widening participation: Mrs Rebecca Beaumont This data is from 3 December 2025

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other providers can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The provider reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

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Expected standard

The provider is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The provider needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.

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Urgent improvement

services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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