Northumbria Healthcare Nhs Foundation Trust

Northumbria Healthcare Nhs Foundation Trust

Address: 7-8 Silver Fox Way, Cobalt Business Park, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE27 0QJ Unique reference number (URN): 1276531

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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

Leaders and staff have established an inclusive culture, where apprentices’ needs are prioritised. They support apprentices’ transition into the workplace well, ensuring that any additional support needs are considered and met effectively.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Staff accurately identify apprentices' learning and support needs. Staff implement effective support to reduce or remove barriers to learning. Where apprentices experience temporary vulnerabilities, such as bereavement, staff provide appropriate support and liaise with workplace managers to ensure effective communication during times of absence.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders and staff ensure that apprentices are provided with suitable placements, taking into account individual support needs. Staff make valuable use of immersive technology at the health and care academy, which supports apprentices to experience what it is like to work on a ward or in a hospital theatre prior to starting their placements. Apprentices with individual support needs find this particularly useful, as it helps them to develop strategies to manage their anxiety.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders ensure that those responsible for special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) have appropriate training and experience. They have implemented champions for SEND and neurodiversity, who attend external training events and conferences and then update team members on what they have learned.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders, including governors, have a clear commitment to apprenticeships. Leaders view apprenticeships as fundamental to contributing to meeting the trust’s workforce needs, as well as providing employment opportunities for local people. Leaders work well with stakeholders, including the trust’s in-house charity, to promote the value of apprenticeships.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders have focused their energies on further improving their apprenticeship provision, particularly tackling the staffing problems that have impacted on the ` retention of apprentices on health-related apprenticeships. Leaders have also improved the initial advice and guidance for younger apprentices, so they understand what it is like to work in a hospital environment before starting their apprenticeships.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders have appropriate governance arrangements in place to ensure that there is sufficient oversight and challenge to the quality of apprenticeship provision. Leaders are wisely establishing an apprenticeship governance board to provide even greater scrutiny of apprenticeships.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders have a clear rationale for their subcontracting arrangements. They work with subject specialists to provide the teaching for their functional skills courses and the level 3 senior support healthcare worker diploma. Leaders monitor the quality of teaching through monthly meetings, where they discuss apprentices’ progress with subcontractor staff. Leaders support staff to undertake a wide range of valuable professional development opportunities, including training on developing teaching skills, such as how to avoid over- assessment of apprentices and specialised courses on, for example, promoting psychological safety. Tutors complete higher-level teaching and assessing qualifications.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The vast majority of staff feel that leaders are considerate of their workload and wellbeing. Staff feel they are well led and managed.

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Achievement Expected standard

Most apprentices, including those with barriers to learning, such as special educational needs and/or disabilities, achieve their apprenticeship. Managers have ensured that current apprentices in health are making the expected progress and a high proportion remain on their apprenticeship, as too many left before completing their apprenticeships previously. Across the provision, a high proportion of apprentices who complete their apprenticeships gain distinction and merit grades.

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Achievement Expected standard

Apprentices develop the necessary skills and knowledge to make valuable contributions at work. Team leader apprentices use the coaching skills they learn to support staff development in their own teams. Healthcare apprentices learn useful skills, such as measuring blood pressure and heart rate, which they use in clinical settings at work.

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Achievement Expected standard

Most apprentices progress to positive destinations and remain in the trust in a variety of roles. A few move to other NHS trusts. A high proportion progress to further study at a higher level, including degree apprenticeships.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders have an accurate understanding of the quality of the curriculum, teaching and training. They deal with areas for improvement effectively.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Staff design the apprenticeship curriculums well to meet the workforce needs of the trust in healthcare and administrative roles. Staff teaching on the healthcare apprenticeships start by developing apprentices’ communication skills and understanding of the values underpinning high-quality care. Consequently, apprentices are able to communicate professionally with patients and colleagues before developing their clinical skills. Tutors mostly use a variety of teaching strategies well to help apprentices learn, remember and apply what they have learned at work. Healthcare tutors use virtual reality, simulated wards and medical manikins to develop apprentices' understanding before they start their placements. Tutors also use games effectively in their teaching. For example, apprentices play games to help them identify out-of-date medications and prioritise tasks on a ward. However, in a few cases, teachers use overly complex activities that confuse rather than

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

clarify the curriculum. This slows the progress that a few apprentices make.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Most tutors use effective strategies to help apprentices retain information over time. For example, teachers facilitate group discussions, which help apprentices remember and apply what they learn. On customer service apprenticeships, tutors clearly explain the characteristics of assertiveness and prompt apprentices to reflect on the dangers of false confidence in a medical setting.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Apprentices with particular disadvantages and vulnerabilities, including special educational needs and/or disabilities, receive the support they need to access the curriculum. For example, apprentices with hearing impairments are given the technological help that they need.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Most tutors teach a useful range of topics that support apprentices’ personal development, including the ‘Prevent’ duty, domestic abuse, mental wellbeing and sexual violence. However, leaders have not ensured that there is a consistent approach to providing a wider curriculum to include a breadth of topics to meet the needs and interest of apprentices, particularly those under 18 years of age.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Apprentices behave well and demonstrate professional behaviours. They enjoy their studies and are enthusiastic about the opportunities they have to develop their interests and careers. Apprentices are motivated to learn new skills and knowledge.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Most apprentices attend well. Leaders have recognised that, for a few apprentices, the demands of working in busy departments and wards can impact on attendance at training sessions. Leaders have taken appropriate actions to support apprentices to manage these demands by working with apprentices’ line managers and promoting part-time routes.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Staff provide appropriate careers guidance and advice. Tutors develop apprentices’ interview skills, such as how to respond to competency and values-based questions. Tutors ensure that apprentices understand the opportunities available to them on completion of their apprenticeship, including further training or employment in the health sector.

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

Apprentices value the supportive and nurturing environment created by leaders and staff. The apprenticeship provides an invaluable opportunity for apprentices to gain employment and build a career in the NHS. Apprentices from disadvantaged backgrounds and with barriers to learning, including learning disabilities and/or difficulties, feel welcomed. Apprentices benefit from very well-equipped learning environments. They value the state-of- the-art technology, such as immersive suites, where they hone their knowledge and skills and build their confidence. This contributes to apprentices being well prepared for their placements across the hospitals in the trust.

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

Apprentices develop knowledge and skills that enable most to achieve their apprenticeship and meet their potential. They skilfully apply what they are learning at work. For example, team leader apprentices vary their management approaches to deal with different people and situations. Apprentices value the additional courses they complete, specific to their job roles. For example, apprentices new to the trust complete a helpful medical terminology course to prepare them for working in healthcare settings.

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

Apprentices learn the importance of developing a secure understanding of how to treat others respectfully and with tolerance. They value learning about informed consent and appropriate workplace behaviours. They have not experienced bullying or harassment and are comfortable to report any incidents regarding their workplace or in their personal lives. Young apprentices are confident that any situations would be dealt with quickly and appropriately following the NHS mantra that it is ‘never wrong to report’.

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

Apprentices feel safe. They demonstrate a good working knowledge of how to keep themselves safe from the risks of radicalisation and extremism and know the signs to look for if someone is being radicalised. They understand that, due to working in a hospital, they may be a target of extremist groups. They understand the risks of engaging with unfamiliar people online.

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Next steps

Leaders should implement their well-considered plan to introduce a dedicated apprenticeship governance board to enhance their oversight of apprenticeships further. Leaders should continue to focus on increasing the proportion of health apprentices, who stay until the end of their apprenticeship and achieve. Leaders should ensure that there is consistently high-quality teaching across all apprenticeships. Leaders should further tailor the personal development programme to meet the needs of all apprentices, including those under the age of 18.

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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

Inspectors spoke with apprentices, assessors, managers and governors during the inspection.

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Team inspectors:

Rebecca Clare, His Majesty's Inspector Sarah Seaman, His Majesty's Inspector Joanne Stork, 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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Apprenticeships

The Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is an employer provider in the north east of England. The trust began delivery of apprenticeships as an employer provider in 2017. It serves an area of 2,500 square miles across Northumberland and North Tyneside. The main base for apprenticeship delivery is at the Northumbria Health and Care Academy based in Cramlington, with apprentices working across the trust's hospitals.

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Apprenticeships

There are currently 167 apprentices across business-related apprenticeships and health- related apprenticeships. Around a third are under 19 years of age. Twenty nine apprentices have declared a learning disability and/or difficulty. There are a small number of apprentices studying English and/or mathematics functional skills courses.

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Apprenticeships

The provider has subcontracting arrangements for a small proportion of its provision. Leaders subcontract the teaching of functional skills to Key Subject Tuition and the diploma qualification of the level 3 senior healthcare worker apprenticeship to Education Partnership North East.

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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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