North East Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust

Trust

Address: NEAS, Education Centre, 1A Dukesway Court, Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, NE11 0PJ Unique reference number (URN): 1278640

p.1

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.

p.1

How we evaluate safeguarding

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

p.1

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.

p.1

Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders foster a positive culture of inclusion where apprentices feel valued and respected. Leaders actively recruit apprentices from a range of backgrounds and with barriers to education. They are attentive to the range of backgrounds, religions and cultures of apprentices. Apprentices can wear adapted uniform in line with their religious beliefs or health needs. For example, apprentices managing menopausal symptoms can wear uniforms made of a lighter fabric.

p.2

Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders and staff identify apprentices’ barriers to education quickly before or during the onboarding process. Staff implement effective support to enable apprentices to complete their apprenticeships. For example, staff provide amplified stethoscopes to apprentices with a hearing impairment. Leaders are currently working to combine their assessment processes so that they have a complete overview of apprentices' needs that allows them to provide support in a more timely and responsive way.

p.2

Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders and staff review the support they provide to apprentices frequently to ensure that it remains impactful and enables apprentices to make progress. Staff adapt the support where appropriate. Apprentices with barriers to education achieve in line with their peers.

p.2

Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders provide useful training to educators to enable them to provide effective support to apprentices with barriers to learning, including understanding neurodiversity.

p.2

Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders have an accurate understanding of the strengths and areas for development in their apprenticeship provision. They take appropriate action to deal with areas for improvement. For example, they recruited English and mathematics tutors to provider more effective teaching and support to apprentices studying these subjects.

p.2

Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders have effective governance arrangements in place to provide useful support and challenge to them. Non-executive directors have the appropriate experience and expertise that enables them to scrutinise reports and other information provided to them.

p.2

Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders are considerate of the workload and wellbeing of staff. They work closely with staff to allocate workloads on a fair and manageable basis, and are supportive of staff who have specific personal needs.

p.2

Leadership and governance Expected standard

Educators update their clinical knowledge and skills frequently to ensure they remain current. Leaders ensure that educators continue to improve their teaching skills further through peer observations and training. For example, a number of educators have recently completed a level 7 post-graduate certificate in education. Educators complete useful training in topics such as effective strategies to teach apprentices with autism.

p.2

Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders and staff work well with stakeholders. Senior leaders in the Trust have invested in high-quality training facilities, resources and technology, in order to enhance the learning experience of apprentices.

p.3

Achievement Strong standard

Apprentices, including those with barriers to education, make extensive progress from their starting points and achieve very well. Achievement rates are substantially higher than national rates. All apprentices who complete their programme pass their end-point assessment, with a high proportion achieving distinction grades. Almost all apprentices achieve within the expected timeframe.

p.3

Achievement Strong standard

Apprentices develop a thorough understanding of the knowledge, skills and behaviours required for operational practice. They confidently apply clinical knowledge, communication, decision-making and practical skills in realistic workplace situations using accurate professional terminology. Apprentices produce written and practical work to a very high standard.

p.3

Achievement Strong standard

Apprentices develop the English, mathematical and digital skills needed for safe practice and they achieve well in functional skills English and mathematics qualifications.

p.3

Achievement Strong standard

Apprentices are exceptionally well prepared for their next steps. All apprentices who complete their programme remain employed in the Trust and progress onto higher-level roles, including the level 6 paramedic apprenticeship.

p.3

Participation and development Strong standard

Leaders have very high expectations of apprentices’ attendance and apprentices have excellent attendance at training. Apprentices demonstrate dedication to their roles and have highly positive attitudes towards their training and professional development. They value the

p.3

Expected standard

support they receive from educators and eagerly take part in workplace wider professional development opportunities.

p.4

Expected standard

Leaders embrace the opportunity for apprentices to work with the local community. For example, apprentices attend local schools to encourage children to recall important information, such as their own telephone numbers, postcodes and house numbers.

p.4

Expected standard

Apprentices receive high-quality careers information, advice and guidance that helps them to make informed decisions about their next steps. A high proportion of apprentices continue with their professional development in the Trust. A considerable proportion aspire to become paramedics and are clear about what they need to do to achieve this.

p.4

Expected standard

Apprentices have a comprehensive understanding of what risks there are in the communities in which they work. They are taught to be mindful of their surroundings, to trust their instincts, and to check what they can see, hear and smell. Apprentices have not experience any forms of bullying and harassment while at work or when they attend the training centre. They know how to report concerns should they arise.

p.4

Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders have designed an effective curriculum to train apprentices to become safe and competent ambulance support workers. Educators sequence the curriculum in a logical order to enable apprentices to progressively build their knowledge, skills and behaviours. Apprentices begin by developing the core components of the role, such as manual handling skills to be able to move patients safely. This is then followed by clinical components on infection control, the safe use of defibrillators and how to use oxygen equipment correctly and safely.

p.4

Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders ensure that apprentices with barriers to education can access the curriculum at the same level as their peers. They identify apprentices’ additional needs early in their programmes and educators put appropriate support and adjustments in place quickly. For example, apprentices with dyslexia can submit recorded assignments rather than written essays.

p.4

Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Educators use a wide range of activities to enliven their teaching and to involve apprentices in their training. They effectively mix didactic presentations on different communication techniques with practical exercises. For example, educators use paired work where one apprentice leads a blindfolded colleague down flights of stairs so they can practise how to talk to vulnerable patients.

p.4

Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

In most instances, educators use assessment effectively to check apprentices’ understanding. Occasionally, educators do not get apprentices to reflect well enough on what they have been taught. In these instances, educators do not use questioning sufficiently well to check the understanding of apprentices before introducing new topics. Educators provide helpful and clear feedback to enable apprentices to improve their skills and knowledge further, including about their use of English in their written assignments.

p.4

Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Educators work well with operational ambulance managers to ensure that apprentices can apply what they learn in training when they go out on shifts on the ambulances. For example, apprentices practise their patient assessment skills with real patients when attending emergency calls.

p.5

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

Through their training to become ambulance support workers, apprentices are well prepared and confident when they go on to working in the community, supported by their workplace mentors. Apprentices value the reassurance that educators give them if they feel overwhelmed in their new role. They appreciate support, such as additional training days, to ensure that they are confident, safe and competent to deal with patients.

p.5

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

Apprentices value learning alongside experienced paramedics This helps them build their proficiency in completing patient assessments, communicating with vulnerable patients and carrying out safe clinical practice before taking on greater responsibility. It prepares them well for their future employment in the NHS ambulance service.

p.5

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

Apprentices train in high-quality, bespoke facilities. They practise their driving skills on the wide range of ambulance makes and models that they will use at work. In the digital immersion suite, apprentices participate in simulated activities, such as attending a house fire, to prepare them for working on the frontline. Apprentices develop their skills and knowledge in settings that are realistic but safe.

p.5

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

Apprentices value the initial intensive training period and ongoing learning to complete their programmes. They benefit from a blend of practical activities, theoretical and independent study, and feel well supported by educators to achieve the academic qualifications within the apprenticeship.

p.5

Next steps

Leaders should ensure that all educators teaching classroom-based activities take time to check apprentices' understanding of what they have been taught before moving on to the next topic. Leaders should continue to implement their revised process for identifying apprentices’ barriers to education so that they have a complete overview of apprentices' needs and can provide support in a more timely and responsive way.

p.5

Team inspectors:

Glenise Burrell, His Majesty's Inspector Charles Searle, Ofsted Inspector Shanna King, Ofsted Inspector

p.6

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.

p.6

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.

p.6

About this inspection

Inspection activities: Inspectors spoke with learners, apprentices, leaders, staff, employers, governors and external stakeholders during the inspection.

p.6

About this inspection

Inspectors confirmed the following information about the provider: North East Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust is an employer provider. Leaders offer the level 3 ambulance support worker apprenticeship across the North East. Training is based in a purpose-built centre in Gateshead. At the time of the inspection, there were 121 apprentices enrolled. All apprentices were aged 18 years and over.

p.6

Exceptional

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

p.7

Strong standard

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

p.7

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.

p.7

Needs attention

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

p.7

Urgent improvement

The provider needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care. services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

p.7

Urgent improvement

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.8

Urgent improvement

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.8

Urgent improvement

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.8

Urgent improvement

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

p.8