Abbeydale Vetlink Veterinary Training Limited

Abbeydale Vetlink Veterinary Training Limited

Address: Apex House, Wonastow Road Industrial Estate East, Monmouth, NP25 5JB Unique reference number (URN): 2510855

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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 a highly inclusive teaching environment, where individual needs of apprentices are considered and support needs are identified to ensure that apprentices have the support they need to be successful.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders ask detailed questions of apprentices at the start of learning to understand their barriers to learning and temporary vulnerabilities, and they put support in place quickly. However, although leaders use this information to identify whether barriers pose a risk to completion, they do not systematically monitor whether the interventions that they put in place have the intended impact.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders provide specialist support for apprentices that allows them to learn time management and study skills, apply for diagnostic tests and to receive classroom support. They encourage apprentices to reduce their use of this support over time in order to develop the independent study skills and working routines that are needed as practising veterinary nurses.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Where apprentices face temporary vulnerabilities or barriers to their learning, leaders work with employers, awarding organisations and external support agencies to ensure that apprentices are given adjustments to assessments, workplace support, additional support sessions and counselling. This support helps apprentices to achieve success in their studies.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders have a reasonable understanding of the provider’s strengths and areas for development. They have worked to develop quality assurance processes that identify areas for improvement and carefully track and monitor the actions to address these. While these processes have been effective in ensuring that there is no risk of provision falling short of the expected standard, they are not yet precisely focused enough to drive continued improvement beyond this.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Governors are industry experts and ensure that leaders have a clear vision and strategy for the provision. They support and challenge leaders appropriately, particularly in understanding the needs of the veterinary industry.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders ensure that staff have access to professional development opportunities, including to develop their teaching skills and maintain their professional registration. They link the training to general areas identified through observations of teaching and track the impact through the performance review process. However, leaders do not plan training precisely enough so that all tutors have enough support to further develop their teaching skills, particularly when teaching online.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders ensure that staff feel they are part of a close and collaborative working group. They provide tutors with opportunities to contribute to curriculum development. They support new tutors with well-developed teaching resources to use. Leaders provide tutors with flexible working arrangements and make sure that tutors have appropriate time for preparation and marking. They prioritise staff wellbeing and support.

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Achievement Strong standard

Apprentices achieve very well, and achievement rates have been high since the previous inspection. A very high proportion of apprentices pass their examinations at the first attempt.

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Achievement Strong standard

Apprentices, particularly those studying level 3 veterinary nurse, produce written work of an extremely high standard. They carefully analyse current industry challenges, such as the sale of antiparasitics and develop a deep understanding of veterinary practice as a result.

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Achievement Strong standard

Apprentices, including those with barriers to learning, develop an extremely high standard of professional veterinary nursing skills, beyond the requirements of the apprenticeship. They rapidly become valued members of veterinary care teams, contributing to care and welfare plans for patients and working sensitively with customers. Employers value their skills highly. Almost all apprentices remain working in veterinary roles following their apprenticeship, with many continuing their learning alongside their work.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders have designed curriculums which are informed by employers and industry networks and that are effective in developing successful veterinary nurses and assistants. They are committed to raising professional standards in the industry and to providing apprentices with extensive opportunities to develop the skills that are critical in their workplaces.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders understand the strengths and weaknesses in the curriculum well. They have worked to continue to develop teaching quality and curriculum content so that apprentices have enough time to develop the high-quality practical skills and study skills needed to achieve success in their examinations. Tutors are vocational experts and many continue to practice veterinary nursing alongside their teaching. They bring real-world examples into the classroom, using case studies and scenarios to demonstrate patient care so that apprentices can link theory to practice effectively. Tutors use pertinent examples of complex medical cases to ensure that apprentices can identify problematic medication combinations in treatment plans.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Tutors and clinical coaches in the workplace work together effectively so that apprentices can practise in the workplace what they have learned in their training. Apprentices bring their workplace experiences back into classroom discussions. Through sharing experiences of practice, they develop confidence in their roles and in using their professional voice to contribute to team discussions in the workplace.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders and tutors understand the support needs of apprentices well. They individualise teaching to meet the needs of learners, both with barriers to learning and those working in small, large and specialist animal practices who require differing professional skills for their workplace. Tutors respond rapidly when apprentices need additional support or different strategies to support their learning preferences. As a result, apprentices feel well supported in their learning and make rapid progress in the development of their skills.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Leaders have established a positive, inclusive and supportive culture in which apprentices feel safe, valued and respected. Apprentices benefit from effective relationships with tutors, employers, clinical coaches and workplace support staff. Leaders set clear expectations for attendance, behaviour and workplace professionalism. Apprentices are motivated and committed to completing their studies successfully.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Leaders understand apprentices’ wider development needs well. Apprentices receive wellbeing support, welfare visits and personalised interventions if they struggle with their workload. As a result, they develop confidence, resilience and greater readiness for progression and employment.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Apprentices receive effective careers education and guidance from experienced sector professionals. They understand the progression routes available in the veterinary sector, including following specialist pathways. They understand their next steps and how to take them.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Leaders do not tolerate bullying, discrimination, harassment or victimisation. Apprentices know how to report concerns and are confident that issues would be acted on promptly and appropriately. While apprentices learn about safeguarding, the dangers of radicalisation and extremism, British values and wider personal development themes, such as healthy relationships and lifestyles, they do not consistently recall their learning well enough to use it in their lives and work.

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

Apprentices study in highly inclusive and supportive environments. They value the support that they receive from their tutors, who are industry experts and bring their substantial experience into the classrooms. Apprentices are extremely motivated to achieve their apprenticeship and work as veterinary nurses and nursing associates, and the large majority do so successfully.

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

Apprentices benefit from additional learning support that accurately meets their needs. Leaders and tutors are committed to understanding barriers to learning and how they can support apprentices to succeed. Through the close professional relationships that they develop with apprentices, they ensure that support strategies are successful in developing the confidence and competence of apprentices.

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

Tutors ensure that apprentices rapidly develop complex veterinary nursing skills, above the expectation of the apprenticeship. Apprentices practice their skills in collaborative practical classes and then hone them with the support of clinical coaches in the workplace. Employers value the skills that apprentices bring to their workplace.

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

Leaders provide apprentices with wider opportunities for learning, including topics that help apprentices understand their customers. For example, apprentices discuss animal hoarding and mental health, as well as gaining an understanding how to keep themselves mentally healthy at home and work.

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

Tutors and clinical coaches ensure that apprentices develop professional behaviours alongside their vocational skills. They have high expectations of apprentices, and apprentices confidently meet these through their study. Apprentices develop their professional language and voice and actively contribute to treatment plans and patient care in the workplace.

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Next steps

Leaders should evaluate the extent to which the interventions that they put in place for apprentices with barriers to learning have the intended impact. Leaders should continue to develop the quality of teaching that apprentices receive, including during online lessons. Leaders should further develop their wider curriculum, so that apprentices develop an understanding of how topics covered relate to their work and personal lives. Leaders should sharpen the focus of their quality assurance arrangements, so that the targets that they set for improvement continue to enhance the quality of the provision.

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Team inspectors:

Nicola Adams, Ofsted Inspector Matthew Gower, Ofsted 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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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 leaders, governors, tutors, clinical coaches, apprentices and employers during the inspection.

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About this inspection

The inspectors confirmed the following information about the provider:

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About this inspection

Abbeydale Vetlink Veterinary Training Limited is a specialised independent learning provider based in Monmouth. It offers veterinary nursing apprenticeships at levels 2 and 3 which are taught online and in specialist classrooms at the centre. At the time of inspection, there were 88 apprentices, of whom fewer than 5 were aged under 19 years. The majority of apprentices were studying level 3 veterinary nurse. A further 13 apprentices were studying level 2 animal care and welfare assistant.

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About this inspection

Managing directors: Samantha Morgan and Kirsty Gwynne

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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

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 .

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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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