Poole Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Inspection number 330001 Poole Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

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Background information ............................................................................... 3

Inspection judgements ..................................................................................... 3 Scope of the inspection..................................................................................... 3

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Overall judgement ........................................................................................ 6

Effectiveness of provision.................................................................................. 6 Capacity to improve ....................................................................................... 6

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Main findings................................................................................................. 8

Achievement and standards .............................................................................. 8 Quality of provision .......................................................................................... 8 Leadership and management .......................................................................... 10 Equality of opportunity ................................................................................. 10

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Inspection judgements

Inspectors use a four-point scale to summarise their judgements about achievement and standards, the quality of provision, and leadership and management, which includes a grade for equality of opportunity .

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Key for inspection grades

Grade 1 Outstanding Grade 2 Good Grade 3 Satisfactory Grade 4 Inadequate

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Key for inspection grades

Further information can be found on how inspection judgements are made on www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Scope of the inspection

In deciding the scope of the inspection, inspectors take account of the provider’s most recent self-assessment report and development plans, and comments from the local Learning and Skills Council (LSC) or other funding body. Where appropriate, inspectors also consider the previous inspection report ( www.ofsted.gov.uk ), reports from the inspectorates’ monitoring visits, and data on learners and their achievements over the period since the previous inspection.

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Scope of the inspection

In addition to reporting on overall effectiveness of the organisation, its capacity to improve further, achievement and standards, quality of provision and leadership and management, this inspection focused on specialist provision in:

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Description of the provider

1. Poole Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (PNHSFT) serves the Borough of Poole and surrounding areas. It is the main trauma centre for East Dorset. PNHSFT gained foundation trust status in 2007. The Trust has contracted with the Somerset and Dorset Learning and Skills Council (LSC) since 2006 to provide Train to Gain programmes in health and social care. The programmes are delivered by the vocational staff team within PNHSFT’s education and training department. The team is managed by the assistant director for education and consists of a programme manager, assessors and trainers.

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Description of the provider

2. New staff join the programme on completion of their six month probationary period of employment at PNHSFT. At the time of inspection, 33 learners were working towards National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) on the Train to Gain programme, 21 were on Level 2 programmes, 12 were on Level 3 programmes. Of those on Level 2 programmes, 19 learners have enrolled on health and social care courses, one on portering and security, and one on a clinical support programme. Of those on Level 3 programmes, four learners enrolled on general health care support, three on allied health professional support, three on clinical healthcare skills and two on obstetrics theatre support. Six learners are male.

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Description of the provider

3. The employment rate in the Borough of Poole is 60.2% compared with 62.2% nationally. Most employment is within the service sector. The unemployment rate is 3.8% compared with the national rate of 5.4%. According to the 2001 census, 4% of the borough’s residents are from minority ethnic groups compared with 9.1% nationally. Of the total population, 21% are aged over 65 compared with 16% nationally.

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Summary of grades awarded

Effectiveness of provision Satisfactory: Grade 3

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Summary of grades awarded

Quality of provision Satisfactory: Grade 3

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Summary of grades awarded

Leadership and management Satisfactory: Grade 3

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Summary of grades awarded

Equality of opportunity Contributory grade: Satisfactory: Grade 3

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Sector subject area

Health and social care Satisfactory: Grade 3

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Satisfactory: Grade 3

4. The overall effectiveness of PNHSFT’s provision is satisfactory. Achievement and standards are good overall, with high success rates. Most learners gain in confidence and develop their workplace skills. Learners at Level 2 produce good standards of work. Some learners, particularly at Level 3, make slow progress to complete the NVQ. However, the progress for newer learners is satisfactory.

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Satisfactory: Grade 3

5. The quality of provision is satisfactory. Teaching, learning and resources are satisfactory. Assessment practice is also satisfactory but assessment of individual learners’ needs is insufficient. The range of learning programmes is satisfactory and matches learners’ potential and prior attainment effectively. Guidance and support is good. Assessors provide very effective support and guidance to individual learners.

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Satisfactory: Grade 3

6. Leadership and management are satisfactory. Operational management of the programme and the suitability of staff qualifications and experience to meet the needs of learners are good. Equality of opportunity is satisfactory. Most arrangements for quality assurance are thorough. PNHSFT’s organisational planning for some aspects of the programme are not yet sufficiently developed.

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Good: Grade 2

7. PNHSFT’s capacity to improve is good. Success rates are consistently high. Effective actions have been taken to improve the rate of most learners’ progress. The identification of areas for improvement is accurate with much recent progress. Action plans for improvement are clearly identified and closely linked to the self-assessment process.

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Good: Grade 2

8. Quality assurance of assessment practice and internal verification processes are thorough and contribute effectively to quality improvement. Staff respond promptly and effectively to any concerns raised by learners or their supervisors. PNHSFT uses feedback from learners and workplace supervisors particularly well and analyses the findings to identify areas for improvement. It carries out some informal observation of teaching and learning. PNHSFT works effectively with its partner organisation for the delivery of literacy and numeracy courses.

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Good: Grade 2

9. The self-assessment process is good. PNHSFT’s work-based learning provision has not been inspected before and the current self-assessment report is the first to be produced. The self-assessment process is inclusive with close involvement of staff and includes the feedback of learners and their supervisors about the programme. Data is used well to make appropriate judgements about overall success rates and progress, but it is not yet used sufficiently to analyse and monitor performance trends. The self-assessment report is comprehensive, evaluative and mainly accurate. Inspectors agreed with most of the main strengths and areas for improvement. PNHSFT’s own grades for the provision closely matched inspectors’ judgements.

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Key strengths

 High success rates  Good standards of work on Level 2 programmes  Very effective support and guidance from assessors  Good operational management

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Key areas for improvement

 Slow progress for some learners  Insufficient assessment of individual learners’ needs  Insufficient organisational planning of some aspects of the programme  Insufficient use of management information

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Good: Grade 2

10.Achievements and standards are good. As identified in the self-assessment report, overall success rates are high. For 2007/08, the success rate was 89%. The success rate of learners on the additional support programme for literacy and/or numeracy skills is 100%. Learners at Level 2 produce well organised portfolios with work of a good standard. Their evidence includes detailed journals and case studies. Learners demonstrate competent vocational skills and ensure practice of these skills provides a good level of patient care. The standard of learners’ work at Level 3 is satisfactory. Most learners gain in confidence and self-esteem while on the programme. Some learners develop their workplace skills and learn to apply theory to practice in areas such as infection control and health and safety. For those learners who have already worked for several years in the hospital, the qualifications provide recognition for skills already practised.

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Good: Grade 2

11.Some learners make slow progress, particularly at Level 3. These learners have either exceeded their planned completion date or are current learners who have not yet made sufficient progress relative to their time on the training programme. For 2007/08, the timely success rate was 56%. However, as identified in the self- assessment report, learners who have more recently started the programme are making satisfactory progress. The performance trends of different groups of learners by age and gender are generally similar. The ethnicity of learners is not sufficiently recorded for performance trends to be evaluated.

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Satisfactory: Grade 3

12.The quality of provision is satisfactory. Teaching and learning are satisfactory overall. Group sessions are well planned, although they do not always include activities to meet individual needs. Most teaching is provided off-the-job on an individual basis and is satisfactory. On-the-job training for the NVQ programmes is satisfactory. Health and safety training is also satisfactory. Resources for teaching and learning are also satisfactory. Learners use effective written materials provided by their assessors, also resources from the hospital intranet and the patient information centre. In most areas, learners are able to use the ward computers to access the hospital intranet. The NVQ induction process is satisfactory overall. However, the initial group session contains too much information for the time allocated.

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Satisfactory: Grade 3

13. Assessment practice is satisfactory. An appropriate range of assessment methods are used, with an emphasis on direct observation. Assessment is well planned. It takes place at a variety of times to minimise disruption to patients and to fit in with learners’ shift patterns. Most documentation is thoroughly completed. Assessors provide learners with detailed verbal and written feedback following assessment. However, written assessment plans generally lack sufficiently clear guidelines for the individual learner to easily understand how they can complete the elements of the NVQ in the workplace.

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Satisfactory: Grade 3

14.Individual learners’ needs are insufficiently assessed. This is identified in the self- assessment report. Most learners complete a basic skills test at their employment interview, but are not usually informed of the outcome and the results are not always provided to the education department. The initial assessment process does not sufficiently and systematically identify barriers to learning before learners start their programme. Thorough and well documented reviews of learners’ progress are regularly carried out between the assessor and the internal verifier. However no formal reviews of learners’ progress and target-setting take place that involve the learner, their workplace supervisor and the assessor. Most workplace supervisors are not sufficiently aware of learners’ progress or their need for further practice and assessment.

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Satisfactory: Grade 3

15.Arrangements to meet the needs and interests of learners are satisfactory. PNHSFT offers a broad range of health related NVQ programmes that are appropriate to the care sector. These enable nursing auxiliaries and support staff to access a suitable programme to fulfil their professional needs and personal aspirations.

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Satisfactory: Grade 3

16.Guidance and support are good. Assessors provide very effective support and guidance to individual learners. Assessors develop good working relationships with their learners. They ensure that learners’ personal and social circumstances do not affect their ability to make progress and complete the training. All the assessors respond promptly and effectively to learners’ queries. Frequent contact takes place between assessors and their learners. The assessors are particularly skilled at providing encouragement with clear guidance and information on the requirements of the learner’s programme. Assessors provide much specific and effective individual coaching, at a relevant pace and suitable level to enable learners’ to acquire new knowledge and apply theory to practice.

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Satisfactory: Grade 3

17.Support in the workplace is generally good. In most areas, colleagues and senior staff provide effective encouragement to learners and ensure that suitable tasks are allocated to enable evidence of competence to be collected. In some areas, learners have time away from the ward or unit to work on their NVQ portfolios. However, in a few areas, learners receive little encouragement or time to update their NVQ portfolio of evidence.

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Satisfactory: Grade 3

18.Learners receive satisfactory information, advice and guidance on progression routes within the hospital and in the related health care professions, provided at various times during the programme.

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Satisfactory: Grade 3

Equality of opportunity Contributory grade: Satisfactory: Grade 3

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Satisfactory: Grade 3

19.Leadership and management are satisfactory overall. Leadership is strong and sets a clear direction to raise standards. Operational management of the programme is good. Managers plan each of the programme activities well and ensure that activities are efficiently implemented. The education department’s organisation of the detailed arrangements for the different programmes is thorough. The management of the programme ensures that learners’ progress is carefully recorded and monitored, with well-planned actions that enable learners to achieve their potential. Staff receive good support. Communication is good with very effective team working.

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Satisfactory: Grade 3

20.The suitability of staff to meet learners’ needs is good. All staff are well qualified and experienced. Assessors have suitable qualifications for their roles. They have a good range of appropriate experience and expertise to support learners well. Established and very effective arrangements are in place for additional assessors to support learners in specialist service areas such as the maternity unit. PNHSFT makes good use of internal expertise through the involvement of specialist staff in training sessions. Some assessors also act as trainers within their own fields. These staff either have recognised teaching qualifications or are currently working towards them.

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Satisfactory: Grade 3

21.The strategy to support the development of literacy and numeracy skills is satisfactory overall. Assessors provide useful practical support for learners with basic skills needs. PNHSFT has recently improved its arrangements to enable all learners on the Train to Gain programmes, with needs identified at their employment interview, to access the additional support training provided. However, it is too early to judge the effectiveness of this development. PNHSFT does not have a formal agreement with the partner organisation that delivers provision in literacy and numeracy.

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Satisfactory: Grade 3

22.Appraisal and staff development are satisfactory. Appraisals take place annually and are detailed, with links to relevant staff development. Staff have frequent access to managers for individual discussions about performance and development needs. Resources are satisfactory and are managed efficiently and effectively.

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Satisfactory: Grade 3

23.The procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements. PNHSFT has relevant policies for safeguarding. All staff have Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) checks and have received training in the protection of vulnerable adults. Knowledge and understanding of safeguarding is included within learners’ qualifications. Staff, including learners, have a satisfactory understanding of the PNHSFT’s anti-bullying and anti-harassment policies and procedures. 24.Much of the quality assurance arrangements are thorough, well-established and used effectively for quality improvement. Internal verification is carefully planned. PNHSFT uses standardisation meetings effectively to ensure the assessment process is appropriate to meet the requirements of the qualifications. It carries out some informal observation of teaching and learning. The self-assessment process is relatively new and has been successfully introduced, with good

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Satisfactory: Grade 3

involvement of staff and effective use of learners’ and workplace supervisors’ views.

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Satisfactory: Grade 3

25.Equality of opportunity is satisfactory. The promotion and measures to ensure equality of opportunity are satisfactory overall. PNHSFT meets its general duty for equality legislation as a public body and has specific policies within its single equality scheme relating to equality and diversity, race, disability and gender. PNHSFT has a toolkit in place to assess the impact of the organisation’s equality and diversity measures. PNHSFT’s equality action plan has clearly identified links to the education and training department at senior manager level. Staff, including learners, have received a satisfactory range of training in equality. Learners receive training on equality and diversity matters as part of the relevant units of their NVQ. Assessors often check learners’ understanding of equality and diversity and their experience of equality of opportunity informally. However, they do not always use this to reinforce learners’ knowledge.

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Satisfactory: Grade 3

26.PNHSFT’s organisational planning to support some aspects of the programme is insufficient. Arrangements within PNHSFT do not sufficiently ensure effective links between the learners’ workplace and their NVQ programme. Key members of service area staff are not always sufficiently aware of the requirements of the programme or their role in supporting learners. Learners’ supervisors are not involved in progress reviews. At times, workplace priorities prevent learners from attending off-the-job training. PNHSFT has not established a clear policy for learners’ attendance at these sessions. A recent reintroduction of a staff group forum, with representatives from all the areas involved in the programme, has begun to consider these matters, however, it is too early to judge the impact of this development. 27. 28.The use of management information is insufficient. Available data is not routinely used to analyse and monitor trends. PNHSFT does not formally monitor the

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Satisfactory: Grade 3

performance trends of different groups by age, gender and ethnicity.

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What learners like:

 The opportunity to complete training  ‘Time away from the ward to do NVQ work’  ‘Supportive assessors’  ‘Style of support from my assessor’

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What learners think could improve:

 ‘Make the induction less stressful’  ‘Having off-the-job study time’  Providing access to the hospital intranet from home  Easier availability of learning resources Reinspection report: Poole NHSFT, 11 December 2008 13 of 13

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What learners think could improve:

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Learners’ achievements

Success rates on work-based learning Train to Gain NVQ programmes managed by PNHSFT 2007 to 2009

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Learners’ achievements

Programme End Year Success rate No. of learners* College/provider NVQ rate** overall 2006/07 timely overall 16 89% 2007/08 timely 10 56% overall 6 50% Train to Gain NVQ

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Learners’ achievements

Note: 2008/09 data is ‘part year’ only and is representative of the first three months or greater of the LSC contract year

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Learners’ achievements

* Learners who leave later than originally planned are counted in the year they actually leave. This group of learners are then added to the learners who planned to complete in a given year and did so or left earlier than planned. ** NVQ qualification success rates are calculated using data supplied to Ofsted by the college/provider before inspection.

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