Ofsted round-up – This week: Outstanding results for University Hospitals of NHS Trust

University Hospitals of NHS Trust, Leicester

Summary of grades awarded:

Effectiveness of provision Outstanding: Grade 1

Capacity to improve Good: Grade 2

Achievement and standards Outstanding: Grade 1

Quality of provision Outstanding: Grade 1

Leadership and management Good: Grade 2

Equality of opportunity Contributory grade: Good: Grade 2

Sector subject area:

Health, Public Service and Care Outstanding: Grade 1

 

UHLNHS Trust is a large teaching trust employing over 12,000 staff and includes Glenfield Hospital, Leicester General Hospital and Leicester Royal Infirmary. UHL’s human resource training and development services is part of the human resource directorate and provides NVQ a wide range of externally accredited and in-house staff development courses. The services is the only provider within the East Midlands strategic health authority that holds a contract with the LSC.

The service’s overall effectiveness is outstanding and the service demonstrates a good capacity to improve. Although the Train to Gain programmes have only been offered since 2008, the service had been successfully providing NVQ training for some time. Its former quality improvements arrangements were effective and had led to a number of good developments.

Although the self-assessment report is new, it is thorough and accurately identifies strengths and a number of areas for improvement. The latest quality improvement plan seeks to address these areas and has realistic targets for the completion of actions. The service encourages staff at all levels to be reflective and to seek to improve their working practice. As a relatively new provider, the service has yet to establish some of its new quality assurance arrangements. Key strengths include, good development of additional work related skills, excellent retention, good progression, particularly good on- and off-the-job training, excellent range of courses and learner opportunities to meet the needs of learners and employers, outstanding support for learners, very good programme management, good strategic direction, very effective strategies to promote continuous improvement and particularly effective staff recruitment and development.

Achievements are outstanding. Retention is excellent. Of the 58 learners who started the Train to Gain programmes since May 2008, only one has left the programme without achieving the qualification. So far six learners have achieved an NVQ at level 3, and three learners have gained an NVQ at level 2. All remaining learners are making good progress towards completing their qualification within planned time.

Natalie Hailes