Welfare and Duty of Care in Armed Forces Initial Training Ofsted’S Report to the Minister for Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans
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Welfare and duty of care in Armed Forces initial training Ofsted’s report to the Minister for Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans Contents Ministerial foreword 3 Preface 4 Background 6 Key recommendations for improvement 7 Summary of progress 8 Detailed findings 11 The progress made by establishments since their previous inspections 11 Outcomes for recruits and trainees 11 Summary reports in date order 18 Army Training Centre, Pirbright 18 Defence Medical Services Training Group 20 Britannia Royal Naval College 22 Defence School of Transport 24 Army Training Regiment, Winchester 26 11th (Royal School of Signals) Signal Regiment 28 25 Training Regiment, Royal Logistic Corps 30 Royal Military Academy Sandhurst 32 RAF Honington (RAF Regiment) 34 Annex A: Summary of overall inspection judgements 36 Annex B: Inspection dates 37 Annex C: Ofsted’s terms of reference 38 Ministerial foreword Each year the Armed Forces recruit and train I am very pleased that all training establishments young men and women from a very broad range of inspected were assessed as either good or outstanding backgrounds and provide them with the skills they and I am further pleased that Ofsted have recognised need to contribute on operations and develop as that the welfare of recruits and trainees is now an individuals. For many, this will be their first time away intrinsic part of our military training. However, there from their homes and families and the welfare and is no room for complacency and the report highlights duty of care arrangements that they encounter will be several key recommendations where improvements are of paramount importance in ensuring their successful still required. transition to service life. I am very grateful to Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector This is the sixth successive report by Ofsted into the and his team for their continued valuable contribution effectiveness of the care and welfare arrangements for in providing an assessment of our initial training and recruits and trainees undertaking initial training in the making recommendations for its improvement. Armed Forces. Through its rigorous assessment and careful guidance since its first report in 2008, Ofsted has played a significant part in enabling a culture of continuous improvement to be embedded throughout initial training, helping Defence to look after its most important assets at the beginning of their careers. Anna Soubry MP Minister of State for Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans 3 www.ofsted.gov.uk Preface This is Ofsted’s sixth annual report on the For all these establishments, a continued relentless effectiveness of welfare and duty of care for recruits focus on improvement by senior staff, a clear and self- and trainees in Armed Forces initial training. As in critical self-assessment process, and wider sharing of previous years, I thank the Ministry of Defence, the good and outstanding practice will bring clear benefits Training Headquarters and the training establishments for recruits, trainees and staff. inspected for their cooperation throughout these For the first time this year, inspectors made a support inspections. and challenge monitoring visit to one establishment, This report presents a pleasing picture of continued The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. The improvement in many aspects of welfare and duty monitoring visit, which did not result in a graded of care in the establishments inspected between judgement, provided support and challenge for September 2013 and February 2014. It is very specific areas for development resulting from the encouraging to see that all establishments this year Academy’s previously adequate inspection outcomes were good or better in their overall effectiveness of in 2010/11 and 2012/13. welfare and duty of care. Two of the eight inspections Inspectors will carry out other support and challenge resulted in outstanding outcomes, for Army Training visits during the coming year, working with those Centre, Pirbright, and Army Training Regiment, establishments where overall effectiveness of welfare Winchester. Both these establishments had been good and duty of care is not improving at a sufficiently at previous inspections and they are commended on steady or rapid rate. I am hopeful that such intensive raising the quality of recruits’ welfare and care to an and supportive work will bring real benefits to outstanding level. establishments that have found change and Three of the six establishments judged good this year: improvement hard to maintain. Britannia Royal Naval College, the Defence School Despite the general trend of improvement in the of Transport, and RAF Honington, have maintained establishments visited this year, key areas for good overall effectiveness from previous inspections. improvement remain. It is disheartening to note that However, in each of these establishments inspectors several of these areas for improvement were the noted some particularly strong features, for example subject of comment in last year’s report and across a the quality improvement challenge meetings at RAF number of previous years. Honington, the welfare arrangements for trainees at Defence School of Transport and the cadet assessment It is still the case that in around half of the phase 1 groups at Britannia Royal Naval College. establishments and in the majority of phase 2 training establishments seen this year, too few instructors The 11th (Royal School of Signals) Signal Regiment; begin their new roles having completed appropriate 25 Training Regiment, Royal Logistic Corps; and training. In addition to securing appropriate and timely Defence Medical Services Training Group improved to training for instructors, it is essential that only the good overall effectiveness this year, after previously most suitable, competent and enthusiastic instructors adequate inspection outcomes. For 25 Training are selected to work in initial training. Recruits and Regiment in particular, this year’s good overall trainees must not be faced with instructors who lack effectiveness grade marks a clear improvement after capacity or enthusiasm for their roles. two successive adequate grades in 2010/11 and 2012/13. As in previous years’ reports, I note that nearly all the establishments need to improve the quality of teaching and learning. Instructors’ pedagogic skills must be developed further, through structured 4 Welfare and duty of care in Armed Forces initial training observations of teaching and learning, with during treatment, or are under-staffed. In all the constructive, individual feedback that gives clear establishments inspected, medical centre vacancies, messages about how to improve the quality and both for specialist clinicians and for administrative effectiveness of trainees’ learning. staff, must be filled rapidly to maintain good access to care for trainees, recruits and staff. Building Across the establishments inspected, the collection, programmes and planned improvements must be analysis and use of data still require improvement, carried out according to planned timescales to ensure so that instructors and senior staff may make useful that the physical conditions in medical and dental comparisons between different cohorts and groups centres are improved as soon as possible. of recruits or trainees. Better understanding of trends over time, particularly regarding injury rates and first- Finally, and again as in previous years, I urge staff time pass rates, is needed to ensure fully effective and at all levels to identify and share best practice in the successful training. strategic and operational management of welfare and duty of care, and in teaching, training and learning, so After many years of general improvements in the that the recurrent areas for improvement noted above standards of accommodation and food for recruits may be dealt with in the coming year. and trainees, it is concerning to find so many reports this year highlighting unacceptable and persistent heating, hot water supply, and drainage problems in accommodation blocks. Senior staff must work with contractors to ensure that such problems meet with swift but lasting solutions. Sir Michael Wilshaw Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector In too many establishments, staff, recruits and trainees have to deal with medical and dental centres that are too cramped, provide insufficient privacy 5 www.ofsted.gov.uk Background This is Ofsted’s sixth report into welfare and duty inspected previously, either by Ofsted or by the Adult of care in Armed Forces initial training. It draws Learning Inspectorate (ALI) before its merger with on evidence from eight inspection reports and an Ofsted in 2007.1 inspection monitoring letter. Inspectors visited nine Inspectors spent more time in Army training training establishments to carry out inspections establishments, reflecting the larger size and scale between September 2013 and January 2014 (Annex of this service compared with the Royal Navy and B). For the first time this year, inspectors made Royal Air Force (RAF). Five of the visits were to Army a support and challenge monitoring visit to one training establishments; one was to a Royal Navy establishment, The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. establishment; two were to tri-service establishments; The monitoring visit, which did not result in a graded and one was to an RAF establishment. judgement, provided support and challenge for specific areas for development resulting from the Each training establishment received no more than 24 Academy’s previous inspection in 2013. hours’ notice