Warwickshire College

Further Education college residential provision inspection report Date published: 20 December 2016 Inspection Number: 10011263 URN: SC034225

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Further Education College residential provision

Inspection dates 21/11/2016 - 23/11/2016

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Further Education College residential provision

Overall effectiveness This inspection: Good

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Further Education College residential provision

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

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This college is good because:

 Residential students enjoy the college experience and have positive relationships with staff and host families.

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This college is good because:

 Residential staff have an excellent knowledge and understanding of residential students’ individual needs and vulnerabilities.

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This college is good because:

 Residential students make notable and sustained progress. Young people benefit emotionally, socially and educationally from their residential and host-family experiences.

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This college is good because:

 Residential staff promote practice and information that help residential students make informed decisions that ensure their safety and well-being.

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This college is good because:

 Residential staff have good knowledge and understanding of residential students’ unique vulnerabilities and the impact that these have on their needs and behaviours.

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This college is good because:

 Partnership working between college staff and host families ensures that residential students benefit from good-quality integrated programmes of care, support and education. Further Education college residential provision inspection report Date published: 20 December 2016 Inspection Number: 10011263 URN: SC034225

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This is not yet an outstanding college because:

 Students do not readily take on roles and responsibilities with the college and wider community or readily demonstrate how their views have made a difference.

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This is not yet an outstanding college because:

 Students do not take up opportunities to develop leadership and team-working skills through taking on roles and responsibilities that aid personal growth.

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This is not yet an outstanding college because:

 Placement and care plans are not yet having a highly beneficial impact on outcomes.

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This is not yet an outstanding college because:

 Safeguarding practice is not innovative or research-based.

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What does the college need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that developmental actions are informed by analysis of data and the regular review of the quality of records and practice.

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What does the college need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that all records relating to residential staff or students are detailed and record the content of discussions, action points and any outcomes.

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What does the college need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that student records and placement plans are detailed and clearly record staff practice and actions when concerns are raised.

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Inspection judgements

 Residential students are positive about the residential experience. They develop increased confidence and self-esteem, which improves their social skills and independence. They learn to balance effectively their social lives alongside educational expectations and achieve good outcomes.

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Inspection judgements

 Residential students develop positive relationships with staff, host families and peers. They value the understanding that they gain from living alongside others with different interests and from different backgrounds. The relationships that they form increase the quality of their experience and support their growth and success.

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Inspection judgements

 Residential students develop a range of skills which prepare them for their next steps into further study or employment. They are supported by staff to reflect and learn from behaviours, incidents and experiences. They are encouraged to take on new responsibilities, experience a variety of activities and increase levels of participation. As a result, students have a good understanding of their strengths, which develops their sense of identify and self-worth.

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Inspection judgements

 Residential students lead healthy lives. They are encouraged to take responsibility for their own health through educational sessions and establishing positive links to health professionals. Their physical and emotional fitness and well-being is promoted through college staff providing support and a variety of sporting initiatives such as canoeing club, badminton club and ‘run like a girl’.

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Inspection judgements

 Consultation with residential students is embedded in the daily practice and routines in residency. Their views are central to the arrangement of activities, and the continual review and evaluation of the impact of residency on their progress. Students say that they are involved and included in regular discussions relating to the aims and objectives of residency. They are confident that any concerns or issues that they raise will be immediately addressed. This supports their feelings of inclusion and promotes their safety.

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Inspection judgements

 Residential students are very well informed about their rights and opportunities. They have an established network of support that they access on a regular basis which improves their learning outcomes and quality of life.

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Inspection judgements

 Residential students make good progress in residential provision because partnership working between residential staff, teaching staff, host families and other agencies is effective. This collaborative approach ensures that students’ social and emotional needs are considered in line with their educational progress and personal circumstances.

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Inspection judgements

 Residential staff know the students well. They have established positive relationships which they use appropriately to guide and influence students to make well-informed choices and decisions. These are formalised into targets and objectives which are set across care and education. Systems such as tutorials and 1:1 sessions support students to develop an understanding of their strengths and weaknesses and enable them to progress. Some actions taken by staff are not recorded in detail across the college’s recording systems. This means that sometimes there are not clear audit trails that can be case tracked by managers to identify and monitor good practice, positive outcomes and areas for development.

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Inspection judgements

 Residential students participate in a varied range of stimulating activities. Some embrace these opportunities as they complement their educational curriculum by enabling them to learn new practical and academic skills. Activities are often inclusive; all students, regardless of their skills and abilities, are encouraged to take part. In addition, the group nature of some activities means that students are able to develop their social interaction skills. They form appropriate emotional connections to others. This supports their personal growth and development.

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Inspection judgements

 Residential students settle quickly into the college and are well prepared to move on from the college. Residential staff, teaching staff, host families, other professionals and families work effectively in partnership to ensure that these transitions are smooth. Arrangements mean that residential staff are equipped with a good understanding of students’ needs. This enables them to deliver personalised care and support programmes. For example, the induction of residential students is reviewed and developed each year based on feedback from students. Events organised throughout the first couple of weeks help students to get to know each other and settle into student life. Where appropriate, college staff run induction sessions for apprentices at their workplace prior to them arriving at the college.  Residential accommodation is of a good standard and is safe and secure. The organisation and maintenance of accommodation is regularly reviewed. The college’s

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Inspection judgements

management team is proactive in identifying where buildings require upgrading. There is a clear plan in place that ensures that this work is on-going. The college’s governors and management team continue to invest in residential accommodation, and new purpose-built accommodation is being built on one of the college’s sites.

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Inspection judgements

 Residential students feel safe at this college and in host families. They know how to complain, and bullying is not raised as an issue. Students can identify trusted members of staff, often the student wardens, whom they can talk to about their concerns. There are no issues of students going missing from college. However, staff are aware of the procedures to follow should they go missing.

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Inspection judgements

 Residential staff consistently promote positive behaviour, and residential students generally behave well. They are aware of the rules and of the consequences of breaking them. They feel that staff are ‘fair’, ‘supportive’ and ‘provide reassuring guidance’. Staff are proactive and use their experience of supporting students to prevent incidents from occurring in the first place. For example, prior to Christmas, health professionals promote sexual health and party awareness.

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Inspection judgements

 Staff have a good understanding of the range of issues that can affect residential students, for example drugs misuse, anxiety, bullying and self-harm. Their understanding of current safeguarding concerns is strengthened through training and guidance in issues such as identifying child sexual exploitation, radicalisation and cyber bullying.

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Inspection judgements

 Residential students are protected from harm by staff who have good working knowledge of the college’s safeguarding arrangements. Relationships between residential students and staff are extremely positive. Students say that they feel valued and appreciated and this promotes their safety. Students learn to take appropriate actions to keep themselves safe through tutorials, discussions and educational tools.

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Inspection judgements

 The board of governors, senior management team and staff continue to raise safety standards throughout the college. They regularly review and update action plans and risk assessments. They also effectively use internal and external audits to inform health and safety and safeguarding practice. For example, the senior management team has prioritised work as a result of the findings of an external security review of the college’s residential accommodation. The additional security measures implemented as a result are robust and have been welcomed by residential students. The effectiveness of leadership and management Good

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Inspection judgements

 Leadership and management arrangements are robust, and residential services are appropriately monitored. There is good leadership, and staff are aware of their roles and responsibilities in supporting residential students’ welfare and learning.

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Inspection judgements

 Residential staff work effectively as teams and in partnership with host families, other professionals and parents. This ensures that residential students receive well-planned care and accommodation when accessing the residential provision. This supports their continual progress and learning.

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Inspection judgements

 The residential provision is appropriately staffed to ensure the safety and well-being of students. Residential staff receive good support from their direct line managers. There are 1:1 sessions that take place, alongside regular handovers and staff meetings. These keep staff well informed of the needs of the residential students.

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Inspection judgements

 Induction and training for residential staff is good. Residential staff access a varied range of training and development opportunities that are also linked to the college’s overall development and improvement agenda. Training and development needs are identified through an agreed programme of continuous professional development. Managers have an overview of all residential staff training that states what training has been completed and when it needs to be renewed.

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Inspection judgements

 Some records, such as staff supervision, contact with parents, consultation with host families and informal complaints, lack detail. They do not reflect staff good practice as they do not record discussions, actions and outcomes. This does not enable managers to effectively monitor and audit the practice of staff or outcomes of students.

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Inspection judgements

 Residency has a positive impact on students’ development and is regularly monitored and reviewed by the senior management team and governing body. This ensures that the service continues to meet their needs. Managers continue to improve and develop the service in line with the wider college development plan. Detailed recordings and comparisons of data and regular quality assurance of systems and practice would further inform improvements and outcomes. COLLEGE DETAILS

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Inspection judgements

Type of college Further education college residential provision

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Inspection judgements

Approximate number of learners in residence

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Inspection judgements

Principal/CEO Angela Joyce Date of previous inspection 08/03/2012

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Purpose and Scope of inspection

The purpose of this inspection is to assure children and young people, parents, the public, local authorities and government of the quality and standard of the service provided. The inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service and to consider how well it complies with the relevant regulations and meets the national minimum standards.

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Purpose and Scope of inspection

The report details the main strengths, any areas for improvement, including any breaches of regulation, and any failure to meet national minimum standards. The judgements included in the report are made against the inspection framework and the evaluation schedule for the inspection of accommodation in further education colleges.

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Contextual information

Warwickshire College is a large provider of further and higher education. Currently, the college operates over seven campuses. Residential accommodation for students is provided on three sites and with host families. Nearly 700 students are accommodated at the college's Moreton Morrell, Leamington Spa and Pershore sites. At the time of this inspection, about 62 students under the age of 18 were being accommodated on a flexi- or full-time basis.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors took account of the provider's most recent self-assessment report and development plans, and the previous inspection report. Inspectors also used data on learners' achievements over the last three years to help them make judgements. Inspectors used group and individual interviews, telephone calls and online questionnaires to gather the views of learners and employers; these views are reflected throughout the report.

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What inspection judgements mean

Detailed grade characteristics can be viewed in the ‘Evaluation schedule for the inspection of residential provision in further education colleges 2014’

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What inspection judgements mean

http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/evaluation-schedule-for-inspection-of-residential-provision- further-education-colleges

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What inspection judgements mean

guidance 'Raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted's website: www.gov.uk/ofsted If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children's services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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What inspection judgements mean

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What inspection judgements mean

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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