Stephenson College

Inspection report for further education college with residential accommodation: Stephenson College 1 Stephenson College Thornborough Road, Coalville, Leicestershire LE67 3TN Inspection of residential provision Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

residential accommodation

Stephenson College is a small further education college in Coalville, north-west Leicestershire. As well as providing over 1,300 apprenticeships, the college also provides full-time 16 to 19 vocational study programmes. The largest subject areas are engineering, construction and health and social care. The college has a significant adult learning programme that consists mostly of courses in health and social care delivered by distance learning for students across the country. The college organises homestay accommodation for its apprentices, including young people who are under 18 years old. There is no on-site accommodation.

p.1

good

How well young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

The college provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: N/A

p.1

good

Date of last inspection: N/A Inspection report for further education college with residential accommodation: Stephenson College 2

p.1

Key findings from this inspection

 Young people often ask to return to the same host, demonstrating the strong relationships that hosts build with the young people.  Attention to the particular needs of individual young people is a strength.  Staff go above expectations to ensure that young people are safe and happy in their accommodation.  Young people say that they feel safe. They are generally very well behaved and respectful of their hosts.  Young people’s views are very important to staff.  Host family accommodation is well organised. This ensures that young people are usually placed in the appropriate accommodation to meet their needs.  Accommodation is to a good standard providing young people with a home from home experience.  Leaders, managers and governors continually strive to improve the service and have a good understanding of the college’s strengths and weaknesses.

p.2

Key findings from this inspection

 Hosts do not receive good information about young people who are residing with them.  Hosts do not meet regularly with the college to share their experiences, to receive updates to college policies or to receive updated guidance in areas such as safeguarding children and healthy eating.  Most bedrooms are maintained to a high standard and offer young people space and privacy. However, some bedrooms are overcrowded, with beds either touching or very close together.  The on-call system should be reviewed to ensure that staff with on-call responsibilities are available and not on leave.  Records do not always reflect important information. In particular, significant conversations with hosts, young people or parents. Inspection report for further education college with residential accommodation: Stephenson College 3

p.2

Recommendations

 Ensure that hosts receive good information about young people who are residing with them and that hosts meet regularly with the college to share experiences, to receive updates from the college and to have opportunities for training and development.  Consideration should be given to including within the annual review of accommodation a check to ensure that bedrooms are not overcrowded.  Review the on-call system to ensure that staff are available to hosts.  Ensure that records reflect important information. This is with particular reference to significant conversations with hosts, young people or parents. Inspection report for further education college with residential accommodation: Stephenson College 4

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of young people: good

This is the first inspection of this college’s residential provision. There are no breaches of national minimum standards. Staff, employers and hosts all agree that this small college has a community outlook and family feel.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of young people: good

Most young people are very happy with college life and have good relationships with their hosts. They say that they feel safe. They know who to contact for support. They know that they will be listened to and taken seriously by the teaching and support staff. They enjoy their apprenticeship courses. The retention rate is very high and all those who complete their course go on to employment.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of young people: good

Employers say that the college works in partnership with them. Communication is very good. Employers know that apprentices are safe and that they are well cared for. They get regular feedback from apprentices and this is always positive. An employer said: ‘This is by far the best college. No competition at all.’

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of young people: good

Attention to the individualised care of young people is a strength. The college recently implemented a new approach designed to take a more holistic view of the young person. Consequently, staff know the young people well and try to ensure that young people are appropriately placed, considering their age, vulnerability, health and preferences. This maximises their potential and helps to keep them safe.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of young people: good

Young people’s views are sought and considered, especially about accommodation. Many young people ask to remain within the accommodation that they had been first allocated, demonstrating strong, positive relationships with their hosts.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of young people: good

Young people know who they can contact if they have any concerns. Similarly, parents also make regular contact to ask advice or simply to ask staff to let them know when their child has arrived safely. This is never too much trouble. Staff work above expectations to ensure that young people are safely accommodated and that parents are reassured.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of young people: good

Hosts provide a good standard of accommodation that is homely and comfortable. They complete a range of environmental safety checks. Hosts provide young people with breakfast and evening meals. Some of the bedrooms appear overcrowded and consideration should be given to reviewing the number of young people accommodated in each room in relation to its size. This will ensure that young people have enough space and privacy. Some hosts have not been aware of young people’s dietary needs or allergies prior to them arriving. This is rare, but hosts said that the information that they receive about a young person could be strengthened.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of young people: good

Hosts are positive about the young people who stay with them. They report that the behaviour of young people is generally very good. Hosts know what action to take in an Inspection report for further education college with residential accommodation: Stephenson College 5 emergency and who to contact for advice and support. They commented that young people are ‘respectful’ when staying in their homes. Hosts understand what constitutes bullying. They all work well with the college to resolve any issues. Hosts say that college staff are open and supportive.

p.4

How well young people are helped and protected: good

The college has good and effective systems for the early identification of safeguarding concerns. Any concerns are acted upon swiftly. The college ensures that partner safeguarding agencies are informed of any concerns. This helps to keep young people safe.

p.5

How well young people are helped and protected: good

Risky behaviours such as alcohol and drug misuse are not generally a problem. Some young people have tried alcohol. This has been taken very seriously by the college and the employers.

p.5

How well young people are helped and protected: good

Students are safer because the college ensures the safe recruitment of staff. All staff, including hosts and any adults living in the home, complete enhanced disclosure and barring service checks as part of robust vetting procedures.

p.5

How well young people are helped and protected: good

Young people who are new to the college receive a good-quality induction that helps them to understand how to keep themselves safe. The college is creative and will use role play with young people to communicate the importance of staying safe.

p.5

How well young people are helped and protected: good

The role of the designated safeguarding lead is given to senior members of the college staff. They receive additional high-level safeguarding training every two years. All incidents and concerns undergo a rigorous review. The principal and governing body provide good oversight of safeguarding concerns and actions taken.

p.5

How well young people are helped and protected: good

Young people are also protected because the college has strong partnership arrangements with other agencies such as the police and local authority. Staff play a full part in the local safeguarding children’s board network groups for colleges and contribute to the wider safeguarding arrangements in the local communities.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders, managers and governors have a good vision for the college. They have completed a strong self-assessment review in which they clearly identify areas of strength and recognise areas that they wish to improve.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The college has a suite of policies and procedures setting out how they will keep young people safe. These are regularly reviewed. There is a range of safeguarding policies on the college website. These include safeguarding children and vulnerable adults, internet safety and anti-bullying.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

College staff are trained in safeguarding children. This training has been updated following the recent revision of the Keeping Children Safe in Education guidance. Inspection report for further education college with residential accommodation: Stephenson College 6 However, hosts have not received the same high standard of safeguarding training or any other training, such as providing healthy meals. Furthermore, they are not invited into the college to meet with each other to share their experiences or to receive updates to policies. This would strengthen the host family provision.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Hosts say that college staff are always available to them, even out of hours. This has been tried and tested and proved to be accurate. However, the current system means that on-call staff may be on leave or not easily available.

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Important information is not always recorded. This specifically relates to significant conversations with young people, hosts or parents. However, there has been no known negative impact of this shortfall.

p.6

Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of young people. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the differences made to the lives of young people. They watched how professional staff work with young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care provided. Wherever possible, they talked to young people and their families. In addition, the inspectors have tried to understand what the college knows about how well it is performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the young people whom it is trying to help, protect and look after.

p.6

Information about this inspection

Using the ‘Social care common inspection framework’, this inspection was carried out under the Children Act 1989 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, and to consider how well it complies with the national minimum standards. Inspection report for further education college with residential accommodation: Stephenson College 7

p.6

details

Social care unique reference number: 2498458 Principal/CEO: Nigel Leigh

p.7

Inspector(s)

Joanne Vyas: social care inspector Phillip Morris: social care inspector Inspection report for further education college with residential accommodation: Stephenson College 8 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 and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and 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.

p.7

Inspector(s)

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . 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 http://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 .

p.8

Inspector(s)

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.8

Inspector(s)

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: http://www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.8