Herefordshire, Ludlow and North Shropshire College

Inspection report for further education college with residential accommodation: Herefordshire, Ludlow and North Shropshire College Herefordshire, Ludlow and North Shropshire College Folly Lane, Hereford, Herefordshire HR1 1LS Inspection of residential provision Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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residential accommodation

Herefordshire, Ludlow and North Shropshire College delivers vocational and academic education and training to young people and adults. The college operates out of five main campuses, namely Hereford, Oswestry, Walford, Holme Lacy, and Ludlow, as well as through County Training, a training provider that is mainly based in Shropshire. There are around 2,200 full-time 16 to 18-year-old and 300 full-time adult students studying at Herefordshire, Ludlow and North Shropshire College. North Shropshire College (Oswestry and Walford) accounts for roughly 30% of the full-time learners. Residential services are provided at the Walford Campus only, with residents studying at either the Oswestry or Walford campuses. At the time of inspection, there are 16 under- 18 students residing on the Walford Campus.

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good

How well young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

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

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: N/A

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good

Date of last inspection: N/A Inspection report for further education college with residential accommodation: Herefordshire, Ludlow and North Shropshire College

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Recommendations

 Ensure that suitable sleeping accommodation is provided for all residential students. (NMS 5.1)

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Overall experiences and progress of young people: good

Young people benefit from a well-structured induction week that helps them to quickly settle into the college and allows the staff to develop good partnership relationships with parents. Young people receive good-quality individual care. Staff are quick to ensure that young people receive appropriate support. As a result, young people develop in their self- confidence and begin to increase their independence. Young people enjoy their time at the college. They are encouraged to take part in a range of activities that help to widen their interests and horizons. The residential staff support young people to achieve in their education by providing additional learning opportunities during the evening. These sessions enable young people to receive help with their English and mathematics. Some residential staff have re-taken their own GCSE English and mathematics, so that they are better informed in how to help young people to achieve academic success.

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How well young people are helped and protected: good

The senior leadership team and the residential staff promote the safety and well-being of young people. The residential staff often educate the young people on how to keep themselves safe, in line with their ages and abilities. This support enables young people to make safer decisions. Staff are present 24 hours a day and monitor the whereabouts of each young person. Incidents of harm are generally low. There have been no incidents relating to bullying, young people going missing from the college, or of any young person being placed at risk of child sexual exploitation. Staff do not use restraint and sanctions. Instead, staff use their positive relationships with young people to quickly resolve any disagreements. Staff receive training that helps them to protect young people from harm. They attend well-coordinated internal safeguarding meetings so that concerns relating to young people’s welfare are swiftly addressed.

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How well young people are helped and protected: good

Managers have strong links with partner agencies and use this link to keep safeguarding at the forefront of the care that they provide to young people. There is a designated residential manager who is part of the college’s safeguarding team. She is experienced and has received advanced training in safeguarding. She has a Inspection report for further education college with residential accommodation: Herefordshire, Ludlow and North Shropshire College close working relationship with the Local Safeguarding Children Board and delivers training to the local authority.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The college senior leadership team effectively leads the residential provision. There are good procedures to monitor and review the care and support that young people receive. These systems ensure that ongoing improvements are made to the quality of support that young people receive. The residential staff provide young people with reassuring support and are excellent role models. Their practice is built on a firm foundation of well-understood policies and procedures, which are reinforced through staff induction, supervision, mandatory and refresher training, annual appraisals and focused team meetings. Significant work is currently ongoing to improve the facilities available to young people who stay at the residential provision. For example, the residential common room space is currently being refurbished and a new kitchen and a dining room have been built. The next stage of the plan is the refurbishment of some of the residential houses to ensure

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

that all areas of the residential accommodation achieve the same high standard.

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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.

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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: Herefordshire, Ludlow and North Shropshire College

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details

Social care unique reference number: 2509968 Principal/CEO: Mr Ian Peake

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Inspectors

Dawn Bennett, social care inspector Sue Young, social care inspector Inspection report for further education college with residential accommodation: Herefordshire, Ludlow and North Shropshire College 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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