Suffolk New College

Suffolk New College Monitoring visit report

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Name of lead inspector: Jules Steele SHMI

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Type of provider: General further education college

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Address: Rope Walk Ipswich Suffolk IP4 1LT Monitoring visit: Suffolk New College, 13 June 2019

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Context and focus of visit

This was an unannounced monitoring inspection, which focused on leaders’ and managers’ safeguarding procedures for vulnerable learners, following safeguarding concerns that had been brought to Ofsted’s attention.

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Context and focus of visit

The college currently has approximately 200 vulnerable learners under the age of 19. These include care leavers, children in the care of the local authority, learners on child protection plans and those designated as children in need. Of those learners in the care of the local authority, almost half are unaccompanied asylum seekers who do not have English as their first language.

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Insufficient progress

Arrangements to keep the most vulnerable learners safe while at college are weak. This visit has raised very serious concerns about the capacity of leaders and managers to safeguard the welfare of vulnerable learners. Leaders, including the designated safeguarding lead, do not have a good enough oversight or understanding of the actions staff take, or need to take, to secure the well-being of vulnerable learners. They do not know how staff help vulnerable learners to remain in learning, feel safe at college and thrive. Leaders and managers do not hold staff at all levels to account for the individual learners they have in their care. Staff records of meetings with learners are scant, poorly recorded and, on occasion, simply anecdotal. Senior managers do not review the work of staff or the interventions they take on behalf of vulnerable learners. They do not know what impact staff actions have on improving learners’ health and well-being. Leaders, managers and staff fail to

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Insufficient progress

identify and take appropriate action to protect vulnerable learners at acute risk of self-harm. Leaders and managers do not pay enough attention to the reasons for learners’ absence. They are too accepting of the reasons that learners and staff give. Although managers and staff follow up low attendance, their actions have limited impact. Leaders’ and managers’ reports to governors on safeguarding arrangements are ineffectual because they are insufficiently detailed. Reporting is perfunctory and focused on meeting procedural requirements. Following a serious incident, governors and senior leaders have been slow to respond and review their existing procedures. Leaders and managers were unable to identify to inspectors the changes they had made as a result of their own review of safeguarding procedures following this incident. They have not acted with sufficient urgency to strengthen the reporting of concerns or managers’ oversight of safeguarding

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Insufficient progress

Monitoring visit: Suffolk New College, 13 June 2019 arrangements for vulnerable learners. For example, they do not identify precisely or monitor carefully the well-being of learners known to be at high risk of self-harm. Managers and staff fail to share information on learners’ current well-being appropriately or ensure that learners access suitable support. Managers do not hold staff accountable for the learners in their care. Leaders and managers report that they plan to (a) initiate training to help staff identify learners at risk of self-harm and (b) introduce a new system of monitoring learners’ well-being, but they were unable to provide any supporting information at the time of the inspection.

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Insufficient progress

Even when staff recognise and record key indicators of learners at risk of self-harm, they do not always take suitable steps to safeguard learners. Leaders and managers are unaware of this failure and have therefore not rectified it. They have yet to ensure that staff record meetings with vulnerable learners in adequate detail, including what action staff plan to take to help learners stay safe. Monitoring visit: Suffolk New College, 13 June 2019 the guidance 'Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted's website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-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 . Learner View Learner View is a website where learners can tell Ofsted what they think about their college or provider. They can also see what other learners think about them too. To find out more go to

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Employer View Employer View is a website where employers can tell Ofsted what they think about their employees' college or provider. They can also see what other employers think about them too. To find out more go to www.employerview.ofsted.gov.uk .

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regulates and inspects to 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. 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 www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to

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the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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

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