Richard Huish College

Inspection report for further education college with residential accommodation: Richard Huish College 1 Richard Huish College South Road, Taunton, Somerset TA1 3EA Inspection of residential provision Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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residential accommodation

Richard Huish College provides a wide range of A-level courses, vocational courses and apprenticeships to students aged 16 to 19 years. Residential provision and homestay families provide accommodation to international students. In addition, accommodation is available for students who live in England who wish to avoid excessive travel.

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residential accommodation

Due to COVID-19, at the request of the Secretary of State of State, we suspended all routine inspections of social care providers carried out under the social care common inspection framework (SCCIF) on 17 March 2020. We returned to routine SCCIF inspection on 12 April 2021.

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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

Date of last inspection: 27 November 2018

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good Inspection report for further education college with residential accommodation: Richard Huish College 2

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Overall experiences and progress of young people: good

Residential students have good experiences at this college.

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Overall experiences and progress of young people: good

Residential students and their families receive helpful information before they arrive about the services the college provides, including information about what to expect from the residential provision. Students arriving from overseas are greeted at the airport and transported safely to the residential provision. Some students request to stay in ‘homestay’ accommodation, which is provided by several families in the local area. Homestay families provide these students with additional information and photos about the family and home where they will be staying.

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Overall experiences and progress of young people: good

While they are here, residential students are supported to have regular contact with their family and friends. However, students from overseas would like easier access on their own phones to social media sites so that they can make contact more easily. Currently, the college’s VPN system restricts access to some sites.

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Overall experiences and progress of young people: good

Residential students have good opportunities to develop their independence skills while at college. Students are able to do their own laundry and can cook their own choice of meals in the main kitchen. Students enjoy spending their free time in the local town and some have obtained part-time jobs locally.

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Overall experiences and progress of young people: good

Residential students and staff have good relationships, based on trust and respect. As a result, students confidently talk with staff about personal matters, including sex and relationships. Students would benefit from access to more sexual health and relationships resources in the residential provision, equivalent to what is provided in the college itself.

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Overall experiences and progress of young people: good

Students’ views are important to the development of the residential provision. Students, staff and homestay families are regularly consulted with. Their feedback is analysed, considered and acted on. A new ‘executive forum’ has been set up for students. Several residential students have been identified to represent the residential provision on this important new initiative.

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Overall experiences and progress of young people: good

Students are provided with well-maintained, good-quality accommodation. Communal areas are well used, and students demonstrate feeling relaxed and comfortable in the accommodation. Housekeepers build good relationships with students; they help them to find creative storage solutions for their rooms and ensure that cleaning rotas are compatible with the students’ plans. This means that, together, everyone takes pride in keeping the accommodation clean, tidy and safe.

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Overall experiences and progress of young people: good

Students are provided with plentiful, good-quality food. However, some students prefer not to eat what is offered in the evening and buy their own food at times. More work is needed to extend the range of food choices offered. In addition, staff Inspection report for further education college with residential accommodation: Richard Huish College 3 should consider how they know what each student has eaten to ensure that all students are eating a nutritious and balanced diet.

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Overall experiences and progress of young people: good

Diversity is celebrated well here, and students from different cultures integrate well together. Many students visit from overseas and relish sharing in each other’s traditional festivities. A recent celebration of the Chinese Lunar festival resulted in the boarding house being decorated, stories of the origins of the festival and the sharing of a ‘moon cake’. Some students said that their boarding experience would improve further by having an increased range and frequency of activities at the weekend.

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How well young people are helped and protected: good

Residential students are kept safe and say that they feel safe at college and in the residential provision. Staff manage safeguarding concerns well and in line with detailed policies. They report concerns promptly to the right people. The safeguarding team works effectively to manage concerns about students and implement actions to keep them safe. A comprehensive audit trail is maintained of safeguarding concerns and the actions taken in response.

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How well young people are helped and protected: good

Residential students receive good pastoral support, which helps to maintain their well-being. Their attendance at college is closely monitored and their physical and emotional health is supported well. Referrals are made to external services as required. Individualised care plans and fitness-to-study plans are put in place if required. However, these are few, and more thought is needed about whether additional plans are required for a small number of residential students who need additional support and who are being closely monitoring.

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How well young people are helped and protected: good

Students know how to complain and they feel confident that their concerns will be addressed. Appropriate action is taken in response to complaints and records are maintained.

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How well young people are helped and protected: good

Overall, residential students behave well. They demonstrate care and respect for one another. Bullying is not raised as a concern. Students feel that consequences for poor behaviour are fair. However, consequences used are not always proportionate and lack restorative approaches. This limits the opportunity for learning.

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How well young people are helped and protected: good

The safety of the environment is well maintained. Environmental health and safety checks are regularly completed. Fire evacuations take place regularly. However, records of these evacuations are not clear enough to confirm that all residential students have attended a drill.

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How well young people are helped and protected: good

Staff are recruited safely in accordance with statutory guidance. In addition, appropriate safeguarding checks are carried out on homestay families and the accommodation they provide. Inspection report for further education college with residential accommodation: Richard Huish College 4

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders, managers and governors are managing the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic well. Consequently, students, staff and visitors are being kept safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are well supported by leaders and managers and enjoy working in the residential provision and with the students. One member of staff summed this up by telling the inspector, ‘The boarding house runs well. Members of staff work together to ensure that the students are at the focus of everything we do.’ Other staff echoed this feedback. The inspector saw this happening in practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staffing levels have increased since the last inspection. Residential students now have improved access to members of staff in the evenings and overnight.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Residential staff and homestay providers receive good training appropriate to their role. Staff receive regular supervision and annual appraisals. Leaders and managers regularly talk about the residential provision and how it is operating. However, records of these support sessions vary in content and do not always reflect the depth of conversation that is reported to have taken place.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers operate the residential provision effectively. They have good oversight of what is happening and seek to make continuous improvements. Leaders and managers consult with residential students, their families and homestay families regularly. They listen to their views and respond appropriately. Sound action has been taken to address the weaknesses identified at the previous inspection. Those national minimum standards are now met.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The allocated residential governor is integral to the successful operation of the residential provision. She has a good understanding of the provision because she invests time and effort in visiting regularly and spending time with residential students and staff. This governor provides helpful reports of her findings to leaders and managers. Inspection report for further education college with residential accommodation: Richard Huish College 5

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Failure to meet NMS further education colleges

 All residential students, including those with special dietary, medical or religious needs, are provided with the means to access meals which are adequate in nutrition, quantity, quality, choice and variety. (NMS for the ‘Accommodation of students under eighteen by FE colleges’ 8.1)  The college has and consistently implements a written policy, which is effective in practice, to promote good behaviour among residential students. (NMS for the ‘Accommodation of students under eighteen by FE colleges’ 12.1)  Any staff member or volunteer employed or volunteering in a position working with residential students has a job description reflecting their duties, receives induction training in residence when newly appointed, and receives regular reviews of their residential practice, with opportunities for training and continual professional development in relation to residence. (NMS for the ‘Accommodation

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Failure to meet NMS further education colleges

of students under eighteen by FE colleges’ 15.1)

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Points for improvement

 The registered person should introduce care plans and risk assessments for those students who need additional support and supervision.  The registered person should ensure that fire evacuation records detail all adults and students who have engaged in a fire evacuation drill.  The registered person should consider providing students with additional sex and relationship education information within the residential provision.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of young people, 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: Richard Huish College 6

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accommodation details

Social care unique reference number: 1256064

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Inspectors

Sharron Escott, Social Care Inspector Wendy Anderson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for further education college with residential accommodation: Richard Huish College 7 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 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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