Warwickshire College

Inspection report for further education college with residential accommodation: Warwickshire College 1 Warwickshire College Warwickshire College, Royal Leamington Spa & Moreton Morrell, Warwick New Road, LEAMINGTON SPA, Warwickshire CV32 5JE Inspection of residential provision Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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residential accommodation

Warwickshire College delivers vocational and academic education and training to young people and adults. The college operates from six campuses: Royal Leaming- ton Spa College, Moreton Morrell College, Pershore College, Warwick Trident Col- lege, Rugby College and Evesham College.

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residential accommodation

Residential services are provided at the Moreton Morrell College and through homestay lodgings arranged by the college in the local community. At the time of inspection, there were 35 full-time and part-time students, and apprentices under the age of 18 residing in these residential services. Residential services are available to under eighteen students on weekdays only.

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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: 11 February 2020

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good Inspection report for further education college with residential accommodation: Warwickshire College 2

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Overall experiences and progress of young people: good

Residential students settle quickly into college life and are well prepared to move on to further education or employment. They develop their independence and social skills and form strong, resilient friendships and support networks.

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Overall experiences and progress of young people: good

Staff are skilled at building positive relationships with residential students and their parents and carers. Residential staff and families work effectively in partnership to ensure that residential students transition into college smoothly. Arrangements mean that residential staff are equipped with a good understanding of students’ needs. This enables them to deliver personalised care.

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Overall experiences and progress of young people: good

Staff complete a residential development plan with each residential student. These set out personal targets for the academic year. They then meet throughout the year to revisit and revise the targets and acknowledge and celebrate each residential student’s progress and successes. These meetings also enable staff to signpost or refer residential students to additional help when they are struggling or require more focused support.

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Overall experiences and progress of young people: good

A key strength of this college is the wrap-around services available to provide additional support to residential students. All residential students can access student welfare services, counselling and health services and have access to additional practical sessions. Students who stay in the residential accommodation can also access additional support from residential support officers and managers.

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Overall experiences and progress of young people: good

The college leadership team has a refurbishment program in place and continue to invest in residential student accommodation. The specific residential accommodation for this cohort provides consistently good quality accommodation with good size bedrooms, ensuite bathrooms, and well-equipped kitchen areas. Residential students find the accommodation safe and comfortable and enjoy the atmosphere.

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Overall experiences and progress of young people: good

The residential students have access to several communal social areas where staff are based in the evenings. They value easy access to staff and know that there is always someone available to help them with any matter. Staff run a range of on-site evening activities, a weekly evening bus trip to the local shops and some termly off- site events. Residential students value these activities, as well as bigger college events, such as the winter ball. Staff consult residential students on these activities and use them as time to check in on student’s well-being.

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Overall experiences and progress of young people: good

The flexible arrangement for catering means that students have a range of options to choose from including preparing their own meals in the residential accommodation, going out for meals, or purchasing meals from the canteen. The quality of the food in the canteen is high and the student cohort praised the catering staff for being caring and compassionate towards students. Inspection report for further education college with residential accommodation: Warwickshire College 3

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How well young people are helped and protected: good

The arrangements for safeguarding, and ensuring the well-being of residential students, are a key strength of the college. The leadership team and safeguarding leads have developed policies and systems that enhance and support staff to quickly identify and support residential students.

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How well young people are helped and protected: good

Residential students benefit from residential managers and staff who are skilled at building their identity, self-confidence and self-esteem. Staff receive training that ensures they know how to act to make sure they are part of a safe, responsible residential community.

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How well young people are helped and protected: good

Residential students attend lessons and evening sessions that promote their well- being and teach them skills to keep themselves safe. These sessions are often topical, influenced by matters affecting the wider college community or the local community. As a result, serious incidents are rare and residential students respect and value the strengths of others, which enhances the college’s residential community.

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How well young people are helped and protected: good

Residential staff promote positive behaviour, and incidents are low. Residential students are aware of the rules and the consequences of breaking them. Staff support them to become responsible individuals and members of society. Rare incidents of inappropriate behaviour are dealt with fairly and residential students are actively involved in resolution discussions. The focus of intervention is always to educate and support those involved to develop their future employment opportunities and life skills.

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How well young people are helped and protected: good

Residential student’s safety and well-being are seen as paramount. The college has an effective signing-in and out system and CCTV that enhance residential students safety. Residential students are reassured that the staff have their best interests and safety at heart.

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How well young people are helped and protected: good

Governors receive regular updates on safeguarding and are aware of the safeguarding challenges experienced by the college and the students who attend.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The residential service has a positive impact on residential students’ development and is regularly monitored and reviewed by the leadership team and governing body. This ensures the service continues to meet residential students’ needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The new leadership team continue to develop the service in line with the residential and wider college development plans. For example, accommodation for under eighteen residential students is now on one college site, Moreton Morrell College. Money has been invested, and work undertaken, to ensure that the accommodation is of a good standard. It also ensures that the provision of additional specific resources and staff expertise can be targeted. Inspection report for further education college with residential accommodation: Warwickshire College 4 Since the beginning of this academic year, a homestay service has also been launched. This provides under eighteen students, who wish to be residential whilst studying, with an alternative option to living on the college site. The homestay manager has appropriately recruited and is supporting, households in the local community to provide accommodation and host students. Host families are enjoying

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

the experience and are enthusiastic about the progress of students who are living with them are making and how their presence is enhancing their families. The systems for recruiting and vetting host families are in place but there are no records evidencing the reasons for and the final decisions of the assessment of suitability.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The leadership team ensures that residential students are consulted regularly. Residential students are well informed about the operation of the college and the opportunities available to them. Their views are listened to and have influenced college initiatives. For example, their views are central to the arrangement of activities and events, and the continual review and evaluation of the impact of residency on their progress. This supports their feelings of inclusion and promotes their safety. Residential students are confident that any concerns or issues that they raise about facilities, or the service provided will be immediately addressed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Residential managers and staff are continuing with their personal development and continually reflect on their practice. They are effectively guided and informed by policies, procedures and guidance. They access good quality induction, training, regular supervision, team meetings and annual appraisals all relevant to their specific role and job descriptions. This ensures that the residential provision is appropriately staffed to ensure the safety and well-being of residential students. Inspection report for further education college with residential accommodation: Warwickshire College 5

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Recommendations

 Ensure that the college visits all potential lodgings it may arrange, and interviews any adults who may be responsible for the accommodation of the students in each lodging, takes up references and records a satisfactory assessment, before any student is placed there (NMS 20.4) This specifically relates to ensuring there is a record of the outcome of the assessment of any adults responsible for the accommodation of students in lodgings/homestay.

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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: Warwickshire College 6

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accommodation details

Social care unique reference number: SC034225 Principal/CEO: Peter Husband

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Inspector

Dawn Bennett, social care inspector Inspection report for further education college with residential accommodation: Warwickshire 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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