Inspection Report on

Atlantic College

Atlantic College Castle CF61 1WF

Date Inspection Completed

19 & 20 November 2019 Welsh Government © Crown copyright 2019. You may use and re-use the information featured in this publication (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government License. You can view the Open Government License, on the National Archives website or you can write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: [email protected] You must reproduce our material accurately and not use it in a misleading context. Description of the service UWC Atlantic College is one of 18 schools provided by the . It is registered by the Welsh Government as an independent boarding school and Care Inspectorate (CIW) is appointed to carry out inspections of its boarding provision. The principal is Peter Howe. There are seven boarding houses which are all on the main college campus. At the time of our inspection, there were 347 students boarding at the college. No day pupils attended. The college provides link and host families that students are able to visit and stay with. Link families provided opportunities for students to visit but not normally to stay overnight. Host families provided opportunities for students to stay with them if not returning home for instance during school holiday periods. The college is closed for two months during the summer and for a month during Christmas periods.

Summary of our findings 1. Overall assessment

Systems to assess the suitability and resilience of students prior to their admission have improved and students have access to a well-coordinated range of support to promote their well-being. The boarding culture is inclusive and feedback from boarders indicates that they experience a sense of security and belonging at the college. They have access to sports and leisure facilities and the standard of catering is good.

There is effective leadership and management and systems for safeguarding and promoting student welfare are mostly well developed. Staffing structures have improved and all staff demonstrate a shared vision and commitment to supporting students to fulfil their potential. Systems for record keeping needed improvement. There were no records to confirm the number of students that had visited or stayed with link or host families or how students had been cared for if not returning home at least three times per year.

The accommodation is generally well maintained and two new boarding houses are being built.

2. Improvements

A range of improvements have been made since the last inspection which include:

 A strategic approach to developing the boarding provision, including new leadership and staffing structures.  The appointment of an additional part time counsellor, a safeguarding lead and two deputies and a safeguarding governor.  Systems to assess the resilience and suitability of students prior to admission.  Systems for managing information about student welfare.  The WIFI system.  Storage in student bedrooms.  A new gymnasium / dance studio and reception building.

Page 1  Two new boarding houses are being built.

3. Requirements and recommendations

Our recommendations for improvement are set out in section five of this report. They relate to documentation and records, information about raising concerns and making complaints, the independence of school counsellors, welfare plans, student surveys, showering facilities, external lighting and pathways, staff training and link and host families.

Page 2

1. Well-being

Our findings

Students feel safe and have a sense of belonging. Their welfare is promoted and they have positive relationships with each other and with staff. Feedback from students indicated that they felt safe and experienced a sense of belonging that supported their ability to manage the challenges they faced while away from home. We saw that students and staff engaged well together and that staff made themselves accessible when requested. The boarding community was international and student feedback indicated that cultural differences were celebrated. We saw in documentation that students were invited to bring clothing with them to represent their heritage. Students were seen to have developed friendships and support networks with others and to be relaxed and confident as they went about their routines. This is evidence that students and staff relate well together within a community that is supportive and promotes individuality.

Students maintain contact with people who are significant to them. They told us it was not always easy to have private conversations with family members although staff were flexible if they needed to contact them at night due to time differences with their countries. This is evidence that students have opportunities to maintain relationships that support their well-being.

Students do things they enjoy. They told us that trips were arranged to visit places of interest and that the balance between their studies and free time was acceptable. Some said they did not feel that enough was done to arrange sporting events with other schools but we were told that students had arranged one football match with another school. They were able to access the new gymnasium and dance studio and play sports such as badminton. The college promoted outdoor pursuits which included climbing, caving and water sports. Staff told us that consent was obtained from students’ parents to take part in these and that any specialist instruction was provided by personnel with relevant qualifications and insurance. The college was potentially isolated and local facilities were limited although the college was on a bus route. There was a local public house with restaurant which some students went to and a restaurant and takeaway in a nearby village. We conclude that students have opportunities to socialise and engage in activities but can feel isolated.

Students have a voice. There were five student councils and feedback from students indicated that their views were actively sought and given due regard. Helpline posters were displayed in the boarding houses and information in the student handbook was generally comprehensive and rights focussed. The statement of boarding principles and practice and student handbook did not include

Page 3 information about making complaints; other than in relation to staff or peers. They did not include information about raising concerns with Care Inspectorate Wales. We conclude that students are listened to and their views are valued but information about complaints and concerns needs improvement.

Page 4 2. Care and Support

Our findings

Students have access to detailed information about the college. They told us they had attended a comprehensive induction programme when they arrived and this included information about the support services the college provided. The information in the statement of boarding principles and practice and student handbook provided well for this purpose. Information in the support and well- being team handbook 2019 made reference to counsellors but the information about their roles referred to psychologists. We confirmed that the counsellors were not qualified as psychologists but were advised that counsellors were commonly referred to in other EU countries as psychologists.

The college had improved systems for requesting information from students’ parents / guardians as recommended at previous inspections. The revised forms included a request for information about any known history of mental health support needs and any associated behaviours. We were advised that psychologists had become involved in student selection processes to assist in the assessment of their resilience and ability to manage the academic, emotional and other challenges they might face at the college. Consultation with leadership staff indicated they had a good understanding of the challenges students might face and that this underpinned their approach to safeguarding and promoting their well-being. We conclude that systems to assess the suitability of students have improved as well as systems to understand and meet their support needs.

Personal tutors were allocated to have an overall view of students’ progress and to liaise with their parents / guardians, teachers and house parents to ensure their support needs were known and provided for. They also liaised with health or other professionals if any specific support needs were identified. Whilst feedback about the tutor and house parent system was mostly positive some students told us they felt there was a potential conflict of interest when senior members of staff fulfilled these roles. For example the Principal was also a tutor. This conflict could also arise within the context of managing discipline. Confusion was expressed by some students about who they should speak to if they had difficulty with a member of their support team if they were also in a senior position.

Students are confident and have positive relationships with staff and peers. We observed that students were confident in their environment and engaged in emotionally warm relationships with each other and boarding staff. Documentation stated that house parents were responsible for the day to day running of the boarding houses and for promoting the well-being of students. Student feedback about house parents was very positive with several describing them as being like their parents. One told us the support they received at the college was just like the support they received from their family. Night staff were available to support students and monitor security.

Page 5 Students’ emotional and mental health is promoted. The college employed two part time student counsellors who operated in accordance with the principles set by their professional association ‘the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy’. The counselling service had been developed since the last inspection and provided students with sessions by appointment or at a weekly drop in session. There had been an increase in the number of students accessing the service. One of the counsellors confirmed that their records were confidential to the counselling service unless it was a safeguarding concern or agreement was reached with the student to share information. However, some students questioned the independence of the counsellors and told us this was because they contributed to some records that other staff had access to and were involved in delivering the life skills programme at the college. Some were concerned about who would know they had accessed the service and the possible stigma of this when they left the college. They also said that some issues they raised with counsellors and other staff appeared to be treated more seriously than they felt was necessary. Peer listeners who were second year students were trained, supported and monitored by the counsellors. Students and staff told us that students were often likely to discuss things with peer listeners they might be reluctant to discuss with adults.

Students’ mental and physical health is promoted. The college employed a well-being centre manager who is a qualified nurse, and senior health care assistant with responsibility for caring for students with physical and mental health care needs. Doctors from a local medical practice attended the college twice weekly to see students and were able to liaise with and make referrals to other health related services where necessary. A data base had been created to share information relating to student welfare between relevant staff and a series of regular staff meetings took place to discuss any concerns. Suitable arrangements were in place to care for students when they were unwell. No specific ‘welfare plans’ had been compiled as prescribed by the National Minimum Standards; to provide for students with particular support needs or if they were not seeing their parents / legal guardians at least three times a year. However, a health support plan was shared where there was a known health issue that others in the school needed to know about. We conclude that students’ health and welfare is effectively promoted and improvements have been made to systems for sharing information between staff but consideration should be given to compiling welfare plans as prescribed by the national minimum standards where necessary.

Students are encouraged to lead a healthy lifestyle. They took part in a range of outdoor and sporting activities and we saw at meal times that various healthy options were available. The range of meals reflected the dietary preferences and requirements and the diversity of the student population. Students told us they were generally satisfied with their meals although one said there were not always vegan options. Staff told us that vegan options were always provided but sometimes they were eaten by students who were not vegans. The school had policies on smoking and the use of alcohol and our consultation with students and staff indicated that these were generally effective and subject to ongoing monitoring. We conclude that students’ health is effectively promoted.

Page 6 3. Leadership and Management

Our findings

Leadership and management structures and the arrangements to safeguard and promote the well- being of students are well developed. Information about the promotion of student welfare is generally comprehensive. Staffing structures and the roles and responsibilities of boarding staff provide clear delegation of the college’s welfare responsibilities. Systems for information sharing have improved and the overall boarding culture is positive. The leadership and staff teams demonstrated that they worked toward a shared vision for the ongoing improvement of the college’s ability to safeguard and promote the well-being of students.

A new principal had been appointed since the last inspection as well as a head of tutors and student affairs to line manage heads of years, house parents and well-being centre teams. Whilst the principal had overall responsibility for safeguarding, a safeguarding lead and two deputies had been appointed as well as a governor with safeguarding responsibilities. Computer software was used to manage information relating to safeguarding and other concerns and constructive relationships had been established with local safeguarding professionals. The college’s safeguarding procedures dated December 2018 were generally comprehensive but did not include procedures for whistle blowing or for reporting concerns or allegations to Care Inspectorate Wales.

We found that the views of students were actively sought on a day to day basis and within various school councils. Notwithstanding, no formal system had been implemented to collate their views to inform the ongoing monitoring and improvement of welfare provision at the college. The principal advised that a student survey was due to be implemented.

Record keeping needs improvement. We were told that a number of serious complaints had been made but records were not available for inspection to confirm how these had been addressed and concluded. We were told that the college had commissioned an independent investigation in regard to a number of complaints that were linked. These included complaints that had also been considered within Care Inspectorate Wales’ concerns procedures. We were told that the conclusion of this investigation was not yet known but this was imminent.

A list of all staff employed at the college was available but recruitment records we checked did not provide evidence that all necessary checks had been undertaken. One did not include evidence that two written references had been obtained and one did not include a full employment history or evidence that gaps in their history had been accounted for. We were told that the references that were not in place were being scanned into an electronic data base.

Records were not available to confirm the number of students that had visited or stayed with link or host families. Records were not available to confirm that termly discussions had taken place with students about their experience of visiting or staying with these families or that any review had been undertaken of their continuing suitability to fulfil their roles.

Page 7 Records were not available to confirm if any students had not seen their families at least three times a year or to determine how they had been cared for if not returning home.

Records were not available to demonstrate that regular fire drills / evacuations had taken place from boarding houses. We were told that fire evacuations had taken place but records had not been made of these. We conclude that improvement is necessary to records in relation complaints, staff recruitment, link and host families, fire safety and in relation to students that had not seen their families at least three times a year.

Staff told us that they felt supported and motivated and that they had received training in regard to their welfare responsibilities. They told us that the college had previously required relevant staff to undertake training provided by the Boarding School Association but more recently employed staff had not been required to do so. They said they believed that a requirement for staff to undertake this training would be reintroduced. Staff told us and records confirmed that all staff had undertaken safeguarding training.

4. Environment

Our findings

Page 8 Students live in a generally safe environment and have access to accommodation and facilities that promote their well-being. Feedback from students indicated they were generally satisfied with their accommodation. There were seven boarding houses with each providing for about fifty students. Bedrooms were dormitory style providing for four students in each. Storage in bedrooms had improved as recommended at the last inspection and we saw that students had personalised their bedrooms to reflect their individuality. Staff confirmed it was possible for students to ask to move bedrooms but told us it was very rare that they did so. One student told us how students in their room had shown empathy toward them when they had felt homesick. One student told us their windows were draughty when the wind was blowing and one said that some radiators in their boarding house were either hot or cold and not adjustable. We found that some dormitories lacked ventilation but saw this was because their windows had not been opened.

Shower rooms with toilets and wash hand basins were located between dormitories and these were mostly seen to be clean and suitably maintained. Shelving in one shower room where students stored toiletries did not appear to have been cleaned recently. Shower rooms were communal with provision for four students in each. One individual shower curtain had been fitted in each shower room to provide some element of privacy. Communal showering was a tradition at the college and feedback from students confirmed they had mixed views about this. Some said they were happy about taking communal showers whilst others said they were not. The principal told us that single shower cubicles would be included in the two new boarding houses and staff told us that students had the option of using single showering facilities in the sports hall. They said this was open from early morning until late evening. Some boarding houses had commercial style laundry facilities and plans were in place for all of the houses to have these by September 2020. All laundry facilities were provided on the school campus.

Each of the houses had day rooms which provided space for students to socialise; to cook snacks, to play games and watch movies. There were pianos and record players in some and table football which we were told was very popular. Day rooms did not have televisions but projector screens for showing movies. We noted that effort had been made to reflect the students’ own preferences and nationalities and that their names and birthdays were displayed decoratively on the walls as well as activities they had been involved with. Kitchen facilities in the houses included electric hot plates, microwave ovens and fridges and freezers which were designated to named students. Students said they would prefer proper cookers so they could bake and cook a wider variety of food. There were large dining tables with bench seats and a series of settees which provided adequately for students to congregate; for instance if watching movies or at ‘check in’ which took place each evening. Some but not all houses had created seating areas where two or three students could sit and chat; for instance in quiet corners on landings and staff told us that students valued the opportunities these provided. Main meals were provided centrally in a dining hall in the castle buildings and students were seen to engage positively together during meal times.

Each of the houses had dedicated areas for studying and improvement had been made to their access to WIFI. Feedback from students indicated that the WIFI was good and that no further improvement was necessary. Students had access to classrooms and other college facilities including an arts centre,

Page 9 during evenings and weekends and a gymnasium and dance studio which had been built since the last inspection. Feedback and observations indicated that these facilities were popular and well used. There was also a well-being centre that had been refurbished and provided good facilities. These included a waiting room, consulting rooms, a kitchen, two bathrooms and five bedrooms. The well- being centre provided well for its purpose, including the safe storage of medication and records.

A reception building was located at the main gates. All visitors were required to provide identification and agree to the college’s safeguarding procedures before entering. Night time security had been improved and student access to boarding houses was controlled by an electronic card system. Some paths around the campus were uneven and lighting was insufficient in some areas.

We conclude that the premises and facilities are mostly well developed and maintained but improvement is necessary in relation paths and external lighting.

Page 10 5. Improvements required and recommended following this inspection

5.1 Recommendations made at previous inspections Action had been taken in relation to the recommendations made at the last inspection although we found that further improvement was necessary to external lighting and pathways.

5.2 Recommendations for improvement

 That the statement of boarding principles and practice and or student handbook includes information about making complaints; in addition to that already included in relation to staff or peers; and also about raising concerns with Care Inspectorate Wales.  That review takes place that includes consultation with students about the independence of counsellors giving regard to their involvement in teaching at the college.  That review takes place that includes consultation with students about any potential conflict of interest when tutors and house parents also hold senior roles at the college.  That welfare plans are compiled, as prescribed by the national minimum standards, where necessary.  That safeguarding procedures include procedures for whistle blowing and for reporting concerns or allegations to Care Inspectorate Wales.  That systems are implemented to collate the views of students and others to inform the ongoing monitoring and improvement of the college’s welfare provision  That seating areas are created where possible in boarding houses for smaller groups of students to sit and have conversations.  That review is undertaken of the showering facilities in boarding houses to ensure students have privacy when showering.  Immediate action is taken to improve external lighting and pathways.  That consideration is given to providing boarding school association or similar training for staff with welfare responsibilities.  Dedicated records are held in relation to serious complaints.  Dedicated records are held in relation to link and host families  Dedicated records are held in relation to students who do not see their families at least three times a year.  Records are maintained and made available in relation to fire evacuations and drills.  Staff recruitment records include evidence that all necessary checks have been undertaken.  That student counsellors are not referred to as psychologists unless they are qualified as such.

Page 11 How we undertook this inspection

This was a routine scheduled inspection undertaken between 9am and 6pm on 19th and 20th November 2019. Three inspectors attended during the first day and four on the second.

Information for this report was gathered from:

 Information held by CIW, including concerns that had been brought to our attention and discussion and information sharing with Estyn (the inspctorate).  Consultation with a coordinated group of fourteen students and peer listeners.  Impromptu conversations with students in boarding houses.  Consultation with one link family and the link and host family coordinator.  Consultation with a group of house parents and personal tutors.  Consultation with senior managers.  Consultation with the college counsellor.  Consultation with the nurse.  Viewing a sample of documentation, records, policies and procedures.  Viewing the boarding houses and other college facilities.  Observations of boarders during meal times.  Feedback of the findings of the inspection was provided to managers and governors.

Further information about what we do can be found on our website: www.careinspectorate.wales

Page 12 Page 13 About the service

Type of care provided Boarding School

Registered Person The United World Colleges (International)

Principal Peter Howe

Registered maximum number of 400 places

Date of previous Care Inspectorate 18/10/16 Wales inspection

Dates of this Inspection visits 19/11/2019 & 20/11/19

Operating Language of the service English

Does this service provide the Welsh No. Language active offer?

Additional Information: UWC Atlantic College is an international college and does not provide services in Welsh.

Date Published 03/02/2020