Archived: Dorton College of FE

Updated 25 October 2017

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

This inspection was carried out on 20 September 2017 and was announced. The college was given 24 hours’ notice because we needed to be sure that students would available to speak with. We spent time observing the care and support being provided to students. We looked at two students care records, staff training and recruitment records and records relating to the management of the college. We spoke with two students, four members of staff, the registered manager and the college manager.

Before the inspection we looked at all the information we had about the service. This information included the statutory notifications that the provider had sent to CQC. A notification is information about important events which the service is required to send us by law. The college completed a Provider Information Return (PIR). This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We used this information to help inform our inspection planning.

Updated 25 October 2017

This inspection was carried out on 20 September 2017 and was announced. The college was given 24 hours’ notice because we needed to be sure that students would available to speak with. Dorton College provides specialist college services for up to five students whom are visually impaired. Four students were residing at Dorton College at the time of the inspection. This was our first inspection of Dorton College at this location.

The college had a registered manager in post. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

Students told us they felt safe living at the college. All staff had received training on safeguarding people from abuse. There was a whistle-blowing procedure available and staff said they would use it if they needed to. We observed a good staff presence at the college and staff were attentive to the student’s needs. Action was taken to assess any risks to students. Risk assessments included information for staff about action to be taken to minimise the chance of accidents occurring. Medicines were managed appropriately and students were receiving their medicines as prescribed by health care professionals.

Staff had the knowledge and skills required to meet the needs of the students. The registered manager and staff had a good understanding of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and acted according to this legislation. Students were encouraged to cook and eat healthy foods and they had access to specialist equipment that enabled greater independence which met their physical and sensory needs. Students had access to healthcare professionals when required. Students told us their privacy and dignity was respected and there were plenty of activities for them to partake in if they wished to do so.

Students had been consulted about their care and support needs. Assessments were undertaken to identify student’s care and support needs before they started to attend the college. Care and support plans were drawn up ready for the student attending the college. Care plans included detailed information and guidance for staff on how each student’s care and support needs should be met. The college supported students to consider their next steps when they graduated from the college. The college had a complaints procedure in place. Students told us they were confident their complaints would be listened to.

The college recognised the importance of regularly monitoring the quality of the service. They sought the views of students through satisfaction surveys and at weekly meetings. Staff told us they liked working at the college, they received good support from the registered manager and there was an out of hours on call system in operation that ensured that management support and advice was available to staff when they needed it.