Ingfield Manor School

Ingfield Manor School Inspection report for residential special school

p.1

Unique reference number SC014584 Inspection date 28/06/2011 Inspector Paul Taylor Type of inspection Social Care Inspection

p.1

Setting address Ingfield Manor School, Ingfield Manor Drive, Five Oaks, Billingshurst, West Sussex, RH14 9AX

p.1

Telephone number 01403 782294 Email ingfield.manor@scope.org.uk Registered person Scope Head/Principal Alistair Bruce Nominated person Kathryn Anne Smith Date of last inspection 28/06/2011 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.1

This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

p.2

You can obtain copies of The Children Act 2004, Every Child Matters and The National Minimum Standards for Children’s Services from: The Stationery Office (TSO) PO Box 29, St Crispins, Duke Street, Norwich, NR3 1GN. Tel: 0870 600 5522. Online ordering: www.tso.co.uk/bookshop

p.2

About this inspection

The purpose of this inspection is to assure children and young people, parents, the public, local authorities and government of the quality and standard of the service provided. The inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000.

p.3

About this inspection

This report details the main strengths and any areas for improvement identified during the inspection. The judgements included in the report are made in relation to the outcomes for children set out in the Children Act 2004 and the relevant National Minimum Standards for the service.

p.3

The inspection judgements and what they mean

Outstanding: this aspect of the provision is of exceptionally high quality Good: this aspect of the provision is strong Satisfactory: this aspect of the provision is sound Inadequate: this aspect of the provision is not good enough

p.3

Brief description of the service

Ingfield Manor is a day and residential special boarding school for children between the ages of three and 19 years. Ingfield Manor provides an educational service to children with cerebral palsy using the model of education called Conductive Education. The school is part of Scope and has a long association with the Peto Institute in Budapest. Ingfield Manor is situated in rural location. Most young people board on a 'flexi' basis and have short stays at the school. Others, who board on a weekly basis, return home at weekends.

p.4

Summary

The overall quality rating is outstanding.

p.4

Summary

This is an overview of what the inspector found during the inspection.

p.4

Summary

This was an announced, full inspection. The school continues to provide an exceptionally high quality of care for young people. It provides a highly professional, specialist and supportive service to the pupils. The whole ethos within the school clearly supports and promotes the young people in their learning and development and helps them achieve their potential. The planning and support given to the young people to help them with developing their life skills is outstanding. Each young person's needs and idiosyncrasies are well known and staff work very closely across the 24 hour curriculum to ensure they receive the support and nurturing that they need.

p.4

Summary

There is a multi-skilled and dedicated staff team who are experienced and qualified in caring for the young people who have diverse and complex needs. The young people confirm that they are supported in what they do and that they feel they are very well cared for. Systems operated within the school ensure that close liaison and communication is achieved to a very high standard. This ensures that the excellent quality of care is maintained and that the young people's well-being and development is promoted to an outstanding standard. No recommendations were made as a result of this inspection.

p.4

Improvements since the last inspection

No recommendations were made at the last inspection.

p.4

Helping children to be healthy

The young people's physical, psychological and emotional health needs are met to an exceptional standard. The multi-professional approach to meeting each young person's specific health and welfare needs is embedded within the ethos of the school. On site expertise is available from health professionals such as: occupational therapists; speech and language therapists and physiotherapists, as well as a team of nurses. Each young person has their medical history and current health needs clearly identified within their care plans.

p.4

Helping children to be healthy

There is robust management of medication to ensure the young people's medication needs are very well met. All young people have written parental consent for medical treatment. A team of nurses offer oversight and advice in the areas of medication, first aid and treatment. There are clear guidelines for the safe storage, administration and handling of medication, including controlled drugs. The school has clear guidance and thorough training for staff to ensure they have experience and knowledge when assisting the young people to take their medication. Storage and auditing of medication is monitored on a regular basis by the nursing team.

p.5

Helping children to be healthy

The young people continue to enjoy a healthy balanced diet that meets their needs and takes account of their choices. The food offered is varied and healthy. The menu has been prepared after consultation with nursing staff, a dietician and the catering manager to ensure that it meets the nutritional needs of the young people. The staff are well aware of any specific dietary needs whether these are based on religious, cultural, or more commonly, medical grounds. Members of staff are very alert to the vulnerability of certain young people, especially with regards to the danger of choking. As a result of this, sensitive and very well planned individual support is offered to those young people who need assistance at mealtimes. Advice and guidance is given by health professionals, such as occupational therapists or speech and language therapists, with regards to issues such as posture management and the ability to chew and swallow. Mealtimes are very well organised, relaxed, social

p.5

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The privacy of young people is fully respected, and information concerning them is stored securely. Very good staffing levels ensure young people receive appropriate supervision. Staff are not intrusive and young people are allowed their privacy and space when it is appropriate and safe. Young people who require help with personal care have this provided to them in a sensitive and discreet manner. Members of staff know each young person's personal preferences about how they like to be assisted with their own personal care. The ethos behind each young person's care is to increase their skills and abilities. Therefore, while the young people may depend on adult assistance with their care, targets and individual programmes are in place which aim to help them to develop their own skills to the best of their ability.

p.5

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The school has a robust complaints procedure. Good levels of information are made available to young people should they wish to make a complaint. Members of staff are aware of how each young person communicates their displeasure and so are able to acknowledge if a young person is unhappy about anything. Young people are observed to be confident in expressing their feelings to members of staff. Complaints can also be made on behalf of young people by their parents or advocates. Records of complaints show that these have been addressed in a prompt manner and that they have been resolved.

p.5

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The approach toward protecting young people from the risk of harm, neglect or abuse is outstanding. Young people have their welfare promoted across the school and are kept as safe as is possible. Staff receive safeguarding training and display considerable insight regarding child protection protocols and in the wider concept of keeping young people safe in whatever they do. The school has very clear lines of responsibility should any child safeguarding matters arise and these comply with local safeguarding protocols and procedures. Liaison between the safeguarding staff, the organisation's safeguarding team and external safeguarding agencies is very good. Any concerns are rigorously pursued and records show how issues have been resolved and what agencies were involved.

p.6

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Clear messages are given to young people that bullying is not accepted. There are high levels of supervision to maintain order in a nurturing way. Emphasis is placed on close supervision and support for the young people. Staff have a very good awareness of the dynamics and individual behaviours of the young people. The proactive approach to supporting the young people ensures that bullying is not an issue.

p.6

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Members of staff are very aware of each young person's vulnerability, especially if they were left unsupervised for significant periods of time. There is a procedure to follow in the event that a young person is missing and this would be treated as a major incident. Close support and staff supervision has ensured that no young person has ever gone missing from the school premises or while on an outing.

p.6

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Comprehensive multi-disciplinary assessments ensure that young people have all their needs, including behaviour management needs, met to an excellent standard. Each young person's idiosyncrasies are known and where needed, clear and detailed behaviour management plans outline strategies to promote positive behaviour. The use of sanctions has been non-existent and young people's behaviour is respectful and of a high standard.

p.6

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The use of physical intervention is rare. If it is needed, then an individual protocol is in place for the particular young person and this outlines how they should be held by trained staff and how to de-escalate the challenging behaviour. Any incident of physical intervention is recorded appropriately and checked by senior members of staff, and the organisation which runs the school.

p.6

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The health and safety of young people and staff is promoted and protected. All aspects of health and safety, including fire risks, are addressed in a robust manner. Fire drills occur regularly. Each young person has a personal emergency evacuation plan (PEEP). This plan outlines what support a young person needs in the event of emergency evacuation. Fire drills are carried out for all the young people so that members of staff can be aware of how they will react to the alarms and the procedure. This approach ensures that fire safety is promoted to an excellent standard. Routine checks and tests are carried out such as hot water temperatures and on specific equipment such as hoists, to ensure that it is safe for the young people. Comprehensive assessments are completed which highlight environmental risks and how these can be safely managed.

p.6

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Records indicate that there are robust recruitment procedures in place to fully safeguard the young people. Systems within the school are efficient in monitoring the safety and well-being of the young people. These are underpinned by rigorous external monitoring and auditing by the organisation which runs the school. This approach ensures excellent outcomes for the young people.

p.7

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The concept of Conductive Education, which is the central tenet to how the school operates, ensures that each young person has a planned 24-hour curriculum. This means that the regime ensures that each young person's progress is supported across the whole curriculum. Cross-disciplinary team work with young people throughout the day ensures that all aspects of each young person's needs are promoted to an excellent standard, whether social, educational or medical.

p.7

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Each young person has an individual plan that clearly identifies their individual development needs. Targets are in place which have been developed using multi- disciplinary input, and these targets are assessed weekly as well as being reviewed on a termly and annual basis.

p.7

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The arrangements in place to provide the young people with a wide range of activities are excellent and are a strength of the school. There is an extensive programme of extra-curricular activities which include sports, outings and adventure holidays. Activities are both school and community based and are underpinned by an approach by the staff team which has high expectations of the young people. The approach promotes young people's experiences and opportunities for enrichment to an excellent level.

p.7

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

There are excellent arrangements in place to support the young people, and the level of individual support offered to them is outstanding. Staff know the young people and their individual needs very well. Each young person's needs and idiosyncrasies are known and the staff work very closely to ensure that they receive the support and nurturing they need.

p.7

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The teams which work with the young people are formed by cross-sections of staff who have skills and qualifications from a variety of disciplines. These include: occupational therapy; speech and language therapy; physiotherapy; nursing and care. This approach enables a consistently high standard of care to be delivered and for any changes in a young person's circumstances or behaviour to be quickly responded to. Detailed care plans provide excellent information to the staff team about each young person's preferences.

p.7

Helping children make a positive contribution

Young people receive excellent support and assistance to express their views, opinions and wishes. The ethos of the school places the individual needs and development of young people as paramount, notably how they communicate and participate in decision making. Care plans confirm how young people express their feelings and their preferred method of communication. Staff are clearly in tune with the often non-verbal subtleties of communication and positively encourage inclusion.

p.8

Helping children make a positive contribution

A comprehensive care planning system is in place. The process is detailed and involves multi-disciplinary input to ensure the individual needs of each young person are met to a high standard. Each young person has a care plan that outlines their identified education, health and care needs and targets. These plans are reviewed regularly to ensure they are relevant and up to date.

p.8

Helping children make a positive contribution

Young people have numerous opportunities to voice their opinions and feelings. There is a peer-elected school council that meets regularly to discuss issues such as the menu and activities. There are also questionnaires sent to the young people which seek their views on how they feel they are being cared for. Additionally the young people have tutor groups where they can share their opinions. Young people are also able to share their views on an informal basis with members of staff on a daily basis. There are visits from governors and an independent monitoring visitor, and these individuals are accessible for the young people to speak to if they wish. Young people also go home at weekends or more often if they are 'flexi' boarding and are able to speak to parents and carers. It is clear that the young people's opinions are valued and encouraged.

p.8

Helping children make a positive contribution

The needs of young people are fully assessed and considered prior to the point of admission. All young people have their educational needs addressed alongside their individual social, behavioural, emotional, medical and physical care needs. Individual plans are excellent in construction and highlight what needs young people have and how they should be met. Each plan is developed with the input of the multi- disciplinary team utilising the broad array of expertise to compile extremely detailed and holistic care plans.

p.8

Helping children make a positive contribution

A robust process ensures each young person has their particular needs routinely reviewed. Detailed evidence of progress and development is gained from all relevant sources, including care, medical and education professionals, with parents and young people themselves consulted throughout. When necessary, care plans are amended to reflect changes in circumstance, behaviour or development with advice and input from specialists, such as therapists.

p.8

Helping children make a positive contribution

Young people are able to contact home if they wish via the telephone and communication equipment which has been developed to support their communication methods. Young people also have access to the internet and can contact home via email too.

p.8

Achieving economic wellbeing

The young people are provided an excellent standard of residential accommodation. The school has been assessed by occupational therapists to ensure that the specific needs of the young people are met. For example, the necessary equipment for those who need it is in place in order to enhance young people's independence. Young people have access to facilities such as a swimming pool and playground with equipment designed to meet their needs. Bedrooms and communal areas are spacious and encourage appropriate social integration. Young people are able to personalise their own rooms with pictures and posters.

p.9

Achieving economic wellbeing

There is a rolling refurbishment plan to ensure that natural wear and tear is addressed. The members of staff responsible for maintenance work hard to ensure that the quality of the accommodation is maintained to a high level. They will also design and adapt equipment when needed, with the oversight of occupational therapists.

p.9

Achieving economic wellbeing

The planning and support given to the young people to help them develop their independent living and self-care skills is outstanding. Individual programmes are developed to enable them to increase their independence skills at a level commensurate with their abilities. The Activities for Daily Living programme (ADL) enables young people to develop their self-care skills. Each young person has targets in place to achieve as a means of assessing their progress and abilities. The whole thrust of the care provided is aimed at empowering the young people to have ambition and to develop their skills and aspirations. The staff team are ambitious for the young people to succeed and encourage them to set high standards. Young people benefit from bespoke routines and plans and make excellent progress. This is a strength of the school.

p.9

Organisation

Clear information is provided to young people, their parents and representatives, to ensure they are fully informed of the organisation's practice and principles. The organisation's website provides good clear information. There is a comprehensive Statement of Purpose that clearly identifies how the school cares for the young people and the facilities available to promote their welfare. Parents are provided with a brochure and there is also a young person's guide.

p.9

Organisation

High numbers of staff enable very good levels of supervision and nurturing of the young people and the activities they are involved in. The composition of the teams means that there are always skilled and experienced staff to compliment each other's skills and to provide excellent holistic care for the young people.

p.9

Organisation

New members of staff have a thorough induction and this is underpinned by regular supervision, appraisal and training. Established members of staff continue with their accredited professional development to ensure that their skills and competencies are up to date and in line with professional standards.

p.10

Organisation

Regular team meetings occur in order for the staff teams to discuss the individual young people and to consider if any care plans or practice needs to be changed.

p.10

Organisation

A well-established senior leadership team ensures that all aspects of the running of the school are monitored and evaluated. This is underpinned by auditing and monitoring systems provided by the organisation which runs the school. In turn, an external manager from the organisation, visits, assesses and evaluates the care of the young people on a regular basis. Reports written as a result of these visits are detailed and outline what issues need to be addressed. A board of governors works with the organisation to provide further oversight and evaluation. Governors visit the school regularly, often with the independent monitoring visitor. The systems in place ensure that the care and well being of the young people is scrutinised to an excellent standard.

p.10

Organisation

The promotion of equality and diversity is outstanding. Each young person's differences are known and valued. Members of staff ensure that care is provided which promotes each young person's identity and individuality, whether this is in relation to their culture, religion, behaviour or disability. Difference is seen as an opportunity to learn from each other and to be celebrated. This means that each individual is nurtured and developed in a way which acknowledges and values their identity.

p.10