Unsted Park School

Munstead Heath Road, Godalming, Surrey, GU7 1UW

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Inspection dates 10/03/2015 to 12/03/2015

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Overall effectiveness Adequate 3

Outcomes for residential pupils Adequate 3 Quality of residential provision and care Adequate 3 Residential pupils’ safety Adequate 3 Leadership and management of the residential provision Good 2

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The residential provision is adequate because

● The residential provision is improving. Senior leaders and managers have a good understanding of key strengths and areas for development and are taking action to improve outcomes for residential students. They are driving forward development of the service to achieve high standards of care. ● Many students enjoy positive, sensitive and nurturing relationships with staff enabling them to trust the adults who care for them and benefit from their support and guidance. Consequently, some residential students are making significant progress in their social skills, confidence and self-esteem. Some residential students are making good progress in behaving appropriately. ● Not all residential students feel safe and protected. Senior managers are, however, taking robust action to remedy this situation. There is a focus on bullying to increase residential students' awareness of the issues and how to raise concerns. Further work is required

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The residential provision is adequate because

with an emphasis on proactive, preventative work to protect residential students. Further development of behaviour management plans and risk assessments to provide detailed guidance for staff will also protect residential students. ● There has been a high turnover of residential staff recently. Consequently, senior managers are focusing on developing the staff team so they can provide competent and confident care for residential students and promote positive outcomes. Well-planned training is in place and effective support, supervision and appraisal for staff. ● Recent recruitment records demonstrate a rigorous approach to checking the suitability of adults to work with residential students. However, one record sampled was found not to be compliant. ● Care plans for residential students are improving but they would benefit from sharper, more relevant targets demonstrating high expectations for residential students soon to

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The residential provision is adequate because

transition from the school. Inspection Report Unsted Park School, 10/03/2015 Page 2 of 11 ● The arrangements for promoting residential students' psychological well-being require a more cohesive approach, clearer specialist oversight and a greater degree of guidance for staff to develop their understanding of residential students' emotional needs.

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Compliance with the national minimum standards for residential special schools

The school does not meet the national minimum standards for residential special schools. The details are listed in the full report. Inspection Report Unsted Park School, 10/03/2015 Page 3 of 11

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Information about this inspection

The school was given three hours' notice of the inspection. Meetings were held with the Principal, Headteacher, Head of Care, school nurse, site manager, therapy team, Improvement Regional Manager, HR lead, catering manager, residential staff and residential students. An inspector joined students for two meals. Inspectors spent time in each of the residential units.

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Inspection team

Janet Hunnam Lead social care inspector Sophie Wood Social care inspector Inspection Report Unsted Park School, 10/03/2015 Page 4 of 11

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Information about this school

Unsted Park is a residential special school for boys and girls aged 7 to 19 years. The school provides day and residential provision for students with Asperger’s syndrome. Residential placements are provided in three boarding houses. The residential provision was last inspected in May 2014.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

● ensure that residential students' targets are appropriate to their individual needs ● ensure that there is clear oversight of the arrangements to promote residential students' psychological and emotional well-being ● continue to develop staff and residential students' awareness and understanding of bullying and ensure that clear, proactive strategies are in place to prevent bullying. ● ensure individual behaviour management plans and individual risk assessments outline clear guidance for staff to protect residential students. ● ensure all records of physical intervention provide details of the behaviour leading to the physical intervention and record the views of the residential student.  The school must meet the following national minimum standards for residential special schools. ● Schools operate safe recruitment procedures and vet staff in line with the regulatory requirements and having regard to guidance issued by the Secretary of

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

State (as referenced in 'Residential Special Schools National Minimum Standards'). (NMS 14.1) Inspection Report Unsted Park School, 10/03/2015 Page 5 of 11

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Outcomes for residential pupils Adequate

Outcomes for residential students are adequate. Residential students experience good quality relationships with staff who respond to them with warmth and good humour. Consequently, many residential students listen to staff and accept the support they offer, enabling some to make significant progress in relation to their starting points.

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Outcomes for residential pupils Adequate

Currently, the difficult, disruptive and challenging behaviour of some residential students is having a detrimental impact on other students who report they feel intimidated. Senior managers are seeking to resolve this issue but not all residential students demonstrate respect and understanding towards staff and their peers.

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Outcomes for residential pupils Adequate

Residential students enjoy the activities available though some residential students report that there is not enough to do in their free time. Managers are aware of these views and have taken action to provide a wider range of enriching activities to enable residential students to follow their personal interests and participate in new leisure pursuits, allowing them to develop their self- confidence and social engagement.

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Outcomes for residential pupils Adequate

There is a strong focus on preparing residential students for their next stage and the transition from the school. Residential students are encouraged to develop their daily living skills at a pace and level appropriate to their individual needs. More structured programmes are in place for older residential students enabling them to build their confidence in preparation for their next stage.

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Quality of residential provision and care Adequate

The outcomes for residential students are adequate. Residential students benefit from supportive, nurturing and individualised care that enables some students to make significant progress and development.

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Quality of residential provision and care Adequate

Staff know residential students very well enabling them to tailor support to residential students’ specific needs. There is a range of documentation in place to support the delivery of care to residential students. Placement plans focus on residential students’ individual needs as identified in their statement of special educational needs with specified targets for their development. However, some of these targets do not demonstrate that staff have high expectations of residential students, particularly for those residential students approaching a transition to the next stage of their life. Staff recognise the importance of individual key work sessions with residential students. Senior staff are developing detailed guidance for staff to improve and strengthen the key worker role to provide effective, individual support to promote positive outcomes.

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Quality of residential provision and care Adequate

All residential students have individual health plans, which are regularly updated. Residential students with specific medical conditions have very detailed health plans with comprehensive and particularised procedures in place to ensure medical needs are met. Staff receive specialist training to meet the specific health needs of residential students, ensuring they have the knowledge and skills to provide specialist care when needed. A recently appointed experienced nurse oversees all residential students’ health needs including the administration of medication. Residential staff are trained to administer medication, with the nurse checking on their competency to administer medication safely. Consequently, the system for administering medication is robust. The nurse is building excellent relationships with residential students and this role has strengthened the health and medical provision for residential students. She has

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Quality of residential provision and care Adequate

introduced a new initiative focusing on sexual health for older students, further developing the health provision. Inspection Report Unsted Park School, 10/03/2015 Page 6 of 11 A team of therapists, including speech and language therapy, occupational and art therapy, provide development opportunities for residential students in line with their needs identified in their statement. Although specific strategies are included in some residential students’ placement plans, monitoring of how the therapy provision is meeting students’ needs demonstrates that not all students are receiving the therapy necessary to meet their needs and promote positive outcomes. A consultant psychiatrist is available for staff to seek advice on strategies to support individual students and also to provide staff training on specific issues relating to the care provision. However, the arrangements for promoting residential students’ psychological and

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Quality of residential provision and care Adequate

emotional well-being require a more cohesive approach, clearer specialist oversight and a greater degree of guidance for staff to develop their understanding of the emotional needs of residential students.

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Quality of residential provision and care Adequate

The quality of the catering arrangements is of a high standard and provides residential students with a varied and nutritious diet. Individual and specialist diets are also well catered for. The catering manager takes into account feedback from the students and liaises closely with parents in relation to specific dietary needs. There is a mixed response from residential students about the food on offer with some commenting that they do not always have the food they like. Some residential students have the opportunity to plan, shop and cook their own meals thus developing their independence skills.

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Quality of residential provision and care Adequate

The accommodation is of a good standard. Residential areas are well-maintained and have undergone a programme of refurbishment. Further work is planned to continue to provide a more homely and less institutional living environment.

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Residential pupils’ safety Adequate

The arrangements in place to protect residential students and ensure they receive safe care are adequate. Not all residential students say they feel safe in their house.

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Residential pupils’ safety Adequate

The safeguarding policy has recently been updated and staff receive training in safeguarding and child protection. The policy outlines clear steps for staff to follow if they have any concerns. Staff demonstrate the necessary knowledge and understanding of potential safeguarding risks which may affect the welfare of residential students. Concerns are appropriately referred to the designated child protection officer whose well-documented records show that proper action is taken including consultation and referral to the local safeguarding authorities. Such detailed record keeping is assisting the designated child protection officer to monitor safeguarding concerns robustly to identify patterns and trends and ensure effective action is taken to safeguard residential students.

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Residential pupils’ safety Adequate

Not all residential students state that the school deals well with any cases of bullying as reported in the recent Ofsted survey of residential students. Managers have focused on raising students’ awareness of the issues relating to bullying. They have created an anti-bullying pack to help students understand, hold fortnightly anti-bullying meetings and have concentrated on raising students’ awareness and how they can raise concerns. Although this initiative is a positive step, it is still in its infancy and should extend to raising staffs’ awareness and understanding of bullying with evidence of clear proactive strategies to prevent bullying.

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Residential pupils’ safety Adequate

Residential students have individual behaviour management plans identifying known risks, triggers and strategies to guide staff in supporting residential students in difficult situations. Some of these plans lack detailed, prescriptive guidance for staff to follow to protect students. Staff receive training in behaviour management and physical intervention to manage situations safely. Recent reports of physical intervention demonstrate that staff are now providing more detail of the incident. However, not all reports clearly demonstrate the student’s behaviour Inspection Report Unsted Park School, 10/03/2015 Page 7 of 11 leading to the physical intervention and the views of the student relating to the incident are not consistently recorded.

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Residential pupils’ safety Adequate

Although recent recruitment records show a rigorous approach to checking that adults are suitable to work with children, one record sampled was not fully compliant. This does not demonstrate a sufficiently robust recruitment process to protect residential students. Improved visitor protocols are in place, thus strengthening the safeguarding of residential students.

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Residential pupils’ safety Adequate

Staff have undertaken training in e-safety and child sexual exploitation. Their knowledge, understanding and awareness of the risks students face is improving and developing, thus strengthening their ability to safeguard students. A focus on raising students’ e-safety awareness, individually and in group sessions, demonstrates a commitment to protecting students. Although staff are aware of the risks associated with students leaving the site without permission and appropriate policies and procedures are in place to manage such occurrences, individual risk assessments do not always clearly prescribe the action staff should take in such circumstances. Also, risk assessments do not clearly outline preventative strategies to protect students from the risks associated with leaving the site without permission.

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Residential pupils’ safety Adequate

Safety of the residential environment is monitored effectively. A range of health and safety checks and fire checks are carried out regularly, including fire drills for residential students. Such comprehensive systems protect residential students and staff.

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Leadership and management of the residential provision Good

The leadership and management of the residential provision is good. The new principal, new head teacher and senior leaders all share a common understanding of the ethos of the school where the residential community is seen as a central and important aspect. The head of care is appropriately qualified and experienced. He provides strong leadership to a staff team where there has recently been a number of new recruits. Although there is evidence of good progress in relation to training and developing the residential team, further team development is necessary to ensure all residential staff are confident and competent in meeting the often complex needs of residential students. Managers provide effective supervision and appraisal for residential staff and staff report that they feel well supported to carry out their roles.

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Leadership and management of the residential provision Good

Senior managers are committed to embedding best practice through the training and development of staff and improving the quality of documentation, care plans, risk assessments and individual key working for residential students. The breaches of the National Minimum Standards identified at the previous inspection have been met. The head of care routinely monitors the residential provision and there is evidence of improved recording. Reports of monitoring visits are comprehensive, evaluative and provide action points for improvement, demonstrating a constructive and positive tool to assist the drive for improvement. The organisation is also providing increased support for the head of care, working towards achieving the objectives in the development plan and developing the staff team to promote positive outcomes for residential students.

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Leadership and management of the residential provision Good

Senior managers are embedding a developmental approach and a ‘lessons learnt’ meeting is held weekly to consider all significant incidents and events and how practice can be improved. Concerns from parents are recorded and discussed at these meetings to review practice and how residential students’ individual needs can be more effectively met. Concerns rarely reach the stage of a formal complaint but a complaints process is in place if the concerns cannot be resolved informally.

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Leadership and management of the residential provision Good

The school uses formal surveys to obtain the views of residential students. Senior managers analyse the results of surveys, clarify the issues raised and take action to take account of Inspection Report Unsted Park School, 10/03/2015 Page 8 of 11 residential students’ views. Consequently, a member of staff has been appointed as the anti- bullying co-ordinator for residential students and activity plans have been revised to include weekly off-site activities in response to residential comments in the survey. Inspection Report Unsted Park School, 10/03/2015 Page 9 of 11

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding A school which provides an exceptional quality of care and significantly exceeds minimum requirements. Grade 2 Good A school which provides a high quality of care that exceeds minimum requirements. Grade 3 Adequate A school which meets minimum requirements but needs to improve the quality of care it provides. Grade 4 Inadequate A school where minimum requirements are not met and the quality of care has serious weaknesses. Inspection Report Unsted Park School, 10/03/2015 Page 10 of 11

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School details

Unique reference number 135419 Social care unique reference number SC363144 DfE registration number 936/6592

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School details

This inspection was carried out under the Children Act 1989, as amended by the Care Standards Act 2000, having regard to the national minimum standards for residential special schools.

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Type of school

Number of boarders on roll 20 Gender of boarders Mixed Age range of boarders 7 to 19 Headteacher Mr Richard Johnson (School Principal) Date of previous boarding inspection 02/07/2013 Telephone number 01483 892061 Email address unstedparkschool@priorygroup.com Inspection Report Unsted Park School, 10/03/2015 Page 11 of 11 guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Type of school

You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when and as part of the inspection.

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Type of school

You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk , or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Type of school

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 Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, 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. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille,

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Type of school

please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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Type of school

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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