Ingfield Manor School

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

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Inspection dates 21 March 2016 to 23 March 2016

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Outstanding 1

The quality of care and support Outstanding 1 How well children and young people are protected Outstanding 1

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Outstanding 1

The impact and effectiveness of leaders and managers Outstanding 1

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The residential provision is outstanding because

 Strong leadership and management ensures residential pupils receive consistently high standards of care which meets their individual needs. Leaders and managers are aspirational for the pupils, and this sets the culture and ethos in the residential facility.  Residential pupils make excellent progress across all aspects of their lives. They regularly meet their academic, personal and social targets. Many residential pupils achieve greater mobility. They grow in confidence and self-esteem.  Effective care planning ensures residential pupils’ needs are clearly identified. This leads to ambitious, but realistic, targets being set. Residential pupils are motivated to achieve well.  Robust policies and procedures underpin effective safeguarding practice. This ensures residential pupils are kept safe. Monitoring procedures focus on maintaining good practice.  The preparation and support given to residential pupils when moving on from the

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The residential provision is outstanding because

school is exceptional. It enables young people to reach their potential in terms of independence.  The residential facility provides a welcoming environment where pupils can have fun, develop their skills, relax and feel at ease. Creative activities stimulate residential pupils’ interests and give them access to positive role models.  Excellent healthcare arrangements and facilities ensure the complex medical needs of residential pupils are met.

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schools

The school meets the national minimum standards for residential special schools.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure the recording of safeguarding concerns provides a clear audit trail of decisions made and actions taken.  Ensure there is a shift leader on each of the night care teams.  Develop a students’ guide to boarding. Inspection Report Ingfield Manor School, 21 March 2016 Page 3 of 13

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Information about this inspection

Ofsted carried out this inspection with two hours’ notice. Inspection activities included formal and informal communication with residential pupils, sharing meals with pupils and observing a range of after-school activities. Discussions took place with the principal, head of care, a physiotherapist, the lead nurse, head of sixth form and several team members. One governor was interviewed, and a telephone discussion took place with the independent visitor. A wide range of documentation concerning the residential provision was scrutinised. There were an insufficient number of responses on Parent View to enable analysis, but telephone interviews were conducted with five parents.

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Inspection team

Stephen Collett lead social care inspector Inspection Report Ingfield Manor School, 21 March 2016 Page 4 of 13

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Information about this school

Ingfield Manor is a day and residential, non-maintained special school for children and young people between the ages of three and 19 years. Ingfield Manor provides an educational service to children with neurological motor impairments such as cerebral palsy. Many of the children have additional complex medical conditions. Support is delivered through conductive education and the school has a long association with the Peto Institute. Most of the students who board do so on a flexi basis and have short stays at the school. Others, who board on a weekly basis, return home at weekends. The school is part of Scope. Inspection Report Ingfield Manor School, 21 March 2016 Page 5 of 13

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Outstanding

The residential facility is an integral aspect of provision at the school. Strong leadership and management ensure it is well organised and delivers an effective service, in accordance with the statement of purpose. Robust policies and procedures underpin a proactive approach to keeping children and young people safe and protecting them from harm. Effective systems are used to monitor the quality of care being delivered. These ensure areas for development are quickly identified and action is taken to improve where necessary. Pupils enjoy the residential experience. They build friendships, engage in a range of activities and form positive relationships with staff. Highly motivated staff are familiar with the needs of the children and young people, and are committed to delivering excellent standards of care. The residential facility provides a comfortable, welcoming environment where pupils relax and feel at ease in the evenings.

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Outstanding

Residential pupils make excellent progress across all aspects of their lives. This is attributed to the excellent standard of care and support they receive. Care is well planned, highly personalised and focuses on meeting individual needs. There is a strong emphasis on supporting pupils to develop their communication skills. A good range of resources are available to assist residential pupils to make progress in this area. One parent stated, ‘he has learned more in six months than he did in three years at his previous school, particularly around communication’. Residential pupils’ progress is monitored and records indicate that they consistently achieve their targets in education and personal development. This includes organisational skills, developing peer relationships and increasing mobility. Residential pupils take pride in their achievements and are motivated to do well. Consequently, they reach their full potential while at the school, and are well prepared for the next stage in

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Outstanding

their lives. Some residential pupils make significant progress in terms of their mobility. A parent commented that this is partly due to the fact that pupils can use mobility equipment on the residential facility that would not be available to them at home. Photographic evidence is kept of pupils’ progress. One young person spoke of his ambition to increase his mobility and said, ‘the exercises I have been taught here have helped me so much’. A strong commitment to upholding children’s rights is embedded in practice. Residential pupils are able to express their views on the care they receive, the progress they are making and improvements that could be made to the residential provision. They have access to independent advocates, which provides additional opportunities to have their views taken into account. Excellent provision is made for meeting pupils’ healthcare needs. There is a well- equipped surgery, and appropriate bed space for caring for pupils who become unwell. A

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Outstanding

range of specialist healthcare professionals monitor pupils’ needs, ensuring timely referrals are made when concerns emerge. A dedicated lead nurse monitors the standard of care being delivered, and prioritises safe practice. Parents and carers consistently express high levels of satisfaction in terms of the care Inspection Report Ingfield Manor School, 21 March 2016 Page 6 of 13 pupils receive and the working relationships they form with managers and staff. They are kept well informed of the progress that their child is making, and are fully consulted in the care planning process. Similarly, effective communication with local authorities and other external agencies ensures professionals are working in partnership to meet the best interests of the pupils.

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The quality of care and support Outstanding

Residential pupils benefit from receiving consistently high standards of care. Staff have a thorough understanding of the pupils’ individual needs and the implications that these have for their care. Care planning is excellent. Residential pupils’ needs are recorded in comprehensive pupil support plans, handling plans and healthcare plans. These are regularly reviewed and updated. Staff are familiar with pupils’ plans, and these are implemented in practice. Goals and targets are clear and achievable and reflect a high level of aspiration for the residential pupils. Weekly objectives towards meeting goals are agreed and this enables progress to be monitored. Creative approaches are taken to measure pupils’ progress, such as keeping photographs of their physical development and mobility. This gives pupils a sense of achievement and improves self-esteem. Care is provided by multi-disciplinary teams, who work across the school and residential

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The quality of care and support Outstanding

facility. This ensures that a holistic approach is taken to meeting the needs of residential pupils, and provides consistency of care. Pupils are supported to utilise the skills that they have learned during the day when they return to the residential facility, by staff who are familiar with their progress. Parents report that pupils benefit from this staffing arrangement, as pupils are looked after in the evenings by staff who know how they have been during the day. Staff also acknowledge the benefits, particularly in terms of learning from colleagues from other disciplines with specialist skills and knowledge. Referral and admission procedures to the residential facility are thorough. Prior to a place being offered, an assessment determines whether the needs of the child or young person can be met. A range of professionals, parents, carers and the child or young person contribute to the assessment. Detailed planning prior to admission helps new

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The quality of care and support Outstanding

residential pupils settle quickly. Although practice relating to admissions is thorough and child focused, it does not currently include providing pupils with a guide to the residential facility. A particular strength of the school is the preparation and support residential pupils receive prior to moving on. One parent stated, ‘the school is excellent at making transition arrangements; they provide detailed reports which aid the process’. The focus of transition work is to develop pupils’ ‘independence of mind’. Pupils learn that independence is having the ability to direct a carer to meet their needs. Staff accompany residential pupils to their potential new placement, and remain with them for trial overnight stays. When they move on, residential pupils take a ‘transition passport’ which provides new care staff with information about the young person and how they prefer to have their care needs met. The transition passport is also a tool to stimulate

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The quality of care and support Outstanding

communication, enabling young people to begin forming new relationships. All residential pupils who left the school at the end of the last academic year were given places at their preferred college. Healthcare arrangements, under the leadership of a head nurse, are excellent. Residential pupils have detailed healthcare plans, which are fully implemented in practice Inspection Report Ingfield Manor School, 21 March 2016 Page 7 of 13 and kept under review. Nursing staff carefully monitor the health of residential pupils, many of whom have complex medical conditions. Detailed records are kept and, where appropriate, information is shared with other healthcare professionals. Residential pupils have access to a range of healthcare professionals. This includes physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech and language therapists and a dietician. An external consultant neurological paediatrician maintains an oversight of all pupils’ healthcare

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The quality of care and support Outstanding

needs. The recording and administration of medication is robust. Nursing staff conduct observations of staff administering medication to ensure that high standards are maintained and training needs are identified. Effective monitoring quickly identifies any errors in the administration of medication. These are investigated by the head nurse who consults with relevant professionals, including the organisation’s safeguarding team, as part of the process. The school is well resourced and has good facilities that can be utilised for leisure and recreational activities. These include a swimming pool, woodland nature trail and a sensory room. Staff engage residential pupils in a range of after-school activities, which provide opportunities to have fun and develop new skills. During the inspection, residential pupils were observed taking part in an Easter egg hunt. Throughout the activity, staff took the opportunity to help pupils develop their vocabulary and

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The quality of care and support Outstanding

communication skills. A former pupil, who is now a Paralympian, facilitates weekly boccia sessions, which residential pupils engage in enthusiastically. This provides pupils with an excellent role model, and an opportunity to partake in a team game with peers. The general standard of catering is good, although some residential pupils say that they would like more choices on the evening menu. The catering coordinator maintains a record of pupils’ special dietary needs and has effective procedures in place to ensure that these are met. Regular consultation takes place between the catering coordinator and a speech and language therapist in relation to pupils’ feeding plans. This ensures that pupils’ food is prepared according to their individual preferences. A high standard of food hygiene is maintained. This resulted in the Food Standards Agency awarding the catering facility a level 5 rating in May 2015.

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The quality of care and support Outstanding

Residential pupils are treated with dignity and respect. There is a culture of listening to the views of children and young people and acting upon these where appropriate. There is a well-established school council, which includes representation from residential pupils. Members of the council attend governors’ meetings in order to report back the views expressed by pupils on the school council. This ensures that pupils feel valued, and have opportunities to influence the development of the service.

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How well children and young people are protected Outstanding

The principal, head of care and senior staff promote a culture that prioritises the safety of children and young people, and protects them from harm. Detailed policies and procedures, which are regularly reviewed and updated, inform and direct good practice. Staff have a clear understanding of the needs of children and young people, and how disability can make them vulnerable to being exploited and abused. They are vigilant and quickly identify indicators, such as anxiety, appearance or appetite, which may suggest that a child or young person is being harmed. All staff know the system for reporting any such concerns, and act in accordance with the school’s child protection policy. There are four designated safeguarding advisers at the school, and all have regular Inspection Report Ingfield Manor School, 21 March 2016 Page 8 of 13 contact with the residential pupils. They receive appropriate training for the role,

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How well children and young people are protected Outstanding

delivered by the organisation. Designated safeguarding advisers meet regularly to review all reported safeguarding concerns, and monitor what action has been taken to protect identified pupils from coming to harm. All safeguarding matters are reported to the organisation’s centralised safeguarding team, which provides specialist advice and guidance on action that needs to be taken. This team also provides safeguarding training to all staff, and undertakes quality assurance visits to monitor the quality of safeguarding and child protection practice. These robust procedures ensure that high standards are maintained and residential pupils are kept safe. Child protection concerns are promptly reported to the relevant authorities, and senior staff ensure that they are kept informed of actions taken in response. When a child or young person discloses that they may be at risk of harm, they are treated sensitively and

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How well children and young people are protected Outstanding

supported throughout the process. Excellent communication ensures that children and young people who have made a disclosure are kept informed of any actions being taken. Detailed records are kept of all child protection referrals, although there is no standardised recording format. Events following a disclosure are not recorded chronologically, making it difficult to follow a clear audit trail of professional discussion and actions taken. Staff have a clear understanding of the risks that children and young people face when they access the internet and social media sites. Residential pupils only access the internet under the supervision of staff but are still given clear messages about the potential to be exploited when doing so. Advice and guidance given to pupils during education on this matter is replicated in the residential facility. All staff are trained to recognise the potential for children and young people to be sexually exploited. The

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How well children and young people are protected Outstanding

principal strongly challenges unsafe attitudes, such as ‘child sexual exploitation could never happen in a school like this’. This ensures that residential pupils are cared for by staff who are knowledgeable and focused on protecting them from harm. As a result of their complex needs and associated vulnerabilities, residential pupils are closely supervised by staff. No pupils have gone missing from the school since the last inspection in January 2015. There is a written procedure for responding should a pupil go missing, which reflects police and local authority protocols. This is reviewed and updated when necessary. Residential pupils respond positively to the high-quality care that they receive. Their behaviour is excellent, and when any behavioural difficulties do emerge, personalised strategies are developed to address the issue. The ethos and values of the school focus on the importance of developing pupils’ communication skills. Staff work on the principle

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How well children and young people are protected Outstanding

that any difficult behaviours will diminish as pupils become more able to express themselves. There has been no physical restraint of pupils since the last inspection. Risk assessments are detailed and provide staff with clear guidance on how to prevent residential pupils coming to harm. They are regularly reviewed and updated to reflect changing circumstances. All residential pupils have comprehensive personal emergency evacuation plans, detailing actions that staff must take to ensure timely exit from the building. Health and safety checks ensure that the residential facility is well maintained, and any potential hazards are identified and rectified promptly. The fire risk assessment is reviewed and amended appropriately, and all fire safety equipment is regularly serviced. A new system for recording health and safety monitoring is being introduced, and the premises manager recognises that this will improve the standard of record

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How well children and young people are protected Outstanding

Inspection Report Ingfield Manor School, 21 March 2016 Page 9 of 13 keeping. Robust staff recruitment procedures minimise the possibility of unsuitable adults being employed at the school. Sufficient numbers of senior staff have received training on safe recruitment procedures, ensuring that there is always a trained member of staff on interview panels. Interview questions explore applicants safeguarding knowledge and their motivation for working with children and young people. This helps ensure that residential pupils are cared for by staff who will prioritise their well-being. As a result of the excellent standard of safeguarding practice at the school, residential pupils feel safe and secure in the residential facility. One young person said, ‘I feel safe, and would speak to the head of care if I was worried.’ Another young person said, ‘I would tell staff or one of the visiting advocates if I was unhappy.’ The trusting

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How well children and young people are protected Outstanding

relationships that residential pupils develop with staff are a strong protective factor, and maximise the potential for safeguarding concerns to be identified promptly.

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The impact and effectiveness of leaders and managers Outstanding

The residential provision is effectively managed by an experienced head of care, who holds National Vocational Qualifications at level 4 in health and social care, and leadership and management. He is supported by suitably qualified and experienced senior team members, who demonstrate a thorough understanding of the needs of the residential pupils. The senior team members are well organised and oversee the implementation of highly effective day-to-day shift plans. This ensures that excellent standards of care are consistently maintained. Leaders and managers have high aspirations for the residential pupils and strive to ensure children and young people achieve the best possible outcomes. They act as excellent role models for the staff, who consequently identify with the ethos and values of the school. Staff work collaboratively and demonstrate a shared commitment to supporting and encouraging residential pupils to achieve their targets. They benefit from

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The impact and effectiveness of leaders and managers Outstanding

receiving good-quality, practice-based supervision, which enables them to reflect on their practice and identify areas for professional development. Staff express high levels of confidence in the ability of leaders and managers to deliver a high-quality service. Robust procedures ensure that the quality of care being delivered is monitored and evaluated for effectiveness. These include self-evaluation, quality assurance visits from external managers and consultation with stakeholders. Regular monitoring visits from an independent visitor scrutinise the standard of care, and follow up reports make recommendations where needed. These processes ensure that any weaknesses and areas for development are quickly identified. Development plans record the actions that need to be taken to maintain the quality of care and continuously improve the service. A recent plan identified the need to further develop processes to ensure that all staff

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The impact and effectiveness of leaders and managers Outstanding

across the school are familiar with all pupils’ identified targets. School governors review the monitoring reports and the progress made towards completion of any remaining actions. There is a governor with a remit for monitoring the residential facility. Although she is fairly new in this post, she has established an effective working relationship with the independent visitor to ensure that information is shared and any weaknesses are identified. The governor recognises the need to ensure that residential pupils are familiar with her role, and have opportunities to communicate Inspection Report Ingfield Manor School, 21 March 2016 Page 10 of 13 with her directly. Sufficient numbers of staff work in the residential facility to ensure that the care needs of children and young people can be met, and appropriate levels of supervision maintained. Senior team members lead by example and motivate staff to learn from

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The impact and effectiveness of leaders and managers Outstanding

experience. However, the current arrangements for leadership of staff covering night duty are not robust. Night care teams do not have a designated shift leader. This recently resulted in a distressed residential pupil not receiving the usually high standard of support. The head of care has addressed this matter, and leaders and managers have identified this as a weakness. Excellent training opportunities are provided for staff. These are focused on the particular needs and vulnerabilities of the pupils, and have a strong safeguarding element. All staff are required to complete the level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare. Staff are encouraged to identify additional training to aid their professional development, and leaders and managers strive to meet these requests when appropriate. Team meetings are well organised and facilitated. They provide staff with the opportunity to discuss practice issues and gaps in their knowledge. The organisation promotes a culture

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The impact and effectiveness of leaders and managers Outstanding

of continuous learning, and leaders and managers provide staff with opportunities to keep up to date with best practice developments. Robust procedures monitor and appraise the performance of staff. When any concerns are identified, staff are given the support needed to improve. Formal competency procedures are implemented where improvement is not sustained. Any serious shortfalls in performance are appropriately investigated, and relevant agencies consulted should this be necessary. Leaders and managers work in partnership with local authorities and maintain effective channels of communication. They ensure that information is appropriately shared with social workers where child protection issues have been identified, and when a pupil becomes looked after by the local authority. Similarly, positive relationships are built and maintained with parents, who consistently report that they are kept well informed of

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The impact and effectiveness of leaders and managers Outstanding

their child’s progress and express confidence in the professionalism demonstrated by the head of care. Leaders and managers are continuously striving to develop and improve the residential provision. They see external monitoring processes as an opportunity to learn and reflect, and have a positive attitude towards regulatory inspection. The recommendation made at the inspection in January 2015, relating to the introduction of pharmaceutical oversight of medication arrangements, has been acted upon. Work is ongoing to ensure that this area of practice remains robust. Inspection Report Ingfield Manor School, 21 March 2016 Page 11 of 13

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What inspection judgements mean

The experiences and progress of children and young people are at the centre of the inspection. Inspectors will use their professional judgement to determine the weight and significance of their findings in this respect. The judgements included in the report are made against ‘Inspections of boarding and residential provision in schools: the inspection framework’.

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Judgement Description

Outstanding A school where the experiences and progress of children and young people consistently exceed the standard of good and result in sustained progress and achievement. The outcomes achieved by children and young people are outstanding, and the impact the boarding/residential provision has had in supporting this progress and achieving these outcomes is clearly evidenced.

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Judgement Description

Good A school providing effective services, which exceed minimum requirements. Children and young people are protected and cared for, and have their welfare safeguarded and promoted.

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Judgement Description

Requires improvement A school where there are no serious or widespread failures that result in children and young people's welfare not being safeguarded or promoted. However, the overall outcomes, experiences and progress of children and young people are not yet good.

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Judgement Description

Inadequate A school where there are serious and/or widespread failures that mean children and young people are not protected, or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded or if their care and experiences are poor and they are not making progress. Inspection Report Ingfield Manor School, 21 March 2016 Page 12 of 13

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DfE registration number

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. Type of school Residential Special School Number of boarders on roll 17 Gender of boarders Mixed Age range of boarders 11 to 19 Headteacher Hazel Darby

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inspection

Telephone number 01403 782294 Email address ingfield.manor@scope.org.uk Inspection Report Ingfield Manor School, 21 March 2016 Page 13 of 13 guidance 'raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted's website: www.gov.uk/ofsted." 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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inspection

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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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.gov.uk/ofsted

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inspection

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, please

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

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