LVS Hassocks

London Road, Sayers Commons, Hassocks, West Sussex, BN6 9HT

p.1

Inspection dates 08/12/2015 to 10/12/2015

p.1

The overall experiences and progress of children and young people Good 2

p.1

The quality of care and support Good 2 How well children and young people are protected Good 2 The impact and effectiveness of leaders and managers Good 2

p.1

Summary of key findings

The residential provision is good because  Residential pupils make good progress in education, social skills and behaviour management. They are cared for by a team of committed staff whose focus is to provide support and guidance for young people to succeed. They enjoy sensitive and caring relationships with staff. Residential pupils are relaxed and participate fully in the residential experience.

p.1

Summary of key findings

 Leaders and managers have made good progress since the last inspection. Especially in integrating the therapists across the school day and residential evening. Residential staff and therapists now increasingly work towards shared targets for each young person. More after school activities are provided; many are led by young people themselves.

p.1

Summary of key findings

 Residential pupils who reach 16 years old are able to delveop their life skills in the designated living area. This helps residential young people successfully move onto a wide range of destinations post 18 years old. The staff know young people well and provide individualised guidance and support to stretch them without causing distress.

p.1

Summary of key findings

 Young people’s safety is a priority. Knowledgeable leaders take the lead in safeguarding, they ensure staff are trained to provide safe care and to identify concerns. A few shortfalls identified do not have a negative impact on the welfare of young people. These include; improved analysis of data and embedding the newly introduced recording systems for sanctions. In addition, the recording of staff appraisals need to be more evaluative and reflective on practice.

p.1

Summary of key findings

 Improved challenge by the Trustees ensures there is a strong oversight of all practices at the school.  Compliance with the national minimum standards for residential special schools The school meets the national minimum standards for residential special schools

p.1

Summary of key findings

What does the school need to do to improve further?  Analyse and evaluate all data produced for areas such as physical interventions and safeguarding concerns so the school can learn from and develop further their practices.  Make sure the newly introduced sanctions recording log is fully embedded and audited.  Ensure all staff appraisals are evaluative and reflect on practice. Inspection Report LVS Hassocks, 08/12/2015 Page 2 of 12

p.2

Information about this inspection

Ofsted carried out this inspection with three hours’ notice. Inspection activities included; meetings with the head teacher, head of care, therapists, site manager, catering manager, human resource director, director of specials education needs, the school nurse and two governors. Additional contact was made with the local authority designated officer (LADO) social workers and families. A wide range of documentation concerning the residential provision was scrutinised. There were no new responses on ‘Parent View’, since the last inspection, to consider.

p.3

Inspection team

Liz Driver Lead social care regulatory inspector

p.3

Inspection team

Lolly Rascagneres HMI Inspection Report LVS Hassocks, 08/12/2015 Page 3 of 12

p.3

Information about this school

LVS Hassocks is an independent residential special school that incorporates day and residential provision for students between 8 and 19 years of age with learning difficulties associated with autism. At the time of inspection, there were 32 residential students, boarding on a weekly or part-time basis. There are 29 boys and 3 girls resident. The school is situated on a large, rural site. The residential accommodation is incorporated into the main school building with four units, one of which is a separate wing for older students developing their independence skills. The residential provision was last inspected in March 2015 with an emergency visit on behalf of the Department for Education in July 2015 in response to parental concerns. Inspection Report LVS Hassocks, 08/12/2015 Page 4 of 12

p.4

Inspection Judgements

The overall experiences and progress of children and young people Good

p.5

Inspection Judgements

Residential pupils make very good emotional, educational and social progress at this school. Young people experience a rich and varied educational experience with an enjoyable residential experience. Staff from education, therapy and residential are increasingly working together to provide an educational and therapy curriculum that covers the 24 hour period. Residential pupils listen to staff and accept their support due to the trusting relationships they form. One pupil stated he was `very happy here’ and another said `I love it here the staff are very good, I like coming here’.

p.5

Inspection Judgements

The increasing range of activities on offer are enjoyed by residential pupils. As a result they develop their identity, raise their self-esteem and confidence. Activities during lunch times and in the evenings include; ball skills, puzzle building, film club, art club, music and IT club. Therapists participate in activities outside of school time providing expert advice for young people and residential staff. The young people can participate in the Duke of Edinburgh Award and young pupils will be able to join the satellite Scout group commencing very soon at the school.

p.5

Inspection Judgements

In general, parents are happy with the school and the residential provision. Any concerns parents raise are managed by senior leaders with lessons learnt taken forward to improve practice and outcomes for young people. There is an all-encompassing, inclusive culture regardless of gender, age or background.

p.5

Inspection Judgements

Leaders and managers are effective at identifying and tackling weaknesses and securing improvement of the residential provision. They understand the pupil’s needs and ensure they receive the best residential experience possible.

p.5

Inspection Judgements

The safety of pupils is given a high priority. There are robust and effective arrangements for safeguarding and staff are aware of the added vulnerabilities due to the young people’s special needs. As a result young people learn how to keep themselves as safe as they can or that they are with an adult who can keep them safe.

p.5

Inspection Judgements

The health care arrangements are effective in promoting and maintaining young people’s physical, emotional and psychological health. The qualified school nurse and educational psychologist are integral to the staffing team, ensuring health needs are met.

p.5

Inspection Judgements

The residential provision works in partnership with other areas of the school, parents, carers and external agencies to support pupils. The increasing integration of the occupational therapy and speech and language teams in residential time has given residential staff increased skills and understanding. There are sufficient numbers of consistent staff who have time to listen to, understand and meet the needs of young people. Staff training is given high priority to ensure staff can meet the needs of the young people. Inspection Report LVS Hassocks, 08/12/2015 Page 5 of 12 The quality of care and support Good

p.5

Inspection Judgements

Young people receive a good quality of care and support. Feedback from one parent was that staff are `kind, caring and sensitive’.

p.6

Inspection Judgements

The staff provide a nurturing environment for young people to make progress and succeed. Young people respond positively to staff and evidently enjoy their guidance and company. Induction is sensitively delivered with staff across the school and residential setting well informed of individual needs. This inclusivity includes dietary preferences and special diet requirements being shared with the catering department. Transitions are planned well in advance with a designated member of staff overseeing the planning of reviews and meetings required. This ensures young people receive their reviews in a timely manner and have successful transitions.

p.6

Inspection Judgements

Leaders and managers work closely with families to ensure their child’s needs can be met. This includes identifying changing needs as the young person develops and grows. Individual detailed care plans allow for input from a range of professionals with clear targets set, including therapy targets. Improved systems ensure all therapy time is robustly recorded and audited. In addition, the improved integration of the therapy team into residential time has allowed for individual activity plans to identify each target and need and its associated sensory input. Staff were observed clearly applying targets in activities with a good appreciation of the sensory skills the activity was promoting.

p.6

Inspection Judgements

Routines are clearly communicated with good use of pictorial guides for young people to follow. This promotes young people being able to confidently undertake daily tasks; for some this may be cleaning their teeth and for others it may be using the washing machine.

p.6

Inspection Judgements

The residential accommodation is of a good quality. Young people appear comfortable in their surroundings. Some areas appear more homely than others and staff work hard to ensure young people can personalise their surroundings. Communal rooms vary across the accommodation units. Overall, there is sufficient space for young people to come together or have private space. A programme of redecoration and refurbishing of the showers in underway.

p.6

Inspection Judgements

Arrangements for meeting young people’s health needs are effective. A qualified and experienced school nurse provides a link between the school and external health professionals. She also provides on site medical support. The administration of medication is robustly delivered with auditing and monitoring to ensure safe practices. Any errors in the process of administering medication is managed professionally and effectively, although these are very low in number.

p.6

Inspection Judgements

Residential pupils enjoy a healthy and nutritious diet. The catering provided by an external company is of high standard and ensures all dietary needs are met. The catering department has a five star hygiene award from the local council and there are no outstanding recommendation from the last environmental health visit. Inspection Report LVS Hassocks, 08/12/2015 Page 6 of 12 How well children and young people are protected Good

p.6

Inspection Judgements

There are good systems in place to protect young people and keep them safe. Since the last inspection the role of the designated safeguarding officer has been expanded and made clearer. The head of residential holds the main responsibility and he is supported by two other senior managers. All have completed advanced safeguarding training. The arrangements for reporting safeguarding concerns are now explicit and more effective although there has not been a need to refer matters to external safeguarding agencies. However, other lower level concerns are being drawn to the notice of the school’s safeguarding officers. Staff are equipped and supported to promote children’s welfare through training that is provided by the school. All staff have to participate in refresher training. Safeguarding training has included child sexual exploitation (CSE) and female genital mutilation (FGM). The head of care has completed training on the Prevent Duty in relation to radicalisation

p.7

Inspection Judgements

and extremism. Staff undertake on-line training in this area plus there are plans to deliver training to parents and carers. There is a recognition that some young people’s understanding may not be as good as their peers, however staff are working to make sure they are aware of the issues. This is supported by the numerous posters on display around the school site. The systems for recruiting and vetting staff are clear and implemented in practice, this includes verifying reference checks. This ensures young people are protected from adults who may harm them. Good arrangements are in place to safeguard young people’s access to the internet. Liaison with other organisations responsible for safeguarding assist this. For example the community liaison person has visited and worked with children about keeping safe. Children learn about safety as part of their classes. Appropriate monitoring of internet use is in place with support extended to parents on how to keep their child safe at

p.7

Inspection Judgements

home. At the last inspection a point for improvement was that the school ensured it had the specific missing protocol for each of the funding local authorities. This has been actioned although the process of obtaining all polices is ongoing, evidence was seen of a number of protocols. The procedures for children going missing are unambiguous, known to staff and implemented in practice. Arrangements for visitors and contractors are clear and this supports the arrangements to safeguard children. The use of CCTV in appropriate areas also supports safeguarding. Not all parents are happy with the arrangements for them to visit their children. However, the decisions and arrangements made by the school are not punitive. They have been made with the best interest of children in mind and to promote and safeguard their welfare. The arrangements for management of fire safety is sound. Fire risk assessments have

p.7

Inspection Judgements

been completed and work identified as a result has been addressed. Young people have participated in fire evacuation procedures at various times of the day and night. This Inspection Report LVS Hassocks, 08/12/2015 Page 7 of 12 ensures they know what action to take if a fire occurred. Appropriate health and safety risk assessments have been completed and cover activities that young people are involved in. Examples of this include fishing and the dangers of hooking, with clear strategies to minimise this risk by the purchasing of the safe and appropriate equipment. Risk assessment are in place around the hazards of the building and grounds, with the impact of the risks noted and the actions of and responsibility of all staff in ensuring children’s safety. There is a lack of risk assessment where young people work in the local community. This is necessary to identify any safeguarding concerns. There is a focus on supporting children and young people’s behaviour ranging from their

p.7

Inspection Judgements

relationships with each other or the opposite gender, their display of sexualised behaviours and how they communicate with each other and staff, and their relationships with the wider community. Anti-social behaviour is addressed although there is a recognition that each child will respond differently and according to their particular needs. The recommendation made at the previous inspection that manager should sign the records has been addressed. Records of physical intervention shows there have been 11 incidents recorded with most of the physical intervention used in residential relating to the behaviour management of a particular child. While it is necessary to use physical intervention as part of the management of this child’s behaviour, this is not over used or excessive with other strategies also being used. Although the head of care provides regular reports to the trustees about behaviour, which includes data on volume of physical interventions, this lacks evaluation and

p.8

Inspection Judgements

analysis. Therefore it is difficult to access learning and impact of behaviour strategies in use by the school. While it is good to note the focus is on rewards rather than sanctions, the current arrangements for recording sanctions is not sufficient. This is because the records do not always provide a clear analysis, give the duration, effectiveness and consequence of the sanction. Although the head of care has now identified a process for the recording of sanctions it is not yet implemented and therefore not practice that is embedded. The anti- bullying policy sets out the school ethos and provides clarity about the types of bullying and the action that staff should take to deal with any incident. Children involved in bullying are spoken to about the behaviour and the consequences. Outcomes of incidents are clear and include lessons to be learnt. For example school escorts having to make sure they monitor children more closely during transportation.

p.8

Inspection Judgements

The impact and effectiveness of leaders and managers Good

p.8

Inspection Judgements

The leadership and management of the service is good. The head of care has been in post for three years and has very suitable qualifications and experience to fulfil his role. The residential provision is effectively and efficiently managed. The head of care Inspection Report LVS Hassocks, 08/12/2015 Page 8 of 12 provides strong leadership for the residential staff team. He is supported by a deputy manager, a post created since the last inspection. There are, in general, good relationships between the residential staff, families and school, putting the residential pupils at the centre of practice.

p.8

Inspection Judgements

The ethos and objectives of the school are clearly available on the school’s web site for pupils, parents and professionals to access. It gives clear information about the specialist input the school can provide in relation to social, emotional and educational needs of the young people.

p.9

Inspection Judgements

Leaders and managers actively monitor the quality of care. There is a clear development plan that identifies developments in the residential provision. For example continued and improved integration of therapists across the day and evening, and refurbishing of the bathrooms.

p.9

Inspection Judgements

Care, kindness and acceptance are at the heart of the principles of the school. These are applied very well in day-to-day living. Equality and diversity are particular strengths. Since the last inspection there has been significant improvement in the way complaints are managed by the school. There is now a clear audit trail setting out the complaint and the action taken by the school to resolve it. This includes clear outcome letters to the complainant. Lessons learnt are being identified and the appropriate action taken to address learning points. Leaders work closely with all complainants to seek a good outcome. Systems are in place for monitoring the residential provision. The head of care has clear and effective systems that work alongside the independent visitor’s findings and reports. Improvements could be made to the auditing of practices by analysing and evaluating some data output. Staffing numbers and mix of age and gender are good. There is always a suitable

p.9

Inspection Judgements

number of staff, including night staff to supervise and support young people whether on site or off. Staff receive regular training and updates to ensure they are kept up to date with changing practices. A recent audit carried out by the school shows staff’s qualifications, experience and training in autism to be of a good standard. In addition, the school’s training and development calendar indicates regular opportunities for staff to share good practice and consider the latest developments in supporting pupils with autism. This is an area the school continues to address so staff are continually upskilled. The staff receive regular appraisals, however, the records in some cases are limited; they lack evaluation and reflection on practice. Since the last inspection the trustees appear to have a better understanding of their role and responsibilities. They now take a proactive role in the schools activities, such as their

p.9

Inspection Judgements

involvement in health and safety and safeguarding. New trustees have a good understanding of their role. They are experienced and this should provide additional challenge, strength in depth to this group. Inspection Report LVS Hassocks, 08/12/2015 Page 9 of 12

p.9

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.

p.10

What inspection judgements mean

Judgement Description Outstanding A school where the experiences and progress of children and young people consistently exceeds the standard of good and results 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. 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. 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. Inadequate A school where there are serious and/or widespread failures that mean

p.10

What inspection judgements 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 LVS Hassocks, 08/12/2015 Page 10 of 12

p.10

School details

Unique reference number Social care unique reference number SC388553 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 32 Gender of boarders Mixed Age range of boarders 8 to20 Headteacher Kira Brabenec Date of previous boarding inspection 24/03/2015 Telephone number 01273 832901

p.11

School details

Email address Kira.brabenec@lvs-hassocks.org.uk Inspection Report LVS Hassocks, 08/12/2015 Page 11 of 12 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

p.11

School details

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.

p.12

School details

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

p.12

School details

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

p.12

School details

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'.

p.12

School details

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

p.12