Sense, The National Deafblind And Rubella Association

Inspection report for residential holiday scheme for children who have disabilities: Sense Sense Sense, The National Deafblind And Rubella Association 101 Pentonville Road, London N1 9LG Inspection under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

children who have disabilities

This residential scheme for children who have disabilities is part of a charitable trust. The scheme provides residential activity holidays throughout the year. Young people may have learning disabilities, physical disabilities and/or sensory needs.

p.1

children who have disabilities

Inspection dates: 31 July to 1 August 2017

p.1

Overall experience and progress of

children and young people, taking into account:

p.1

good

How well children, young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

The residential holiday scheme for children who have disabilities provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.1

Enforcement action since last inspection: n/a

Inspection report for residential holiday scheme for children who have disabilities: Sense

p.2

Key findings from this inspection

This residential holiday scheme for children who have disabilities is good because:

p.2

Key findings from this inspection

 Young people enjoy their holiday and participate in a wide variety of activities, including go-karting and trips to amusement parks.  The talented and committed team members work well together and form close relationships with young people and their families.  A strong safeguarding culture allows young people to experience new activities in a safe environment.  Staff set realistic and achievable goals for young people, such as developing social skills.  Parents/carers receive clear feedback on the progress their child makes during their stay.  A committed and dedicated management team actively participates in holidays and acts as a good support to the staff team.  A skilled staff team meets the complex needs of young people.  Managers skilfully match the needs of young people with the facilities on offer and the skill base of the staff team. Inspection report for residential holiday scheme for children who have disabilities: Sense

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people enjoy their holiday. They form close and positive bonds with the staff team and settle quickly. Each young person has their own key worker who acts as a central point of contact for any concerns or worries. Young people offer very positive feedback. One comments, ‘It’s fantastic!’ A parent comments, ‘He has an absolute ball doing everything he loves and trying new things. The helpers are always fantastic people. He is full of smiles and giggles on every picture.’ The holiday scheme acts as an incredibly important source of respite for parents and young people and supports the family’s ongoing stability. A parent says, ‘I cannot tell you how perfect the holiday is and how much it means for my family.’ Young people benefit from a wide range of safe and well-planned activities. Each scheme has access to a minibus to facilitate transportation. Staff achieve a good balance between providing young people with activities and time for them to relax.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff go to enormous lengths to ensure that facilities are able to meet a range of complex needs. For example, staff reserved the exclusive use of a local hydrotherapy pool. This allows the control of noise levels and limits numbers, ensuring that young people do not become overly stimulated or unsettled. Furthermore, it allows young people to try the activity in their own time. Staff consider all possibilities when booking activities. Prior to visiting a local amusement park, staff contacted the park owners to obtain priority passes for young people. This avoided the need to queue for rides and attractions and improved the quality of the experience for young people. The complex communication needs of young people are addressed. Key documents such as the young person’s guide, daily planners and feedback sheets, are produced in a number of different formats such as braille and via the use of a pictorial

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

communication system. This enables young people to express themselves to the staff team and for their wishes and feelings to be heard. Prior to the holiday, young people receive pictures of the staff and the holiday venue, helping to further reduce their feelings of anxiety. Young people and their parents/carers are actively encouraged to provide feedback at the end of the holiday and any information is incorporated into planning for forthcoming holidays. Young people enjoy regular contact with their parents/carers. Leaders and managers contact parents/carers prior to the holiday to gain updates on any medical or welfare issues, such as a change in medication levels or feeding plans. Leaders and managers phone parents/carers at regular intervals throughout the holiday for a general update if requested. On arrival at the venue, staff ensure that parents are given the necessary time to meet key workers and help settle their child. Staff ensure

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

that a postcard is sent to parents/carers in the middle of the week to ensure that it is delivered by the end the holiday. Each young person benefits from a carefully crafted scrapbook, which contains mementos and sensory materials that record their holiday. The venue has internet capability which supports young people to ‘video call’ their Inspection report for residential holiday scheme for children who have disabilities: Sense parents/carers. This is of particular importance to those children who may experience sensory impairment. Behavioural management is very effective. Staff work well in partnership with parents/carers and schools to set key developmental goals, such as improving social interactions. The progress made by young people is warmly celebrated by the staff team. Staff replicate key strategies used at home and at school to ensure consistency and to support young people in adjusting to their new environment. Staff use

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

techniques such as the ‘now and then’ board to clearly explain the plan for the day to young people and allow them to settle. Parents/carers are consulted on their approach to how they care for their child during key times of vulnerability, such as bed-time routines. Staff ensure that toys and blankets are provided from home to lessen any anxiety that the young person may have. The scheme provides young people with nutritious and healthy meals, with a number of choices to suit young people’s specific needs. Access to sweets and sugary drinks is limited to promote healthy eating. Staff take great care to follow agreed eating routines to replicate those adopted at the young people’s homes. Staff safely monitor the levels of fluid consumed by young people and adjust the amount in line with the changing weather conditions. Staff present young people with meals in such a manner that encourages them to eat well. For example, staff ensure that the colour

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

of the plate and/or the food does not unsettle young people and limit their food intake.

p.4

How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

There is a strong safeguarding culture within the organisation. A safeguarding specialist and safeguarding panel within the parent organisation oversee the review and implementation of safeguarding policies and procedures of the holiday scheme to good effect. Staff understand this information and the need to report any concerns promptly, and say that they are confident that managers will respond effectively to safeguarding issues. Young people are safe on holiday and do not experience bullying. They enjoy a secure environment which is adapted to meet their specific needs. Staff rigorously assess the premises prior to the young people’s arrival to ensure that it is free of hazards and accommodates the young people’s needs effectively. Risk assessments are thorough and of a high standard. Staff take the time to read behavioural support plans and risk assessments prior to the holiday and implement their recommendations accordingly. This supports a clear understanding of each

p.4

How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

young person and specific areas of risk. For example, such a risk could be a possible negative reaction to driving in a minibus, or the possibility of an epileptic fit in the swimming pool. Staff contact each activity venue prior to young people arriving to confirm that all of the requested facilities are available. Assessments offer a clear and vivid picture of each young person. They provide invaluable written information regarding complex health conditions and help staff to understand key areas of care, such as young Inspection report for residential holiday scheme for children who have disabilities: Sense people’s ability to dress themselves in the morning, or the risk of them running away. These assessments allow young people to try new experiences in a safe and managed environment with the gentle encouragement of the staff team. Risk assessments are reviewed and quality controlled by managers. They act as an

p.4

How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

invaluable source of guidance for staff, such as asking staff to consider the distress caused to a young person with sensory difficulties by turning on a radio without asking the young person first. These assessments are reviewed by the staff team immediatley prior to the arrival of young people. Staffing levels are high, and supervision of young people is carried out at a minimum on a one-to-one basis. Staff alternate supervision well amongst themselves to ensure that young people are consistently supported and engaged. Staffing resources are deployed effectively to ensure the safety of young people. Staff members are excused night duty if they plan to drive the minibus on the following day. Supervision is not intrusive and allows for young people to be managed from a safe distance without irritating them. The high staffing levels support the ongoing safety of young people and enable them to receive individual support if they are struggling or need

p.5

How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

personal care, such as bathing. This enables young people to be treated with dignity and respect. Staff understand young people and are attentive to any signs of distress, such as facial expressions or changed breathing patterns. Staff ensure that two staff are present for the management of complex situations, such as administering medication or food that is provided to young people by way of gastronomy feeding in the early hours of the morning.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Both the holiday scheme and manager were registered with Ofsted in July 2017. The registered manager has over 12 years’ experience of working with children, young people and adults who have disabilities, including 10 years as a senior manager. She previously managed holiday clubs for children which were also registered with Ofsted. The registered manager has the required management qualification. She displays excellent leadership skills and is well respected by the staff team. Managers understand the strengths and weaknesses of the service. There is a culture of review and self-evaluation as a means of improvement and development. Where concerns arise, managers review them quickly and ensure that any errors are rectified. For example, following concerns over potential communication problems between staff, staff were provided with walkie-talkie devices if mobile phone reception is a concern. Managers are ambitious to develop the scheme while

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

retaining the key values of the organisation, which is the empowerment and confidence building of young people. The holiday scheme benefits from excellent support from its parent organisation. Managers visit the venues prior to the holiday and assess the accessibility and facilities in relation to the planned group of young people. Feedback from previous Inspection report for residential holiday scheme for children who have disabilities: Sense holidays helps to support this process and ensures that all important information is retained. The staff team is skilled and committed to the ethos of the organisation. Staff and leaders return to the scheme year on year, often moving from volunteer positions into paid positions. This promotes good levels of consistency. Where young people are returning to the scheme, leaders consult with the previous staff team to ascertain key information to ensure good continuity of care.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff team includes qualified teachers, student nurses and speech therapists. This offers a unique range of skills that benefit young people. In addition, staff use their own recreational skills, such as an impromptu trampoline lesson or a guitar-led singalong by the camp fire to engage young people. Some of the team members experience their own sensory issues, thus enabling them to empathise closely with young people. New staff are safely recruited and receive comprehensive training. Staff report feeling confident and at ease with difficult procedures, such as assisting young people with gastronomy feeding. Training is provided on the request of leaders, who assess the needs of young people and the skills of the staff team. This year, extra training on safe handling has ensured that staff are able to meet the needs of young people more effectively. Leaders ensure good communication throughout the holiday. Staff report regular

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

‘check in sessions’ with leaders that address any concerns or worries. Staff arrive one day in advance of young people to review plans and risk assessments. Staff meet each night to review and evaluate the progress of young people in line with their individual goal plans, and record progress in each young person’s scrapbook. A staff member notes, ‘This is a really good team working in the same direction.’ Managers allocate places on the holiday scheme appropriately. Where possible, young people who are friends can holiday together and share a room. A multi- disciplinary panel of key professionals that includes speech therapists review each application. They then allocate places based on the skills of the staff team and the activities on offer at the particular venue. Staff offer a home visit to each new young person prior to the holiday. Extreme care is taken to assess the peer dynamics and needs of young people, which ensures that young people are well matched as a

p.6

Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the difference made to the lives of children and young people. They watched how professional staff work with children and young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of the help and care provided. Wherever possible, they talked to children and young people and their families. In addition, the inspectors have tried to understand what the residential holiday scheme for disabled children knows about how well it is Inspection report for residential holiday scheme for children who have disabilities: Sense performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the children and young people who it is trying to help, protect and look after.

p.6

Information about this inspection

Using the ‘Social care common inspection framework’, this inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, and to consider how well it complies with the Residential Holiday Schemes for Disabled Children (England) Regulations 2013 and the national minimum standards. Inspection report for residential holiday scheme for children who have disabilities: Sense

p.7

Residential holiday scheme for disabled children details

Registered provider: Sense, The National Deafblind And Rubella Association

p.8

Residential holiday scheme for disabled children details

Registered provider address: 101 Pentonville Road, London N1 9LG Responsible individual: Mr Richard Kramer Registered manager: Mrs Nicola Venus-Balgobin

p.8

Residential holiday scheme for disabled children details

Email address: Nicola.Venus-Balgobin@sense.org.uk

p.8

Inspector

Barnaby Dowell, social care inspector Inspection report for residential holiday scheme for children who have disabilities: Sense to 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 and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

p.8

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.9

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.9

Inspector

T: 0300 123 4234 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: http://www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.9