Break-away

Inspection report for residential holiday scheme for disabled children: Break-away Break-away Break Schofield House, Spar Road, Norwich, Norfolk NR6 6BX Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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disabled children

The residential holiday scheme for disabled children is run by a charity specifically for children and young people who have complex needs, including learning and physical disability and/or related health needs. Places are organised and agreed through the local authority that contracts the charity to operate the scheme.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

The residential holiday scheme for disabled children provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Date of previous inspection: 3 August 2016

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for residential holiday scheme for disabled children: Break-away

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Key findings from this inspection

This residential holiday scheme for disabled children is good because:

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Key findings from this inspection

 The children really look forward to their holiday and have a great time.  The core staff team provides continuity of relationships at each holiday, which the children value highly.  The staff provide challenge, enjoyment and fun in a safe environment.  Good-quality induction, training and support ensure that staff are competent and keen.  The holidays are well organised.  The leaders deliver imaginative and responsive services that reflect the requests of the children and their families.  The staff help the children to settle into the new surroundings. As a result, the children are more able to enjoy the programme of activities and try new things.  The children gain confidence, and they make new friendships which they continue after their holiday.

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Key findings from this inspection

The areas for development for the residential holiday scheme for disabled children:

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Key findings from this inspection

 Improvements are needed to ensure that suitably detailed risk assessments and risk management plans are in place.  Staffing arrangements do not reflect the particular challenges posed by the venue.  The manager is not able to demonstrate that all of the required recruitment checks have been undertaken for all staff. Inspection report for residential holiday scheme for disabled children: Break-away

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, Residential Holiday Schemes for Disabled Children (England) Regulations 2013 and the national minimum standards. The registered person(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that the scheme is conducted so as to promote and make proper provision for the welfare of children it accommodates. (Regulation 10(1)(a)) In particular, ensure that the location risk assessments and risk management plans reflect the particular risks presented by the specific location. Furthermore, ensure that suitable documented risk assessments and risk management plans review the risks posed by adults who use the scheme, or who share accommodation with the children. 30/09/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that at all times there is a sufficient number of suitably competent, experienced and trained employees. (Regulation 21(1)(a)(b)) 30/09/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must only employ a person if that person is mentally and physically fit for the purposes of the work to be performed. (Regulation 22(1)(2)(c)) 30/09/2017 Inspection report for residential holiday scheme for disabled children: Break-away

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children experience new activities, opportunities and challenges that excite them. The children are well supported by staff who are highly sensitive to their individual needs, interests and aspirations. The children develop excellent relationships with the staff who gently challenge and support them to try new things, which build the children’s confidence. One parent described how their child, who can be very nervous, had been helped to build their confidence and resilience. The parent said that the staff had been, ‘Excellent at encouraging her to take part in different activities and giving her the confidence to believe in herself to try new things.’ One child said, ‘I’ve faced my fears and conquered them, but I’m not ready for that [the zip wire] yet.’ Excellent assessment of each child before they come on their first holiday means that the staff are able to fully meet the children’s needs. One parent, speaking about the

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

detailed assessment process and quality of support plan, said, ‘[It] put me totally at ease and reassured me he would be in safe hands.’ As a result of this good planning, the children settle well and really look forward to their holiday. One child described their holiday as ‘cool and fun’. The children grow in confidence and learn that they can become more independent and enjoy time without their family. Parents and carers become more confident that their child is able to spend time away from home, with the right help and support. This has the potential to affect the child’s life positively when they go home. The parents receive regular updates on the fun that their child is having, including photos to share with the child. One parent said, ‘Although he cannot tell me, I know how much he enjoys these visits. I make him photo albums up of what he has done. He loves looking through them and gets very excited and pleased with himself. It’s

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

lovely to see him like this.’ This shows that the holiday continues to make a difference long after it has ended. Parents and professionals hold the scheme in high esteem. Their comments included:  ‘[The scheme] has been fantastic with my daughter, giving her opportunities that she would not normally get the chance to do.’  ‘There isn’t anything she doesn’t like about [the scheme]. She is constantly asking me when she can next go!’  ‘I cannot speak highly enough of the charity and the staff there. They treat all the young people as individuals and with such a caring and respectful attitude. They are always so positive about what has been achieved during the time away and always say it was their pleasure to have looked after [child].’ Each holiday break is different and the children are able to select the one which appeals most to them. The manager listens to the children’s feedback and tailors the

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

activities and holidays in response. For example, this particular holiday was designed Inspection report for residential holiday scheme for disabled children: Break-away to provide the children with a festival type of experience. The children were very excited to sleep in tents together, many for the first time. The scheme is ‘full on’ fun. While those children who want a rest are able to do so, the more active children are on the go from breakfast until bedtime. They constantly try new things, such as high ropes, kayaking, it’s a knockout, archery, trampolining, and their favourite, go karting. They round off their day with a disco before they relax with a movie. One parent said, ‘They [staff] even got him riding a tandem. He has never been able to ride a bike and he participated in a four-mile bike ride!’ The scheme provides chances for children of different ages but similar abilities and interests to interact. As a result, there are some really lovely nurturing relationships

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

which have developed. For example, two children who developed a close bond say that they want to adopt each other as brothers. Others have maintained new friendships through the use of social media, planning their next holiday together. These breaks help the children to organically develop social skills and peer relationships in a safe way. They have the chance to engage in normal childhood experiences and minor mischief that otherwise might not be open to them. For example, playing with the vending machine and planning a ‘Pepsi party’ in their tent. The staff make sure that the children get what they can out of each and every moment. For example, to while away the time, the staff and children sang various pop songs together in an impromptu dinner queue ‘jam’ session. One child, who had been happy but very quiet, sprang to life. He repeatedly sang the chorus of his favourite song and jumped up and down, clapping his hands in delight.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children are listened to, and in turn they begin to listen to and consider the needs of others. They learn to wait their turn and make democratic decisions regarding group plans. Consistent boundaries and lots of praise promote positive behaviour. As a result, the children are considerate and well behaved with no conflict between them. The children’s health needs are met effectively. Medication management and administration is well organised. There are clear protocols on how to respond to emergency situations and these are effectively enacted if a child’s health deteriorates. The management of emergency rescue remedies for health conditions such as epilepsy or severe allergies is effective. Such medicines are swiftly available to be delivered to the child by a suitably trained member of staff. The children really do have fun and look forward to their holiday. The staff make sure that they take memorable moments with them when they leave. One child said,

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

‘I wish I was eight again so I could keep coming every year.’ Another child said, ‘It’s absolutely quackamazing!’

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

The children feel safe and well protected. They say that they absolutely love coming on their holiday. The children like the staff and they can identify staff members with whom they can talk if they are unhappy or worried. One child said, ‘The staff are very kind and beautiful.’ Parents and professionals have confidence that these Inspection report for residential holiday scheme for disabled children: Break-away particularly vulnerable children are well protected. One parent said, ‘He [the child] loved it so much. That’s why he wants to go with them again.’ Another parent said that they knew their child felt safe as, ‘He [the child] was sad to wave bye to me when he went, but when I collected him he didn’t stop smiling.’ The staff are very good at sensitively addressing anxiety caused by changes in environment or the children missing being at home. Behaviour is well managed, and the staff recognise behaviour as a means of communication. The staff use a variety

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

of communication methods and their knowledge of the child to ensure that the child’s needs are met. Consequently, negative behaviour is unusual, and no sanctions or physical intervention have been used. The consistent expectations allow the children freedom of space while maintaining their safety. As a result, the children do not present the challenging behaviours that some of them present in their family home. This indicates that the children, some of whom have limited verbal communication, feel safe. Staff vetting procedures are robust. Staff do not work at the scheme until checks on their integrity and character have been undertaken. There are clear procedures to ensure that visitors to the site are checked and appropriately supervised. However, the centre has not consistently implemented these procedures. The inspector and another visitor were not challenged when entering the site. The risk was reduced as

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

scheme staff did verify the identity of the visitors. The manager took immediate action, raising the issue with centre staff and securing suitable identity wristbands. All of the staff are aware of the additional vulnerability of children who have disabilities. The staff have received suitable safeguarding training and are clear about their safeguarding duties and the procedures. Any concerns regarding a child’s welfare are managed in partnership with other agencies. On the very rare occasion that children with complex health conditions experience a crisis, staff manage this calmly and maintain the child’s safety and dignity. Detailed risk assessment and management plans guide staff in how to manage the risks for individual children. These plans are regularly updated. However, site specific potential risks, such as mud flats and tidal waters, are not fully explored. Supervision levels are suitable and the children remain in sight for the vast majority of the time,

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

which reduces potential risk. On occasion, vulnerable adults enjoy a holiday at the scheme. Both they and staff sometimes share sleeping accommodation with the children. There is no documented risk assessment or management plan identifying how any identified potential risks will be minimised. This did not negatively affect the children and parents are aware of the arrangements. The manager, in practice, has considered elements of risk and taken appropriate action. For example, no lone staff member sleeps in a tent with children. The staff promote children’s development while effectively managing risk. Because of the suitable supervision and clear expectations for the children, there have been no episodes of children going missing. Inspection report for residential holiday scheme for disabled children: Break-away

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is suitably qualified and experienced. She provides consistent good-quality leadership, ensuring individualised child-focused care with effective prioritisation of children’s needs. The manager models the high-quality, child-focused care that she expects from staff. One parent said, ‘She [the manager] really made an impression on him [the child]. She was very caring and understanding. He can’t wait to see her again.’ The holiday scheme meets the individual needs of the children and the aims and objectives set out in the statement of purpose. The scheme is inclusive and ensures that all children, however complex their needs, are able to enjoy a holiday. The children and their families are provided with clear information about the scheme and various holidays available. They are therefore able to choose the holiday which suits them best. Significant incidents are rare. When accidents or incidents occur, these are well

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

managed and the information is shared with parents and professionals. The parents appreciate the excellent feedback that they receive after each holiday. The staff are successful in building strong partnerships with parents and professionals. As a result, parents and professionals have absolute confidence in the service. One partner professional said that the staff ‘demonstrate a good understanding of disability and the issues and challenges which disabled children face’. Another professional said, ‘All the staff are dedicated.’ As a result, the children receive a high level of care. The staffing levels are generally appropriate. However, on this particular holiday, staffing levels were stretched. The inspector observed the highly vigilant staff sometimes struggling with the challenges of maintaining the necessary high levels of supervision on such an open site. This was particularly challenging given the long

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

days that staff work combined with a lack of breaks and disturbed sleep. The staff commented on how difficult they found it to maintain effective observation of the children. Their greatest concern was at the point at which two staff members remove themselves from the group to ensure safe medication administration. Staff feel well supported by the manager, who challenges them to constantly reflect on practice. The staff benefit from effective induction, training and supervision arrangements, which help them to gain skills and confidence. The manager and staff discuss current research and best practice models to develop the quality of care and support further. Vetting practices are robust, which ensure that applicants who are not of sound integrity do not gain employment with the vulnerable children. However, there is no record maintained of staff’s suitability in relation to health. This has no impact on the

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

children’s holiday enjoyment or safety. However, it is a regulatory breach. There are good systems for gaining feedback from children and their families. Internal monitoring systems are effective, and the manager has a clear sense of the strengths and ideas for the development of the service. The manager has high aspirations for the holiday scheme and all of the staff are individually motivated to deliver a very good service to children. The manager has ensured that the recommendations set at the previous inspection have been met. Although three Inspection report for residential holiday scheme for disabled children: Break-away requirements have been made at this inspection, these are largely due to the uniqueness of this particular holiday. These requirements do not have a significant impact on the overwhelmingly positive experiences of the children.

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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 differences 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 performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the children and young people whom it is trying to help, protect and look after.

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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 disabled children: Break-away

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Residential holiday scheme for disabled children details

Registered provider address: Schofield House, Spar Road, Norwich, Norfolk NR6 6BX Responsible individual: Mrs Hilary Richards Registered manager: Mrs Victoria Smith

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Residential holiday scheme for disabled children details

Email address: hilary.r@break-charity.org

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Inspector

Joanna Heller: social care inspector Inspection report for residential holiday scheme for disabled children: Break-away 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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