Over the Wall

Inspection report for residential holiday scheme for disabled children: Over the Wall Over the Wall Over The Wall 03713232, 1075361 Langstone Technology Park, Havant, Hampshire PO9 1SA Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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disabled children

This holiday scheme caters for up to 60 children and young people who have chronic illness.

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Overall experience and progress of

children and young people, taking into account:

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outstanding

How well children, young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The residential holiday scheme for disabled children provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the residential holiday scheme contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people.

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outstanding

Date of previous inspection: 23 August 2016

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

None Inspection report for residential holiday scheme for disabled children: Over the Wall

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Key findings from this inspection

This residential holiday scheme for disabled children is outstanding because:

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Key findings from this inspection

 Leaders and volunteers have high aspirations for children, young people and themselves.  Children and young people grow in confidence and take part in an extensive range of activities.  Vigilance, ever-consistent attention to detail and excellent information sharing ensure that children and young people are safe.  Children and young people thrive in a vibrant and nurturing environment where their medical conditions are expertly catered for.  Relationships between leaders, volunteers, children and young people are of the highest quality. This enables children and young people to build confidence, make friendships and try a vast range of new experiences.  Staff know children and young people well. This attention to detail and celebration of uniqueness make sure that children and young people feel safe, secure and confident to express their individuality.  Leadership is inspirational.  The scheme has achieved the Duke of Edinburgh accreditation for

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Key findings from this inspection

volunteering and was also shortlisted for a Nursing Times award.  The director responsible for volunteer recruitment and development has received the Third Sector Volunteers’ Manager of the Year award since last year’s holiday event. Inspection report for residential holiday scheme for disabled children: Over the Wall

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outstanding

Children and young people forget about their complex medical needs as they become enthralled in a range of activities. They feel relaxed because their medical care is managed extremely effectively. Children and young people exude confidence and self-belief. Motivational volunteers and leaders provide inspirational opportunities and new challenges. Children and young people’s achievements are constantly celebrated.

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outstanding

Children, young people and parents have extremely positive views of the holiday scheme. Their comments include, ‘The best thing are the volunteers,’ and, ‘The activities are the best. I even had a go on the zip wire.’ A parent said, ‘It was brilliant they came home with lots of positive experiences,’ and, ‘They absolutely loved it and keep remembering still now.’

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outstanding

Children and young people express their physical and creative qualities through sport, music and creative activities. Some, who experience periods of isolation and breaks from school due to their medical conditions, embrace this opportunity to make new friends. They develop a firm sense of belonging and acceptance as they socialise with other children and young people who have similar challenges.

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outstanding

Children and young people develop a sense of pride as they achieve. They try new activities, such as archery, climbing and going on the zip wire. The positive environment gives all children and young people newfound confidence. For example, they take part enthusiastically in the talent show, enjoying the applause after singing and dancing in public for the first time.

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outstanding

Volunteers, children and young people have fun. They participate in activities and develop an excellent team spirit. Small group living and ‘cabin life’ bring nurture and fun to being away from home. Children and young people thrive due to the extensive thought and planning that leaders and volunteers put into the allocation of groups. As a result, children and young people live harmoniously, they forge new and meaningful relationships and there are no concerns about bullying.

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outstanding

Cabin life becomes increasingly important to children and young people as they become more confident in their relationships and establish their own (and their cabin group’s) identity. Volunteers spend time exploring information about each individual child and young person to help each child and young person participate fully. Each cabin’s theme, such as fairies, bakers and super heroes, brings out the creative flair and imagination in children and young people.

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outstanding

Children and young people create cabin displays, draw up ‘group boundaries’ and prepare for group challenges. These help children and young people to find out more about themselves. They also explore the qualities of others and important facets for Inspection report for residential holiday scheme for disabled children: Over the Wall group living, such as respect, acceptance and listening. Discovery boxes and collecting ‘brilliance beads’ enable children and young people to capture their development and highlight their qualities. They are able to talk about, reflect and receive feedback about their achievements. Taking home their own individual discovery box provides a keepsake to enable them to explore and continue all the positive experiences that they have gained from the holiday. Some children and young people make long-standing relationships and relish the opportunity to keep contact details of friends in their discovery boxes to use on their return home.

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outstanding

Children and young people also develop excellent independence skills. For example, some learn to manage their own feeding regimes or become more independent in their medical care. Others get to ‘look out’ for others.

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outstanding

Children and young people’s individuality and diversity is celebrated throughout the holiday. Leaders and volunteers have excellent insight into and provide for the cultural and religious needs of children and young people. For example, they liaise with parents about diet and support children and young people’s prayer schedules as required.

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outstanding

The location of the holiday scheme is excellent. The environment is able to meet the needs of children and young people who have physical disabilities. Accommodation is well maintained, and the activities centre provides a range of activity sites, including water sports, climbing, archery, a sports hall and a large room for indoor activities.

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outstanding

The large communal dining room is a central hub for all the campers to come together to socialise and eat meals. Mealtimes are a key part of the holiday. Children and young people enjoy a good range of meals. Monitoring of catering arrangements is exceptional and promotes good health and well-being. Mealtimes also offer opportunities for all the groups to get together. Singing, chanting and setting different group challenges feed into a wonderful sense of camaraderie, fun and social interaction.

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outstanding

Children and young people experience a consistent sense of safety and security because they have at least one allocated volunteer and ever-vigilant medical support throughout the day and night.

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outstanding

Medical care is exceptional and provides excellent levels of privacy and dignity to children and young people. The medical centre, or ‘beach-hut’ as children and young people prefer the centre to be known, is integral to the children and young people’s safety. They experience excellent clinical support from doctors and nurses dressed in pink, with face-paints and often wearing fancy dress. This approach brings fun and relaxation and takes children and young people away from their often formal hospital arrangements.

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outstanding

Children and young people enjoy participating fully in the running of the holiday scheme. They feel listened to and valued because leaders are keen to obtain ongoing Inspection report for residential holiday scheme for disabled children: Over the Wall feedback during the holiday. For example, the new ‘post-box’ scheme had already been well used by children and young people at the time of this inspection. Campers appreciate the written replies from leaders regarding their concerns and ideas. For example, one young person was enjoying the holiday so much that he resented having to take the rest times set out in the programme. Leaders wrote a sensitive reply, setting out why this time was essential for the health of children and young people. This shows that leaders are able to listen, but also clear about essential boundaries and routines for children and young people.

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outstanding

Leaders took another young person’s concerns about catering seriously. The allocation of volunteers to the young person and leaders’ monitoring were immediately changed as a result. The leaders’ written reply to the young person included a ‘VIP invite’ to look around the kitchen with the head chef so that they could discuss the matter further.

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outstanding

Children and young people thrive in this setting because effective health care planning, risk assessment and behaviour management dovetail and translate into excellent staff practice.

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outstanding

Thorough assessments give leaders and volunteers excellent insight into the sensory and communication needs of children and young people. Transfer and moving assessments ensure that children and young people who have mobility challenges are provided with equipment and a higher ratio of volunteers. This allows them to take part in all physical activities, including climbing and abseiling.

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outstanding

Children and young people’s safety is rooted in a sound and ever-improving procedural framework. Excellent and innovative training ensures that leaders and volunteers understand and consistently implement safety and behaviour strategies in their day-to-day care of children and young people. New recording procedures promote efficient reporting of concerns to leaders, who ensure that robust action is taken.

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outstanding

Children and young people experience high levels of safety because the staff team is constantly vigilant. Leaders and volunteers are fully versed in the scheme’s safeguarding procedures, including the protocol to follow should a child or young person go missing. There have been no incidents of children and young people going missing from the holiday scheme. Children and young people’s safety is consistently promoted, with at least one volunteer allocated to each child and young person at all times.

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outstanding

Children and young people are kept safe with an excellent approach to, and understanding of, safer recruitment. Leaders’ scrutiny provides a golden thread throughout the recruitment procedures for the scheme. Recruitment practices fully Inspection report for residential holiday scheme for disabled children: Over the Wall meet and go beyond safer recruitment procedures. For example, the volunteer coordinator renews references, including those of the leaders and medical staff, every three years. While volunteers and staff return to the scheme year after year, scrutiny of their professional employment history is kept up to date so that children and young people are effectively safeguarded.

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outstanding

Children and young people learn to manage their behaviour better because of the staff team’s excellent child-focused behaviour management. Children and young people develop positive qualities, such as acceptance, kindness and empathy, as volunteers and leaders skilfully bring out and nurture the positive behaviours of children and young people.

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outstanding

Children and young people are safe due to the leaders’ and volunteers’ meticulous monitoring of health and safety issues. The registered manager also provides highly effective oversight.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leadership is outstanding because the management and staff team implement a measured and strategic approach to monitoring and driving improvement.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Focused training and strong leadership ensure that children and young people are always placed at the centre of staff practice. The quality of care is outstanding because leaders routinely monitor staff practice and update care plans with exceptional attention to detail.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders use their daily meetings to review all of the volunteers’ practice, achievements and areas for development. Volunteers are nurtured and provided with additional support if needed. This approach produces excellent, high-quality care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Children and young people are cared for by a team of well-trained volunteers. New volunteers rate induction training very highly. Volunteers who return every year value the developing training schedule. Their practice remains contemporary because leaders keep up to date and include changes in legislation, safeguarding guidance and the scheme’s procedural framework in pre-camp training.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders continue to improve and develop their management team. The new clinical leader and care-planning leader bring excellent support to the team and, together, they improve the delivery of care to children and young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Parents, children and young people appreciate the sensitive and supportive transition process from the family home to the residential provision. Staff work collaboratively with parents and health professionals to produce in-depth assessments of children and young people’s needs. Parents are reassured as leaders keep in contact throughout the holiday. Private access to a social media site means that parents can keep up to date with their child’s experience and progress. Inspection report for residential holiday scheme for disabled children: Over the Wall Consultation with children and young people is a strength and contributes to the ongoing development of the holiday scheme. Practical improvements to the range of food choices, length of camp and home contact arrangements are as a result of the 2016 campers’ feedback. Questions such as, ‘If you were to design your own camp what would it look like?’ give children and young people total freedom to share their

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders’ drive for improvement includes canvassing and giving serious consideration to all feedback from parents. For example, feedback from parents about a delay between the application and placement decision has resulted in a management review of the application process. As a result, the process is now more effective, with better timescales.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Other improvements include a more strategic approach to the transport and admissions procedures at the beginning of camp. Reviewed timescales now ensure that the cohort of children and young people coming on coaches arrive earlier. Parents who bring their children are now asked to arrive later. ‘Checking-in’ processes are more effective because quality time can be spent with parents; there is less waiting and children and young people can start their holiday more quickly.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Internal and independent monitoring visits are carried out regularly and thoroughly. The innovative and ambitious management team and group of volunteers have a passion for development. During this inspection, there was a constant flow of group leaders and volunteers in and out of the senior leaders’ office. All were keen to give feedback about the success of activities and, also, new ideas to change those things that had not gone so well. Interactions are full of fun and enthusiasm, and leaders consistently take prompt action. One leader’s comments sum up their motivation to drive improvement: ‘If it’s a problem on the day, then let’s address it now, not wait until the end of the season. We have to be proactive.’

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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 Inspection report for residential holiday scheme for disabled children: Over the Wall 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: Over the Wall

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Residential holiday scheme for disabled children details

Registered provider: Over The Wall 03713232, 1075361

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Residential holiday scheme for disabled children details

Registered provider address: Langstone Technology Park, Havant, Hampshire PO9 1SA Responsible individual: Kevin Mathieson Registered manager: Mark Dwyer

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Inspector

Elaine Cray, social care inspector Inspection report for residential holiday scheme for disabled children: Over the Wall 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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