KIDS Smile

Inspector Barnaby Dowell

Inspection date 03/03/2017 Previous inspection judgement N/A

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children and parents

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

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because:

 Children and young people really enjoy their holiday and learn new skills, such as sharing and taking turns. They enjoy a wide range of safe activities such as abseiling.  A young and committed staff team, that forms excellent relationships with young people, responds to their needs with care and compassion.  Feedback from parents is extremely positive. They refer to high-quality organisation and the confidence gained by their children.  Excellent planning is in place to meet the specific needs of children and young people. This includes providing alternative arrangements if they choose not to eat the food provided. In addition, alternative forms of entertainment encourage children and young people to socialise among themselves when not engaged in activities.  Thorough and well informed risk assessments and behavioural management plans fully assess the needs of children and young people. Parents/carers and

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because:

key health professionals review and agree these prior to the weekend activities taking place. Therefore, all parties are aware of the plans in place to meet the assessed needs of children and young people.  Children and young people benefit from one-to-one staffing support. Staff work in partnership with centre staff to ensure that children and young people are safe.  This inspection has identified two shortfalls. Monitoring reports were not forwarded to Ofsted prior to this inspection. This limited the preparation for this inspection. In addition, the statement of purpose does not reflect the policies of the host local authority in relation to key issues such as the response to safeguarding procedures. These shortfalls do not affect the quality of care offered to young people.

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Statutory Requirements

This section sets out the actions which must be taken so that the registered person(s) meets the Care Standards Act 2000, The 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

Ensure that a copy of the written report prepared on the conduct of the scheme is supplied to HMCI (Regulation 29 (4)(c)(5)). 15/05/2017

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that the statement of purpose covers all the matters listed in Schedule 1 (Regulation 3 (1)). 15/05/2017

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children

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

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Good

The scheme benefits from excellent levels of organisation and planning, which offer good individualised care. Children and young people enjoy sole use of the sleeping accommodation. They are able to share with a friend if requested. This promotes good levels of comfort and reduces the risk of unsettling behaviour from other groups using the centre. The activity centre is situated a short distance from the areas where children and young people live, thus reducing travelling time. The centre is appropriately risk assessed. Items which may overstimulate young people are removed prior to their arrival. Staff provide extra activities such as board games to support young people in between activities and reduce the risk of boredom. Young people really enjoy the holiday weekend and make good progress. Activities offer a rich variety of experiences such as abseiling, archery and zip wire. Trained centre staff supervise activities appropriately. Charity staff provide an additional level

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Good

of one-to-one supervision. They work well in partnership and safeguard young people effectively. There are no recorded incidents of home sickness or bullying. Many young people benefit from the community services already offered by the charity, meaning that they enjoy long-standing relationships with each other and staff members. One young person comments, ‘It is brilliant to come here. I really look forward to it.’ Children and young people develop self-confidence and self-esteem in a safe environment. This is supported by a child-centred staff team that is highly aspirational. Children and young people build new friendships and learn the value of team work and taking turns with each activity. They respond well to the warmth and consistent encouragement offered by the staff team. Staff gently encourage children and young people when there is apprehension at trying an activity. Outside of the main activity provision, young people benefit from staff supervision which supports

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Good

progress in self-care skills such as washing and dressing. Feedback from parents/carers is equally positive. They report an excellent exchange of information and regular updates from staff by phone, email and text message. Parents/carers are free to contact their children throughout the weekend if required. Parents/carers consent to young people undertaking strenuous physical activities after viewing the relevant risk assessment. Parents note that young people benefit from a ‘wonderful’ staff team. This progress is summarised by a report written by key workers at the conclusion of the weekend. The voice of young people is consistently prioritised. They make good use of established relationships with staff and consultation forms to communicate their wishes and feelings after and during each weekend. There have been no complaints or allegations recorded. If young people choose not to participate in activities, high

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Good

staffing levels permit this. Parents/carers are offered the charity’s feedback forum to provide their views on the quality of the service to managers. As a result, engagement is positive and assists in implementing improvements to the service. The scheme provides nutritious and healthy meals, with a number of choices to suit specific needs. Access to sweets and sugary drinks is limited to promote healthy eating. Additional food supplies are provided to offer an alternative to the food served by the centre. When risk assessments indicate the possibility of young people not wanting to eat the food provided, an appropriate take away food option is provided from the local community.

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Good

Staff are inventive and proactive. They each enjoy very positive relationships with the children and young people using the scheme and celebrate achievements and share concerns promptly to safeguard them. Risk assessments are thorough and comprehensive. Risks are identified early and interventions are effective. Staff are clear as to when emergency medical help is required. This allows young people with complex health conditions to participate in the scheme. Assessments evidence good levels of liaison with parents/carers and key partner agencies. This includes input from the school nurse on the health needs of children and young people. Children and young people are free to try new experiences in a safe and well-managed environment. Risk assessments offer guidance as to triggers or factors which may unsettle them, such as hearing particular noises. As a consequence, there is a low level of incidents involving

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Good

negative behaviour. Children and young people do not go missing from the scheme. Warm interactions between children and young people and staff indicate that strong and meaningful relationships exist. Children and young people receive a large amount of information and guidance prior to the activity weekend. This ensures that parents/carers can plan ahead and add to the positive experience. For instance, by children and young people arriving at the scheme with the appropriate clothing. The information is provided utilising a picture exchange communication system. This allows children and young people to understand what the scheme will be offering them in a format that they can easily comprehend. There is a consistent flow of information throughout the weekend. Children and young people were informed that the inspector was going to be present prior to arrival. This ensured that they were not overly unsettled.

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Good

Behavioural management is consistent. Children and young people understand behavioural expectations, boundaries are clear and positive behaviour is consistently promoted. There is no use of restraint. Staff manage behaviour with confidence and care. They respond quickly when children and young people struggle and offer effective interventions such as supporting them to take a brief time away from the group. This allows for some reflection and redirection away from the peer group. Staff calmly ask children and young people to reflect on their own behaviour and its effect on the peer group. This has the desired impact of de-escalating incidents and settling them. Excellent partnership work with parents/carers ensures that children and young people remain safe. Routines and equipment from home are successfully used within the scheme to ensure consistency and safety. Children and young people use close relationships with staff to inform them of the possibility of a seizure or medical

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Good

emergency. This ensures that medical help is provided quickly. Staff understand the specific health needs of each child and young person and ensure that medication is administered safely. Holistic care is offered and staff continue to support children and young people who use the charity’s services. Staff attend key professionals’ meetings and reviews to advocate for children and young people and report on progress and any concerns. This ensures that children and young people benefit fully from specialist support.

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Good

The scheme benefits from a skilled registered manager who has been in post since registration of the scheme in 2016. She is highly experienced and extremely well known to the staff and children and young people. The registered manager holds a degree in children’s learning and development and has over 15 years’ experience of working with children who have disabilities. Her passion for the work is clearly evident and children and young people openly refer to her as ‘the best’. The registered manager is extremely well supported by the charity’s area manager during each weekend. She is presently completing the relevant management qualification and hopes to conclude this in December 2017. Managers offer good levels of challenge to the host organisation. Discussions prior to the weekend clearly outlined the specific needs of the group and ensured that children and young people had exclusive use of the sleeping accommodation.

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Good

The registered manager leads a committed and dedicated permanent staff team that takes visible pleasure in the progress achieved by children and young people. Staff are all employed directly by the charity and in most cases are well known to the children and young people. Staff are motivated and well supported through regular supervision and performance appraisal. The registered manager de-briefs the staff team at the end of each day to ensure that any concerns are shared quickly and the plan for the next day is clear. Staff report a supportive working environment. They are provided with a broad range of training from both a local authority and via e-learning. They benefit from a comprehensive induction package. This supports confident practice and raises awareness on key areas of risk such as the sexual exploitation of children. Recruitment processes are rigorous and effective. The charity methodically assesses

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Good

each application for employment and all gaps in employment are challenged. This ensures the safety of children and young people and the suitability of staff. The scheme’s statement of purpose is informative and concise. It clearly outlines the aims and objectives of the scheme. However, it does not contain all the necessary information as required in regulations. For instance, it fails to confirm how key areas such as allegations and children and young people going missing from the scheme will be managed. Therefore, parents/carers and key partner professionals may not have a clear understanding of the role of the host local authority in managing incidents. Places on the scheme are vetted well. Extreme care is taken to assess the peer dynamics and needs of children and young people. Each child and young person receives a home visit prior to attending the scheme. This ensures that they can get along with each other and the activities suit their specific needs.

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Good

Managers have a clear understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the scheme. Monitoring occurs regularly and evidences good and effective challenge. However, these reports had not been forwarded to Ofsted in advance of this inspection. This limited the preparation for the inspection.

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What the inspection judgements mean

The experiences of children 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 ‘Inspection of residential holiday schemes for disabled children: framework for inspection’.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences of children attending the residential holiday scheme. Inspectors considered whether the work of the residential holiday scheme is founded on safe care and individualised support. They read case files, watched how professional staff work with children and each other and discussed the effectiveness of care given to children. Wherever possible, they talked to children and parents. In addition, the inspectors have tried to understand what the residential holiday scheme knows about how well it is performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the children. This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service and to consider how well it complies with The Residential Holiday Schemes for Disabled Children (England) Regulations 2013 and the national minimum standards. the guidance raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted, which is available from Ofsted's

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Information about this inspection

website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Information about this 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 and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, workbased learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It inspects services for looked after children and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, 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 www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

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Information about this inspection

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Information about this inspection

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Information about this inspection

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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