Play For Disabled Children Service Residential Holiday Scheme

Inspection report for residential holiday scheme for disabled children: Play For Disabled Children

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Service Residential Holiday Scheme Play For Disabled Children Service Residential Holiday Scheme Nottinghamshire County Council Integrated Children's Disability Service, Nottinghamshire County Council, Meadow House, Littleworth, Mansfield, NG18 2TB Inspection under the social care common inspection framework

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Overall experience 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: This is the scheme’s first inspection.

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: N/A

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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

 Children experience new activities that are stimulating, interesting and fun. This improves their self-esteem. Inspection report for residential holiday scheme for disabled children: Play For Disabled Children

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Key findings from this inspection

Service Residential Holiday Scheme  Children learn to be more confident about being away from home. This helps them to develop resilience in preparation for adulthood.  The outdoor nature of the holiday, in the forest, gives children a new environment to explore.  All children are given the same opportunities, whatever their disability. The focus remains on the child’s needs at all times. The objective is to make sure that the child has a great time in a safe environment. This objective is achieved.  Children’s healthcare needs are met particularly well. Healthcare tasks are carried out safely and efficiently. This protects children’s privacy and dignity.  Some children have struggled to access services in the past because of their challenging behaviour. However, they have been able to enjoy and participate fully in this holiday scheme. This is because of the dedication of leaders and staff, who know the children extremely well.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Leaders are flexible and listen to what children want. For example, if children are anxious and wish to go home before bedtime, they can. Their stay away from home is built up gradually at their own pace.  Leaders are flexible in their approach but make sure that the benefits of the holiday are lasting. Children learn that they can stay away from their home environment with the right support. This gives parents and carers the confidence to know that their child can be more independent.  Staff help and protect children very effectively. They are inducted, trained and supported well. As a result, they provide very good quality care to the children. The areas for development for the residential holiday scheme for disabled children:  Leaders had not clarified some fine detail about safety prior to this holiday. For example, while there is generally a robust staff recruitment procedure, one reference was found to contain some confusing information which had not

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Key findings from this inspection

been explained. Also, although checks on the fire doors had been undertaken by the owners of the holiday premises, the leaders had not checked these for themselves. Children are safe and well protected, but there is the potential for important safeguarding information to be overlooked in the future if these issues are not put right. Inspection report for residential holiday scheme for disabled children: Play For Disabled Children

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Recommendations

 Ensure that the registered person regularly monitors, in line with the regulations, all records kept by the scheme to ensure compliance with the scheme’s policies, to identify any concerns about specific incidents and to identify patterns and trends. Ensure that immediate action is taken to address any issues raised by this monitoring. (National Minimum Standard 14.1) Inspection report for residential holiday scheme for disabled children: Play For Disabled Children

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The organisation was registered in February 2017, and this is its first holiday. Senior staff are clear that the aims of the holiday are to ensure children have a great time, to give families a break and, ultimately, to keep families together. These aims are met well in practice. The inspector saw children having a great time on their holiday. Children learn that they can stay away from home. This boosts their confidence and self-esteem, and enables parents and carers to have the confidence to allow their children to stay away from home in the future. Children are given the chance to try new activities. These are fun, interesting and varied. Children explore the forest and have a great outdoor experience. Each activity can be accessed by all. No disability gets in the way. This shows children that they can and should have access to activities, whatever their disability. For example, children who are wheelchair users have full access to a climbing wall, and children

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

with challenging behaviour have supported access to a campfire and campfire activities. It is very clear that children enjoy their activities. Staff meet children’s healthcare needs particularly well. Exceptionally good planning ensures that staff have the most up-to-date information. Therefore, they know what they should do to make sure that children’s health needs are met. Tasks such as tube feeds are carried out with little fuss and do not disrupt the children’s enjoyment of the day. The arrangements for giving medicines are very well organised. The outdoor nature of the holiday means that staff have to be creative about the safe storage of medicines. Lockable cases are available, which provide very safe storage. Privacy and dignity are well respected, and staff are imaginative about how healthcare needs can be met in the outdoors. For example, there is a tent set up with a movable hoist and changing bed. This provides privacy for personal care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have some very good relationships with staff. The high staff ratio allows for quality time to be spent with each child. Children and staff were seen having fun together. Children readily look to staff for support and help. Staff know how to support children because they have read their detailed care plans and risk assessments, and are very familiar with their needs.

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

Children feel a sense of security because they get a very clear response to their complex behaviour. When children have struggled to access services in the past because their behaviours could not be managed, this holiday is more successful. If children do not feel ready to stay overnight, this can be built up gradually. There is Inspection report for residential holiday scheme for disabled children: Play For Disabled Children

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

Service Residential Holiday Scheme more chance of success because the transition goes at the child’s own pace. Staff understand the link between children’s communication difficulties and their anxiety or complex behaviours. Each child’s communication style is documented so that staff understand how best to interact with them. If children use alternative communication methods, staff are trained in these. Each child was observed being able to communicate effectively with their helper. Significant events, such as restraints, have not occurred. There are, however, appropriate systems in place should incidents take place. Staff spoke about their behaviour management training, which helps them to avoid restraining children whenever possible. This protects children from unnecessary restraints. The building and grounds are safe. Risk assessments are robust. Every eventuality has been considered and identified risks are minimised. Leaders have undertaken

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

health and safety checks prior to the holiday. However, the effectiveness of fire doors had not been thoroughly scrutinised. During the inspection, leaders were able to establish that the fire doors were safe but, in future, leaders need to fully scrutinise the arrangements for fire protection themselves before each holiday. They need to satisfy themselves that the arrangements for fire protection are safe. Children are protected from adults who may be unsuitable by pre-recruitment vetting of all staff. However, the registered manager and responsible individual have not fully overseen the organisation’s checks on their holiday staff. One reference contained a confusing statement, which managers could not clarify. The responsible individual has assumed that gaps in employment are scrutinised by the organisation, but has not checked this herself. There has been no impact on children, but children could be affected by this in the future if it is not put right.

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

It is unlikely that children will go missing because of the high levels of staff supervision. However, procedures are in place in case this happens. Staff were able to recite very clear information about what they would do in such instances, and they are very familiar with the relevant policy and procedures. Children are protected through strong safeguarding procedures. Staff clearly understand what they must do if they come across a safeguarding concern, telling the inspector: ‘I would always tell one of the senior staff.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The organisation runs the holidays very well. The responsible individual makes it her business to be aware of any issues that arise. Both she and the registered manager are present for the entirety of the holiday. Staff report that their management is good. Parents also feel happy with the organisation of the holiday. One parent told the inspector that she trusted the staff and was confident that they had planned well for their child’s care. The responsible individual and registered manager are experienced and skilled to run the holidays. They are fully committed to learning from their first inspection, so that Inspection report for residential holiday scheme for disabled children: Play For Disabled Children

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Service Residential Holiday Scheme they can continue to make improvements. Senior staff have an obvious presence and they clearly lead the team well to provide a good holiday for the children. Planning is meticulous. Each member of staff is clear about which child they are responsible for. Induction and training is of a good standard and each member of staff gets the opportunity to read each child’s details in full. Staff know the children well, and are familiar with the organisation’s policies and procedures. Leaders are aware of their responsibilities. They know that they have to appoint someone from the organisation to visit each holiday to check that the regulations are being met and that children are safely cared for. They also know that the registered manager should complete an annual quality assurance check on each holiday and that these reports need to be sent to Ofsted. Staff are sufficient in number and well deployed to fulfil their role. Children are cared

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

for well by staff who are fully inducted and well trained. Staff are experienced and skilled in working with disabled children. They feel well led and supported in their role. There were two minor shortfalls found in the organisation’s monitoring. The registered persons should make sure that they are satisfied with the way their staff are recruited as one reference was not clear. Also, while checks on the building were mainly clear to see, the registered persons had not checked to make sure that there had been a recent fire drill. Children were not affected by these shortfalls.

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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: Play For Disabled Children

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Residential holiday scheme for disabled children details

Registered provider: Nottinghamshire County Council

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Residential holiday scheme for disabled children details

Registered provider address: Integrated Children's Disability Service, Nottinghamshire County Council, Meadow House, Littleworth, Mansfield NG18 2TB Responsible individual: Sarah Blackhurst Registered manager: Linda Harling

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Inspector(s)

Caroline Brailsford, social care inspector Inspection report for residential holiday scheme for disabled children: Play For Disabled Children

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Inspector(s)

Service Residential Holiday Scheme 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(s)

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Inspector(s)

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Inspector(s)

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