Break-away

Inspection report for residential holiday scheme for disabled children: Break-away Break-away Break Schofield House, Spar Road, Norwich, Norfolk NR6 6BX Inspection 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 may have complex needs, including learning and physical disability and related health needs. Places are organised and agreed through the local authority that contracts the charity to operate the scheme.

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disabled children

The suitably qualified and experienced manager provides high-quality leadership. She has been registered since April 2015.

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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: 22 August 2017

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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outstanding

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 outstanding because:  The children receive exceptionally high-quality individualised care and support.  The staff are insightful. They target timely help and support that is responsive to the children’s emotional well-being.  The children’s views are absolutely central to the service. The staff, without fail, engage the children at every opportunity to make choices.  Staff undertake exceptionally careful and child-centred assessment and planning before a child comes on their first holiday.  The scheme provides a plethora of opportunities across its holidays for children who have complex needs to try new things which expand their horizons. Consequently, disability is no barrier to the children’s achievements and experiences.  There is excellent partnership between staff, parents and children.  Children quickly build trusted relationships with the adults who look after

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Key findings from this inspection

them.  Staff are exceptionally creative in their approach to managing risk.  Exceedingly anxious children gain confidence in the group and their new surroundings.

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Key findings from this inspection

The areas for development for the residential holiday scheme for disabled children:  Children’s case records do not consistently contain all of the required information. Inspection report for residential holiday scheme for disabled children: Break-away

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Recommendations

 Develop and implement a written policy that clarifies the purpose, format and content of information to be kept on the registered person’s files and information to be kept on the child’s files. (National Minimum Standards 15.1)

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Recommendations

In particular, ensure that records of parental consent to administer non- prescribed medication are kept. Furthermore, ensure that children’s case files contain all information required to be held in accordance with regulation 24 schedule three of The Residential Holiday Schemes for Disabled Children (England) Regulations 2013. In particular, ensure that a copy of any plan for the care of the child prepared by the placing authority is held on file. Inspection report for residential holiday scheme for disabled children: Break-away

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outstanding

Children receive exceptionally high-quality individualised care and support. A parent said, ‘They look after him [the child] really well. He has been getting very excited about coming on his holiday.’ Children are able to enjoy their holiday and do things that they have not done before. Another parent said, ‘He [the child] really looks forward to coming and has a major meltdown when going home because he’s had such a good time.’

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outstanding

Staff undertake exceptionally careful and child-centred assessment and planning before a child comes on their first holiday. A parent said, ‘It was so in-depth, I couldn’t believe it.’ The manager ensures that the information gained through this assessment process is carried through to a clear support plan that guides staff effectively to meet children’s complex needs.

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outstanding

The member of staff who visited the child at their home as part of the planning process is always on the first holiday that the child attends. This helps children to feel secure and provides them with familiarity to help reduce their anxieties. Staff provide the children and their parents with the confidence to experience what is often the child’s first independent night away from their family. The staff are insightful. They target timely help and support which is responsive to the children’s emotional well-being. This helps the children to settle and very quickly build trusted relationships with the staff who look after them. On the rare occasion that children are highly anxious or do not settle at the scheme, the children can choose to visit for a day, with or without their parents.

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outstanding

The children’s views are absolutely central to the service. The staff, without fail, engage the children at every opportunity to make choices. For example, staff changed the programme to provide relaxation time as the children were worn out from a morning of races and pond dipping. Some children relaxed with staff and watched a movie while others played cards.

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outstanding

The staff help the children play together and learn to cope with difficult situations, such as not winning. The scheme provides a plethora of opportunities across its holidays for children who have complex needs to try new things which expand their horizons. Consequently, disability is no barrier to the children’s achievements and experiences. Most of the children come back time after time until they reach adulthood, because they know that they will have a great holiday. The children described their holiday as ‘brilliant’ and ‘Pikachutastic’ [amazing]. One child, who was initially very nervous as this was their first holiday, said that they ‘definitely’ wanted to come again on another more active break because they were ‘loving it’.

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outstanding

Children’s health needs are clearly identified and well met. The staff know critical information, such as any specific allergies and dietary requirements. Medication Inspection report for residential holiday scheme for disabled children: Break-away storage and administration arrangements are appropriate. However, there is no record that parents have given consent for non-prescribed pain relief medication that has been provided to children. This is an administrative shortfall that means that there is potential for well-meaning staff to act outside of their delegated responsibility.

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outstanding

The children settle quickly due to the extremely sensitive support of staff. Exceedingly anxious children gain confidence in the group and their new surroundings. One child described the staff as ‘lovely’. The committed staff ensure that even the most vulnerable children feel safe and secure. One child, who doesn’t speak, gave a double thumbs up when asked by the inspector their views on the holiday scheme.

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outstanding

The staff ensure that the children are well occupied and supervised. Staff are exceptionally creative in their approach to managing risk. For example, one child, who has a history of going missing at home, was given the role of door security officer. The child was delighted and strictly fulfilled their role. This tired child would not go to bed until they had signed the inspector out of the building. As a result of the high levels of supervision and the highly effective approach of staff, there have been no incidents of children going missing. This is despite many of the children having previously gone missing from home or school.

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outstanding

The manager meticulously assesses and resolves any risks that are related to the various venues used and activities undertaken. This enables the children to safely experience different environments and confidently participate in a wide variety of stimulating and challenging activities.

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outstanding

The scheme is thorough in its recruitment processes, ensuring that only enthusiastic and suitable people work with the vulnerable children. Staff receive comprehensive training in safeguarding children who have disabilities.

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outstanding

The manager has developed unusually positive partnerships with the police to develop a comprehensive understanding of local risk factors. This means that the local police understand the needs of the children using the scheme and are able to provide targeted response should it be required.

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outstanding

Many of the children display behaviours at home that parents describe as challenging and aggressive. However, due to the exceptional care and support that the staff provide, these behaviours are very rarely seen during the children’s holiday break.

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outstanding

The staff consult the children and their families to understand potential behavioural triggers and how best to respond. The staff plan activities to prevent potentially difficult situations. The staff are highly skilled at applying redirection and de- escalation techniques when required. The staff ensure that the children feel safe and Inspection report for residential holiday scheme for disabled children: Break-away listened to. As a result, the children calm without the need for further interventions from staff.

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstandin g

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outstanding

The suitably qualified and experienced manager provides superior leadership. She has meticulous oversight of each break and the strategic management of the scheme. The manager is confident and ambitious for the children, however complex their needs.

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outstanding

The manager meticulously plans all of the breaks to ensure that the children have fun together in a safe environment. She shares her vision effectively with the staff team, leading by example. As a result, staff are enthusiastic, responsive and imaginative in their work with the children. Parents and children consistently refer positively to the staff. A parent said, ‘The staff are always great; they do love him.’

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outstanding

The manager provides comprehensive training and support to staff. She ensures that they are highly competent and clear about their roles and responsibilities. Consequently, there is little change in the staff group, and the children and staff get to know each other well and positive relationships flourish.

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outstanding

On occasion, children’s case records do not contain all of the required information. For example, a copy of a child’s local authority care plan was not held on file. This means that there is potential for staff to not be aware of relevant particular legal and care arrangements for that particular child. However, this did not place the child at risk nor did it negatively affect their enjoyment of their holiday.

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outstanding

The staff work exceptionally well in partnership with the children, their parents and partner agencies. This ensures that the children consistently enjoy their holiday and receive the care and support that they need. The parents particularly enjoy the lovely reports that they get after every holiday, with photos of their child telling them what they have been doing. This provides the family with a further opportunity to talk about the child’s holiday and relive the happy memories.

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outstanding

The manager and registered provider have comprehensive quality assurance systems in place. These systems help them to develop strong understanding of the strengths and potential areas for improvement in the scheme. After each break, feedback is sought from children and their families. There are team debriefing sessions with staff after every scheme to consider what went well and what could be done better next time. This shows that the manager understands the quality of service both at local and strategic level.

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outstanding

The manager has addressed the requirements set at the previous inspection, demonstrating strong commitment to developing the service. The one recommendation set at this inspection relates to improving specific administration practice. The shortfall does not negatively affect the children’s experiences or their Inspection report for residential holiday scheme for disabled children: Break-away well-being. One child said, ‘I really like it and have lots of fun.’ Parents described the holiday scheme as ‘brilliant’ and as an ‘amazing five-star service.’

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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.richards@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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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