Royal School for the Deaf Derby

Inspection report for residential special school - Royal School for the Deaf Derby 1 Royal School for the Deaf Derby Royal School for the Deaf, 180 Ashbourne Road, Derby DE22 3BH Residential provision inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this residential special school

The Royal School for the Deaf Derby is a non-maintained residential special school. There are 119 pupils on roll, whose ages range from three to 20. All pupils have a statement of special educational needs or an education, health and care plan for hearing impairment and some have complex special needs. The residential service operates weekdays only, as all children and young people go home at weekends. There are 22 pupils who stay at the school, either on a full-time or part-time basis during the week. The residential accommodation is provided across three residential facilities that are purpose-built blocks. The school is a signing and speaking community where the languages and cultures of both deaf and hearing people are valued. The school is situated in the city of Derby.

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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 outstanding

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good

The residential special school provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Date of previous inspection: 29 November 2017

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good Inspection report for residential special school - Royal School for the Deaf Derby 2

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Key findings from this inspection

This residential special school is good because:

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people feel happy and settled and are safe.  Young people are helped to take age-appropriate risks to aid their development.  Young people enjoy wide and varied experiences. The opportunities, facilities and resources available to them help them to learn about what they like and enjoy.  Aspirational leadership helps young people to develop to their full potential.  Excellent support to parents, carers and young people helps to keep families together.  Young people receive some highly effective support, which enables them to make excellent progress in some areas.  Strong leadership helps to break down the barriers that deaf young people face in their community. This is likely to have a positive impact on young people after they have left the school.  Developments extend to influencing the local community and other professionals to improve young people’s life chances.

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Key findings from this inspection

The residential special school’s areas for development are:

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Key findings from this inspection

 The school needs to address the differing confidentiality issues between young people and young adults. The distinction needs to ensure that young adults’ confidentiality and privacy are appropriately respected.  Staff need to better understand young people’s health needs. They should be clear about which young people have health needs and the reasons why some young people are prescribed medicines.  An improved and more open relationship between young people and governors would enable young people to more easily raise their concerns in between governors’ visits.  The large majority of staff can proficiently use British Sign Language (BSL), which is many of the young people’s preferred method of communication. However, two newer staff, including the nurse, are not yet proficient. Recruiting appropriately qualified staff who are also BSL trained is a challenge. However, school leaders should continue to monitor this.

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Key findings from this inspection

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Recommendations

 Develop a policy about the privacy and confidentiality of young adults who are over 18 and staying in residence. (Linked to NMS 3)  Ensure that all staff are clear about young people’s health conditions and the reasons for their prescribed medicines. (Linked to NMS 3)  Continue to monitor all staff’s ability to use BSL. (Linked to NMS 15)  Improve the communication between the students in residence and the governors, to encourage young people to express their views about their boarding experience. (Linked to NMS 20) Inspection report for residential special school - Royal School for the Deaf Derby 4

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people thrive through the provision of a wide range of activities. They learn about what they like and enjoy through their new experiences. Their life chances are improved, and they develop in confidence. Young people have been on holidays abroad, on an exchange visit to Germany and on camping trips. They have also been involved in their local community. For example, they have attended weekly youth clubs and gone on shopping trips.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Some young people build up enough trust to live in the independence house, under staff supervision. Young people make good progress in developing the skills they need for adulthood. Their team approach to group living ensures that they work together to cook, clean, problem solve and generally develop their independence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The environment offers a safe and homely place to stay. Some areas provide better- quality accommodation than others, for example ‘Lydia House’. Additional funding has been secured to continue to make improvements, particularly to ‘Morris House’, which is not as well presented or homely.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Leaders are beginning to evidence that there is ‘added value’ to residence and that young people who stay there make accelerated progress. They know the barriers that deaf young people are likely to face, as they move towards adulthood. Young people are well supported to minimise the impact of these barriers. For example, young people study the theory of driving to put them in a better position to learn to drive, and they work on the ‘Duke of Edinburgh Award’ to a very high standard. Their education is enriched by these opportunities, and their employment chances continue to improve.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are surrounded by staff who support them well. Young people’s comments about staff are positive, such as, ‘They are great’ and ‘supportive’. There are several particularly good deaf role models, who can proficiently sign in BSL. These staff support young people well with their difficulties. The standard of staff’s skills in BSL varies and, currently, the nurse is unable to sign proficiently. The school is aware of this and reported difficulty in recruiting appropriately skilled staff who can also sign well. However, some improvement needs to be made so that young people can communicate with all the staff who are there to support them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people’s health needs are met well, but the clarity of information about some health needs and medication should be improved. For instance, some staff did not know why some young people are taking medication.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The school allows young people over 18 to stay in residence, and this is part of its overall purpose. There was a recent incident when a young adult’s confidentiality in relation to a health condition was not clarified with them, prior to their information being shared with a parent. More thought needs to go into the differences between Inspection report for residential special school - Royal School for the Deaf Derby 5 children’s and young adults’ confidentiality and privacy to ensure that these are protected in the future.

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

There are a very low number of safeguarding incidents. Young people are settled and reported that they feel safe. They reported that bullying is not a problem and that they know how to complain. The very positive relationships with staff ensure that there is always a trusted adult that they can talk to about aspects of their safety. They accept guidance and advice from staff who they know and like, which improves their safety overall.

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

Care plans and risk assessments address young people’s vulnerabilities. Staff understand this information well and know what they need to do to make sure that individuals are safe and protected. They carry out safe practices effectively.

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

The extremely thorough approach to safeguarding ensures that all concerns about young people are referred to local authorities swiftly and with high attention to detail. When issues arise about staff’s practice and when allegations are made, the practice of designated safeguarding staff is excellent. Liaison with professionals and investigations continues until a clear picture of safety has emerged. The recruitment process is particularly thorough. A high level of scrutiny ensures, as far as possible, that no unsuitable adults work with young people.

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

Young people’s behaviour is good, and they know what the school’s expectations are. Staff know how to manage more challenging behaviour. Good staffing levels mean that young people receive good support and direction. Young people can make improvements so that their behaviour is more socially acceptable.

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

Staff training in relation to children’s safety is thorough. Staff are very clear about how they need to protect young people in school and in a society where deaf young people are particularly vulnerable.

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

There has been a safeguarding incident in residence since the last inspection, but staff are extremely reflective. Their honest and open approach means that improvements to practice are quickly made.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders are ambitious for young people. The intention is always to make sure that young people have an excellent experience and can progress in residence. Leadership is far reaching. Leaders regularly go ‘over and above’ what is expected of them. They improve young people’s family situations and overall lives. For example, help has been given to families about loss, grief and homelessness. Young asylum seekers are well supported. Inspection report for residential special school - Royal School for the Deaf Derby 6 The inspirational leadership has ensured a fast pace of development since the last inspection. The three previous recommendations are met. All the advice from Ofsted has been carried out, and other improvements are extensive. Improvements include staff supervision, responding to young people’s wishes and feelings, the medication procedure and developing a more cohesive staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The leadership team’s work is worthy of dissemination and sharing with others. The head of school works hard in the local community to raise the profile of the deaf community in school and locally. The school’s and young people’s achievements are highly celebrated and are regularly reported in the newspapers and on television. The head’s work does not just have an impact on the children in residence but influences the practice of others and community thinking. She regularly works in her own time with charities, organisations and professionals. She is currently working with other organisations to improve deaf young people’s chances of staying in employment after leaving the school. Her work influences children’s lives, even when they have left the school.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Parents spoke extremely highly of the leaders and of the operation of the school. One parent said, ‘All I can do is sing their praises.’ Parents expressed confidence that their young person is supported. Families also reported that they have been supported through tough periods in their family lives. This means that families are more settled so that young people can thrive.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Monitoring of residence provision is effective and facilitates improvement. The governing body is led well, and the leadership team is held to account. The independent visitor visits the residence in excess of the structure specified in the national minimum standards. Overall, monitoring ensures detailed scrutiny of staff’s practice and its impact on young people. A more open and proactive relationship between pupils and the governing body would be beneficial, so that pupils can contact governors more easily between visits if they choose.

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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 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 school 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 Children Act 1989 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets Inspection report for residential special school - Royal School for the Deaf Derby 7 the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, and to consider how well it complies with the national minimum standards. Inspection report for residential special school - Royal School for the Deaf Derby 8

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Residential special school details

Social care unique reference number: SC002015

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Residential special school details

Headteacher/teacher in charge: Helen Shepherd

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Residential special school details

Type of school: Residential special school

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Residential special school details

Email address: headteacher@rsdd.org.uk Inspection report for residential special school - Royal School for the Deaf Derby 9

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Inspectors

Caroline Brailsford, social care regulatory inspector (lead) Amanda Ellis, social care regulatory inspector Inspection report for residential special school - Royal School for the Deaf Derby 10 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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