St Rose’s School

Inspection report for residential special school - St Rose’s School 1 St Rose’s School St. Rose’s Special School, Stratford Lawn, Stroud, Gloucestershire GL5 4AP Residential provision inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this residential special school

St Rose’s School is a co-educational, non-maintained, Roman Catholic day and residential school. It provides a service for children who have physical disabilities and/or associated sensory, communication and learning difficulties. Some children have complex healthcare issues, and 24-hour nursing support is available. Children are aged between two and 19 years.

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Information about this residential special school

The residential accommodation is in the building attached to the main school. At the time of this inspection, there were 20 children on roll in the school and the residential provision was supporting five children. The school offers flexible boarding arrangements from one to four nights each week during term time. Alternate weekend care and a programme of activities in the school holidays are also provided.

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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 requires improvement to be good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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good

The residential special school is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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good

Date of previous inspection: 20 November 2018

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good Inspection report for residential special school - St Rose’s School 2

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improvement to be good

Leaders and managers have not taken sufficient action to review the need for and continued use of restrictive practices for three children. High-sided beds and audio monitoring devices continue to be used. These restrictions do not promote children’s liberty and privacy.

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improvement to be good

Children’s progress and their experiences are variable. Some children are making progress in some aspects of their lives, such as developing independent living skills, including eating independently and managing personal care. However, not all children’s care plans identify individualised targets. The lack of meaningful and measurable targets means that children’s progress is not maximised.

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improvement to be good

Children’s dining experiences require improvement. Not all children are provided with the level of support and guidance that they require or that is set out in their eating and drinking support plans. In addition, not all children are provided with an opportunity to sit up to the table when eating, because of poor planning. Children’s dietary requirements are met, and the meals provided are of good quality and varied.

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improvement to be good

The lack of soft furnishings and the presence of signage on doors, ceilings and walls makes the home present as clinical and unloved.

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improvement to be good

Children’s health is promoted because they enjoy the wide range of activities offered. Children’s personal interests are supported and opportunities to experience new activities broaden children’s interests and develop their social experiences.

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improvement to be good

Children are consulted about most of their care needs. They are provided with choice about what they would like to eat and what activities they would like to do. However, leaders and managers have not ensured that the children’s views have been sought following incidents when their anxieties have been heightened and staff have had to hold them or move them for their own safety.

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improvement to be good

Children are looked after by a staff team that has a wealth of experience and the skills to meet their needs. The staff speak fondly of the children they care for and in the main respond to their needs well. Interactions between staff and children are warm, sensitive and respectful. Parents’ feedback on the quality of care and support their child receives is without exception good. They say that staff are kind, caring and very experienced. Parents say that they value and appreciate the services available.

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improvement to be good

Inspection report for residential special school - St Rose’s School 3 Children’s care and support plans require improvement to be good. The privacy and liberty of three children continue to be restricted because leaders and managers have not taken enough action to review the ongoing use of high-sided cot beds and audio devices.

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improvement to be good

Reportable incidents do take place, but numbers are low. Records relating to these incidents are not well maintained. Omissions include the duration of the interventions, the technique used and by whom. When unexplained injuries are identified, staff complete body maps and the nursing team is informed. Despite this appropriate action, not all records detail the outcome of healthcare interventions or confirm whether parents have been informed. Leaders and managers have not monitored these records for effectiveness nor provided staff and children with the opportunity to share their views about the incidents.

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improvement to be good

Trustees, governors, and leaders and managers have identified that the physical environment children reside in is not conducive to the current needs of the children accessing the school’s residential services. Initial steps have been taken to consider how the physical environment can be improved.

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improvement to be good

Staff keep up to date with safeguarding training and understand the potential risks to children in relation to abuse, exploitation, radicalisation and self-harm. Refresher training enables the staff team members to update their knowledge and skills.

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improvement to be good

Leaders and managers confirmed that there have not been any safeguarding referrals, missing from home episodes or complaints since the previous inspection.

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good

Leaders’ and managers’ oversight and monitoring of the residential provision requires improvement to be good. Reporting and recording systems are not monitored for effectiveness. Omissions and inaccuracies in documents have not been identified or rectified.

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good

Monitoring visits by the trustees and/or governors have not taken place as required by the national minimum standards. This was also raised as a shortfall at the last inspection.

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good

The school’s development plan identifies areas requiring improvement that align with the weakness identified at this inspection. New initiatives are being introduced that promote how to improve children’s experiences and maximise their progress.

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good

Staff say that they feel supported and morale is good. They confirm that they attend team meetings, receive regular supervision and are provided with good training opportunities. Staff spoken to confidently shared how they have used the learning from a recent training course to improve their practice. Despite this good work, Inspection report for residential special school - St Rose’s School 4 leaders and managers do not use these forums to encourage staff to reflect on their practice or consider emerging patterns and trends associated with children’s needs and their behaviours.

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good

The head of care ensures that enough staff are on duty to support the individual and collective needs of the children. Kind, warm and respectful relationships exist between students and staff. Inspection report for residential special school - St Rose’s School 5

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special schools

The school does not meet the following national minimum standard(s) for residential special schools:

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special schools

 Pupils with disabilities are provided with appropriate assistance to eat, in a manner which promotes dignity and choice. (National Minimum Standards, 8.4)  A written record is kept of major sanctions and the use of any reasonable force. Records include the information in Appendix 2 (use of reasonable force). The record is made within 24 hours and is legible. Children are encouraged to have their views recorded in the records. The school regularly reviews any instances of the use of reasonable force and examines trends or issues to enable staff to reflect and learn in a way that will inform future practice. (National Minimum Standards, 12.6)  These standards do not prevent a child from being deprived of their liberty where that deprivation is authorised in accordance with a court order. (National Minimum Standards, 12.7)  The school’s leadership and management consistently fulfil their responsibilities

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special schools

effectively so that the standards are met. (National Minimum Standards, 13.4)  The governing body, trustees, partnership, or organisation responsible for carrying on the school arrange for one of their number, or a representative who is independent of the management of the school, to visit the school six times, spread evenly, over the course of a school year and complete a written report on the conduct of the school. Where the school has an individual proprietor, that person may carry out such visits personally if they are not also the head teacher (or school equivalent). (National Minimum Standards, 20.1)

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Recommendations

 Further improve children’s and young people’s dining experience by reviewing the current dining arrangements.

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Recommendations

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people 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 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 - St Rose’s School 6

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Residential special school details

Social care unique reference number: SC034383

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Residential special school details

Headteacher/teacher in charge: Mrs Sheila Talwar

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Residential special school details

Type of school: residential special school

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Inspector

Sharron Escott, social care inspector. Inspection report for residential special school - St Rose’s School 7 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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