Holbrook School for Autism

Inspection report for residential special school - Holbrook School for Autism 1 Holbrook School for Autism Port Way, Holbrook, Belper, Derbyshire DE56 0TE Residential provision inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this residential special school

Holbrook School for Autism is a specialist school for children and young people who have autism spectrum disorder and learning disabilities. The pupils’ ages range from four to 19. It was a Derbyshire County Council local authority maintained residential special school until July 2018. The school now has academy status.

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Information about this residential special school

The residential service (Oak and Acorn) operates from Monday to Thursday in term time. Currently, 27 children are using the service. Seven children can reside at any one time. Each pupil usually stays for one night per week.

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Information about this residential special school

Inspection dates: 26 to 28 November 2019

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and 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 special school provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the school contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people.

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outstanding

Date of previous inspection: 9 January 2019

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding Inspection report for residential special school - Holbrook School for Autism 2

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outstanding

The school continues to be outstanding and is continually developing. This dynamic approach avoids complacency and ensures that the children receive the best care and education.

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outstanding

Communication is a strength of the school. Children have a range of additional and complex needs. Staff successfully use various therapeutic approaches to underpin their work. Staff know the children exceptionally well and are clearly fond of them. Professionals and parents spoke highly of the difference that is being made in the lives of children and families. Family members said that they trust the team to care for their children as they would themselves. This trust and rapport are achieved through a child-centred approach that ensures that all planning and target setting are conducted at a pace agreeable to children and their families. The person-centred coordination of targets is enabling children’s progress to be seen and replicated at home and in school. This collaborative approach provides consistency and is enabling children to develop and progress from their starting points.

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outstanding

Staff are unquestionably ambitious for the children. This is demonstrated through children’s increased participation in activities on and off site. Staff creatively adapt national programmes, such as the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, to ensure that it meets the children’s special educational needs. Impressively, children have achieved bronze and silver awards and have gold as the next goal. These adaptations are shared with other organisations, to enable wider dissemination. A professional stated, ‘These major achievements are only possible through the dedication and input of staff.’

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outstanding

The targeted focus of the children’s plans ensures that the children are continually developing the life skills that they will need as they mature. Their increased abilities include expressing their views, self-care and completing household tasks. Parents have been invited to visit their children during stays, so that they can observe these newly developed skills in action. These visits provide children with a sense of pride and give families confidence in allowing the child to complete these tasks at home.

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outstanding

The school’s enhanced approach to safeguarding includes the introduction of a safeguarding curriculum. These changes are ensuring that the importance of safeguarding is embedded in all aspects of children’s care and staff practice. The creation of a family support worker role provides a valued resource to children and their families. The team’s work, along with the added support, is leading to children making continual and sustained progress and an increased ability to self-regulate. Inspection report for residential special school - Holbrook School for Autism 3 The team’s thorough matching process ensures that the children have the best time possible during their stays. These overnight stays are often the first time that parents have trusted anyone to care for their child overnight. Parents said that their children are safely cared for.

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outstanding

The staff work with children to increase their levels of independence. This, in turn, reduces their level of vulnerability. This is creatively achieved through increasing their self-care abilities and working with them on matters such as the changes they experience in their bodies as they mature.

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outstanding

Children do not go missing from school or while out on activities. This is due to the staff team’s expert knowledge of them and meticulous planning.

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outstanding

Children’s plans and targets now more clearly incorporate emotional well-being. Children and their families are involved in the completion of these. The computerisation of this process is enabling children to more readily participate in it. This immediately makes the plans and targets more meaningful.

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outstanding

The children’s targets include assisting them, where possible, to better manage their emotions and responses to certain situations. This is done in a creative way that still provides them with exposure to groups, noise and other situations that they would usually avoid. This is conducted using strategies that are agreed with the child, their families and the professionals involved in their lives. The children’s risk assessments are continually reviewed with consideration to these factors. As children have become more settled, their identified risks have greatly reduced.

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outstanding

The use of physical intervention is minimal. These events are monitored and reviewed along with other incidents, to identify triggers and patterns.

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outstanding

Safeguarding scenarios are used in staff supervision and team discussions. This is ensuring that staff can readily visualise how they would manage should the scenario occur in real life.

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outstanding

Each day, the children’s bedrooms are personalised with their pictures, paintings and their choice of bedding. Homely touches such as the framed pictures of the children add to the personalisation.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The leadership team is well established and is making positive developments within the service and the wider team. It’s comprehensive residential plan details ambitious targets, current projects and the increased community involvement and business enterprises that children are participating in.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The team is ambitious for children and sets aspirational targets. These targets and aims are achieved irrespective of children’s starting points. This progress includes simple tasks such as taking turns, attending group activities and communicating Inspection report for residential special school - Holbrook School for Autism 4 responses to queries or making requests. Parents stated that this is the first time their children have felt included and listened to. This bespoke, person-centred approach is enabling children to succeed in all aspects of their lives.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The leaders emphatically prioritise the children’s needs. They and their team are passionate about their work. This is evident through their communication and interactions with the children and their enthusiasm about children’s development. Several staff, many having worked here for several years, said that they still love their job. Newer staff are enjoying their roles and commend the support that they receive from their colleagues and managers.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff supervision and training are comprehensive and include specialist or specific areas as the need arises. This ensures that staff are always working with current knowledge.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The leaders use the feedback gained from children, families, professionals and the ‘critical friend’ approach of governance to enhance the children’s residential experience. They continually evaluate and adapt the service offer. They conduct walk-throughs to identify changes that may be required, and their proactive and responsive approach ensures that they efficiently address any identified areas requiring review or development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Feedback from professionals and families is positive and complimentary about the inclusive way the school works and the willingness and openness to explore new ideas.

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Information about this inspection

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 - Holbrook School for Autism 5

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Residential special school details

Social care unique reference number: SC058960

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Residential special school details

Headteacher/teacher in charge: Mr Samuel Bayliss

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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@holbrookautism.derbyshire.sch.uk

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Inspector

Sonia Hay, social care inspector (lead) Inspection report for residential special school - Holbrook School for Autism 6 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

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Inspector

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Inspector

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