Sense, The National Deafblind And Rubella Association

Inspection report for residential holiday scheme for disabled children: Sense 1 Sense Sense, The National Deafblind And Rubella Association 101 Pentonville Road, London N1 9LG Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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disabled children

This residential holiday scheme for disabled children is part of a charitable trust. The scheme provides residential activity holidays throughout the summer months. Children may have learning disabilities, physical disabilities and/or sensory needs. During 2023, the service has offered small group holidays across the country.

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disabled children

The inspector visited the children’s holiday scheme in a purpose-built holiday village in Poulton-le-Fylde, Lancashire. Children were on holiday for one week.

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disabled children

The manager has applied to register with Ofsted.

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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 outstanding

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for residential holiday scheme for disabled children: Sense 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy a memorable holiday. Leaders, managers and helpers create a safe, fun, nurturing and interesting programme. Children are happy and relaxed and thrive on the range of new experiences that they share. Many are keen to return the following year or increase the time they spend on holiday. Children develop trusting relationships with the people caring for them because helpers are warm and friendly and have a real interest in them and their welfare. Parents are confident that their children will be safe and will have a good time, knowing that they are well looked after.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children choose to take part in interesting and exciting experiences that add considerably to the quality of their lives. Children take full advantage of what the well-equipped holiday village offers, as well as enjoying inclusive activities in the local community. They go swimming, ride on exciting roller coasters at theme parks, play on the beach, shop, bake, plan hot tub parties, take part in art activities, and enjoy relaxing walks, massage or beauty routines. One child said, ‘I went on holiday without mum and dad. I had a hot tub. I made a best friend.’ The holiday enables disabled children to play and socialise in ways that build their self-esteem and provide them with memories that they cherish.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Helpers make sure that all children, including those with complex medical needs, take part in activities and have the chance to try new things and take controlled risks. A parent said, ‘It is an amazing opportunity for our daughter and even if you are able to go on a family holiday, you cannot create this experience and allow independence from parents, social experiences and sleepovers that she has never yet had.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Helpers understand children’s specific health and emotional needs. Children are confident to express their wishes and feelings through their chosen method of communication, and helpers take care to understand and respond to them. They treat children with dignity and respect and recognise and respond to their individual needs and preferences safely and sensitively. Occasionally, helpers miss opportunities to support children’s growth in developing independence skills. For example, sometimes they do not prompt children to feed themselves or to wear their glasses so that they can fully access a craft activity.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The arrangements for dealing with children’s medication are safe. Children respond positively to support that helps them to be responsible for taking their medicine or asking for help when necessary. Helpers encourage children to be partners in their care and express opinions about how they prefer their care to be carried out.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s experiences and achievements are recorded in wonderfully graphic, tactile, sensory diaries that children love to share with their families when they get home. These provide an excellent memory-bridge between holidays, and children Inspection report for residential holiday scheme for disabled children: Sense 3 bring their last diary back to their new holiday, to share with their new friends. Helpers encourage children to contribute to the diaries in whatever way that they can. The diary gives children different ways to reflect on their experiences with helpers and visitors. The diary is a valuable memento of the holiday to keep and show their families.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Helpers also make sure that children stay in touch with their families during the holiday. Children voicemail their families or send texts and messages to maintain bedtime comfort routines. Helpers share photos with families of all their child’s enjoyable activities and make direct contact with parents to discuss children’s health or welfare needs.

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outstanding

Exceptional safeguarding arrangements protect children from harm. Children, including the most vulnerable, feel safe and have a strong sense of well-being. Children trust their helpers enough to talk to them when they are worried or upset. Their positive relationships with helpers give them the confidence to overcome anxiety arising from other children’s behaviour, because they trust the helpers to keep them safe and support their emotional ups and downs.

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outstanding

Helpers are exceptionally well prepared and trained for supporting children and keeping them safe from harm. They have a good understanding of children’s assessed needs and the additional vulnerabilities of disabled children. They provide every child with an excellent level of unintrusive supervision that protects the child from risk of harm, including from accidents or getting lost. They tailor individual positive behaviour support to each child. They are vigilant for signs of emerging discomfort or distress so that they can take prompt action to help children to feel safe and secure.

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outstanding

Helpers recognise the signs that may indicate that a child may be at risk of physical or emotional harm. They understand their responsibilities for protecting children. They know how to act when they have concerns about a child. Leaders and managers oversee their practice, to ensure that they follow statutory safeguarding guidance.

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outstanding

Children are happy and quickly overcome any unsettled emotions. Helpers understand that children may find things difficult at times and recognise when children are getting upset or overstimulated. When children are anxious about activities, helpers find the best way for children to feel comfortable enough to join in, or identify an alternative activity they would enjoy more. For example, a child who was anxious about going out on a trip was given time for rest and relaxation and the opportunity to spend time with her favourite helper so that she could regain her confidence about joining in with the group.

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outstanding

The careful selection and checking of helpers minimise the risks to children from unsuitable people. Leaders and managers make sure that helpers have the personal Inspection report for residential holiday scheme for disabled children: Sense 4 qualities, enthusiasm, resilience, motivation, energy, skills and values to support disabled children.

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outstanding

Children stay in a safe and pleasant environment. Leaders and managers make sure that the accommodation and facilities meet children’s needs, enable them to maximise opportunities for safe independence, and are maintained to protect children from avoidable risks.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager left the organisation in April 2023. Leaders ensured prompt recruitment and appointed a manager in charge of the holidays for this year. The appointed manager has led this year’s holiday arrangements and has applied to register with Ofsted.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The leadership and management of the holiday are effective. Leaders and managers promote the strong, enabling ethos and value base of the organisation. They are highly ambitious for every child to have opportunities that broaden their experiences. The holiday is very well planned and organised in children’s best interests. This attention to detail provides children with unique and personalised experiences.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The leaders and managers promote tolerance, diversity and inclusivity. They ensure that children, regardless of their backgrounds, identity, disability and health needs, have every opportunity to take part in the holiday and get the most out of the experience. The choice of venue ensures inclusivity. Children enjoy their holiday alongside families and social groups who are sharing the same site. The varied programme includes a good mix of on-site and community-based activities.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Time and effort are spent liaising with parents, professionals who usually support the children and the children themselves, to gather enormous amounts of information about children’s needs and preferences. On occasion, leaders have not ensured that helpers always follow all the detail in a child’s care plan or follow internal guidance for record-keeping. For example, helpers failed to complete an accident form following a minor injury to a child. The holiday leader informed parents and the on-call manager and monitored the child’s welfare, but there was no record available to confirm the actions that helpers had taken to ensure that the child did not require medical treatment. This oversight was rectified during the inspection.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Careful grouping of helpers with children has ensured that personalities and interests are compatible. Helpers are trained to have the skills necessary to deliver high-quality care. For example, the organisation’s trainer followed up on theoretical learning and delivered bespoke practical training on the first day of the holiday to ensure that a child’s health needs were met. The child’s parents also demonstrated to helpers how they support their child every day, so that her routines would not be disrupted. This attention to detail is a constant feature of a holiday that has children at its heart. Inspection report for residential holiday scheme for disabled children: Sense 5 The independent person’s report and the review of the quality of care carried out for last year’s holiday were not submitted to Ofsted. Leaders provided both reports when requested, together with a detailed action and development plan that

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

responded to feedback from all holiday stakeholders, including children, their families, helpers and organisational leaders.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders have created a plan that evaluates the scheme’s strengths and areas for development and shows the steps that are being taken to make improvements. For example, leaders introduced a pre-holiday online meeting for leaders, helpers, children and their families to meet and start to build relationships before the holiday. The meeting reassured parents and helped to overcome a potential barrier to children accessing the holiday experience. Leaders have also introduced short ‘taster’ holidays, so that children can build confidence to take part in longer stays. One child proudly told the inspector, ‘I am here for all week. Last time I only had a little holiday and was sad I had to go home.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Helpers work together cooperatively and cohesively. Their comprehensive induction, team days, pre-holiday preparations and on-site support create a family team spirit and strong sense of community that is dedicated to promoting children’s safety and enjoyment. Inspection report for residential holiday scheme for disabled children: Sense 6

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Recommendations

▪ The registered person should ensure that the review of the quality of care under regulations 29 and 30 is promptly provided to Ofsted. (Residential holiday schemes for disabled children: national minimum standards, page 25 paragraph 14.6.) ▪ The registered person should ensure that there is a system in place to monitor the quality and adequacy of record keeping and take action when needed, including that accident reports are completed as soon as practically possible. (Residential holiday schemes for disabled children: national minimum standards, page 26, paragraph 15.1)

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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 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: Sense 7

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Residential holiday scheme for disabled children details

Registered provider: Sense, The National Deafblind And Rubella Association

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Residential holiday scheme for disabled children details

Registered provider address: 101 Pentonville Road, London N1 9LG Responsible individual: Richard Kramer Registered manager: Post vacant

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Residential holiday scheme for disabled children details

Email address: Richard.kramer@sense.org.uk

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Inspector

Denise Jolly, Lead professional, social care policy and regulation Inspection report for residential holiday scheme for disabled children: Sense 8 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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