Oversands School

Inspection report for residential special school - Oversands School 1 Oversands School Witherslack Hall, Witherslack, Grange-over-Sands, Cumbria LA11 6SD Residential provision inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this residential special school

This is an independent day and residential special school at the edge of a small village in Cumbria. The residential accommodation comprises two houses on the school site.

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Information about this residential special school

There is a headteacher at the school and a head of care who supports the residential provision. The head of care oversees the residential provision daily. She is appropriately qualified and experienced in her role.

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Information about this residential special school

The school provides places for children between the ages of eight and 19 years. The school currently provides places for 73 children. Of these, eight are using the residential provision across two of the houses. The children access the residential provision on weekdays and weekends during term time.

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Information about this residential special school

The inspectors only inspected the social care provision at this school.

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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 last inspection: 19 November 2024

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outstanding

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

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outstanding

Children benefit from exceptionally well-planned, individualised care and support that help them make significant progress with their social and emotional development and learning.

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outstanding

Children receive high-quality care from staff who are committed to building and maintaining positive relationships with them. They receive individualised nurturing care and support, which means they make sustainable progress. Residential staff work collaboratively with staff across the school and use their in-depth knowledge of each child to support their development. Consequently, children have fun with their peers and trust the staff who provide their care.

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outstanding

Staff understand and implement children’s care and support plans. These are written in collaboration with children and their families. Consequently, the plans describe children’s preferences about how staff should care for them.

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outstanding

Educationally, children make exceptional progress from their starting points. Staff ensure that children who have experienced previous challenges in education flourish and achieve. For example, children’s attainment, attendance, behaviour, social skills, independence, communication and confidence all improve. Children who attend the residential provision make remarkable progress from their starting points.

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outstanding

Residential staff are highly effective at monitoring children’s health needs and ensuring that they receive the appropriate support. Through liaising closely with parents and carers, the staff have the necessary detailed knowledge of the children’s medical conditions and medication requirements. Effective processes are in place to administer medicines safely.

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outstanding

The support for children’s emotional well-being is exceptional. The highly skilled clinical team works closely with residential staff. Clinicians provide staff with the theoretical basis for children’s individual needs. This enables staff to respond consistently well to each child. Children who need direct clinical input receive it without delay. When necessary, referrals are made to external agencies to obtain specialist input for a child. The clinical team has extensive links in the community to support this.

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outstanding

Children benefit from a wide range of activities. Activities are well organised and fun, and they enhance the children’s learning opportunities. Children are involved in choosing the activities with their peers. This maximises their opportunities to grow and develop and enhances their school day.

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outstanding

Children’s introductions into residency are carefully planned and taken at the child’s pace. Staff understand that it may be some children’s first experience of staying Inspection report for residential special school - Oversands School 3 away from home, and they may need time to decide if they want to stay overnight. Before moving into the residential provision, children and their parents can visit to view the provision and meet with staff. This helps children and their families to make decisions at a time that is right for them.

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outstanding

Children are encouraged and supported to have a voice and be involved in their care. They are consulted on what they hope to gain from being in residency. Throughout children’s stays, they are encouraged to express their opinions, suggestions and views. From key-work meetings through to the student council, the children’s voice is key and is the focus of any improvements. This means that children influence decisions about the day-to-day running of the residential service.

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outstanding

Staff have a comprehensive understanding of the children and their vulnerabilities. Staff understand the risks that children face at school and in their home communities. Staff help children develop insight into these risks and understand how to keep themselves safe. Assessments of risk are developed through excellent collaborative working with children and their families. These assessments identify where children need additional support to help them become safer.

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outstanding

Staff are confident in knowing how to raise concerns. When staff are concerned about a child, they report these concerns to the relevant agencies. Leaders work closely with social care agencies to help children and their families to receive support away from the school if required. The head of care meets weekly with the designated safeguarding lead to share any safeguarding concerns. The designated safeguarding lead maintains effective oversight to ensure children’s safety, which includes monitoring any actions taken.

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outstanding

Staff have an excellent understanding of each child’s emotional needs, which supports a swift response to signs of anxiety or distress. Joint working across the school means that children benefit from a consistent approach to behaviour. Staff use a nurturing approach to help children reflect on their behaviour. This helps children develop resilience and supports them in making safer choices as they progress. Consequently, children are now beginning to identify early indicators of what makes them anxious. As a direct result of this approach, there has been a reduction in the use of physical interventions, and children are developing their own strategies for managing their behaviours.

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outstanding

Children know who to talk to if they have any issues or concerns. Access to independent advice outside of the core staff team is readily available. Children know how to seek advice and support for issues that they might not want to discuss with staff.

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outstanding

Board members are aware of their responsibilities for safeguarding, and they keep their knowledge up to date through regular training. The regional director visits Inspection report for residential special school - Oversands School 4 residency regularly. Termly reports produced by the head of care for the governing body provide the opportunity to scrutinise the operation of residency, including the arrangements for the children’s safety and welfare.

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outstanding

Children’s safety is promoted through effective recruitment, selection and vetting of staff. Health and safety in the residential provision are well managed. Routine servicing and checks take place as required. Fire safety precautions are checked on a regular basis, which includes servicing firefighting equipment, testing alarms and carrying out evacuation drills. Risk assessments are routinely reviewed and updated.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The residential provision is overseen by a new head of care. While new in this role, the head of care has worked at the provision for over 20 years, carrying out different roles.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers are inspirational and child focused, and they have high expectations for what children can achieve. They lead by example and provide a supportive platform that enables staff to change and improve the lives of children and their families. This is achieved by using research-based practice. Leaders have created a dynamic and inspirational environment where children and staff can grow and gain an extensive range of new skills. Subsequently, children receive the highest quality of care and support and enjoy a seamless journey through school and residential provision.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers provide excellent day-to-day support and ensure that trained and experienced staff are available to meet children’s needs. Staff receive training to ensure that they have the skills and knowledge to support the children. If a child has a specific need, such as a health issue, managers ensure that all staff receive additional training so that the specific need can be met and understood.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff receive high-quality reflective and regular supervision and annual performance development reviews. These focus on the team’s needs and individuals’ own areas of development. There are also effective daily handovers and regular meetings. These systems help staff develop in their roles, work as a team and provide children with consistently outstanding care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Systems for monitoring and developing the effectiveness of the residential service are effective and include self-evaluation, monitoring by the local authority, peer and board monitoring, and reviews by an independent person. This gives a broad view of the effectiveness of the service. Leaders ensure that children’s voices are integral to the review and development of the service, with the school council supporting the development of some residential policies.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Partnerships between leaders and external professionals are exceptionally strong. These are supported by an experienced board. Together, they fully understand the positive impact the residential provision has on children’s social, emotional and Inspection report for residential special school - Oversands School 5 academic progress and development. This means that children receive a well- organised package of care and education.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff work closely with children’s families. Parents are exceptionally positive about the care their children receive. A parent said:

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

‘My son attends residence and receives great support. He has people around him who really understand him and want him to do well. I cannot praise the staff highly enough for how they have helped me and my family.’ Inspection report for residential special school - Oversands School 6

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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 - Oversands School 7

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Residential special school details

Social care unique reference number: SC040063

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Residential special school details

Headteacher/teacher in charge: Edward Sherratt

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Residential special school details

Type of school: Residential special school

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Residential special school details

Email address: oversands@witherslackgroup.co.uk

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Inspectors

Dave Carrigan, Social Care Inspector Stacey Ilaboya, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for residential special school - Oversands School 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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