Residential Care
“The children who access the residential provision at this school enjoy a positive experience and, in some cases, make exceptional progress. One parent described their child’s experience as ‘life changing’.” Care Ofsted October 2022
Residential units
Young Person’s Residential Handbook
The residential provision at High Close provides young people and their families with support in helping young people to achieve their full potential.
Residential young people may require the support from a group of professionals that can support them in developing appropriate skills that will help them to move on to their next stage in life.
The residential units provide a wrap-around curriculum for young people which supports them in developing social and communication skills, independence skills, developing their confidence and self-esteem.
Each residential unit has a Unit Manager, Deputy Unit Manager, Shift Leader and up to 4 Residential Project Workers. We have three Residential units, Willows, Cedars and Pinewood. Residential units can have boys and girls in the same co-educational unit or just boys or girls in single sex units, depending on the needs of the young people. The age range of young people in each unit varies however there is always a mix of younger and older pupils which supports young people in learning how to live with others.
Young people are allocated one of the staff as a key worker when they first arrive however all staff work closely with the young people to support them during their time at High Close.
Staff provide a wide variety of activities for young people to engage in whilst staying at school.
“The children build positive relationships with the care staff and benefit from the care they receive in a warm and homely environment. There is a relaxed atmosphere in the residential houses and the children were observed enjoying a range of activities and friendly interactions with the staff caring for them.” Care Ofsted October 2022
Typical day in the life of a residential student
Life in a residential unit starts off by waking up 7.30am, getting ready for the day and having breakfast at 8.10am. Breakfast is a sociable time where lots of different conversations are had between staff and young people. We believe in a communal living environment so everyone helps out with getting breakfast ready and tidying up afterwards. Once teeth have been brushed and finishing touches applied to young people’s appearances, there is often time to chill out before school starts at 8.50am.
Young people return to their unit for break and lunchtime for some down time. Residential staff are also available to offer support to the young people during the school day.
After school finishes is when the young people are able to have the most fun! We encourage young people to take up an educational activity to attend weekly. Examples of these are dance, swimming, ice-skating and climbing. We also encourage young people to go out into the community to do a range of activities in order to widen their outlook and their capabilities. Activities may include; snacks and suppers shopping, cinema, independence (if earned) into Wokingham or Reading, clothes shopping, dinners out or the park. Many of the activities that young people do in the community help with their confidence, independence skills, integration into wider society and their social skills.
Young people choose a collective a range of meals for the half term for dinners prepared by staff and/or young people. If the meal planned for the evening is not liked by a young person, an alternative is offered. Again this is a very sociable time in the unit and there are often lots of jokes and laughs over the dinner table!
Keyworking
Each young person who stays in a residential house has a key worker assigned to them. The key worker will act as an advocate for their young people and this includes:
· Being a key person for young people to turn to and rely on.
· Completing targeted and planned weekly key working sessions.
· Being a link person for contact with parents/carers/external professionals.
· Attending meetings.
· Supporting young people to develop their social interaction skills and learn how to develop positive and healthy relationships.
· Supporting the young people in their education and speaking regularly with tutors to support their progress.
Although young people have a key worker they are able to talk to any member of staff on campus about any worries, concerns or anything they may need or require.
Residential staff will help, support and teach young people skills such as keeping their bedroom tidy, washing up, handling money, socialisation, laundry, cooking, as well as supporting them through the independence programme.
The independence programme is a programme which residential young people follow throughout their time at High Close School. Each young person is provided with a file that documents their progress. This file contains information, resources and progress sheets on all 12 topics within the independence programme. Some of the topics that young people achieve on include; money management, personal health and wellbeing, interpersonal skills, in the home and leaving home and living independently. As the young people achieve and show their capabilities, they are given more independence within the unit/school/community. With the agreement of the unit manager and parents/carers/social workers, it is hoped that young people will eventually be granted independence into Wokingham town.
At the start of each half term, young people will be provided with new or updated key working targets written by their key worker. These personalised key working targets are what key workers would like to see their young people focus on for personal improvement and are written with young people. Key workers will also plan at the start of the half term formal key working for the rest of the half term.
Examples of key working targets might be:
‘To help being able to talk to others by playing a game with a young person once a week’.
‘To be able to achieve more points in school by using Occupational Therapy support’
‘To work on understanding what people’s faces mean’.
An example of a formal key working session for the last target may include a worksheet to identify facial expressions or watching a television programme and trying to identify emotions on people’s faces.
“There is an embedded culture of listening to the children and responding positively to their suggestions for developing the residential provision.” Care Ofsted October 2022
High Close School provides a wrap around curriculum to residents by continual teaching and learning, specific to each young person’s needs.
Independent visitor and Independent person
High Close School has an independent visitor and independent person/s.
The independent visitor visits the residential units unannounced once every term and goes through each residential unit’s documents, recordings, policies and procedures to check that they meet standards. The independent visitor will compile a report for each residential unit drawing on positives, actions made from the previous report and will also make recommendations.
Independent person/s are named people from another Residential Special School that act as a voice for the young people. They are available if young people need someone to talk to, ensure young people are being looked after and cared for to a high standard, and will visit young people and take an active interest in speaking to young people to gain their views on school and the residential units.
“There are effective mechanisms for monitoring the quality of care being provided. This includes external scrutiny from an independent visitor who makes thorough assessments of how effectively the residential houses are being managed.” Care Ofsted October 2022
Admissions and transitions
When a referral is put in for a young person to High Close School and it is felt that we may be able to meet the needs of the young person, they will be invited for a tailored number of taster days to a residential unit and school. If these taster days are successful, the young person will be invited for an overnight stay in a residential unit; and if this is successful a formal offer will be made. There will then be an admissions meeting. Young people will have various assessments in their first few weeks at High Close to ensure we can offer the right support to them. There will be a placement meeting after 6 weeks so the young person, the unit and school staff, parents/carers and any external professionals can work together to make sure the young persons time at High Close is successful.
Just as we provide a tailored start to a young person’s time at High Close School, we also offer the same when the time comes for a young person to start thinking about moving on after year 11.
We have a dedicated team that support young people with work experience, college visits and all things post-16. Before young people leave us in year 11, we arrange a number of activities for young people to attend to wind down after exams.
“There is a sensitive admissions process to the residential provision, which is taken at the child’s pace.” Care Ofsted October 2022
“Students who have recently started living in the residential provision have already started to make progress. Diligent planning has ensured that these children fitted into their residential unit seamlessly.” Care Ofsted September 2023
Contact with Parents and carers
“Staff build effective relationships with parents and professionals to keep the children’s mental and emotional well-being at the centre of their practice. Consequently, children are healthy in this regard and make excellent progress” Care Ofsted November 2021.
Relationships with parents and carers (as well as social workers where relevant) are very important at High Close School. We believe in working closely with parents and carers and any appropriate external professionals in order to provide the best care, success and prospects for our young people.
Residential staff provide parents, carers and social workers weekly handovers of young people’s weeks and ask for this in return after weekends and holidays so that they can provide any support that may be needed.
Some examples of how High Close School liaise with parents, carers and social workers include:
· Being invited to annual reviews
· Involvement in updates of medical reports at least twice a year
· Involvement in any updates made to the young people’s Individual Behaviour Support Plan/Individual Risk Assessments each half term.
Staff within the residential units are available throughout the week to talk to parents and carers about any issues that might arise for young people and can offer advice and support. Staff will also celebrate the achievements of young people with parents and carers.
Parents and carers are welcome to visit young people in the residential units during the week and take them out and staff will work with parents and carers to ensure that there is a positive partnership to ensure the best outcomes for young people.