RNIB Sunshine House Children's HomeStatement of Purpose

Address / RNIB Sunshine House School and Residence
33 Dene Road
Northwood
Middlesex
HA6 2DD
Children's Home / Phone Number: 01923-848284
School / Phone Number: 01923-822538
Fax: 01923-826227
Email:
Registered Provider / RNIB
105 Judd Street
London
WC1H 9NE
Responsible Individual / Virginia Tyler
Head of Children’s Health and Care Services, RNIB Places
Registered Manager / Kate Tinkler
Head of Care

Quality and Purpose of Care

RNIB Sunshine House School and Residence is a Special School and Children's Home.

The residential department has 12 beds which are used for short breaks for children of both sexes, aged between 2 and 14. Short breaks consist of day visits as well as overnight stays and there are never more than 6 children and young people using the service at any one time. A "sleepover service" is also offered to give children that meet the admission criteria an opportunity to stay with friends and enjoy activities with the support of fully qualified staff.

Admission Criteria

Children are considered for a short break/respite, subject to a place being available, and if:

  • The placement would be of benefit to the child and their family
  • They are within the age range 2 and 14
  • They have a visual impairment and multiple/complex needs
  • We are able to meet the social, personal and healthcare needs of the young person concerned
  • The placement would not compromise the well-being of other young people at Sunshine House.

The school provides education and care for blind and partially sighted children with multiple/complex needs aged between 2 and 14. The school is registered with the DCSF to educate 48 children. We work closely with our colleagues in the school and across the EDEN academy of which they are affiliated.

Facilities and Services

Four distinct services are being offered within Sunshine House Children’s Home, 50 weeks of the year:

  • Tea visits - A service offered straight after school and continues until 6.30pm. This is now only in place for children who currently have this package of care, and no longer offered to new children. It is expected that these visits will no longer be offered by 2017.
  • Day visits - Varied day of activities during the school holidays making full use of facilities on and off site. This can be combined with a sleepover or overnight stay.
  • Sleepovers - Children and young people can stay overnight up to six times a year without the need for an assessment from social services.
  • Overnight stays - Extended stay option where children and young people can stay overnight up to four nights per week (Monday to Thursday) for up to 50 weeks per year during the school term and during the holidays.

RNIB Sunshine House Children's Home does not provide for emergency admissions. All efforts are made to support families who usually use the service if there is an emergency, although this cannot be guaranteed.

Regardless of the age of the young person, the assessment process will ensure that their specific needs are recognised and met.

Ethos and Aims of Sunshine House

We will provide a short break service for young people aged between 2 and 14 who have complex needs, including a visual impairment, Monday to Thursday nights up to 50 weeks of the year. The age difference of young people using the service will always be considered, and we will ensure that all children and young people's needs will be met. Our service will be based on the ethos that children and young people can expect to stay safe, be given a healthy lifestyle, enjoy and achieve activities, make a positive contribution to our local community and achieve economic well-being, not only while they stay with us, but supporting this in all areas of their lives. In doing so, we wish to achieve the best possible outcomes for our young people based on promoting their ability to be independent and empowered individuals.

Due to the change in age criteria, we will still support two named young people, TP and TL who use the service during school holidays who are currently 15 and 16. They will be able to continue to use the service while they are 16 and then transition to other services. All other young people will leave the service while they are 14.

We share the RNIB’s vision of:

“A world where people who are blind or partially sighted enjoy the same rights, responsibilities, opportunities and quality of life as people who are sighted”

Objectives

We will provide:

  • An environment that promotes, develops and extends young people's social networks and interactions with peers.
  • A service to young people that ensures their physical & health needs are met through effective multi-agency team working.
  • A well trained staff that can meet the diverse health and medical needs of the young people.
  • A well resourced environment with equipment & facilities to meet the physical and health needs of the young people.
  • An environment that is physically secure and safe .
  • An environment where the safeguarding of young people is of the highest priority and rigorously enforced.
  • A provision that promotes independent choice and decision making.
  • An environment that values individuals and is responsive to their needs, their views and their rights.
  • An environment that promotes opportunities to contribute to and participate in the local community.
  • An environment that celebrates diversity and recognises equal entitlement for all young people regardless of ethnicity, gender, culture or ability.
  • An environment that supports young people’s emotional needs and promotes their well being, self esteem and confidence.

Our outcomes for young people will be:

  • For young people to demonstrate an understanding about how to stay safe within their environment.
  • For young people to undertake a range of activities and opportunities and to develop a healthy lifestyle.
  • For the young people in our care to have a feeling of success and achievement in what they do.
  • For individuals to make active choices and develop their own hobbies and interests.
  • For young people in our care to have a feeling of emotional security, comfort, self esteem and control of their environment.
  • For young people to communicate their needs, make independent choices and have a sense of empowerment.
  • For young people to contribute their views on the service they are being provided.
  • For young people to contribute to and participate to the fullest extent in the life of the Children’s Home.
  • For young people to participate in and contribute to events taking place in the local community.
  • For young people to demonstrate a sense of value of the people and the environment around them.

Accommodation

The residential accommodation is divided into two flats that are along a single corridor on the first floor of the buidling. In the green flat there are four single bedrooms and in the red flat there are three bedrooms, one of which is a double room. All bedrooms have been decorated with the children in mind who use the room. Some children have also participated in the choosing of the colour scheme and theme of the room.

Children are encouraged to bring in pictures, toys or belongings that personalise the room for them. Each young person uses the same room each time they visit.

We currently have up to six children staying each night, and the double room is only used by siblings.

Location

Sunshine House is situated in its own grounds on a private road in Northwood. The original building has been adapted to meet the physical needs of young people, and a purpose built extension was completed eleven years ago.

Every bedroom, bathroom and lounge has ceiling hoists which enables children to come out of their wheelchairs wherever they would like and to easily get in and out of their beds. We provide beds that meet the individual needs of young people, so this includes fully profiling beds, additional bed sides and ordinary divan beds. Also, in each bathroom we have height adjustable changing tables and height adjustable baths or showers.

Our whole environment can be accessed by people that use wheelchairs and supports people who have a sight loss.

Religious and Cultural Needs

The young people are supported to observe religious activities and behaviours of their own choosing or parental wish. Any particular requests are recorded in the young person's placement plan, and requests that have occurred are wearing pieces of jewellery, listening to particular CD's at certain times of the day and pictures and ornaments to be kept in a young person's bedroom.

We also will provide information to children and families in their preferred language. We are used to providing information through a BSL interpreter and other spoken languages. All information can be given in alternative formats to support people with sight loss.

Complaints Procedures

In our Comments and Complaints Policy 3.23 (please see appendix) we explain that we want to quickly resolve any concerns anyone may have. Initially complaints will be dealt with by managers within Sunshine House. However the policy also explains the procedures and time frames that will be followed by all RNIB staff should further discussions be needed.

The young person, parents, carers and other agencies are encouraged through the educational annual review and LAC reviews to comment on the service and to discuss ways in which it could be improved.

Further advice can be sought from Ofsted who can be contacted on :

National Business Unit

Piccadilly Gate

Store Street

Manchester, M1 2WD

Tel: 0300 123 1231

Safeguarding

The Head of Care/Registered Manager and Head of Education are the Lead Designated Persons for safeguarding children. Both are trained accordingly.

One of our team leaders has also received this training to work in the absence of the Registered Manager.

One Governor of our co-located school has specific responsibility for Child Protection.

Policy 3.6 Safeguarding Children/Child Protection (attached in Appendix) follows the guidance set out in the Hillingdon Local Safeguarding Board in which procedures to be followed are clearly laid out, and is in within the context of the RNIB's Corporate Safeguarding Policy. This policy and procedure has been agreed with Hillingdon's LSCB. The procedure includes visitors to the school are never left alone with young people unless they have the authority to do this.

Policy 3.19 Anti-Bullying is also in place (attached in appendix). Both policies are read by all staff through their induction process, and receive further safeguarding training.

Views, Wishes and Feelings

Consulting with children and families

All young people that use the service have a named Keyworker who is a permanent member of staff. It is the responsibility of the Keyworkers to ensure that wishes, needs and aspirations are understood and taken into account during the time when a young person is staying at the children's home. Understanding these wishes is carried out with the support of the young person's family, the Speech and Language Therapist and any other person who is important to the young person.

An observational diary is used to record when we see children respond to make choices or express feelings, and this information then added to their placement plan.

We also like to invite families to meet with us to give feedback on how they experience our service, to look at ways in which we can improve and to gain further information on changes in care and cultural needs. This is carried out through meeting with key workers individually, sending out questionnaires and asking parents to confirm they are happy with how our placement plans detail how their child will be supported.

Anti-discriminatory practise

Our equal opportunities policy states:

  • Discrimination on the basis of colour, culture, origin, religion, race, HIV status, gender, marital status, domestic circumstances, age, sexual orientation or ability is unacceptable .
  • Every pupil and member of staff will endeavour to further this objective by personally contributing towards a happy and caring environment and by showing respect for, and appreciation of, each other as individuals.

Sunshine House respects and implements the rights of children and young people as set out in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Children Act (1989). The Convention says that every child has:

  • The right to a childhood (including protection from harm).
  • The right to be educated (including all girls and boys completing primary school).
  • The right to be healthy (including having clean water, nutritious food and medical care).
  • The right to be treated fairly (including changing laws and practices that are unfair on children).
  • The right to be heard (including considering children's views).

The implementation of our 10 Golden Rules is expected from all young people, staff and visitors:

  1. Give me time to respond and listen to what I have to say.
  2. Allow me to make choices for myself.
  3. Help me to stay safe.
  4. Let me know what is going to happen.
  5. Talk to me not about me.
  6. Treat me with respect and dignity.
  7. Telling me what I’m good at and praising my efforts builds my confidence.
  8. Touch my arm, say my name and tell me who you are when you speak to me.
  9. Always stay calm with me.
  10. Take time to understand me, I can’t always explain my feelings.

Education

Young people who access this Children's Home will come from a number of local schools. They all have Statements of Educational Needs or Education Health and Care Plans and have regular annual reviews in accordance with the Education Act (2011). All key staff contribute to this including the Keyworker and Head of Care, in consultation, where possible, with the young person.

Within the Children's Home a young person's routine, significant events and information is recorded on a daily basis for all young people accessing the service. This practice ensures that there is appropriate and adequate communication between a young person, their carers at home, at school and with the children's home.

We work closely with schools to ensure that children’s transport arrangements are known, paperwork is shared and aim to attend all meetings where we are able to make a contribution for the benefit of the child.

Enjoying and Achievement

Each young person has a placement plan, as defined by the Children's Homes Regulations 2015.

Leisure activities are planned and organised according to the wishes and preferences of the young people that are accessing the service at that time. Care is taken to ensure all activities provided are age appropriate and that different activities will be provided according to young people's wishes.

The children's home is able to use the on-site facilities, and these include a hydrotherapy pool, playground, multi-sensory garden, soft playroom, multi-sensory theatre and library. Sporting activities are provided with the abilities of the children and young people in mind, and these include football and skittles for visually impaired young people, hydrotherapy and carrying out therapy programmes.

The children's home has the use of two minibuses, which have wheelchair access, and care staff have been trained in MIDAS to safely enable transporting children outside the home. Outcomes for children are co-ordinated with young peoples’ school staff and any other therapy programmes.

Health

We are committed to ensuring that our service is able to meet all of the young people's health needs, and able to follow all therapy programmes.

We achieve this by having a part-time school nurse, bought in through Hillingdon PCT. We also have access to the school's therapy team, who give training and advice. Further liaison takes place with the nursing, therapy and consultants from the young person's local authority.

The children’s home shares information with Sunshine Houses’ therapists as well as community or other therapy teams to give feedback and to agree further action that needs to be taken in relation to individual children. All children’s therapy programmes are placed with each child’s individual placement plan.

During the admission process, an assessment is carried out, and if additional resources are necessary then this will be identified to the placing authority.

Positive Relationships

Contact with Parents, Relatives and Friends

When staying at the children's home all daily communication is through the home/school books. This is completed, and if possible discussed with the young person, by all services that the young person is accessing and with their family.

There are cordless phones in both flats, and young people can be supported to use them in the privacy of their bedrooms if it's needed. All young people are supported to use the phone in the most accessible way to them, also ‘FaceTime’ where appropriate.