TBAP Residence Implementation Outline

TBAP Residence: bringing families and education together to create lasting change

Implementation Outline

February 2015

A. Executive Summary

The TBAP Residence will be an ‘educational care’ provision and will be part of the wider educational offer of the Bridge AP Academy and, the Tri-Borough Alternative Provision Trust. The intention of the Residence is to support families and reduce dramatically the need for young people to go into Care. It meets directly the 'permanence challenge' identified in the document 'Rethinking support for adolescents in or on the edge of care' (DfE, 2014) which recognised that 'three-quarters of adolescents who go into care return to their families' and that 'successfully managed family relationships is an essential part of the care system for this age group'.

'The TBAP Residence will be an extension of the Bridge AP Academy to support those learners requiring respite, a different environment and additional support to maintain their educational attainment and progress.' (view of an Additional Inspector - Appendix A)

Given the focus on learning and progression, both academic and social, the TBAP Residence will be regarded as part of the overall registration of the Bridge AP Academy, and the Department for Education informed that the Academy is offering Boarding provision through a satellite site. The Residence will comply with the Schools Premises Regulations 2003 and the National Minimum Standards for Boarding Schools.

The TBAP Residence will maximise the opportunities for vulnerable young people at the Bridge AP Academy who are in a cycle of temporary Care placements or on the edge of Care. It will do this through minimising disruption in education and retaining strong relationships at times of crisis and stress for young people and their families. The Residence will provide:

  • a safe, therapeutic place for a young person in crisis,
  • a place where consistency in education and therapeutic intervention will be retained,
  • opportunities for teachers and therapists to work more intensively
  • respite care for a young person, or a family, when the relationships within the home have become too volatile,
  • space and time for parents and carers to engage with the family workers at the Bridge AP Academy when they are less emotionally charged.

The Residence concept is built on MultifunC (Multi-Functional Support) principles developed in Scandinavia by The Ministry of Family Affairs in Norway (BFD), The National Board of Institutional Care (SiS) and Centre for Evaluation of Social Services (CUS) in Sweden. The curriculum is the consistent medium through which all aspects of support can be delivered: it is multi-sensory, involves support agencies (counselling, therapists) and has access to a broad range of experiences from aesthetic, through academic to outdoors and high energy/high adrenalin activity .

'Several studies have shown that programs that monitor the treatment integrity or fidelity produce better outcomes than those that do not (e.g. Henggeler et al, 1994). ..

....Hollin (1995) identified important factors to secure integrity. Programs should be based on a specific treatment approach, there should be no major differences in opinions among staff about theories of antisocial behaviour and treatment, the staff should be systematically trained in the agreed upon methods, and treatment should be evaluated.'

MultifunC review 2003

The delivery model is consistent and structured, and that consistency and structure runs from the TBAP Trust to the Bridge AP Academy to the TBAP Residence. The vision, mission and impact of the all the settings are the same as they are one education provider, and are founded on the marriage of school effectiveness methodology, and a well-proven therapeutic framework . The TBAP Residence promotes the seven key identified by Lezotte et al and which are displayed throughout the TBAP Trust :

  • instructional leadership;
  • clear and focused mission
  • a safe and orderly environment
  • a climate of high expectations
  • frequent monitoring of student progress
  • positive home-school relations
  • maximising the opportunity to learn and student time on task

The TBAP Residence will put a young person in a space where they can learn new ways of doing things, and where they can make explore internally (self) and externally (professional) initiated change. However, as the experience will be completely consistent with the main Academy, on return they will be supported by the Bridge AP Academy team in applying their learning both at home and at school.

'Many of the (young people) return home after the stay in residential treatment. Ideally, the aftercare should be considered an integral and obligatory part of the treatment process. To have lasting effects the treatment processes have to include considerable and systematic help to establish a pro-social life at home. This is in accordance with the principle of need, and focus on the same risk factors (dynamic needs) inside as well as outside of the residential setting.'

MultifunC review 2003

Case Study 1: Terri Key Stage 4

Terri has had problems in all aspects of her life, for all of her life. Educationally she needs speech and language input and intensive work around her literacy and numeracy. While capable of GCSE's she can find it a real struggle to get things done, but can see the relevance of studying and is eager to do well. Originally placed in a Special School they were unable to cope and Terri moved through two Alternative Provisions before coming to the Bridge AP Academy where there was every confidence that she could be supported.

Terri has been cared for by her extended family from birth; for a few years by her grandmother and then, because there were issues around alcohol and abuse in the home, by her Great Auntie who has tried hard to look after her for the last 7 years. This arrangement can be really difficult; Auntie has her own problems to deal with as well as having to look after other children in the family and Terri can be angry, very angry - there are times when disagreements escalate to the point where a short-term Care placement has to be found. Auntie then feels that she has failed, takes Terri back without there being any substantive change in the situation or utilising respite care, and so the cycle starts again.

Terri has understandable issues around creating attachments with adults (she forms positive relationships very quickly but the boundaries soon become blurred and difficult for all concerned) and also around her mental health; Terri self-harms, having to be searched regularly throughout the day for broken glass that she hides in her clothes. Self-harming can also take the shape of risk-taking behaviours, particularly with inappropriate sexual relationships and she is at very real risk of sexual exploitation.

At the Bridge AP Academy Terri receives support for her learning needs, and also two hours of therapeutic intervention a week - time which she values but often cannot complete as it's so challenging. The real problems come when there has been an issue at home, or when there is change in everyone's life. An example is when, for the first time, Auntie took a holiday away on her own. Whilst an appropriate placement was found for Terri with a relative her behaviours before and during the separation from Auntie were very challenging - she is very dependent on those adults that care and felt this as a rejection.

The TBAP Residence would provide support for Terri by providing a safe environment where she could gain the maximum benefit from an intensive therapeutic intervention when there is a period of crisis in her self esteem and in relationships at home; an intervention which would be continued on return to the Bridge after a number of weeks with a full transfer of information between professionals. Terri would be able to make gains in her self-awareness and self-efficacy which will be sustained in her home context. Terri will also be able to learn a new way to be, model positive behaviours, and to relate to others.

The Residence would eventually become a place to go when both Terri and Auntie are in need of respite, before things get to a crisis point. This would be once they, and the professional team, have come to a position where there is an understanding around the triggers for crisis in the family relationships . This would ensure that there was never a need for an emergency Care placement and there would be no disruption to her learning or relationships.

Model intervention pattern based on actual events

Terri's intervention can be carefully planned over the two years of Key Stage 4 as her needs are well known and understood. The aim would be to prevent any crisis interventions through well-timed inputs. In total, because of her vulnerability and need, Terri would undertake 3 placements at the Residence over Key Stage 4.

  • Residence placement 1 Year 10 : Term 2 (October to December), 6 weeks crisis placement. Terri's education has stabilised following entry to the Academy, but her relationships at home worsened and Terri's LSP has flagged up a serious concern. A referral meeting is called and Auntie and Terri agree to a placement. The placement introduces the Residential concept, builds on initial therapeutic intervention around self view, self-harming and forming appropriate relationships. There is also sufficient time to go through 'storming, forming, norming, performing 'cycle with adults; an investment for the future. Academically Terri experiences a significant Functional Skills input in preparation for first GCSE assessments. She also completed her first pieces of extended coursework and there is an improvement in confidence with regards to academic performance. This early Residence placement allows a little time for Auntie to work on parenting skills without distraction, and to form a strong relationship with the Bridge AP Academy.
  • Residence placement 2 Year 10: Term 6 (June -July), 6 weeks crisis placement. Whilst there has been some improvement in relationships at home Terri is beginning to exhibit very challenging behaviours again as she moves towards the Summer holidays - a period of time when she is at heightened risk of harm due to increased exposure to predatory peers and adults. Once again a referral is made and the focus for the placement determined (self regard/safe behaviours). The work with Auntie revolves around the right way to help Terri be safe; putting in boundaries and expectations about being contactable during the day and at home at night.
  • Residence Placement 3 Year 11: Term 3 (January to February), 6 weeks respite placement. Critical point in the examination cycle and a point where Terri is at risk of 'folding' due to pressure and lack of self-esteem. Being at the Residence will provide her with 24 hour support and counselling , building on the progress that she has made in the last 18 months. For Terri this is also a 'danger-time' as Auntie is taking her first holiday out of the UK, visiting relations in Australia for three weeks. At the Residence Terri will be in a safe placement and working on those resilience skills for independent living (an example of need: this year, 2015, Terri has been phoning Bridge AP Academy staff out of hours to seek re-assurance while Auntie is away as she is so worried about her studies).

B. Placement Process

B. 1 - Placement Funding

The Tri-Borough Authorities have agreed to fund the TBAP Residence placements as part of the existing funding model for the TBAP Trust. The funding model brings together High Needs Block and allocated Special Educational Needs Funding from Education, along with Social Care and Health funding. As the Residence is budgeted for there will be no delay in access to placements as they are required. Should there be a period when there are a small number of places not being used, then these would be used on a planned placement basis for identified pupils who would benefit from a 'top-up' at the Residence.

B.2 Process - crisis placement

  1. On entry to TBAP Trust initial assessment identifies and flags those young people who have a history of Care interventions, either short or long term, and where the family has a history of high level social services intervention
  2. Initial familiarisation work with Residence Link Professional (RLP) at Bridge AP Academy
  3. As crisis emerges an emergency joint session with Head of School, RLP and counsellor at Bridge AP Academy takes place
  4. Tri- borough Education and Social Care informed
  5. Residence Placement of pupil (within 24 hours of referral).
  6. Work with parent(s)/carer(s) at Bridge AP Academy and family home on parenting and coping strategies
  7. Formal review against placement objectives
  8. Weekend family placement (s) as appropriate
  9. Formal review against placement objectives
  10. Joint session with LSP, RLP and counsellor at TBAP Residence to examine readiness to return to the Bridge AP Academy
  11. Recommendations made to Head of School as to readiness to return
  12. Return to Bridge and continued work with RLP and Bridge based LSP on new relationship and behaviour norms
  13. Review with Tri- borough Education and Social Care

B. 3 Process - planned placement

  1. On entry to TBAP Trust initial assessment identifies and flags those young people who have factors within the family that indicate a risk of going into Care
  2. Approach to family with regards to the benefit of a Residence placement
  3. Initial work with Residence Link Professional (RLP) at Bridge AP Academy
  4. Joint session with RLP and counsellor at Bridge AP Academy
  5. Residence Placement of pupil
  6. Work with parent(s)/carer(s) at Bridge AP Academy on parenting and coping strategies
  7. Formal review against placement objectives
  8. Weekend family placement (s)
  9. Formal review against placement objectives
  10. Joint session with LSP, RLP and counsellor at TBAP Residence to examine readiness to return to the Bridge AP Academy
  11. Return to Bridge and continued work with RLP and Bridge based LSP on new relationship and behaviour norms

C. The curriculum at the TBAP Residence

At the TBAP Residence the curriculum will have four key strands. The structure of intervention is an exact corollary to the structure in the Bridge AP Academy and the common approach and nature of the intervention is key to the effectiveness of the Residence: young people will be able to build on and consolidate their successes in the TBAP Academy; reinforcing positive behaviours, attitudes and creating resilience.

The most crucial factor for achieving success for TBAP students will be the consistency of approach which enables learning to take place throughout the waking day and in all settings (academy, residence, in the community) throughout the year. Consistency will be achieved through having a shared approach, careful planning and a focus on expertise for all staff. The collaborative process involves education, residential, and therapeutic teams working together with specialists and parents/carers to ensure consistency..

C.1 The Waking Hours/ 'Therapeutic' curriculum

The Marlborough Model forms the basis of the Therapeutic Curriculum at the TBAP Residence. The model was developed by experienced teachers, psychotherapists and trainers based at the Marlborough Family Education Centre. The Marlborough team has over 28 years experience of successfully embedding the model in schools and has worked with Bridge AP Academy for over 5 of those years. To strengthen the link between organisations Seamus Oates, TBAP Executive Headteacher, is a Director of The Family School, a Free School run by the Marlborough Family Education Centre.

The Marlborough Model is centred on a belief that children’s needs should be viewed in the context of the environments at home and school and not simply in relation to the children themselves. This is because families have the opportunity to experience that they are not alone in their struggles with parental issues. Families will share coping strategies through support groups at the Bridge AP Academy and receive help and support from working with professionals regularly both at the Bridge AP Academy and the TBAP Residence.

Through using clear and understood goals which operate within a consistent framework children start the programme scoring less than 40% success on daily behavioural targets and leave intervention groups when scoring over 70%. The Marlborough approach was selected by TBAP Trust because of its proven capability to effect change. Further quantifiable benefits of the model include:

  • Improved academic achievement and attendance;
  • Reduction in anti-social behaviour;
  • Improved parenting competencies e.g. clear boundaries and communications;
  • Development of trust with professional service providers;
  • Improved family/ school relationships;
  • Improved accessibility to mental health services.

The Residence allows for work with parents/carers at the weekends using the Marlborough Family Intervention model, which can then be followed up in individual or group sessions during the following weeks at the Bridge AP Academy. It is envisioned that a family would be able to benefit from weekend interventions to a maximum of twice in any 6 week Term. In most cases the Residence would expect parents to use the weekend facility one weekend in the Term. By utilising this model of integrated intervention before, during and after placement there is maximum focus on reaching planned outcomes (both academic and emotional/behavioural).

There will be a dedicated suite for family based intervention/counselling consisting of a family intervention/education room in the main TBAP Residence along with a self-contained overnight facility remote from the main Residence which will comply with all Safeguarding protocols - here parents/carers can focus on improving their parenting skills and relationship with their child away from the pressure of the home environment, siblings etc.