Parent Guide AHS Lower Site

Parent Guide AHS Lower Site

Notes

Parent’s Guide Lower Site

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Index

Important contacts

Welcome introduction (page 3)

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Alderwasley Hall School and Sixth Form –Lower Site Alderwasley Derbyshire DE56 2SR

Role of care (page 4)

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Care House’s (page 5 –8)

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The Role of key worker ( page 8)

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Farm View House Tel:01629 821414 Phoenix House: Tel: 01629 821416 Pendleton House Tel: 01629 821420 Griffin House Tel : 01629 821418

What is an Annual Review (page 9)

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Activities (page 10-12)

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Medication ( page 13)

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Karen Tatham— Head of Care & Registered Manager Tel: 01629 821417 or 01629 822586

Money (page 14)

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Clothing (page 15)

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HOUSE PAYPHONE NUMBERS Pendleton 01629 821 439 Phoenix 01629 821 430 Farm View 01629 821 430 Griffin 01629 821 424

House Keeping (page16)

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Possessions (page 16)

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Keeping in contact & Visiting (page 17)

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Alderwasley Hall School and Sixth Form - Upper Site Devonshire House

Religious, Cultural and Language needs (page 18)

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Transport (page 18)

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Derby Road Wirksworth Derbyshire DE4 4BN

Meals (page 19)

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Keeping children safe (page 19)

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Devonshire House Tel: 01629 821402 Lesley Mawbey — Registered Manager Tel: 01629 823364

Safeguarding statement (page 20)

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Alderwasley Parents Together (Page 21)

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Online safety (Page 22)

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Concerns and complaints (page 22)

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Sara Forsyth –Headteacher Tel: 01629 822586

Important contacts (page 23)

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We recognise that having a child living away from home can be an anxious time for parents. Our aim is to help you as much as we can with the adjustment of having a child at a residential school and support you throughout your child’s time with us. Alderwasley Hall School Welcome to Although you will have contact with the staff team during your child’s assessment / stay, we hope this guide will re-affirm any of the conversations you have with our staff and provide a valuable reference guide for you in the future. If you have a question that you feel is not answered in the guide, or require more information on a particular matter please do not hesitate to contact me.

On-line Safety

As a school we aim to keep our students safe. This includes keeping the young people safe

when online. We want to ensure the young people are using computers and the internet safely and believe by having the equipment checked and the IP address taken by our IT manager will keep the students safe when using their computers in school. Parents will need to sign to agree this and any equipment that has not been checked, parents will be responsible for the equipment.

What do I do if I have any concerns or need to make a complaint?

Best wishes

If you have any concern in regards to your child, your child's key team are here to support you . The key team can work together to put everything is in place for the wellbeing of your child. If you have any concerns which you feel are of a more serious nature or if you want to make a complaint, you can contact the Registered Managers, Head of Care or Residential Lead Practitioner (contact details on pages 22 & 23).

Karen Tatham

Head of Care

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Alderwasley Parents Together

Alderwasley Parents Together (APT) meetings are parent workshops and networking group. We try to have four meetings a year; October and April parent consultation days and the last day of half term in both February and May. Each meeting normally has a speaker discussing a particular topic as well as a chance for parents to speak to the Head Teacher and each other. Previous meetings have had both external and internal speakers who have spoken about an area they specialise in. We have had an author with high functioning autism speak about his experiences, a lecturer from Derby University speak about his research into ASD, solicitors to talk about the EHCP transfer process and internal speakers discussing strategies around sleeping, to name a few. We are also always interested in hearing from parents who would like to make a suggestion for topics or would like to lead a workshop themselves. APT meetings are also a chance for the Head Teacher to bring up topics for discussion and gauge opinion on matters which affect the stu- dents, the school and wider community.

What is the role of care at Alderwasley Hall School ?

We recognise that good quality care is paramount not only to young people’s education, but also to their wider life skills and general well being. We therefore have an interdisciplinary approach to care which complies with Quality Care Standards and Children’s Home Regulations. Within the care environment we support young people to develop their:  Communication skills  Personal hygiene skills

 Individual use of leisure time  Practical and domestic skills  Independence skills

Each house provides a warm, friendly, homely atmosphere with a team of Support Workers who work on a rota to cover all hours outside of the education.

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Safeguarding Statement

Which house will my child live in?

Alderwasley Hall School is committed to keeping our children safe. By providing a safe environment for children to live, learn and play and by identifying children who are, or may be, suffering harm, the school will endeavor to ensure they are kept safe both at school and at home.

At Alderwasley Hall School we have four houses: Griffin House, Phoenix House, Farm View and Pendleton house. The house chosen for your child is determined as part of their care assessment. Residential care staff will identify what your child’s abilities are and assess how they will manage within each house. It is important that we have an accurate picture of your child so that we ensure that they are happy and able to make the most of their potential.

To achieve this, we have systems in place which are designed to:

Create and maintain a safe living and learning environment. Identify child welfare concerns and take appropriate action.

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 Use the curriculum to enable our children to develop keep safe strategies.  Operate safer recruitment and selection procedures to prevent unsuitable people working with our children. Anyone visiting the school shares the responsibility to keep children safe whilst on our premises and will be required to work within the guidelines of our safeguarding procedures. Our safeguarding policies can be viewed in the policies section of the website. If at any time you have concerns about the welfare of a child please contact the school office on 01629 822586 and you will be put through to a member of our safeguarding team immediately. For more detailed information, please ask to see our Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy which is part of a set of policies designed to create a safe environment for our children. All of these policies are located on the school website or are available on request from the school office.

The houses on site are:

Phoenix

Farm View

Pendleton

Griffin

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How do you keep my child safe? We take the safety of your child very seriously and therefore ensure that all staff have completed mandatory safeguarding training as part of their induction. All visitors must sign in and carry a visitor’s personal identity badge. Visitors must be approved and escorted appropriately. Whenever possible, all visits to meet with young people should be planned in advance. Our school works closely with Derbyshire local Authority as well as placing authorities. We follow national and local guidance on safeguarding to make sure your child is safe at all times. All young people are individually risk assessed and staff are aware of their needs. Every off site activity is also risk assessed and on the day of the trip and another check is made to account for any changes in weather, staffing or other factors that may affect the safety of the trip. School site environmental and area risk assessments are also carried out to help minimise any potential hazards that my affect the wellbeing of young people and staff. Meal times All meals, except lunch during the week, are cooked and eaten on the houses. Weekday meal times: Breakfast 07.00—08.30 Evening Meal 16:00—17:00 Supper— 19:30—20:00 Supper routines vary from house to house and dependent on young peoples needs.

Alderwasley Hall School

Alderwasley Hall School is situated in picturesque Derbyshire, close to the towns of Matlock, Belper and Wirksworth. We provide specialist education, therapy and care for children and young people aged 5 – 19 years, with speech, language and communication needs and/or Aspergers Syndrome and/or A Acquired Brain Injury (ABI).

All homes will encourage your child to participate in activities. Trips include activities such as visiting the cinema, going to Rollerworld, Bounce Revolution and Laser Quest. These trips provide both enjoyment and new experiences for them and provide a combination of social events, physical activities and life skills training. All of the young people are asked for input into which activities they enjoy during student meetings and these are considered for inclusion trip activities .

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How do you meet my child’s religious, cultural and language needs? The religious and cultural needs of young people and their families are respected by all staff. We work with families and the young people to ensure all cultural needs are met. Please discuss this with a manager or your child’s Key Worker. As a school we are passionate about supporting young people to develop their potential regardless of their disability, gender, age and sexual orientation. What are the transport arrangements for school holidays and weekend visits? Some Local Authorities will help with travel arrangements by providing a taxi or escort at the beginning and end or term. They may also help with transport for weekend home visits or by giving you financial reimbursement for visiting the school, you will need to check with your own Local Education Department to find out what their arrangements are.

Alderwasley Hall School also has facilities for on site recreational activities such as a tennis court, sensory integration room, indoor sports facilities, music room, fully equipped kitchens and a cinema room where young people can watch age appropriate films and play on the Nintendo Wii, Switch or Xbox. In addition , Alderwasley has a common room which offers table football, pool and also areas to sit and play board games and relax. There is also full access to the ICT suites. As well as staying at their allocated house, group activities are organised so that all of the young people from each residential site can get together and join a trip out.

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How do I keep in contact with my child and how do they contact me?

Will my child stay in the same house whilst they are a student at the School

We will always help and encourage your child to contact you, either by telephone, text, email, skype or letter, and will assist them with any incoming calls/mail. When young people first stay away from home it is a difficult time for them and you, so please phone or write as you can in the first few weeks. This usually settles into a pattern of one or two phone calls a week, probably on specific days. There is a pay phone on each house (see contact page). Regular telephone calls between parents, young people and staff help keep all parties well informed. A Key Worker will endeavour to call parents weekly. During the times of 07.30 – 08.45 and 15.30 - 21.00 staff will ensure their time with all the young people is priority, therefore staff may not be in the office to take your calls immediately. Please leave us a message and someone will call you back as soon as they are free.

Young people will move houses during their time at the school; this may be due to their age, level of maturity or compatibility with other young people. Any potential move of houses will be discussed and agreed with you and your child beforehand. Your child will also be given the opportunity to visit the new house before they move, to allow them time to get to know the house, staff and their peers.

What is a Key Worker and what do they do? Every young person is allocated a Key Worker. They will introduce themselves to you and keep in contact with you on a regular basis.

Can I visit my child for special occasions, such as birthdays?

The Key Worker will work closely with your child to ensure they settle in well and have their needs met accordingly. They will liaise the key team to set realistic targets to enable your child develop their life skills and maximise their potential.

We understand that it can be difficult for both young people and parents to be parted on birthdays and other special events. We therefore work to ensure these really are special days with a party supper and games. Any members of the young persons family are welcome to visit. If this is not practical then staff will work with you to ensure that your child receives their presents and cards and speaks to you on the telephone.

If you do have any worries or concerns or there is anything you wish to talk about, the Key Worker is the ideal person to make contact.

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How is laundry and housework organised? Young people are encouraged to do their laundry, where possible. This is supervised by a member of staff and your child will be fully supported to complete their washing until they are confident enough to do it independently. Young people have laundry baskets in their room for dirty washing. The school laundry washes bed linen on a weekly basis and other items as required. Residential care staff are responsible for overseeing the general tidiness of the house, but each young person is responsible for his or her own bedroom and are asked to tidy up after themselves in communal areas. What possessions can my child Apart from pets, young people can bring any possessions from home to personalise their bedrooms. Poster, photographs, bedding, toys, TV’s and games consoles are all welcome. Any electronic games or DVD’s must be age appropriate for your child. We provide bedside tables and encourage young people to take responsibility for their bedroom key. The schools insurance does not cover items of value belonging to young people and would, therefore need to be covered by your own household insurance. All electrical equipment brought on to site must be PAT tested by a member of staff prior to use. Please also ensure that your child's name is visible on their possessions.

What are the residential staff working hours?

Currently all residential staff at Alderwasley Hall School work their shifts on a rolling rota. This enables young people to work with different members of staff on a regular basis in order to familiarise themselves with them and build positive relationships. This means that your child's nominated keyworker will not necessarily work with your child every evening.

What is an Annual Review and what do I need to do?

It is a statutory requirement under the Education Act 1981 for all children who have an Education, Health and Care Plan, to have an Annual Review, to which you are invited. As well as yourself, the following people will also be invited to attend; a representative from the authority (this is usually an Educational Psychologist), the Head Teacher or a member of senior management, the class teacher, the Key Worker and also Speech and Language Therapist. If your child has an Occupational Therapist, they may also attend. Reports are also submitted from the Health Promotions Manager, Specialist teachers (PE, Art and Music) or the Mental Health Team. Your child will also be asked for his her views by their Key Worker and these will be presented at the review either by your child or by the Key Worker, depending on your child’s age and ability and whether or not they want to attend. Your are likely to have already met most of the people present at the review. You will get advance notice when the review is due, and will be invited by the Head Teacher to submit your own comments prior to the review.

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What clothing will my child need?

School Uniform

Knee length or below. No leggings

Dark Grey/ Black

Bottoms

Skirt/trousers

Plain White / Light Blue

Top

Top / Shirt

With sleeve

What activities can my child do in the evening and at weekends?

Jumper / Sweatshirt / Hooded top

Jumper

Black / Navy

Shoes / trainers

Low heel. Covered toe with back

Footwear

Black

After school, as part of their development, young people are encouraged and helped to make appropriate use of their leisure time. This means not only looking at individual interests and hobbies, but also extending their interests by offering them the opportunity to sample different activities. This does mean going out of school, both into the community and further afield. Some young people join community based organisations such as Cadets, Scouts and Guides. Some young people also regularly attend horse riding lessons at a local Equestrian centre. Some activities may require parental permission and additional payment, you will be contacted if this is the case. During the school week, evening inclusion visits may include a local walk, bowling, driving range golf or the cinema. Emphasis is put on developing life skills and shopping on a budget in a local supermarket, which is always a popular trip.

After School

In care time, children can wear any casual clothing they wish, as long as it is clean and comfortable and appropriate for the activity. Young people use the leisure facilities and will require swimwear, trainers/plimsolls and also a PE kit. It is also important that your child has a waterproof coat, hat and gloves for the winter months.

IMPORTANT! - Please ensure all clothing items are labelled with your child's name to enable them to be easily identified.

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Who looks after my child’s money?

Weekends are less structured as we do not always stay at school. Depending on what is planned, we might go for a picnic or arrange to have a meal out. We plan activities a term ahead and a list of these will be sent to you at the end of the preceding term. This allows you the opportunity to discuss with your child, which weekends, if any, are best for visits home etc. It also allows you to budget towards the entrance fees for the activities if required.

Each House runs a 'bank account' system. Each young person has an individual account, where money can be deposited or withdrawn. During each transaction the young person, as well as a member of staff, signs to confirm the transaction has taken place; this way we ensure accurate and appropriate records. If your child is a looked after child, financial arrangements may be different, which will be confirmed by the Registered Manager.

Parents are welcome to ask for the balance of their child's account at any time. If your child is running short of money we will contact you. We would suggest that £30 per half term usually covers the needs of most young people, but if there is a special event that requires a request for additional money we will let you know with plenty of notice. If you decide to send a larger sum of money for you child, please send it directly to staff or make us aware that your child has money on them that needs to go into the 'bank account'. We can only be responsible for money that we are aware of.

Other examples of off site activities that we are involved in over the year include camping, youth hostelling, cycling and Laser Quest. We also go on trips to museums, zoos, theme parks, skate parks, the seaside and theatre, as well as visiting local towns and enjoying the local countryside. Young people are also encouraged to use the on site play areas and they can also visit Alderwasley Hall School and Sixth Form—Upper Site to use the swimming pool, climbing wall, gym and squash court. While young people are away from home, it’s important that they do not miss out on the opportunities to develop their practical and domestic skills. Within the house, as at home, there are a number of domestic and practical jobs that need doing.

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Young people are encouraged to help with these daily tasks, taking turns and responsibilities for all aspects of the day to day running of the house. Young people are responsible for their own bedrooms supported by staff if necessary. As young people get older and progress, their need for independence becomes more apparent. They are supported to achieve levels of independence initially within the house and as they become more competent they are supported to become more independent within the house and eventually out in the community.

Who looks after my child’s medical needs?

If your child is full time residential and you would like your child to be registered with the local GP surgery, we will need your child’s medical card to help with the registration. On a day to day basis our onsite Health Promotions Manager, Claire Robinson, monitors the health of all young people. Please contact her if you need to discuss any aspect of your child’s medical needs. School staff have basic first aid training to help you deal with any problems that might occur. If your child does become poorly whilst with us, we will alert the Health Promotions Manager, who will make arrangements with local health professionals for appointments if required. During the evenings and weekends we will contact NHS Direct. If necessary, we will arrange for them to be seen by the local GP. We will always contact you in the event of your child becoming ill or having an accident. If your child becomes ill, changes in medication or there is a medical discrepancy at home, please keep us informed. If your child is on any long term medication, this is monitored by Residential House staff. Records are kept of any prescribed and non-prescribed medication. It is important that all prescribed drugs are clearly marked in their original container, labelled with the young person’s, medication name, dosage and time to be given, We are unable to accept medication that does not include this

information. All medication should be handed to a member of staff by an adult. Staff will sign to confirm receipt. Please do not under any circumstances send medication in your child’s luggage or on their person.

Only competent, medically trained staff are permitted to administer medication.

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