Membership review for Alderwasley Hall School

The membership review is intended to reflect the experiences of the visitor who might be looking for a placement.

The review is subjective, consistent and impartial, representing the impressions of our team member on the day of the visit. It is a snapshot view only. The contents of this review are intended to cover some of the subjects and issues which an individual, their relatives or their placement officer might ask.

In order to preserve their confidentiality, we did not have access to care plans or personnel files.

This review has been published with the written agreement of the home owner, or an authorised representative of the company.

‘It was clear that there was a significant focus on autism at Alderwasley and in particular how autism and Asperger’s syndrome impacted on an individual’s senses and ability to use and understand facets of communication.’

Summary of findings

Alderwasley Hall School and Sixth Form Centre are set on two separate sites about two miles apart in the Derbyshire countryside.

Alderwasley was seen to be very much specialist in Occupational ,and Speech and Language therapies supporting a client group, in the main, with a diagnosis of higher functioning autism or Asperger’s, mental health concerns and brain injuries. The school’s specialist primary years service also worked with children with additional learning disabilities, this was a short to medium term assessment and intervention programme.  

The sites are both set in the heart of Derbyshire countryside, although the 6th form college is closer to amenities and felt in many ways like a small university campus which seemed entirely appropriate. I was thoroughly impressed by both the environment and the focus of the staff team.

Both education and care at Alderwasley Hall had been graded as good by OFSTED at the time of my visit.

Introduction

Alderwasley Hall School and the Sixth Form Centre are situated in the heart of the Derbyshire countryside. They form part of the SENAD Group’s services in Derbyshire area. Alderwasley is close to the towns of Matlock, Belper and Wirksworth.

The service specialises in education, therapy and care for children and young people aged 5 to 19 years, with speech, language and communication needs and/or Asperger’s Syndrome and/or Acquired Brain Injury.

First Impressions

On the day of the visit I went to the school site first. The school was approached by a single track road, there were two car parking areas and both could be accessed by visitors. The reception was signposted and upon entering the building I was asked to sign in, given a visitors badge and taken through to meet the Head-teacher, Angela Findlay. Angela very kindly took time out to answer some questions about the school and the college and then took me round both parts of the service.

The Environment (Internal)

At the school I visited several classrooms where a variety of lessons and activities were taking place including a music lesson. There was a lot of musical and studio equipment available and lots of pictures of students engaging in a number of projects. The primary group were just finishing a session in the sports hall and were just undertaking some gentle relaxation exercises before heading for lunch. The classrooms I saw were all very spacious and well equipped. The school had adapted to the building to a certain extent due to its listed status. I also went through to the lounge and kitchen of one of the residential areas which seemed entirely appropriate for that age group.

The environment at the sixth form centre did remind me of a university satellite campus which I very much saw as a positive. There was a very relaxed feel and lots of areas where students could work in peace or chill out quietly on their own. I also enjoyed a very nice lunch from the student cafeteria.

The Environment (External)

The school site is enclosed by tree lined hillsides and meadows and even on a wet and cloudy day looked stunning. Although not all the land surrounding the school was accessible there was a large playing field for outdoor sports and activities. The main school buildings were part of what once must have been a very grand stately home. It was so very quiet and peaceful and, whilst not wanting to generalise, the serenity of the location made for very therapeutic surroundings to go with the formal and professional input.

The Environment (Wider environment)

As previously stated, both sites are based very much in the countryside, although Alderwasley Sixth Form Centre is closer to local amenities; there were bus stops close by and Wirksworth train station was within walking distance. The school was situated in the middle of the countryside and there was no public transport in the direct vicinity of the school. However, Whatstandwell railway station was approximately a mile away. The nearest town is Belper which is approximately a mile and a half away.

Angela Findlay reported a good relationship with the community on the whole. The school has held regular open days and has been holding a carol service in a local church every year. Several young people from the school and college had educational and work experience placements in the nearby towns and as far away as the city of Derby. Most young people used local facilities and shops on a regular basis.

Understanding Autism

It was clear that there was a significant focus on autism at Alderwasley and, in particular, how autism and Asperger’s syndrome impacted on an individual’s senses and ability to use and understand facets of communication.

My observation was that there was a real understanding of autism demonstrated on several levels. The environment, as mentioned in the previous section, was seen to be key as alterations had been made to cater for individuals' particular sensory issues. Also, in discussion, staff members were very clear in their understanding of how certain things would impact on someone with autism. Ear defenders were available for young people for some lessons and various environmental changes, some quite subtle such as room dividers, had been put in place to facilitate learning, communication and focus in a calm and peaceful environment.

All staff members received three days’ training just relating to autism as part of their induction.

The adoption of NAPPI (Non-Abusive Psychological & Physical Intervention) training had   been seen to reduce incidents of physical intervention and Angela Findlay could only recall a few recent instances where a physical approach had become necessary.

Health and Wellbeing

The therapeutic focus offered by Alderwasley was backed by a large team of specialists; several Speech and Language Therapists, 11 Occupational Therapists, most of whom were qualified in sensory integration therapy, and a Health and Wellbeing manager. All these specialists contributed to strategy meetings and gave advice where necessary. The school had good links to the local GP surgery and dentist. All in all, the approach felt very holistic and enabled the service to care for some highly complex individuals.

Dietary issues were discussed with the local NHS provisions or the local General Practitioner. This was supported by the fact the head of the kitchen services was a qualified nutritionist. Residential students often shopped for ingredients for meals and snacks and then prepared them on site.

I found Alderwasley’s approach to social media and its internet safety policy quite refreshing. Whilst Angela Findlay said Facebook and similar social media usage had been a problem in some ways, it had allowed issues to come out into the open so individuals could learn from situations and this seemed a far more useful approach than just restrict social media usage completely.  

Overall it seemed that each student had a circle of support which could expand and relax when necessary.

Individuals living in the home

The majority of individuals that attended and resided at Alderwasley School and Sixth Form Centre could be described as having higher functioning autism or Asperger’s syndrome. There were also individuals with Acquired Brain Injuries and Selective Mutism.

There was also a specialist primary age service at the school which worked with children with additional learning disabilities designed to fill a gap in the provision of specialist education and care placements, for younger children aged 5-11 years  where it had been identified that the child needed a short to medium term assessment and intervention programme.

Each individual had a bespoke, carefully planned daily programme to suit their needs and abilities.

Student councils met once a week in school. The student council at the sixth form centre was self-governing. Students were involved in appointments and interviews for new teaching and support staff.

A large proportion of the students at Alderwasley were white and male.To broaden cultural horizons Angela had formed links with Derby Moor College which had 70% of students from a non-white British ethnic background.

Alderwasley had an adolescent group which met regularly to look at issues around sexuality and relationships.

As well as GCSE’s and A level subjects, the school and sixth form centre provided some employment focused qualifications such as BTEC’s in Hair and Beauty, Child Care and Business Studies. Fridays were described as ‘enrichment days’ where students got involved in activities and lessons which diverted from the normal timetable.

Alderwasley’s location meant that it was in an excellent position for outdoor pursuits and young people engaged in canoeing and rock climbing. Alderwasley College had its own climbing wall.

Staffing

No staff members were allowed to work with individuals at Alderwasley School and Sixth Form Centre until satisfactory Disclosure and Barring Service checks had been received.

The level of staffing support could alter depending on the needs of the young people. This was reflected within individual support and supervision risk assessments, and agreed with placing authorities.

The education staff and care and support staff operated separately communication between the two was regular and time-tabled into the day.

All staff were trained in the use of NAPPI, None Abusive Physical and Psychological Intervention.

Management of the home

Angela was a very experienced practitioner with a great knowledge of autism and demonstrated a real enthusiasm and drive to do her utmost for the young people in her care. She also appeared to have a positive relationship with the staff team. Although Angela explained that this was the first role she has had in a service which specialised in Asperger’s and autism It was clear from our discussions that she had a great deal of experience of working with young people on the autistic spectrum and she felt that the clear and structured approaches that she had used in other schools had transferred successfully. Angela felt that what made Alderwasley a unique service was the extent of the therapeutic provision; the personalised timetables for students; student centred approach in every aspect of school work. The ethos was that all young people should have the ability to reach their potential with the support to overcome whatever barriers their condition may place in front of them. Angela pointed out that many young people leave Alderwasley Sixth Form College and go straight to university without support.

Angela believed the most significant development since she had been in post at Alderwasley was the overall development of the service, reflected by the fact that the school was rated “Good” by OFSTED. Data was now being collected more effectively so that the data could be analysed to show more improvements. Exam results had improved year on year. All performance indicators relating to student outcomes were improving overall. Complaints had reduced and a student and parental questionnaire indicated high levels of satisfaction with the school. There were, at the time of the visit, no permanent exclusions and there had been fewer temporary ones overall in comparison to previous years.

Over the next two years Angela would like the service to focus on making the School become “outstanding” in OFSTED terms and care to become a real strength of the school.

Policies and procedures relating to the running of the home were available for staff to peruse on SENAD’s Intranet although hard copies were also available. Staff supervisions were carried out on a monthly basis. There was a staff handbook supplied to each member of staff which covered areas such as appropriate conduct and dress, as well as support mechanisms.

There was an independent counselling service purchased externally by the company for staff to use.

Conclusion

My feeling from the visit was, in terms of the management, the staff and the environment that there was a real focus and willingness to get to know each individual and to provide the most appropriate therapeutic input to maximise achievement.

The environment was very peaceful in both settings. The sixth form centre and school are set in beautiful locations. All the staff I spoke with were open, friendly and helpful. I would very much recommend this school and sixth form centre for young people with higher functioning autism and Asperger’s syndrome.

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Visiting Officer - Craig Godding
Director of Operations, Living Autism