Membership review for Doncaster Specialist Communications College
By – Date of visit:
This membership review is intended to reflect the experiences of the visitor who might be looking for a placement. It is subjective, consistent and impartial and reflects the impressions of our team member on the day of the visit. It is a snapshot view only. The contents of the review are intended to cover some of the subjects and issues which an individual, their relatives or their placement officer might ask.
This review has been published with the written agreement of the home owner or an authorised representative of the company.
Summary of Findings
I received a warm welcome from Stacey Betts on my arrival at Communication Specialist College – Doncaster and spent most of my visit in her company and that of colleagues Rebecca and Sally, all managers with various areas of responsibility within the College.
The College is a very large building on a main road towards the centre of Doncaster. Apart from the main building which is mostly occupied by children, there are numerous other buildings on the site which house the accommodation wings and various different departments for educational, life skills and vocational learning.
The service caters primarily for 16-plus with hearing difficulties; however, the college also successfully caters for young adults with a diagnosis of autism. It was recognised by staff some years ago that the environment provided for the deaf also suited individuals with autism as visual communication tools and the quiet atmosphere are beneficial to both groups.
I found that this service did offer the range of activities as indicated in their profile and provided a varied and stimulating programme of activities, based on individually assessed needs for all its students.
Introduction
This service is situated on one of the main roads leading into Doncaster city centre, not far from the race course. Doncaster provides a large range of activities for its residents and is not far from motorway links to all areas and the Yorkshire countryside is an easy car ride away. The college takes day and residential students with a capacity to take 200. On the day of my visit a third of the residential students had a diagnosis of autism. The residential places are for 38 weeks a year.
First Impressions
Doncaster is in South Yorkshire about 20 miles from Sheffield. It has recently experienced a considerable level of modernisation and development and has excellent links to both the north and south of the UK. It also now has a small international airport.
Communication Specialist College - Doncaster (formerly Doncaster College for the Deaf) has 200 places available for day or residential students.
Signposts directed me to the main entrance which was spacious, modern and well presented. A receptionist invited me to sign in and offered me a hot drink while I waited for Stacey to be notified of my arrival.
On a large television screen in the waiting area the news channel was showing news with sign language. Automatic doors led into the main part of the building.
The Environment (External)
This large, long building is set back from the road and there is room for parking at the front and rear. Bright and cheerful hanging baskets adorn all major doorways making the outside pleasant and inviting. There are a lot of buildings throughout the large grounds which accommodate the wide range of vocational activities such as horticulture, plastering, painting and decorating, brickwork, joinery and car maintenance. At the back of the main building, there are large rooms for beauty treatments and hairdressing. A chapel is also on the site. This is sometimes used for services for local groups.
There is a large sports department incorporating a gym and sports hall and a catering department. In the main building the courses available are Health Education and Social Studies, Media Office Technology, ICTSS and Computer Aided Design.
The grounds are tidy and the buildings appeared in good repair. All the doors I saw had to be opened with electronic keys ensuring the buildings are as secure as possible.
Security cover is present over the 24 hour period and all external and communal areas are covered by CCTV cameras. There is lighting and seating around the grounds and in the sensory garden. There is also a smoking shelter.
The Environment (Internal)
I was shown around the educational sector by the Life Skills Manager. All rooms I entered were extremely spacious and well appointed. All areas were clean and extremely well equipped. The walls in all the rooms were covered with the programmes of the students; cupboards were labelled and photos of the activities that they have taken part in over the college year adorned the walls. The communication tools used are relevant to the student, i.e. the written word, objects of reference and widget symbols.
Care has been taken to ensure that students experiencing anxieties are able to move into quiet areas set aside for the purpose.
Rooms designated for specialist activities such as beauty treatments and horticulture are well equipped for their purpose.
Rooms are decorated in a low key way using colours unlikely to cause anxiety to individuals with autism. Students who reside at the college are allowed to choose the décor and furnishings.
The living accommodation is of a type one would expect in a hall of residence or boarding school. There are two blocks, one for female residents and the other for male residents. The ground floor consists of an office, large dining-cum-living room with sofas, TV and dining table and chairs and a kitchen diner. Upstairs are single rooms, a sleep-in room for staff and a good sized laundry with domestic washing machine and tumble dryer. The bathroom facilities are shared by all the young women except for the one who lives in the flat at present. At the far end of the females’ building is a flat large enough for two people.
The decoration in the female accommodation is a little tired in places, however I was assured that there is a programme for decorating all areas and residential areas are done outside of term time when the rooms are vacated. I also noticed that there is strip lighting in some of the learning areas. I discussed this with Life Skills Manager who is aware that this is an issue with some people with autism. Plans are in place to remove these over a period of time.
The Wider Environment
The Students access the wider environment in a range of vehicles owned by the College. These include two minibuses and two cars. There is a full range of public transport locally. The city of Doncaster has a good range of high street stores and a shopping mall. There is also the Dome which provides a range of sport and leisure activities. The St Ledger horse race is held annually at the local racecourse.
Understanding Autism
Although Communication Specialist College was originally intended to provide a service for deaf people, staff discovered that the environment they provide is also highly appropriate for individuals with autism.
Staff have a good understanding of autism and receive training in the subject as part of their induction as well as on-going training throughout their time at the College. I met staff during my visit who were working with students. They were clearly respectful of their students and spoke to them in sign language as well as verbally.
Staff have a good understanding of the sensory issues relating to some people with autism and all assessments include any specific difficulties. Communication profiles are key to the development of care and learning programmes, known as passports, of each student. Each student is encouraged to participate in their own passport as far as they are able. Staff also work closely with parents to ensure that they gain as many experiences as possible. Students are prepared for new experiences by being shown photos of places they are to visit or people they will meet and will, if appropriate, go for a brief preparatory visit before the real event.
Each new activity is phased and risk assessments carried out in advance.
Behaviour plans are used and differing strategies are implemented for individuals. The Life Skills department used a strategy of "coins". Behaviour plans are developed using “coins” for achieving goals and these translate into meaningful rewards after a given period of time.
Evenings are filled with a variety of programmes for the students to engage in although their choice to do nothing is also respected.
Targets are reviewed 6-weekly and progress monitored. Staff also have weekly meetings to discuss issues relating to the students.
Students are encouraged to have aspirations and to achieve them as far as possible. When aspirations are unrealistic, every effort is made to reach a compromise giving the students at least a part of their goal.
Health and Wellbeing
All students are registered with the local GP for medical issues. In addition, The College employs a registered general nurse, and mental health nurse and two counsellors, one of whom also uses sign language. Again, where it is possible, students are prepared for any appointments with the use of the communication tool relevant to that person’s need.
The College is allocated access to an Educational Psychologist by the local council.
The use of medication is also risk assessed. If a students self-medicates, the nurse completes an assessment of his/her understanding of the task and completes a questionnaire to determine competency which is the kept on file. The student has a locked cupboard or safe in their room, which is also locked, in which their medication is kept. In other cases the medication is stored in a locked drug trolley in accordance with national guidelines.
Menus are based on healthy eating guidelines and prepared in the residential lodges with input from the students. They are able to plan meals, budget for them and go out and purchase ingredients and then cook and eat them as part of their learning targets. An external catering company is also employed to prepare meals on site for staff and students.
Staff at the College have forged links with local PCSOs (Police Community Support Officers) who are called in to discuss 1:1 with the students, about inappropriate behaviour and consequences. Sometimes they attend reviews and even “have a word” with students who are found to have behaved inappropriately outside the college.
Students receive support and education regarding sexual health issues and they are supported to make appropriate choices in their relationships. The college also has a safeguarding officer to work with staff and students in all matters regarding safety and wellbeing
Religious and cultural diversity is supported and one student is supported to attend the local mosque every week. Specialist diets are also catered for.
Individuals living in the home
The range of ability of students at the College is wide. All are supported within their own limitations and they work in their own areas to develop their full potential.
Referrals to the home are assessed by a multi disciplinary team for suitability and transitions are carefully planned in accordance with the individual’s needs. This might include the use of photos or short preparatory visits.
From this point and throughout their time at the College the student’s passport is introduced and developed until it is a fully comprehensive document containing their achievements, aspirations and qualifications, interests and goals. This is then passed on to the students’ next placement to help them provide a smooth transition.
Staffing
All staff receive a CRB (Criminal Record Bureau) check before they are allowed to join the team. Induction training includes a comprehensive insight into the issues and difficulties experienced by individuals with autism. They are all taught British Sign Language.
PRICE (Protecting the Rights of Individuals in a Controlled Environment) training is currently being introduced into the training programme. The ethos of this training is to respect the individual’s space and to de-escalate anxieties with the minimum of intervention.
Professionals in the field of autism are invited to talk to staff regarding difficulties experienced by people with autism. These guests have included Rita Jordan and Ros Blackburn.
Staff work towards the Qualification Credit Framework level three. Opportunities for career development are offered to staff to improve their skills through training (The Life Skills Manager herself started as a support worker and now has obtained her Post Graduate Certificate in Education). She also has an Advanced Diploma in Teaching in a Specialist Provision, including autism. She is responsible for all aspects of life skills. The Residential Manager is a Registered Nurse, Learning Disability, and has a Post Graduate Certificate in Education and a degree in social science. She is responsible for the residential sector. The Vocational Manager has a BA Hons in Culture and Communication, Post Graduate Certificate in Education and is currently working towards her Masters degree in autism. She is responsible for the vocational aspect of learning.
Management of the college
Opportunities are clearly present for staff and students to develop to their full potential. Training is comprehensive and career development available to all. Additional responsibilities over and above that of the chosen role are encouraged and supported.
The management style seemed friendly and approachable with all levels of staff able to access their line manager at any time. There appeared to be great enthusiasm from the senior management team for their client group and the development of the College. I saw evidence that this enthusiasm spilled over to the students. On the day of my visit, preparations were being made for the half term break. Even though students were obviously excited at the prospect of going home, it was clear to me that they enjoyed their surroundings and like the staff. I saw several small groups and some individual learning with tutors and the atmosphere was calm and friendly.
I was informed that the College has a very low turnover of staff and it was apparent that the ones I met knew their students well.
Conclusion
I enjoyed my visit to this college very much. There was a friendly atmosphere throughout the team.
Work is being done to forge links with local employers and other organisations both to develop vocational activities and to encourage local people into the college for social activities such as weight watchers.
Last summer the Olympic torch came to the college which encouraged local residents to visit.
I would like to extend my thanks to the staff and students who made my visit so enjoyable and wish them luck for the future.
Visiting Officer
Pat Clendining
Director of Client Services, Living Autism