Following a successful assessment, the home seeks to provide a planned and child- centred transition process. Wherever possible, children are offered opportunities to visit the home, meet staff, view their bedroom and become familiar with the environment before admission. A named key worker is identified to support the child throughout the transition, helping to establish trusted relationships and provide continuity of care. Children are encouraged to share their wishes, feelings and concerns and are supported to bring personal belongings and items of significance to promote a sense of safety, identity and belonging. Transition arrangements are tailored to the individual needs of each child to minimise anxiety and support a positive move into the home. Each young person has a room of their own, personalised from the start of their time at the home. The Key Worker is responsible for this role from the outset of assessment, plus specific adaptations to the environment will be made to ensure it is also safe and a positive living space. All young people residing at Rowden receive pocket money appropriate to their age and are encouraged to manage their finances appropriately and at a practical level to their ability. Residential young people also have a toiletries/personal care allowance every week, but only those on a 52-week placement receive a clothing allowance. All young people accommodated at Rowden receive birthday and religious festival allowance each year. We will always support family contact wherever possible. We support young people to stay in touch via phone, skype, emails, letter and face to face.
There is on-campus family accommodation which can be booked in advance. We work with young people and their families to agree individualised contact plans. We value the insight and knowledge parents have about the needs of their child, and the best way to support them. We work closely with parents throughout their child’s time with us. Parents who sign up to a WEDUC application receive regular photos of their children’s achievements and their participation in activities. Parents also receive monthly summary reports emailed electronically, which include photographs of their children’s lives at Rowden. Our Leisure Barn has a ‘Stargaze Room’; a dark room equipped with sensory lighting, furnishings and a ceiling light projection system. Our water room is an indoor wet room with water sensors and jets, coloured lighting and music, providing the ideal setting for indoor water play. The homes are surrounded by large woodland areas where they can explore and learn about nature, as well as follow the Gruffalo trail, which makes the walk through the woods more enjoyable. There is also an allotment on site, which allows children to grow healthy foods and encourages them to participate in extra physical activity. This promotes healthier lifestyles. We have numerous vehicles to allow trips far and wide, and we also make use of public transport to ensure young people have all the learning possibilities open to them. There is also a specialist minivan with an electric wheelchair lift to suit those young people who have mobility issues. All our home and school vehicles are tracked by an electronic system which monitors staff driving styles, the speed vehicles travel at and locations. This monitoring is part of our safeguarding steps to ensure young people are safe when travelling. Young people travel in the rear of the vehicles which have the child locks switched on during use.
Made with FlippingBook - Online catalogs