Bankside School is Officially Open
We are delighted to announce that Bankside School, part of Options, opened its doors on the 18th September.
Committing to quality and delivering real impact is part and parcel of building incredible futures. By maintaining the very highest quality in everything we do, we’re able to make an amazing difference in the lives of those we educate and support.
Quality and impact are much more than buzz words or concepts to which we pay lip service. Throughout Options Autism and our wider Outcomes First Group, we put measures in place to make sure we’re always delivering on our promises and living up to the commitments we make.
Everyone we work with is an individual, and they all have their own vision of what an incredible future might mean to them. But by building teams who have their very best interests at heart, we inspire trust, build confidence, and open up a future that perhaps once seemed unimaginable.
The difference we make
We judge our success on the positive change we inspire and the lives we improve, and by focusing on this aim above everything, we make a real difference each day.
Quality and Compliance
Our Quality and Compliance team is at the heart of our quality commitment, driving standards, monitoring performance and putting change into practice. Our schools and residential homes are inspected by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission, the Care Inspectorate Wales, Care Inspectorate Scotland and Estyn, and we’re proud to say that our high number of ‘Outstanding’ ratings is a reflection of our entire team’s hard work.
But while high ratings are an indication of good work throughout our organisation, it’s outcomes that really count. Again, this is a source of pride for us, as we achieve some of the best in our sector with 93% in good or outstanding (or equivalent) services.
Safeguarding
Nothing is more important than keeping the children, young people and adults in our care safe from harm. Our Safeguarding and Quality Committee oversees, monitors, reviews and reports on the quality of the services we provide, and as part of the Outcomes First Group family, we also adhere to the Group’s Safeguarding Pledge.
Our Safeguarding Pledge
We pledge to:
– Keep children, young people and adults safe, and care well for them
– Help children, young people and adults to get a good education (to help them achieve and enjoy their education)
– Help children, young people and adults to be healthy and enjoy their lives
– Support children, young people and adults with their future and next adventure
Our pledge emphasises our minimum expectations for children, young people and adults who attend one of our schools, or live in a residential home.
The pledge is our promise to each and every person in our care. We’re focused on making a difference and supporting the delivery of the pledge.
We have a clear approach to improvement based on four questions:
- How can we measure if children, young people or adults are better off?
- How can we measure if services are doing well?
- How are we doing on these measures?
- What do we need to do next?
By teaching colleagues across Options Autism how to observe and stop exploitation of children, as well as what to do in such circumstances, we make sure that everyone associated with us is informed to act effectively in safeguarding the vulnerable young people in our care. This commitment demonstrates how seriously we take this issue, and that we’re steadfastly committed to working together and tackling child sexual exploitation.
Home and school visits
All our schools and residential homes are visited each month by independent teams in line with our legal obligations. Working in partnership with our services, the inspectorates and local authorities, our Group Quality Officers make sure our education and care consistently exceed the requirements set out in legislation, national minimum standards and statutory guidance relating to the safeguarding of those in our care.
Group Education Support Officer
Our Group Education Support Officer is the contact point for colleagues who need advice or support for a child or young person in any of our schools or homes. They work alongside social workers, residential managers, schools and local authorities in order to intervene appropriately when supporting the continued learning of our children and young people.
Clinical governance
Guided by research, NICE guidelines and practice evidence, our clinical team supports its clinical work with routine assessments of its progress. The information compiled then helps to guide future interventions and clinical practice.
Group forums are also held regularly. Chaired by the Head of Clinical Services, they bring the entire clinical team together to share learnings and support continuing professional development.
Inspections
All our services are inspected by regulators who work on behalf of the UK government, with regulatory arrangements varying across the different UK nations.
England
– Ofsted inspects our residential care homes and schools
– The Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspects our adult homes, usually every two years, although this timeline can vary depending on the previous Ofsted grading
– Services can be judged to be Inadequate, Requires Improvement, Good or Outstanding
– We expect all our services to aim for Outstanding, so as to meet the needs and specialist requirements of the people in our care
Scotland
– Education Scotland carries out inspections of schools in Scotland
– Our care homes are inspected by the Care Inspectorate (Scotland)
Wales
– The Care Inspectorate (Wales) inspects our adult care services in Wales
– Estyn inspect our schools in Wales
Northern Ireland
– There is currently no regulator in Northern Ireland