Parents & Young People

Parents & Young People

Last Up-dated:

11 March 2010

Admission

Introduction

We acknowledge that admission to a residential school can be a traumatic and anxious time for parents and pupils.

Within the framework of our Admission procedure, we allow for sufficient flexibility, to enable parents and children to feel welcomed and fully informed, and to ensure that the admission is well planned, unhurried and experienced positively.

Admission Procedure

Information on the school can be found on our Website or if preferred, we can send out our Information Pack. If you wish to have a pack sent out, to arrange a visit or just to speak to the Admissions Co-ordinator contact the office initially on 01764 662 416.
After an initial visit to the school, if you wish to proceed with an application, we would then ask for reports and arrange for the child to visit. The number of visits the child will have before admission will be dependent on individual need.
After funding is agreed and a formal letter of application received from the Local Authority, we will write to the parents and the Funding Authority to confirm the placement with an admission date and enclose:

the Terms of Admission

the Term dates

the current School's Fees (only to the sponsoring body)

the 'Acceptance of Place' form, (only to the sponsoring body)

the School's Prospectus (if not already sent)

the School's Child Protection Policy

the School's Complaints Procedure

registration with the local General Practitioner

a 'Consent to Treatment' form

a questionnaire requesting further background information on the child.

Every pupil is admitted with the understanding that the first three months are seen as a trial and assessment period. A review should be held at the end of this time. Ideally the date for this review should be arranged at the time of admission.

Terms Of Admission

Every pupil is admitted on a three month trial and assessment period.
Fees are payable termly, in advance.
The decision as to when a pupil leaves the School must be mutually agreed one term before the date of leaving. If a pupil is withdrawn, three calendar months notice is required, in writing, or one term's fees are payable in lieu of such notice. Should it be necessary to discharge a pupil at such short notice, which will only happen in extreme circumstances, a proportionate refund of the fees will be considered.
Such a short-notice discharge would only be considered where there is a serious risk of injury to the young person in question or to others, and would be carried out in consultation with parents and/or Social Worker.
The Education Authority or Social Work Department shall, in case of serious misconduct or unmanageable behaviour, arrange for the child's removal from the School immediately on being notified by the Management Council Administrator and shall be responsible for such expenses as may be incurred. When persistent misconduct does not warrant immediate removal of the child, the School will endeavour to give one month's notice of termination of the placement to the Funding Authority.
In cases where the school placement can no longer be maintained - for whatever reason - it shall remain the absolute responsibility of the referring agency to provide for the needs of the pupil on discharge from Ochil Tower.

Care Planning

Introduction

For young people to achieve their full potential, full recognition of who they are as individuals is essential. This is achieved through the following:

	Close working together of all concerned with the young person
	Agreeing on short and long term aims
	Ongoing review of aims and progress
	Ongoing assessment and planning for the future.

Young people's Rights

The 'UN Convention on the Rights of the Child' gives the following definition for the young people:

As you are growing up you will hear people talk about how you should act more responsibly. The Convention recognises that people have to grow up in order to become fully responsible but exercising the rights within the Convention as they are growing up will help young people to become responsible adults.

Recognising that young people have rights can be difficult for some people. The Convention recognises that and it tells people exactly what kind of rights young people should have.

For example, the right to be heard and to participate in decisions which affect them, as well as the right to protection from harm.

It is an international standard against which life in Scotland for young people can be measured

In the 1993 White Paper "Scotland's Children Proposals for Child Care Policy and Law " the following definition is given:

	Every child should be treated as an individual.
	Children have the right to express their views about any issues or decisions affecting or worrying them.
	Every effort should be made to preserve the child's family home and contacts.
	Parents should normally be responsible for the upbringing and care of their children.
	Children, whoever they are and wherever they live, have the right to be protected from all forms of abuse, neglect and exploitation.
	Every child has the right to a positive sense of identity.
	Any intervention in the life of a child or family should be on formally stated grounds, properly justified, in close consultation with all the relevant parties.
	Any intervention in the life of a child, including the provision of supportive services, should be based on collaboration between all the relevant agencies.

Some children have a good understanding of the above concepts and are able to speak for themselves. However a considerable number need the support of others to voice their concerns and stand up for their rights. Particularly parents play an important part in this but also co-workers have to have an on-going awareness of the need to be advocates for the young people's rights.

Relationship With Parents

It is our aim to foster and maintain good, regular contact with parents, and to ensure that our pupils feel supported in their need to maintain regular contact with parents, family and other significant people. Parents are routinely kept informed of any illness, developments, or any other significant happening, and are always formally invited to reviews.

Our fortnightly boarding arrangement and regular holidays encourage and promote regular contact. In addition to this, we aim to be sufficiently flexible to meet a wide variety of needs, e.g. weekly boarding, day pupils and where possible overnight respite.

Integrated Professional Working

There is regular and ongoing communication between external professionals and Ochil Tower co-workers, mainly through reviews, but also more frequently, where necessary.

As far as possible, the pupils are made aware of this, and subsequently derive security and considerable benefit from the knowledge that there is good positive liaison between the adults who work with and for them.

Individual Educational & Care Plan

Introduction

The initial Education and Care Plan will be compiled before admission, to be reviewed after a 3 month trail period, and thereafter reviewed and updated on a bi-annual basis. This will be carried out in conjunction with the bi-annual reviews. A copy of the previous Care and Education Plan is sent out with invitation to the bi-annual Review. This will included a cover sheet where feed back and suggestions can be noted down and handed in at the review so the plan can be up-dated.

The plan will include the following:

Purpose and Aims of Placement
Developmental needs and objectives (House, Class and Therapy)
Timescales
Specific roles and responsibilities

Where possible, and depending on individual needs and abilities, pupils will be directly involved and consulted in the production and ongoing evaluation of the plan.

Assessment & Review

Through close contact and observation, assessment of the child’s needs and developments is ongoing. In addition to this, the education and care of each child is reviewed in a structured way, on a formal and regular basis.

Where possible, pupils are made aware of the purpose and importance of Reviews. And the significance of their contribution to and involvement in them.

The School holds bi-annual School Reviews of each child, to which child, parents and the appropriate professionals are invited. These are normally held in conjunction with LAC Reviews and cover the following:

Decision taken at the last Review
Progress made
Comments from

	Young person
	Parents
	Social Worker
	Houseparent
	Key Worker
	Teacher
	Educational Psychologist
	Other Professionals

Conclusion, Recommendations and agreed Tasks

The School issues a Comprehensive Annual School and House Report on each child, which is sent to parents and the appropriate professionals. The Report to parents is accompanied by a form and SAE requesting feed-back on the progress observed by the parents over the past year and any other comment that they would wish to make on their child’s placement in Ochil Tower.

Throughcare & Aftercare

Our aim is to care for and educate our pupils in such a way, that they will be prepared and equipped as far as possible to lead meaningful and fulfilled adult lives.

This is done in the following way:

By enabling pupils to develop a feeling of self worth, and a feeling and respect for the worth of others.
By teaching practical daily life knowledge and skills, through a social climate of mutual help, interdependence and a sense of community.
Where possible, by enabling the young person to understand his or her own sexuality and by promoting the ability to develop responsible relationships with others.
By enabling the young person to develop an interest in and knowledge of the world, through formal education, cultural pursuits, social contact, and by taking responsibility for practical work, all of which will lead to social maturation and a measure of self reliance.
By involving ourselves fully in the Future Needs process of each pupil, and in maintaining contact after ‘school-leaving, through visits etc..

Leaving School and Future Needs Assessment

Introduction

Leaving school and choosing what to do next can be a difficult and traumatic time for both parents and young people. It is a time of both looking back and assessing what has been achieved and looking ahead to what should be the next step.

This in itself can be very challenging and unsettling for young people. At the same time it involves leaving behind the security of the school environment which over time has become very familiar.

Considerable support by all involved with the child is essential for this process to be a positive challenge.

Procedure

Future Needs Assessment

Between the ages of 14 and 15 and 3 months, Local Education Authorities are required to carry out a Future Needs Assessment involving,

	The young person (where appropriate)
	Parents
	Co-workers
	Education Department
	Psychological Services
	Health Services
	Careers Services
	Social Work Services

This assessment is designed to ensure that appropriate steps are taken and systems are put in place to assist with the young person's transfer to adult life.

Social Work Report

For the Future Needs Meeting the Social Work Report will be drawn up by the Social Worker, assessing if the young person will have Social Care Needs after he or she leaves school which would need to be met by Social Work Services. Initial recommendations of possible future provision should be made and the appropriate social work services informed.

Community Care Assessment

As soon as the final school leaving date is fixed for the young person, Adult Services will carry out a Community Care Assessment. The findings of this assessment will form the basis for identifying and seeking funding for the provision for the young person after leaving school.

Careers Services

The input and involvement of the Careers' Advisor when exploring different options, including possible attendance at Perth College can be very helpful.

Return to Top

This Site is maintained by Ueli Ruprecht