Disabled Children’s Access to Childcare Strategy...3 Debbie Adair CSS Jan 2012 their care. The...

Childcare Strategy Service City of York Council

Disabled Children’s Access to Childcare (DCATCH)Report 2013

Debbie Adair Access and Inclusion Support Adviser 1/11/2013

2 Debbie Adair CSS Jan 2012

Disabled Children’s Access to Childcare (DCATCH)

What is DCATCH?

In May 2007 the Government launched the review Aiming High for Disabled Children (AHDC): Better support for families, with the intention to improve service provision for disabled children and their families and enhance equality and opportunity for them. AHDC stressed the importance of appropriate childcare for disabled children and young people and acknowledged the lack of adequate provision to meet need. The Disabled Children‟s Access to Childcare (DCATCH) is the specific AHDC initiative dedicated to developing childcare provision for this group of children and their families. There are 8 core areas highlighted in the DCATCH programme as areas which, through consultation, identified a need to improve:

• Better data: Estimating demand and monitoring take up

• Participation and feedback - consulting with families

• Improving information for families

• Supporting families to make choices

• Workforce development

• Increasing capacity, inclusion and improving quality

• Meeting particular childcare needs

• Affordability and cost

What we have achieved in York.

A working party of multi agency professionals was put together to discuss how best York could address childcare for disabled children under the DCATCH programme. The 2 themes chosen were:

• Workforce development in the out of school club sector (OOSC) • Improving information for families

Information from the childcare sufficiency and equality impact assessment highlighted these 2 areas as those which parents felt concerned about. There are currently 53 OOSCs in York. A comprehensive training package was put together and offered to all staff in the sector. The response was commendable and there is now evidence of the growing confidence staff have around working with and caring for disabled children. A large number of resources were purchased to accompany training sessions including books for children around disability and inclusion which are used widely by all clubs. Specific training programmes have continued to be on offer to the OOSC sector such as Makaton, Inclusion Coordinator training and new courses such as the Early Support Key Worker training.

DCATCH has supported the development of the Inclusion Standards Framework for the

OOSC sector. The Framework is a resource to support the inclusive development of Out of

School Clubs. The Framework is a comprehensive document that can help everyone in their

settings find their own steps for increasing participation in play and learning of the children in


their care. The materials are designed to build on the knowledge and practice of practitioners

and to challenge and support the development of any setting.

In the Framework, inclusion is an approach to care, learning and play according to inclusive

values rather than a concern with a particular group of children. Inclusion is often seen to be

associated with children seen as having special educational needs (SEN). However, the

Framework is concerned with increasing the participation of all children, irrespective of age,

gender, ethnicity, disability, religion or background.

Within York there are established communities including Chinese, Bangladeshi, Ghurkha

and Travellers. In more recent years York has seen an increase of new communities:

Turkish, Kurdish and Eastern European. It is therefore important to have a broad approach

to inclusion and diversity. Inclusion is important to everyone; each child of each family has a

range of different needs to be met.

The Framework provides a supportive process of self-review, encouragement and

development. It is a practical document that shows what inclusion can mean for all aspects

of the setting. It is a holistic approach that includes children, families, setting staff, and multi-

agency partners, and will promote success of inclusive practice. In developing the culture of

the setting and helping to clarify the purpose of activities, the Framework can contribute to

lasting improvements.

The Framework has been embraced by the OOSC sector, there are two settings who have

completed the standards and received their gold certificate of inclusive practice. There are

currently four settings working towards the gold award.

City of York Council‟s Play Team offered the opportunity for OOSCs to visit one of a number of host clubs to explore inclusive play work with regards to disabled children. The project had been made possible with funding from DCATCH. It offered clubs the chance to send their staff to the host clubs to share experiences and practice of inclusive play work with children with various needs. Participating clubs received inclusive play equipment or resources. Visits took part over 3 after school sessions or over a full day in the holiday periods and funding enabled backfill for staff whilst undertaking their visits. At the end of the project the participating clubs submitted their ideas to a new booklet Yor Inclusive Guide to Play. This project has continued without funding as part of good practice between OOSC managers and staff wishing to learn and share more around inclusion. DCATCH has supported the Sports and Leisure Team in providing funding for the Inclusive Sport and Physical Activity Project – Supporting Voluntary Sports Clubs. Work was carried out with 6 OOSCs, around inclusive activities and also provided equipment to share within the sector. A quick-reference guide on how to deliver inclusive games and activities, as well as „five-minute fillers‟, has been produced and is available to clubs. Adding to this DCATCH has supported a range of sports activities for disabled children and young people by providing equipment to increase participation in a wide range of leisure centres and clubs. DCATCH has supported VI tennis, Boccia at New Earswick and Energise (Appendix 1).

As part of the DCATCH project York Family Information Service worked in partnership with others to improve information to families around childcare. There are 2 key pieces of work that have been funded by DCATCH:

• Positive image library

• Information newsletters about choosing childcare


Alongside this, York Family Information Service has introduced a voluntary register for parents of disabled children. The register allows families to receive copies of the newsletter and also information relating to disabled children. There are now 379 registered with the Family Information Service (FIS). DCATCH has ensured that Max Cards could be purchased in bulk and be offered to families with disabled children. During 2013 179 families signed up to receive a newsletter (Appendix 2) and there are 379 families in receipt of a Max Card which enables them to visit particular areas of interest such as Castle Howard. This has made a significant difference to families (Appendix 3). The Good Place to Come Award was supported by DCATCH funding during 2013. The „Good Place to Come Award‟ is for clubs, organisations and businesses regularly attended by young people. The criterion has been directly created by a group of disabled young people to determine what makes a place inclusive. The award is primarily based on the 5 A‟s: accessibility, attitude, activities, anti-bullying and awareness. The process starts with the „Good Place to Come Award‟ Project Worker making initial contact with the club, organisation or business. Once a visit has been agreed, a team of 3 or 4 young people are organised to make a single visit where the young people take part in the activity on offer, have a look around, speak to staff and ask questions as well as take time to fill in their „Good Place to Come‟ feedback sheets. It has been found that feedback from the young people is delightfully informed – their unique perspectives and experience offer both areas of praise and improvement for the places visited. After the visit, the Project Worker compiles the feedback from the young people into a written report which highlights how the places visited are currently catering for the needs of disabled young people, but also, if appropriate, how they could improve their facility (within reason) to make it more inclusive.

One of the most positive aspects of this project is that everyone involved can benefit; the scheme provides an excellent opportunity for disabled young people to become more active within their community and increasingly involved with the activities, clubs and places they visit. For the places visited, the experience that the young people and project workers offer provides free, practical, workable ideas for improvement and change but also recognition and publicity for good practice found to be already in place for disabled visitors. For successful places visited, some of the young people present the award in the form of a certificate and logo to utilise through advertising to proudly demonstrate the way in which they meet the needs of young people with disabilities. There is additional expert advice from a City of York Occupational Therapist in order to ensure that the access recommendations are accurate and reasonable. Reports of those leisure services inspected are included in this report and are linked to sport and leisure activities also supported by DCATCH funding (Appendix 4). We now live in a society where communication through the written and spoken word is highly valued. This can present challenges for some children and young people. Symbols enable children and young people to participate, make choices and offer opinion. A multi agency group has published a strategy on a developmental use of symbols to ensure consistency across all services working with children. The aim is that children and young people will be supported in their communication in the same way in every setting/place where they access services and that parents will be supported to use the same symbols at home. DCATCH funding provided the opportunity to give each OOSC and Early Years settings a single user license throughout the city if they attended training. Further to this, during 2013 DCATCH was able to fund all 15 libraries in the City, the ability to offer the „communicate in print programme‟ on over 85 PCs. This has made it possible for parents and carers of disabled children to access the programme to make visual timetables print off symbols required for use at home and also design social stories (Appendix 5). The DCATCH Subsidy helped to offer a 50% subsidy for the Playwork Level 3 Qualification. The course is offered in partnership with Playscape Training Limited and is a distance learning course for the candidate to progress through at their own speed. The course is


ideal for candidates who are unable to access funded training as the distance learning element means the course can be offered at a lower rate than that taught at Level 3. Candidates who achieve this qualification are able to progress into a more senior role within the sector should they wish to seek out further opportunities. This element of the DCATCH funding has meant that the Childcare Strategy Service have been able to raise the profile of the Out of School sector, highlighting the importance of the settings investing in well qualified staff to support all children in their club.

Overall the DCATCH programme has proved to be an excellent opportunity for the OOSC sector and the leisure sector to increase their knowledge, skill and confidence around working with and caring for disabled children. Monitoring of progress across the sector has ensured that in York we provide high quality inclusive childcare and opportunities for disabled children and their families. The following information evidences the number of clubs and practitioners who took part in the DCATCH programme. It highlights those courses which proved to be most successful and attendance including those programmes carried out by the Play and Sports and Leisure teams. Although the courses were primarily targeting the OOSC sector, practitioners from the Private, Voluntary and Independent (PVI) sector also attended some of the courses on offer.


Using Symbols to Support Communication For All

17%

Autistic Spectrum Conditions Training (OOSCs)

12%

Behaviour Management for OOSCs

11%

Disability Equality Training Level 2 (OOSCs)

10% Inclusive Play for OOSCs

9%

CYC Medicines Policy and Practice (OOSCs)

9%

Moving and Handling Awareness (OOSCs)

7%

Multi-Sensory Training for OOSCs

6%

Tuning into Children and Finding the Right Channel 3

day course for OOSCs 6%

Tuning into Children and Finding the Right Channel -

3 day course for OOSCs 6%

Inclusive Sports Workshops for OOSCs

1%

'DDA/DED and Outings 3%

Inclusive Sports Workshops for OOSCs

1%


Appendix 1

DCATCH York: Inclusive Sports Project Summary Glyn Newberry, November 2013

Outline: The objective of the Inclusive Sports Project was to increase access to sport for disabled children by providing equipment and acknowledgment of good practice, through the Good Place to Come Award. Project: A decision was made by the DCATCH funding panel that prior to any equipment being purchased the venue/club would be required to show good practice around sporting opportunities for disabled children and young people. With this in mind 3 venues that provide sports activities for disabled children where chosen to be assessed for PACT‟s The „Good Place to Come‟ award. Venues with this award demonstrate good practice around accessibility, anti-bullying, disability awareness and activities for disabled children and young people. Work has previously taken place with Energise Sports Centre which received the „Good Place to Come‟ award, successfully implementing all recommendations made. Discussions took place with the venues/clubs around equipment requirements which would enable greater participation for disabled children and young people to attend and take part in activities. The following table outlines the equipment purchased to support those clubs/venues chosen to take part.

DCATCH Disability costing equipment

Venue Club Good Place to Come awarded Equipment Cost

New Earswick Indoor Bowling Club First York Boccia Club Yes Boccia balls competition £500.00

New Earswick Indoor Bowling Club Bowlsability Yes New Age Kurling stones set £410.00

New Earswick Indoor Bowling Club Bowlsability Yes New Age Kurling stones bag £46.10

New Earswick Indoor Bowling Club Bowlsability Yes New Age Kurling target £100.00

New Earswick Indoor Bowling Club Bowlsability Yes New Age Kurling Ramp £160.00

New Earswick Indoor Bowling Club Bowlsability Yes New Age Kurling pushers £90.00

New Earswick Indoor Bowling Club Sportsability Yes Badminton Racquets (pack 15) £51.30

New Earswick Indoor Bowling Club Sportsability Yes Kwick cricket set £42.00

David Lloyd Tennis Centre York VI Tennis Club Yes VI tennis balls (box of 12) £90.00

David Lloyd Tennis Centre York VI Tennis Club Yes short tennis nets £180.00

David Lloyd Tennis Centre York VI Tennis Club Yes tennis racquets £200.00

David Lloyd Tennis Centre York VI Tennis Club Yes VI simulator shades £100.00

David Lloyd Tennis Centre York VI Tennis Club Yes VI tactile throw down line (10m) £120.00

Energise Sports Centre Sportsability All ready awarded Colour Coded ladder Kit £56.00


Energise Sports Centre Sportsability All ready awarded Movement cube set £23.00

Energise Sports Centre Sportsability All ready awarded Games Activity Kit Small £78.00

Energise Sports Centre Sportsability All ready awarded Large parachute £42.00

Energise Sports Centre Sportsability All ready awarded Wheelchair accessible table tennis table £630.00

Total Cost £2,918.40

Good Place toe Come summary of recommendations New Earswick bowling club A tactile boccia board to enable players with visual impairment to feel the location of the white ball. (Ongoing) The chairs and tables around the edge of the playing area rearranged to enable better access. (Completed) Double banisters installed on the staircase. (Action) Seek professional advice to plan for the safe evacuation of disabled persons in the event of a fire. (Ongoing) Daily checks of the bathroom emergency pull chord to ensure it is in working order and accessible. (Completed) David Lloyd Tennis Be upfront about asking individuals what support they need. (Completed) Seek funding opportunities to support the club to replace tennis balls when they become unfit for purpose. (DCATCH funded) Reinstate the mini nets when funds are available. (DCATCH funded) Advertise the club to a wider audience: e.g. through online resources such as Shine or Yor-Zone, charities that work with disabled people, sports centres and clubs. (Ongoing work around new advertising strategy with CYC) http://www.yor-ok.org.uk/Shine/events/events.htm http://www.yor-zone.org.uk/ If the size of the club increases, introduce a formal anti-bullying policy to further safeguard young people from bullying, make it clear to members how they must conduct themselves and give coaches a clear procedure for dealing with a report of bullying. (Action) http://www.safenetwork.org.uk/help_and_advice/Pages/AntiBullying.aspx http://www.bullying.co.uk/general-advice/ York Sports Village For future developments, a focus group of people with a range of disabilities could be consulted to draw from a full range of opinions and experiences. Advertise the disability cycling club in places where disabled young people will access the information. e.g. special educational needs schools, mainstream schools and colleges, online resources such as Shine or Yor-Zone, charities that work with disabled people, sports centres and clubs. (Ongoing work around new advertising strategy with CYC) Offer an immediately-available large text option for leaflets and information. Accompany this with a sign on the front desk to notify visitors of this availability. Wider use of automatic or press-pad functioning doors around the building. (Action)

http://www.yor-ok.org.uk/Shine/events/events.htm

http://www.yor-zone.org.uk/

http://www.safenetwork.org.uk/help_and_advice/Pages/AntiBullying.aspx

http://www.bullying.co.uk/general-advice/


Appendix 2

myFIS+ Summary

Created Year

myFIS+ Total

2004 3 3

2005 8 8

2006 8 8

2007 8 8

2008 10 10

2009 13 13

2010 6 6

2011 42 42

2012 98 98

2013 180 180

Total 376 376


Created Year

Family Information Scheme

Family Information Scheme (Paperless)

Total

2004 1 2 3

2005 3 5 8

2006 1 7 8

2007 2 6 8

2008 3 7 10

2009 6 7 13

2010 1 5 6

2011 8 34 42

2012 26 72 98

2013 48 132 180

Total 99 277 376


Birth Year a myFIS+ Total

1993 2 2

1994 7 7

1995 10 10

1996 12 12

1997 19 19

1998 21 21

1999 24 24

2000 27 27

2001 33 33

2002 19 19

2003 32 32

2004 42 42

2005 26 26

2006 38 38

2007 38 38

2008 32 32

2009 43 43

2010 37 37

2011 38 38

2012 10 10

2013 5 5

Total 515 515


Appendix 3

DCATCH Case Study

NAME OF SETTING PARENT IN RECEIPT OF A MAX CARD

Who: (e.g. the child, family or provider that has benefited from DCATCH programme)

The Max card scheme gives children, their carers and other family members free or discounted access to some of the most exciting attractions across the UK. The scheme is designed to help parents and carers of disabled children and looked after children save money on great days out at castles, zoos, museums and more. Generally each card gives 2 adults and 2 children free entry to participating venues. This includes Castle Howard, Eureka Museum and Jorvik Centre.

Situation: (what was the issue that was preventing disabled children accessing childcare)

The entry cost to some of the attractions can be a barrier for parents and carers of children with disabilities additional needs. Many of the attractions are educational and provide the parents and child with a much needed break without the financial pressures. The card allows 2 children and 2 adults to attend, this means the child has the opportunity to take their family or invite a friend.

How funding/training from DCATCH has helped: (e.g. what has been done to

help the child/family/provider with funding from your bid)

Many families talk about the benefits of the Max card scheme, some parents have now started to use their card across the country. The sign ups have doubled in size in the last 10 months to 382 parents. This has mainly been down to word of mouth. Initially the card was just for looked after children, and then extended to disabled children and families residing in York. This was seen as discriminatory to parents who access services and schools in York but live outside the boundary. With this in mind the scheme is now extended to parents who live outside of York but access services for their children within the city.

Early Impact: (e.g. how has the outcome of your bid impacted on the child/family/provider

– please include quotes, feedback, etc)

Feedback from a parent: “Just wanted to say a very big thank you for all your efforts organising a Max card for our daughter, we have received it and already been out to visit Castle Howard which was wonderful - filled with Christmas trees and lights. I have no idea how you even managed it as everyone I know who tried got a flat no - so I am in awe :o). I am so grateful, having the max card makes a very big difference to us as frequently our daughter decides she doesn't like somewhere within 5 minutes of getting in, which can be very frustrating if we have all just paid our entrance fees! Now we can just abandon and come back another day. We are aiming to work our way through the list of places :o)”


Appendix 4

PACT Report for The ‘Good Place to Come Award’ visit to…First York Boccia at New Earswick and District Indoor Bowls Club on 18th July 2013

O Visiting Team: Ruth Price, Colin Hurrell, Robyn Hyde Staff Involved: Katie Mackay Stuart Hird Attitudes The team felt that attitudes towards the young people were excellent on their visit to the Boccia session at New Earswick Indoor Bowling Club. The young people expressed that they were looked at by both staff and others in a „friendly‟ way and were also welcomed warmly. The team all said they felt that staff at the club communicated directly to them, rather than just the accompanying staff members. One young person explained that this was because staff made eye contact with them; „they looked at me‟. One young person, and communication aid user, felt satisfied that staff at the club were interested in what they had to say because staff were patient to wait for a question to be typed out. The staff member then answered the young persons question in a clear and suitable manner. It was clear from speaking to the manager, that New Earswick Indoor Bowling Club is very keen and enthusiastic about including disabled people. All the staff we saw on our visit were encouraging and supportive to the young people, especially when they were participating in the boccia game. Awareness One young person said in their feedback that they felt staff were „looking out for everybody‟ at the session. With regard to the way the young people felt they were spoken to by staff at the session, the response was highly commendable; „fantastic‟, „nice and politely‟ and „friendly‟ were noted in feedback on the day. The group felt that staff had a good general awareness of the needs of the group and those of other young people with a disability. One young person said that they had been asked what support they need to be able to help them play the game of boccia. Staff recognised that another member of our group would need the support of a ramp in order to play the game effectively and so one was brought one over for them to use. Staff then explained to the young person and their personal assistant how best to use the ramp. We felt very satisfied on our visit that staff are comfortable with working with disabled people with a range of disabilities at the boccia club as everyone was very supportive. Activity Everyone in the „Good Place to Come‟ Team felt that the boccia session at New Earswick Indoor Bowling Club was a safe and enjoyable activity for young people with a disability. All said that everyone was joining in together, laughing and having fun; no one was left out or at a disadvantage because of their disability. The fact that the game is played from a seated position added to this and it was also nice that the young people were playing as part of a red or blue team which meant losing and winning were both shared with others. The young people particularly liked the role of the game leader, who was very positive and encouraging to boccia participants. He provided helpful tips; such as how to improve on the next throw, as well as keeping track of the scores and whose turn it was next to throw. We were impressed that he remembered the names of everyone playing the game and communicated to them by name each time it was their turn, keeping everyone engaged. We noticed that an individual playing in the same game as our group had a visual impairment; we noticed this due to the interesting way they were supported to play. Her assistant was provided with a leaflet used to represent the floor of the game and required to place their finger in correlation to where the white ball was on the game floor so the individual could feel its location. The game leader then tapped the floor firmly behind the white ball so the player could hear its location before taking their throw. It was felt that these 2 techniques in combination were a fantastic way to ensure the inclusion of this individual.


It was felt that the touch technique to describe the location of the white ball could be slightly improved with perhaps a more sturdy board, built for purpose, with some form of movable physical marker to represent the white ball. We heard on our visit that some of the disabled people at the session were soon to compete in a national Special Olympics competition in Bath. The fact that there are opportunities for disabled people to take the sport to a competitive level really impressed our team. Access On the whole, all in our group found the building physically easy to get in and around once inside. One young person said that they liked that there were „plenty of chairs‟ around the building for them to sit down on if they needed to. It was noted that the walkway around where the boccia is played was quite cramped and there was some difficulty getting a wheelchair through to the playing area. We felt the chairs and tables around the edge of the playing area could be arranged in a less condensed fashion to enable better access. We did see that the wooden edging around the playing area had been modified to make the access gap bigger for wheelchair users. Our team felt that there were no barriers for deaf or blind young people at the session and could only add that perhaps there could be some written rules to provide to people with a hearing impairment if they have never played the game before. We were given a tour around the building which was very useful for the assessment because we were told the boccia session on occasion is moved to the upstairs function room when the usual area is out of use. The lift facility was quite tight for a wheelchair and assistant but was still entirely functional. Due to motor difficulties, one of our young people could not hold onto the banister on the way down the stairs as their more functioning arm was on the opposite side to the banister. They proclaimed, „it was on the wrong side!‟ We would recommend using banisters on both sides of the staircase for this reason. We were uncomfortable with the response as to how staff would support wheelchair users to exit the building from the upstairs function room in the event of a fire. There currently is no provision in place to support the safe evacuation of wheelchair users and we would strongly advise seeking professional advice in order to put a plan in place so that staff are prepared in the unlikely event of a fire. This could include the provision of an emergency evacuation mat or chair for use on the stairs and may also limit the amount of wheelchair users who can safely access the upstairs function room at any one time. The group were happy to find that the New Earswick Indoor Bowling Club offers an accessible toilet facility that was very clean and usable. The toilet offers grab rails, an emergency pull chord and both sink and mirror lowered to a sufficient level for wheelchair users. On the day it was pointed out that the emergency pull chord had been placed too high to be easily reached which was immediately rectified. This maybe something that needs to be checked regularly. Another young person mentioned that the wash basin was a bit too small for them to navigate their hands into properly due to motor difficulties. One young person said the toilet facility was a bit small which could make transferral and manoeuvrability slightly challenging for some disabled people, „you can‟t turn around‟. We appreciate that due to building limitations and cost, it may be that the Bowling Club has already done its best with the space available. Anti-bullying All of the young people in our group said that they felt comfortable at the boccia session and that everyone was being kind and friendly to one another. We were pleased to be informed that there is a commitment to anti-bullying at the club which strongly promotes sportsmanship; a poster on the wall of the gym sets out rules players must follow in this regard. On feedback from the visit, all the young people said that they „would have gone to a leader and explained‟ if they felt bullied or had a problem. The fact that the young people felt happy to ask for help again shows that they felt comfortable, but also that they felt their voices would be heard.


To conclude The group had a „brilliant‟ time at the boccia session and all said they would be happy to go again in the future. We saw positive attitudes and good disability awareness from staff, the activity itself was „fun‟ and „safe‟, access was generally good, apart from the more serious issue of fire evacuation, and anti-bullying was shown to be intrinsic to the game itself. The young people decided that the boccia session at New Earswick Indoor Bowling Club is a „Good Place to Come‟ for young people with a disability and deserving of the full award. There were just a few areas for improvement where it was felt that if implemented, would make the service offered an even higher standard for disabled people. Recommendations Summary

A tactile boccia board to enable players with visual impairment to feel the location of the white ball.

The chairs and tables around the edge of the playing area rearranged to enable better access.

Double banisters installed on the staircase.

Seek professional advice to plan for the safe evacuation of disabled persons

in the event of a fire.

Daily checks of the bathroom emergency pull chord to ensure it is in working

order and accessible.


PACT Report for The ‘Good Place to Come Award’ visit to… Visually Impaired Tennis at David Lloyd York on 4th August 2013. Visiting Team: Laura Brooksbank, David Kenward, Nathan Baldwin Staff Involved: Katie Mackay, Pat Latimer Attitudes The team all said they felt attitudes towards the young people were „excellent‟ on their visit to the Visually Impaired Tennis club at the David Lloyd centre. Our group received a very warm welcome which the young people described as „smiley‟ and „friendly‟. One young person commented that the club coaches treated them both „politely and pleasantly‟ and all agreed they felt coaches communicated directly to them rather than just the workers supporting them. When young people asked the coaches questions, they were answered in a positive, clear and suitable manner. All the staff we met on our visit were encouraging and supportive to the young people. It became immediately apparent that the club manager is actively keen to include all disabled people who want to try the sport. We heard that people attend the club for a number of reasons; keeping fit, and socialising were some of the motives people had for joining. We were impressed to hear that some of the individuals at the session were taking the sport to a competitive level. We were pleased this opportunity is available for people with an aptitude for the sport. Awareness The group felt that coaches demonstrated a good general awareness of its needs and in particularly of people with visual impairments. For one of our young people with a hearing impairment, the coach advised the young person to turn his head so that he could hear the rattle of the ball with his best functioning ear. It was felt, however, that coaches could afford to be more upfront in asking individuals what support they may need. We felt very satisfied that coaches are comfortable working with disabled people at the VI Tennis session club and everyone was very supportive. We found most coaches were visually impaired themselves and their experience was most useful when instructing the young people, especially when they became blindfolded. We were not able to witness how wheelchair users would participate in the session but were told one wheelchair user does currently attend the club. Coaches worked with the individual to find a way of controlling the electric wheelchair and holding the racket at the same time. We felt this technique may work for some wheelchair users but perhaps not all, though we did like the creativity and person-centred nature of this particular case. Activity Everyone in the „Good Place to Come‟ team felt that the VI Tennis session was a safe and enjoyable activity for young people with a disability. Everyone was joining in together and having fun, the young people said that „they involved everyone‟, „I was laughing‟ and „everyone was smiling‟. At the start of the session, we were introduced to the coaches and other club members and given a verbal introduction to VI Tennis as none of our team had seen the game before. The session was split into 2 parts; general tennis technique, such as holding the racket and serving, and then VI tennis technique where the young people were invited to wear blindfolds and become more familiar with listening for the ball. The fact the young people were happy to attempt collecting the tennis balls whilst wearing blindfolds illustrated that they felt comfortable and willing to step out of their comfort zone! The coaches taught the young people how to play in a „step-by-step‟ fashion and provided helpful tips at an appropriate level for the young people to take in and go away feeling they had learnt and achieved something; „they helped me understand what I had to do‟, „they told me how to get better‟. We liked the fact that equipment is provided at the session because we felt some people would be put off if they were required to provide their own rackets and balls. On the day of our visit, the club had received a set of new VI tennis balls; we saw that the older ones were very soft and had significantly less bounce left in them.


We were told that this is a concern at the club; the balls have a relatively short lifetime in comparison to a standard tennis ball because they are made of a foamy material that degenerates quickly due to the impact of game play. We also heard that, due to their specialism, VI tennis balls are very expensive to purchase and sometimes difficult to acquire. We were told that coaches like to use „mini-nets‟ when schooling beginners in VI tennis in order to build their confidence, „they get the satisfaction of hitting the ball over a net‟. Once appropriate skills have been mastered, players move up to the full sized net. On our visit we did not have the opportunity to try using the mini-nets as they had broken recently. We felt it would be highly appropriate to replace the nets when funds become available. Access Our team thought that the cost of £2 per session was very reasonable, significantly adding to the accessibility of the session for disabled young people. Everyone in our group found the building physically easy to get in and around once inside, „it is really easy to get in‟ and we did not have to navigate any stairs as everything we needed was on the ground floor. We did think that some disabled young people may find they need to sit out and rest from time to time and that having a couple of chairs available for them to sit on would be beneficial. The lighting and flooring in the tennis gym was bright and in good condition. We could not find any trip hazards and there was a strong colour contrast between the orange tennis court and surrounding dark blue flooring. We did notice that the use of the same dark blue colour on the walls blends in with that of the floor; we felt this could be disorientating for some people with visual impairments. We appreciate that the décor in the gym itself is governed by David Lloyd‟s and that the VI Tennis Club are not in a position to implement any such change. We felt that the VI tennis was a very good activity, especially for young people with visual impairments, and felt that it could perhaps be advertised more widely. We were told that the session is currently advertised in centres specific to the blind or visually impaired and sometimes members of the club take the game into schools, which is fantastic. We would recommend continuing with this but also putting adverts in special educational needs schools, main-stream schools and colleges as well as in centres where disabled people are likely to access the information; e.g. through online resources such as Shine or Yor-Zone, charities that work with disabled people, sports centres and clubs. Anti-bullying All of the young people in our group said they felt comfortable at the VI Tennis session and that everyone was being kind and friendly to one another. Should bullying behaviour occur, we were pleased to hear that there is an informal commitment to anti-bullying in place. The manager explained that he would personally take control of the situation and talk to the individuals involved in order to resolve the matter sensitively. We felt that this level of response is appropriate for the current size of the club. If the club expands and the manager becomes unable to supervise every session, a formal anti-bullying policy would be worth investigating in order to safeguard young people against bullying to a greater extend and support the coaches in how to deal with reports of bullying or suspicions of bullying. On feedback from the visit, all the young people said they would tell coaches if they felt bullied or had a problem, which is excellent. The fact that the young people said they would be happy to ask for help again shows that they felt comfortable, but also that they felt their voices would be heard. To conclude The group had a brilliant time at the VI Tennis session and all said they would be happy to go again in the future. We saw positive attitudes and good disability awareness, the activity itself was „fun‟ and „safe‟, access was excellent and anti-bullying, whilst not usually a problem, would not be tolerated. The young people decided that the VI tennis session at the David Lloyd centre is definitely a „Good Place to Come‟ for young people with a disability and deserving of the full award. There are just a small number of recommendations that our team felt could make the service offered more accessible and an even higher standard for disabled people.


Recommendations Summary

Be upfront about asking individuals what support they need.

Seek funding opportunities to support the club to replace tennis balls when they become unfit for purpose.

Reinstate the mini nets when funds are available.

Advertise the club to a wider audience: e.g. through online resources

such as Shine or Yor-Zone, charities that work with disabled people, sports centres and clubs. http://www.yorok.org.uk/Shine/events/events.htm http://www.yor-zone.org.uk/

If the size of the club increases, introduce a formal anti-bullying policy to further safeguard young people from bullying, make it clear to members how they must conduct themselves and give coaches a clear procedure for dealing with a report.

http://www.safenetwork.org.uk/help_and_advice/Pages/AntiBullying.

aspx


http://www.yorok.org.uk/Shine/events/events.htm



PACT Report for The ‘Good Place to Come Award’ visit to…York Sport Village on 19th August 2013 Visiting Team: Kate Calvert, Sophie Lord Staff Involved: Katie Mackay Attitudes The team felt that attitudes towards the young people were very good on their visit to York Sport Village. The young people expressed that staff welcomed them in a warm and friendly manner and praised the way staff communicated directly to them rather than just the accompanying staff member. One young person commented that staff maintained „good eye contact‟ with them. One young person said they felt staff were interested in what they had to say because they took the time to answer all their questions. It was felt that staff members answered the young people‟s questions in a clear and suitable manner. We were impressed to hear the detailed emergency procedures in place at York Sport Village. The team felt this demonstrates a responsible attitude to ensuring high levels of safety for disabled visitors. We heard that staff are tested on emergency procedures monthly while checks on emergency exits, lights, alarms and systems are made on either a daily or weekly basis. We heard that visitors would be informed if a planned evacuation was going to occur during their visit. Awareness With regard to the way the young people felt they were spoken to by staff at the session, the response was very positive; „they talked very professionally and un-patronizing‟, „they treated us with respect and fairness‟, and, „like a normal person‟ were noted in feedback on the day. The team felt that staff had a good general awareness of the needs of the group and those of other young people with a disability. The young people liked the fact that we were asked whether we would prefer to use the lift or the stairs on our tour of the facilities. We were also pleased to hear that a disabled person was consulted in an advisory capacity during the building of the Sport Village. Perhaps for future developments, a focus group of people with a range of disabilities could be consulted to draw from a full range of opinions and experiences. We felt satisfied that staff are comfortable working with people with a range of disabilities. We recognised some other young people, supported by staff from The Children‟s Society, using the pool facilities on the day of our visit. The Children‟s Society staff members said that pool staff were very supportive and helpful on their visits with young disabled people. They also liked that the water is treated with less chemicals than other pools but added it is sometimes cold for young people with limited mobility and staff supporting them. Activity All activities at York Sport Village are accessible to young people with a disability. The swimming pool and cycling track can be used on a pay-as-you-go basis; non-members can book the football pitches whilst the gym (from age 16) and sports classes require membership. Everyone in the „Good Place to Come‟ team felt that York Sport Village provides safe activities for young people with a disability. Although the young people in the visiting team did not take part in any activities, our team noted that the young people they saw were joining in together, laughing and having fun. No one appeared left out or at a disadvantage because of a disability; one young person said they „saw lots of smiles‟. We could see that high-level support is provided to those that need it at York Sport Village. In the pool, we saw easy access steps as well as a poolside hoist that can be moved to a number of different locations around the large and small pool depending on where the individual wishes to enter. The cycling track has helmets and bikes for hire that we feel significantly increases the accessibility of the facility to young people, especially those who do not have access to a bike themselves. The cycling track, whilst some areas are currently in development, offers open sessions for riders over the age of 14 and family sessions, both on a „pay-and-play‟ basis. We heard that plans are in place to start a „Get into Cycling‟ session for children aged 7-13 years from September as well as plans to host a disability cycling club with specially adapted bikes in the near future.


This sounded like a very exciting development to our young people and we would recommend advertising widely for the disability cycling club once set up. In the gym, staff are trained in disability awareness and would provide 2 inductions as well as one-to-one support where required. We saw a number of accessible exercise machines such as hand bikes and pulley-weights. The group was pleased to see that York Sport Village encourages customer feedback in the form of a „Your Views Count‟ leaflet. We felt this demonstrated a commitment to improving services and meeting the needs of visitors to the sports centre. We did however find the text in the feedback and information leaflets rather small and felt this could be challenging for some visitors. On our visit we were told large print copies of York Sport Village leaflets and information could be sent to visitors who request them. The young people in our team felt that having the large text option immediately available would be beneficial to some disabled visitors. It was also noted that a sign at the front desk to notify visitors of the availability of large text information would also be helpful. Access The site itself is reached very easily on public transport with frequent buses from York city centre stopping regularly outside the main entrance. Everyone in our group found the building physically easy to get in and around once inside. It was felt that wheelchair users would also find the building easy to get around though we noticed only a small number of automatic or press-pad functioning doors. Inside the main building, we were pleased to find that there are banister rails on both sides of the staircases and also a lift. One young person felt that wheelchair users might find the lift „a bit small‟ but agreed that it is still entirely functional. When using the lift on the day of our visit, we found a hoover had been left inside. We would suggest that all staff ensure obstructions are never left unattended in the lift. Our team felt that there are not many barriers for deaf or blind young people at York Sport Village. We were assured the centre would provide an escort around the building or support in the gym for anyone that requests it. We saw a strong colour contrast between the floor and the wall in the main building that would be of benefit some visitors with visual impairments; we hope a similar use of contrasting colour will be continued in planned redecoration. In addition, one of our team suggested Braille could be used on some of the signs around the building and perhaps a tactile map in the foyer. The group was happy to find York Sport Village offers accessible toilet and changing facilities to a very high standard. The toilet facilities offer grab rails and emergency pull chords, sinks and mirrors lowered to a sufficient level for wheelchair users and a toilet with a hoist facility is also available. The young people said; „they were very big and had everything that you might need‟. We noticed the modern U-shaped hand dryer as the only option for hand drying in all toilet facilities. On past visits, young people with motor difficulties have said they find these challenging to navigate their hands into successfully. We have also found that some people with autism find the noise from hand dryers intolerable. We would suggest simply offering an alternative such as paper towels. In the changing area we noticed specially lowered lockers for wheelchair users and a non-slip floor. We felt the temporary toilet facilities at the cycling track were not very accessible due to equipment obstructing the space between the 2 toilets. This could make manoeuvring into the toilet facilities difficult for wheelchair users. Anti-bullying The young people in our group said that they felt comfortable at York Sport Village and remarked that everyone was being kind and friendly to one another. We were pleased to be informed of a commitment to anti-bullying at the sports centre but, whilst a customer service charter is in place to maintain a high standard of customer support, there is currently no anti-bullying policy in place. We would recommend that for clubs run specifically for young people, a formal anti-bullying policy might be useful to further safeguard young people against bullying. An anti-bullying policy would make it clear to members how to conduct themselves, give staff a standard procedure for dealing with reports or suspicions of bullying and set out the consequences for any group or individual found to be bullying.


On feedback from the visit, one young person said that they felt they knew who to go to if they felt bullied or had a problem. One young person commented that although they knew they should go to a member of staff, it might help other young people if the staff members wore name badges to make it clear who was a member of staff. To conclude The group was impressed with the facilities at York Sport Village and all said they would be happy to go again in the future. We saw staff with both positive attitudes and good disability awareness, safe activities offered for young people and excellent accessibility. Whilst there is currently no specific anti-bullying policy in place, the young people felt they would feel comfortable to go to staff if they had a problem. The young people unanimously decided that the York Sport Village is a „Good Place to Come‟ for young people with a disability and deserving of the full award. There were just a small number of ways our team felt could make the service offered more accessible and an even higher standard for disabled people. Recommendations summary

For future developments, a focus group of people with a range of disabilities could be consulted to draw from a full range of opinions and experiences.

Advertise the disability cycling club in places where young people with a disability will access the information. E.g. special educational needs schools, mainstream schools and colleges, online resources such as Shine or Yor-Zone, charities that work with disabled people, sports centres and clubs.

Offer an immediately-available large text option for leaflets and information.

Accompany this with a sign on the front desk to notify visitors of this availability.

Wider use of automatic or press-pad functioning doors around the building.

Ensure obstructions are never to be left unattended in the lift.

Use of Braille on signs around the building and perhaps a tactile map in the

entrance hall.

Offering an alternative to the modern style of hand dryer such as paper

towels.

In the temporary toilet facilities at the cycling track, remove equipment

obstructing the space between the 2 toilets to allow space for wheelchair users to manoeuvre.

Introduce a formal anti-bullying policy for clubs run specifically for young

people. Reported by Katie McKay


Good Place to Come Award Visit to Energise

Visiting Team: Gareth, Bethany, Matthew

Staff Involved: Paul Bickle and Rob Tyas Attitudes Both staff members gave the young people a warm and friendly welcome. They felt that staff spoke to them and were interested in what they had to say. Both men looked at the young people rather than the staff and smiled looking generally pleased to be there. The visiting team were asked about the support that they would need when they were in the gym and this was gratefully received. Instructors can design programmes specifically for them. These instructors are available at all times which is important so as not to limit the times disabled people can access the facilities.

Awareness

The visiting team felt that all members of staff were aware of their needs. Paul mentioned that staff are given specific disability training to ensure that they are aware of additional needs. This has a practical implication that staff can offer different facilities to disabled people depending on their needs for example: choosing which accessible toilet to take a person to as some transfer to the left and others to the right. Energise demonstrated an awareness of the environment by using pool water to flush the toilets and then topping up the pool water with fresh water so as to try and reduce extra water being wasted. The team felt that all staff had a good awareness of their needs and would not be afraid to ask if they needed help.

Activity There is a range of activities on offer to disabled people at Energise. These include activity classes, rock climbing, swimming and using the gym. There is a lift up to the dance studios. There are tennis courts, Astroturf and fields outside of the building for all to access. There is a hydrotherapy pool that is available for private use after 5pm as Adult services block book it during the day. Disabled people are welcomed at all activities however there are specific activities put on for disabled people through the week when more specialised staff are on hand to meet their needs. There are 2 swimming classes where the main difference is the water is warmer. There are special rock climbing sessions where the different harnesses can be used which provide additional physical support. During special trampolining sessions a physiotherapist is available that can design a programme that specifically meets the needs of the disabled person. There is a great variety of activities that everyone can get involved in including disabled young people.


Access

There are no access issues at Energise. The facilities are designed so that disabled people can have full access during the opening hours. Disabled people wishing to use the swimming pool can be hoisted in and out at any time with all lifeguards trained to do this. Even though there are specific classes disabled young people are included throughout the day. The visiting team thought that the lighting and flooring was good. There is a large font and widget timetable produced. The Local Authority (LA) have made a move to provide all timetables in size 14 font rather than 12 for everyone with the aim of being more inclusive. One staff member is currently working on a photo system, which will be available soon so that people can see a photo of the activities. The light in the accessible toilets comes on automatically when entering which is a huge advantage as disable people to do not have to worry about finding a light switch. For people who may have dexterity issues instead of having keys for the lockers they work by using magnets which provides a more accessible system for disabled people. There is a hearing loop in the reception and sports hall with a portable one available in the gym. Wi-Fi is available in the café area for all to use. The visiting team felt safe in the building. To access the outside areas people have to walk through the reception area, which means that people cannot gain access without permission. The team did not identify any particular hazards.

Anti-Bullying

Energise does not have an anti-bullying policy. Within the council they have a policy on disruptive behaviour. Energise do take bullying and disrespectful behaviour very seriously. It was clear that they operate a no tolerance policy and if anybody was disrespectful the activity would be stopped and the culprits removed. There are several systems that people can report problems that they have. For example; talk back cards, speak to member of staff, or email in comments. The results of these are on the wall in the café for everyone to see. A member of staff reads all the comments and does respond to them.

What could be done better? On the whole the visiting team had no hesitation in recommending Energise as a „Good place to Come‟. They found it hard to come up with suggestions as to things that could be improved. One member suggested that the contrasts could be more pronounced in the gym and that there may be some issues for wheelchair users as it was quite cramped with all the equipment. Another suggestion was to change to clock in the gym as the Roman numerals are hard to read. Energise demonstrated to the visiting team a very inclusive approach to disabled young people. They were eager for the team to mention any suggestions as they went round as to how they could improve as they are proud of the work they have done to be inclusive. Energise really is a „Good place to Come‟.


Appendix 5

DCATCH Case Study

NAME OF SETTING YORK LIBRARIES – COMMUNICATE IN PRINT

Who: (e.g. the child, family or provider that has benefited from DCATCH programme)

Customers of York Libraries and Archives

Situation: (what was the issue that was preventing disabled children accessing childcare)

There was a gap in the provision of software that would enable parents of disabled children with communication difficulties to use the Widgit Communicate in Print writing with symbols programme outside of the school and for some outside of the home.

How funding/training from DCATCH has helped: (e.g. what has been done to

help the child/family/provider with funding from your bid)

Through DCATCH funding fifteen licences for Communicate in Print were purchased for installation on public network PCs in all fifteen libraries across the city. This has created free access to the programme for children and their parent/carers. Training of library staff is expected to take place to enable them to assist parents/carers access and use the programme to its full potential. It is expected that a greater degree of inclusivity will be attained from the roll out of the software.

Early Impact: (e.g. how has the outcome of your bid impacted on the child/family/provider

– please include quotes, feedback, etc)

The impact has been minimal to date. This is largely due to a restructure in the libraries and archives service which impeded the staff training programme. As a consequence of this the service contact at York Libraries and Archives has agreed to produce a retrospective social impact study in line with a high profile launch of the new software.

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