General Provider Response

Is your service accessible?

The service is accessible, however please feel free to contact us in advance to discuss your / your child€'™s specific needs and we will do our best to work with you to resolve any issues.

What are the eligibility criteria for your service?

Eligibility Criteria: Your child must be diagnosed with one or more of the following conditions and meet the threshold outlined in the LSCB threshold webpage. •A severe or profound learning disability •A severe or profound physical disability •Significant or profound sensory disability •Progressive conditions and complex medical needs •Epilepsy which is having a significant impact on the child’s health and development •Severe developmental delay arising from a disability •Autism with a significant learning disability •A combination of disabilities, which individually are not severe but together cause as much impact as a very severe disability. This does not include children & young people with: •Mental health disorders unless in conjunction with a primary learning, physical or communication disability •Social, emotional & behavioural problems not associated to a disability

How are referrals/applications made to your service?

If your child already has an allocated social worker, you will need to contact them directly and request an updated assessment. If your child does not have an allocated social worker, you will need to contact Reading's Single Point of Access, this is a single point of contact for all early help and children’s social care service, including disabled children. The line is open to all practitioners and members of the public. There are 3 ways to contact this team: •Using a web form, which is the most secure and effective way of requesting help for a child. The form can be found at: www.reading.gov.uk/childrensreferralform •Calling the team on 0118 937 3641 •Emailing the team on cspoa@brighterfuturesforchildren.org

What is your service standard for responding to referrals/accessing services?

If you have contacted Single Point of Access using the web form, you will receive an automatic reply acknowledging your enquiry. You may be contacted by the team to provide more information. If you have completed the Children's Single Point of Access referral form, they will let you know what course of action they intend taking with you within two working days

Funding

Local Authority

Charges

No

Inspection outcomes/quality awards

Outstanding Ofsted Judgement for 2014 to 2017 Good Ofsted Judgement for 2017/2018

Feedback and complaints procedure

Cressingham has a culture that encourages a ‘no blame’ environment to ensure that any errors or concerns are reported and lessons can be learnt. We aim to provide high standards of service and care for children or young people and their families or carers who need our support. However we know things can sometimes go wrong and in these circumstances, we need to know, so we can try to put things right as quickly as possible. We have a complaints brochure for the young people that are accommodated in our service. This brochure is in widget format to assist the young people in understanding what the process is and what they need to do. In the event of a serious complaint regarding any of the young people or staff dependent on the seriousness of the complaint, Cressingham management may be obligated to inform Ofsted immediately - Notification of serious event (Children’s Homes Regulations 2015. Regulation 40) “Your right to complain” You should never feel afraid to complain if something is bothering or upsetting you. The quickest and easiest way to let us know there is a problem is to talk to the staff working with your child or their manager. We believe most complaints can be resolved through an informal discussion, although we do ask staff to keep a record of the issues you raise and any actions agreed with you. Staff should deal with your complaint seriously and sympathetically. The complaint procedure is there for you to use when you need it. We know it’s not easy to make a complaint and we try to deal with every complaint as openly and sensitively as possible. Complaints may be made on your child’s behalf or by other people who have an interest in your child’s welfare. However, if someone else makes a complaint, your interests will always come first and we will seek your views unless there are very good reasons why we should not, or cannot do so. If you do not feel comfortable with raising the concern directly with our service, or you have tried this route and are not happy with the outcome you can contact the Customer Relations Team. There is a leaflet, which will be given to you, in your welcome pack, or if you ask for one. You can complete an online complaint/comments form or you can write to the customer relations team: Customer Relations Team Freepost RTLS-CKGX-RKLL Reading Borough Council Civic Offices Bridge St RG1 2LU Tel: 0118 937 2905 By email: complaints@reading.gov.uk By text: type SPKUP & your message to 81722

How will I know my child will be safe using this service?

You are always welcome to come and visit us and view our facilities. Each child will have an extensive profile and support plan and individualised risk assessment. All staff are compliant with all training requirements issued by Ofsted. The home receives 2 unannounced visits fro Ofsted every year and also receives unannounced visits from an independent regulation 44 visitor on a monthly basis.