A warm welcome to Owlswick School and Home from the Owners, Staff and Young People.

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2 A warm welcome to Owlswick School and Home from the Owners, Staff and Young People. We aim to make our school and home a safe, caring and enjoyable environment for you to live and learn in. We hope you will be happy here. This is your handbook and you should look after it as it contains important information and facts about your school and home.

3 Information about Owlswick Address and phone number: Owlswick School and Home Newhaven Road, Kingston, Lewes, East Sussex, BN7 3NF Website:

4 What do we expect from you? We ask each young person to: Respect others, their space and their belongings Treat other young people and staff how you want to be treated Talk to staff when you may feel worried or upset Tell us when something isn't right Make the most of your time at Owlswick Enjoy school and learning Enjoy all of the activities that you can take part in Be in the right place at the right time Try your best!

5 Owlswick Staff Michael Mayne Owner and Director Sarah Hawke Owner and Responsible Person Margaret Peacock Head Teacher Leon Creenan Registered Manager Roz Shearn Deputy Head Teacher Barry Godden Deputy Manager/Head of Care Ola Fines Art and DT Teacher Amanda Cox English Teacher John Pullen English, History, PSHCE and PE Teacher Damien Eagling Maths and Computing Teacher Michael Parker Science and Field Science Teacher Kate Carr Teaching Assistant and Careers Advisor Claire Richardson Teaching Assistant and Administration Anne Nicol Teaching Assistant Jack Tuffin Teaching Assistant Ben Smith Team Leader Abbie Thomas Team Leader Kim Hammond Team Leader Nick Curcio Care Officer Simon Cowley Care Officer Steve Robinson Care Officer Chris Phillipsz-James Care Officer Ashley Kempton Care Officer Sue Rogers Therapeutic Lead Erika Pratt Cook

6 Staff Photos Michael Mayne Sarah Hawke Margaret Peacock Leon Creenan Roz Shearn Barry Godden Ola Fines Amanda Cox John Pullen Damien Eagling Michael Parker Kate Carr Claire Richardson Ben Smith Matt Walker Abbie Thomas Steve Robinson Simon Cowley Chris Phillip-James Ashley Kempton Sue Rogers Kim Hammond Jack Tuffin Anna Nicol Smitts

7 What will our Care Team do for you? Provide you with a stable, caring environment to help you feel safe Support you to make friends with other young people Give you the opportunity to enjoy lots of activities Support you in leading a healthy lifestyle Support you to cope with being away from family and friends Share ideas/ways to help you manage if you feel angry, upset or sad Reward you for your efforts and achievements Support you to become independent and learn new skills such as cooking and looking after your money Support you to see your family Help you have fun!

8 What will our Education Team do for you? Teach you in small classes Provide you with all the support you need to improve your learning Encourage you to contribute to your Education and Health Plan which will include all your education and care needs Make lessons interesting and help you learn how to learn Build your confidence Give you the opportunity to achieve at GCSE, Entry levels or ASDAN and then attend College Reward you for your efforts and achievements

9 What will our Domestic Team and your Care Staff do for you? Provide you with nutritious, healthy food Give you the opportunity to make suggestions about what you would like to eat and contribute to the food and meals Help you keep your room clean and tidy Ensure your clothes and bedding are clean Shop for new clothes for your wardrobe Getting support and talking about you Sue Rogers is our Therapeutic Lead. She is at Owlswick for 4 days a week and you can talk to her about any concerns you might have. Young people can refer themselves for this support. She will also talk to your family/carers if you agree and support you to understand more about your past and present. For example, she will support you to manage any angry feelings you might have and understand why these may affect how you respond and behave.

10 Your School Day Rise and Shine! Get showered and dressed BREAKFAST Tutor Groups Assembly Lesson Lesson BREAK Lesson Lesson LUNCH Lesson Lesson Tutor Groups Positives Meeting End of School After School Activities! TEA Evening Activities Staggered bedtimes

11 Activities School At Owlswick, learning is not all about being in the classroom. You will have the opportunity to learn outside the classroom. Activities can include Raft Building, Hiking, Canoeing or Kayaking. The staff are trained to teach you the skills you need to master new sports, develop your confidence and encourage you to work as part of a team. We have a Hall and playing fields for Football and Athletics. Home There are also local clubs that you might like to join and you can talk to your keyworker about these, these include local youth clubs. Owlswick has an annual camp where you have the opportunity for new experiences and we will take you away on a week s holiday every summer. You will learn how to work with staff and other students, explore new environments, learn to cook outside and with a range of challenging activities, have lots of fun!

12 Living at Owlswick Home This may be the first time you have lived away from home and you may find it difficult as you will be living with people you don t know. Try not to worry as you will soon get to know everyone and feel part of the school and house. You will have your own room until you are a senior resident and then you may choose to share a flat with another young person. You can: Make your room your own by choosing colours, bedding, furniture and pictures Bring personal items from home Hand in anything that is valuable to a member of staff for safe keeping. Have a safe place to store valuables in your room There is a kitchen where you can make drinks and enjoy snacks, a large lounge with a widescreen TV and a small lounge with computer gaming equipment. Both have comfortable furniture to help you relax. Magazines, books, DVD s and board games are available. There is also a cinema room for special film showings. Outside there is a football field and 3 acres of land to play in.

13 Keeping in Touch School Your family/carers will be encouraged to visit the school particularly when you have your Annual School Review. We also have events during the year including; Parents Evening, Prize Giving, Sports Day and a Christmas event to which families/carers are welcome. The school may contact your parents/carers/social worker when they want to let them know how you are getting on. We would like them to let us know if anything changes in your family life which might affect your progress in school. Home Parents/carers/social workers and your local authority can call the school and home anytime. Keyworkers will make weekly phone calls home and encourage you to phone home too. You can keep in touch with your families/carers and friends during the week. A phone is available for you and calls can be made in private unless your social worker says you should have an adult with you. Your family/carers can visit you during the week and/or at weekends and you can go home and see them as agreed.

14 Evening Activities and Bedtimes The Care staff will plan the evening activities which could include: A trip to the local beach (in the summer!) Go karting or laser quest Swimming at the Leisure Centre or open air pool Running or walking in the local area An activity in the house such as board games, cooking, listening to music or playing a computer game Going to youth clubs Seeing friends Special activities could include going to the cinema or bowling! Before bedtime, you can have a hot or cold drink and biscuits. The staff are happy to settle you in your room with a story or just to chat. Bedtimes will depend upon your ages but there are occasions when bedtimes are extended this is usually for good behaviour! You may be allowed to have a TV in your room if you can prove that you can manage within the times you are allowed to watch it. Mobile phones are to be switched off at bedtime and handed in to the night staff for safe keeping.

15 Food Glorious Food! Owlswick has its own chef who will cook your meals and care staff will look after you at mealtimes. Breakfast cereal, toast, fruit, juice and tea with a hot breakfast offered everyday. Break time tea or juice and healthy snacks Lunch a choice of a light lunch including a vegetarian option and salads followed by a dessert or fresh fruit with water or juice. Young people are able to suggest meals and food they might like to eat and talk to our chef about these. Tea a hot meal, salads, vegetarian options and dessert. Fresh fruit and healthy snacks are also available. You can learn to cook with the staff and help prepare meals. All meals are served in the Dining Room but if you are going out on an activity during the day, a healthy packed lunch will be provided. The school will take account of any students special dietary requirements and you can tell us about these.

16 Medical and First Aid You will be registered with a local Doctor, Optician and Dentist. If you are not feeling well The staff will look after you An appointment will be made with the Doctor if you are feeling unwell If you are unwell for several days, it may be necessary for you to return home to get better Routine check-ups will be made to ensure you are fit and well. You will see the Dentist in Lewes and the staff will accompany you on appointments. If you require regular work on your teeth, this can be carried out by the Dentist. You will also see an Optician and encouraged to attend regular eye tests. If you need glasses or you already wear them, they will be provided by the local Optician. You will be expected to take care of your glasses. Staff are trained in first aid and will look after you if you hurt yourself. It may be necessary to take you to the local Accident and Emergency Department at the hospital Other support:- If you need other support Owlswick will make the necessary arrangements but will discuss this with your parents/carers/social worker. This may be if you are not feeling well and feel anxious, stressed or upset about anything for example.

17 Safeguarding & Child Protection Owlswick wants you to feel safe and secure in your home and at school. Owlswick has a Safeguarding & the Protection of Children Policy. You can : Report anything that you are worried or concerned about Report anything where you feel unsafe whether this is in school, out in the community or in your home area Report someone if they are making you feel worried or unsafe If you feel worried or unsafe please talk to a member of staff Remember: Staff will always listen to you They will always share any information you give them with others to keep you safe The school and home Child Protection Officers might have to refer concerns to others All staff at Owlswick School have a duty to keep you safe The designated child protection officer for the home is Leon Creenan. The designated child protection officer for the school is Margaret Peacock. All staff working in the school receive Child Protection training and hold enhanced DBS checks.

18 Keeping you safe There may be times when you become upset or angry. Our staff have a duty to keep you, other young people and all staff safe. If you are having a difficult time: Try and talk to a member of staff Make use of a quiet space where you can have time to yourself supported by a member of staff If you are unable to manage your feelings and may feel angry or upset the staff will support you to feel calm again. They will: Talk to you to help you calm and understand what is making you feel upset or angry Remind you of other times when you have been upset and how you have managed to make yourself feel better Guide you away from a situation with the support of other staff, to a place of safety. Support you to carry on with your day However, there may also be times when you may not feel in control of yourself and need staff to help you feel calm or manage yourself. All staff at Owlswick are trained in using specific techniques to support you if you need to feel safe and secure and these will only be used as a last resort. We make sure you are safe when you use the internet or social media e.g. Facebook, as it is important that you know what to do if you are worried about any contacts you make or receive. If you are worried about anything or anyone that you are in contact with then please talk to a member of staff.

19 Bullying Bullying is something that someone does on purpose that is meant to hurt you. Sometimes it s the same things over and over again but sometimes it s a lot of small things that build up so that it affects the way you live your life. BULLYING IN OWLSWICK WILL NOT BE TOLERATED! The school and home has an Anti-bullying Policy and also an Anti-bullying Group where staff and students meet regularly to discuss any incidents of bullying and what can be done to make sure everyone feels safe. They also look at ways of raising awareness of bullying in school and home and how to prevent it. We want ALL young people to be able to talk to staff if they are being bullied we also want to help the bullies stop! We promise to listen to you and take action if you are being bullied or if you are bullying someone else. The school and home operates a system of consequences which could mean that bullies will know that something will happen if they keep bullying. If bullying is persistent and very serious, a young person could be excluded from the school and home.

20 Complaints We hope that you will be happy at Owlswick School and Home but there may be times when you are unhappy about something or someone and will want to complain. Try and talk to a member of staff and they will do everything they can to help and support you. The school and home has a Complaints Policy and a Complaints Form if you wish to make a written complaint and the staff will help you if you need it. Your complaint will always be taken seriously and we will try to resolve it as soon as possible. If you are still unhappy, you can talk to the Manager or Head Teacher, your parents/carers or any other member of staff that you trust. We will respond to complaints within 24 hours to 2 days. We understand if you do not want to speak to anyone in school or home, you can contact the following: Childline Ofsted DfE Office of the Children's Commissioner Helpline

21 What the Young People say about Owlswick It s the best home in the area Staff listen to me when I feel sad or upset I like all the activities I can do I think the staff are great, I trust them to make me feel safe It is different to my old place, everything is calm here I can play outside and ride my bike I like my bedroom and having my things with me The food is really good and tasty