Maples is a residential provision based on-site at St Bernard’s School, currently providing opportunities to support outcomes for adulthood across post 16 students and an educational curriculum, as identified on a student’s Education, Health & Care Plan, Monday to Friday during term time. At weekends and in holidays, Maples provides short breaks to young people, with an agreed allocation through a social care assessment, who are also on St Bernards school roll, following the identification of an assessed need by social care.

Accommodation

The accommodation in Maples comprises of five bedrooms - each of the bedrooms have ‘rise and fall’ beds for hoist access. Bedroom Two is also equipped with a ceiling track hoist. The lounge is equipped with comfy sofas, a television/ DVD, it has an adjoining conservatory area with activities to access, or it can be used as a quiet area. There is a kitchen where staff and the young people are able to prepare drinks, meals and snacks, and a dining room where meals can be taken together in a social context. The bathroom has a ‘rise and fall’ Jacuzzi bath, changing bench and a ceiling track hoist and there is also a separate wet room with toilet and shower.  For more information and visuals see our Welcome information.

There is a phone that is able to receive incoming and outgoing calls which can be used hands free if needed and is accessible to young people.

Student Voice

Maples has a representative on the school parliament. This young person’s role is to prepare for parliament meetings and discussions, and express the viewpoints of the other Maples young people, as well as participating in the school development process. At Maples the young people have regular meetings monthly, where young people are able to express their choices for equipment/outings/décor/plan for social events and also to take requests to the school parliament.

Staff at Maples are very skilled in supporting effective communication at all levels which includes the use of augmentative forms of communication such symbols, signing and communication iPads.

An independent advocate from Voiceability visits the setting monthly to ascertain the wishes and feelings of the young people and be a point of contact if they wish to discuss anything. In addition, there is an appointed Academy Governor who makes an unannounced visit every six weeks. Part of the remit for this visit is for young people to show them around and communicate any issues or concerns that they may have.

Activities

Maples offers a curriculum that extends and generalises the learning and achievements of the young people at either end of the school day. Activities are focused on building skills to support independence, self-advocacy and communication in a range of contexts and environments. These are linked to the students' ECHLPs (Education, Care, Health and Learning Plans). Staff from both school and Maples work very closely together in order to effectively support achievement towards these outcomes.

Parents and carers are also involved in supporting learning and, where appropriate, ‘homework’ may be offered in order to further develop skills being generalised in different environments.

Systematic Instruction is a teaching and learning approach that is used both in school and Maples. The ethos of this ‘places a positive expectation of people’s potential to achieve when we have taken notice of the tasks and environments that people are interested in’. (Systematic Instruction Handbook). Systematic Instruction supports the students to be as independent as possible by breaking tasks down into small steps and gradually removing the reliance on adult prompts and support. This then increases the young person’s opportunities to develop and implement learned skills in a range of contexts. Examples of how this may be used include making a sandwich or simple snack, placing dirty washing in the washing machine and switching on and vacuuming a given area.

Regular weekly activities may include visits within the community, life skills including cooking where the young people prepare their own meals, craft activities, swimming and learning how to use free time positively and safely.

Staffing

Maples has a team of staff consisting of a Principal Education Care Officer, two Lead Education Care Officers and eleven Education/Residential Care Officers.

Each day there are at least two Education/Residential Care Officers working in the morning and evening, according to the needs of the young people accessing the provision. There are always two waking night staff.

Staff, both school and Maples, have access to the same training in order to carry out their roles effectively, safely and with maximum positive impact. This training is planned and linked to the Trust and Maples Development Plans.

Maples is inspected separately on an annual basis and consistently receives an Outstanding rating. You can see our latest and previous reports on the Ofsted website.

More Information

Read our Statement of Purpose, Welcome to Maples guide and Students Mission Statement.

If you require further information regarding Maples, please contact Suzanne Hogg, Principal Education Care Officer (suzanne.hogg@lwf.lincs.sch.uk) or Lea Mason, CEO of INSPIRE Connected Communities Trust (lea.mason@lwf.lincs.sch.uk)