Castle Gate
Last updated: 25/08/2021
Castle Gate is a respite care home for children aged between five and eighteen living with Learning disabilities, Autism, Physical Disabilities and Complex needs. Castle Gate specialises in providing care in a safe and stimulating environment.
We also provide a service to support children and young people’s medical conditions associated with learning disabilities i.e. epilepsy, heart conditions, dietary needs and asthma, guidelines are required from Health services prior to admission. Castle Gate is able to provide a service to children and young people with challenging behaviour as long as we have appropriate guidelines and support in place from the multidisciplinary team and carers.
Short Breaks are provided for up to six children and young people at any one time inclusive of day care arrangements.
We provide mixed groups and same sex groups, depending on the needs and friendships amongst the children and young people.
- Castle Gate is fully equipped with moving and handling equipment and can accommodate a diverse range of children and young person’s needs.
- The building is based on two floors and upstairs the building has a self-contained flat which can be used separately from downstairs and can be used to run services for varying need, if so required. Where a particular group of young people have differing/diverse care needs, it is possible for two staff teams to operate within the building. The ratios are based on the need of the young person and assessment of risk. We will only separate the young people in situations where the demand is high and cannot be managed any other way safely or to allow for different needs to be met specifically in developing independence skills for our young people going through transition to adult services (16+).
- Children with complex health and social care needs with reduced or little mobility will only use the ground floor of the building to sleep which has all the resources required and enables a safer exit from the building in an emergency.
- Individual bookings for the service are arranged to ensure compatibility of the children, to provide a variety of experiences that promote personal and social development, which is age and needs appropriate. We take into account the needs of the family and will try to accommodate their needs and wishes.
- Castle Gate is sometimes in a position to offer care at short notice in exceptional circumstances. We will always try to support our families in times of crisis
- Some children may be referred to Castle Gate with challenging behaviours. These behaviours in themselves should not necessarily prevent a young person from staying here unless a real and serious risk is posed to others or the young person will be exposed to serious risk by staying at Castle Gate.
Who to contact
- Contact Name
- Michael Garrity
- Contact Position
- Team Manager
- Telephone
- 01635 43778
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Michael.Garrity1@westberks.gov.uk
castlegate@westberks.gov.uk
Where to go
- Name
- Castle Gate
- Address
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Castle School Grounds
Love Lane
Donnington
Newbury
Berkshire - Postcode
- RG14 2JG
- Notes
The service is situated in the grounds of Castle School.
Time / Date Details
- When is it on
- Castle Gate is a 52 week provision.
- Time of day
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Evening
Afternoon
Morning - Session Information
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Overnight (2.30pm – 1.00pm the next day) or day time (9.00am – 2.30pm).
Other Details
Availability
- Age Ranges
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4-11
11-16
16-18 - Age Range Notes
For Age 7-18 years
- Referral required
- Yes
- Referral Details
Castle Gate residential short break service is a specialist service for those families in greatest need and referrals are by social workers in the Disabled Childrens Team.
- Other notes
This information has been collected from third party providers, therefore the West Berkshire Family Information Service Directory (FISd) and West Berkshire Council cannot accept responsibility for the accuracy of this information and recommends that parents, carers, young people, residents and professionals check with providers regarding DBS (Disclosure & Barring Service), OFSTED registrations and CQC registrations. Information collected by West Berkshire Information Directory is used solely to implement and supply the Family Information Service (FIS) and West Berkshire's Local Offer Special Educational Needs & Disabilities (SEND).
Inclusion Information
Dietary Needs
- Has Provision
- Yes
Local Offer
- Description
The purpose of the service, is to provide short-term day or overnight respite care for up to six children with learning disabilities at any one time. Any child from five years of age up to eighteen who has a learning disability can access the service via the Children’s with Disabilities Team DCT. Children and young people who have additional disabilities associated with learning disabilities, such as autism, may also use the service.
At Castle Gate we provide respite care as a limited short break or on a planned regular basis in an environment that is as safe and secure as possible
Castle Gate staff can undertake home visits to update the child or young person’s Care Plan and programme plans in consultation with; Social Workers, Schools, Psychologists, Doctors, Speech Therapists, Occupational Therapists and Physiotherapists.
Accurate and precise records of information are maintained once obtained from parents/ carers and the children and young people themselves, in consultation with other professionals involved. In addition, daily continuation notes are kept in regard to the children and young people during their stay. As part of our commitment to providing a valuable service to the community, we provide individual reports and assessments on the children and young people, call Reviews when we have concerns about the child or young person’s well-being and attend other Reviews and Case Conferences. Castle Gate managers meet with DCT managers on a monthly basis to discuss individual children, referrals and service delivery.
The service ensures that children and young people attend appropriate schools and leisure activities during their stay. We aim to provide the children and young people staying with us, appropriate social and recreational activities, which are community based.
One of our most important objectives is to provide effective ongoing support network to parents/carers of children and young people with learning disabilities.
At Castle Gate we are committed to special needs, which may arise from children and young people’s different racial, ethnic, social, religious and cultural backgrounds.
AIMS OF THE SERVICE
- To provide respite/short break accommodation for children living with learning disabilities, some of who may have autism, physical disabilities and complex health needs
- To provide a high standard of physical care for children and young people during their stay
- To be aware of the children and young people’s security needs and provide an environment as safe as possible during their stays
- To maintain comprehensive and up to date information on each child or young person’s care, activity and their needs, including health care needs.
- To consult with young people and allow their voice to be heard and respected,
- To carry out individual target programmes and plans that correspond to individual Education, Health and Care Plans in agreement with parents/carers and professionals, creating opportunities to transfer skills from differing settings, coping strategies and independence skills.
- To maintain an effective day to day recording and reporting system.
- To provide assessments, home visits to update care plans for all children and young people using the service, contribute to reviews held on children and young people by other agencies. To continually improve and maintain effective informal lines of communication with these bodies, parents and carers.
- To ensure in all communications, verbal and written, both within the service and with external agencies, professional and other parties, that the right to confidentiality is respected at all times.
- To facilitate a support network resource for parents/carers of children and young people with learning disabilities living in the community.
- To ensure that children and young people continue to attend their school and regular leisure activities.
- To provide a wide range of recreational, educational and social activities, making full use of local facilities, appropriate for all levels of ability and with awareness of the individual and cultural needs of each child and young person.
- To be aware of the special needs, which may arise in providing these services to children and young people of different racial, ethnic, religious and cultural backgrounds and with different lifestyles and to attempt to address these needs.
- SEN Provision Type
- Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties, Medical, Specific Literacy Difficulties, Speech & Language Difficulties, Behavioural, Emotional & Social Difficulties, Autistic Spectrum Disorder, Physical Disability, Hearing Impairment, Moderate Learning Difficulties, Severe Learning Difficulties, Visual Impairment
- Local Offer Age Bands
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7 to 11
12 to 14
15 to 16
16 to 18 - Needs Level
- High
General Provider
Our building is fully adapted for access by children with severe physical disabilities. We have three bedrooms on the ground floor. Every child using our service will have an individualised support plan which will state clearly how their specific needs will be met whilst they stay with us. We have transport which is equipped for wheelchair access, and outings to the park and other places figure largely in our daily routines. 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 access issues.
Access to Castle Gate residential respite service is via an assessment of need by a social worker and therefore has to meet the threshold criteria for children’s social care (on the Council’s website).
Castle Gate residential short break service is a specialist service, referrals are made by social workers in the Disabled Childrens Team.
We aim to provide as responsive a service as we can.
The referral process requires a number of factors; inclusive of meeting individual need, capacity, existing bookings for that period of time, matching of appropriate groupings
Referral Process
- Service Contact and agreement for two members of staff to carry out school observations and assessments
- Parents visit to the service for a tour
- Parents and Child to visit the service and team
- Placement Planning and Risk Assessing agreement
- Initial Tea visit for the child with Parent
- Two / Three tea visits identified
- First overnight assessment
- Overnights to commence once child, parents and service in agreement
The only cost involved in our service is that of the pocket money that the children would spend on outings from the home.
Castlegate is regulated via The Children Home's Regulations 2015. The service is annually inspected by Ofsted
We provide families with feedback of every stay their child has with us. There is a formal complaint/compliment process in place and feedback from families is essential in our continuing development as well as informing the style of care required by our children.
Castle Gate complies with all Ofsted and statutory regulations. From our recruitment of staff through to our day to day interaction with children, everything we do has the best interest and safety of the children at its heart. Observation and recording is at the centre of our practice, this is closely monitored and assessed to ensure that our service is working at the highest level for the children. Close working relationships with our families is a high priority, it enables us to adapt to changing needs and individual development of our children.
Quality checks
- DBS check
Related Information
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