“Wake-up groups" in a residential school setting: Starting the day with occupation Emily Frost & Miriam Crowe June 2018 @EmilyFrost01 @DrMiriamOT @Childrens_Trust

Our Service: The Children’s Trust Daily routine 3 residential houses: Chestnut, Jasmine and Willow 23 children and young people Profound and multiple learning disabilities Daily routine Start getting up around 8am The Children’s Trust School starts at 9.30am The Children’s Trust | Wake Up Group Presentation (June 2018)

Observations of behaviours: Self-stimulating behaviours Fluctuating level of alertness Withdrawal Reduced social interactions Mansell and Beadle Brown (2012) Zijlstra and Vlaskamp (2005) The Children’s Trust | Wake Up Group Presentation (June 2018)

Introducing the Wake-up groups Engagement Social interactions Orientation Transition from home to school Modelling best practice Aims: Duration: 30 minutes Environment: Residential houses Staffing: The therapy team and volunteers (other members of the organisation or external volunteers) Mansell et al (2003) The Children’s Trust | Wake Up Group Presentation (June 2018)

Group format: 1. ‘Wake-up song’ 2. Say “hello” to everyone 3. What day is it? 4. Multi-sensory activity 5. Music Rainy days Spring time “It’s cold today!” Ten Brug et al. (2015); Maes et al. (2007); Moir (2010) The Children’s Trust | Wake Up Group Presentation (June 2018)

Service Evaluation – 1 year on… S.W.O.T. (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) analysis Online survey Included therapy, volunteers, care and school staff Questions about: content, resources, aims and training ? The Children’s Trust | Wake Up Group Presentation (June 2018)

Survey results Strengths “It’s a great reminder of why we are here” It is an opportunity for staff to get to know the children and young people Consistency of the groups’ content Multi-sensory aspect of the groups Weaknesses Variable/inconsistent numbers and people attending the groups Repetition Inconsistency between groups Aims not consistently being achieved Threats Unpredictable numbers attending Reduced number of resources Skills and confidence of volunteers Staffing levels Opportunities Volunteers wanting to increase their knowledge and skills Wide range of people wanting to be involved across TCT site The Children’s Trust | Wake Up Group Presentation (June 2018)

Our thoughts going forward… Learning points Think creatively about filling gaps in daily routine Balance between consistency and variety Involving volunteers from within the organisation benefits the running of the groups and upholding the values of the organisation Need to ensure training of non-clinical staff – not taking skills for granted The Children’s Trust | Presentation Title Name DD Month 2016

References Maes B, Lambrechts G, Hostyn I, Petry K, (2007) Quality enhancing interventions for people with PMLD: A review of the empirical research literature, Journal of Intellectual and Developmental Disability, 32(3), pp.163-178 Mansell J, Beadle-Brown J, Macdonald S, Ashman B (2003b) Resident involvement in activity in small community homes for people with learning disabilities. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 16(1), 63-74. Mansell J, Beadle-Brown J (2012) Active support: enabling and empowering people with intellectual disabilities. London: Jessica Kingsley. Moir L, (2010) Evaluating the effectiveness of different environments on the learning of switching skills in children with severe and profound multiple disabilities, British Journal of Occupational Therapy 73(10), pp. 446-456 Ten Brug A, Munde V, van der Putten, Vlaskamp C, (2015) Look closer: the alertness of people with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities during multi-sensory storytelling, a time sequential analysis, European Journal of Special Needs Education, 30(4), pp. 535-550 Zijlstra HP., Vlaskamp, C, (2005) Leisure provision for persons with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities: quality time or killing time?, Journal of Intellectual Disability Research; 49(6): 434-48 The Children’s Trust | Wake Up Group Presentation (June 2018)