Dickson House

Opened in 2002, Dickson House is a large refurbished property with a friendly family-type atmosphere, situated in the grounds of the Doncaster Deaf Trust.

Introduction

The home has been developed in partnership with Doncaster School for the Deaf and is administered by the Doncaster Deaf Trust.

As a Registered Children's Home, The Commission for Social Care Inspection regularly inspect Dickson House and recent inspection reports have been very favourable.

Dickson House is within walking distance of Doncaster Dome – which features an ice rink, swimming pool with slides and a gym. There is also a multiplex cinema, ten-pin bowling, restaurants and a large supermarket nearby.

Dickson House has been developed to a high standard and is designed to accommodate five children/young people in single and twin bedrooms. The home provides high-quality, residential accommodation for young deaf people who are currently in need of stability and care. It is staffed by a dedicated team of experienced professionals. Through the provision of a warm and caring environment and the establishment of firm and consistent boundaries, children and young people, some of whom may be experiencing emotional and behavioural difficulties or have moderate learning difficulties, are encouraged to reach their full potential. Children and young people who require education and training have access to Doncaster School or Doncaster College for the Deaf, both of which provide high-quality education and training to deaf and partially-hearing children and young people.

Dickson House offers

52 week, 24 hour residential care
High staffing ratios
Excellent residential accommodation
Tailored care and educational packages
Access to an experienced multidisciplinary team including Mental Health Provision
Continuous assessment and reviewing process
Services for children under our care
Participation in a wide range of cultural and leisure activities

Accommodation

Bedrooms

At Dickson House there are three single bedrooms and one twin bedroom. Each bedroom has its own washbasin, drawers, wardrobe, desk, chair, lamp and a bed. Residents are encouraged to bring posters and pictures to make their room more personal. They can also bring televisions, games consoles and music systems if they wish. In addition, each bedroom has its own bedding and towel set.

Bathroom

All residents share one bathroom, which has a bath, a shower and a sink. The lavatory is located separately.

Social areas

Dickson House has a large living room where residents can relax. It has a widescreen television and caption video recorder, two large sofas, three coffee tables and a selection of board games. The computer room has a computer that all residents can use, giving them access to the Internet. Dickson House also has a kitchen and a separate dining room. Meals are provided at set times. However, residents are encouraged to help to prepare and serve snacks and meals, before dining.

Safety and security

All residents are issued with their own bedroom key on arrival. Each bedroom has its own safe.

All rooms are fitted with smoke alarms, including the staff office, which has a flashing smoke alarm. Due to the sensitivity of the smoke alarms we insist that the use of aerosols is restricted to the bathroom. There is a strict NO SMOKING policy throughout Dickson House.

Care staff

Dickson House has a team of experienced specialist staff, several of whom are deaf and all of whom have good signing skills and are working towards NVQ Level 3 and 4 in Care.

Staff provide high quality care and support. They provide continuous emotional support at all times, as well as day-to-day care including organising activities, helping with homework, and providing regular meals. The staff work on a shift system, providing care and cover 24 hours a day, 52 weeks a year. At night there is one waking member of staff and one sleeping member of staff.

Key workers

On arrival at Dickson House residents are allocated a key worker. Key workers provide advice, guidance and support to an individual resident. Residents can request a change of key worker if they wish.

Action plans

Individual key workers and the team leader of Dickson House are responsible for assessing a new resident’s level of ability and setting up the Action Plan. This is designed to improve the independent living and social skills of the resident and includes money management, road safety skills, health and hygiene etc. The Action Plan is reviewed every three months and new targets are set.

Communication

At Dickson house we have a uniphone to enable residents to speak to their family or friends via a minicom. We also have a mobile so that residents can text-message the staff should there be a problem. In addition to this we have an internal and external telephone, and a fax machine, to maintain regular contact with residents’ families and their social workers.

Money

We operate a banking system at Dickson House so that residents can learn how to budget their money by having their own personal account, where they can deposit and withdraw money on a regular basis. The resident signs for each transaction and it encourages them to learn the value of money. Care staff can also assist with helping a resident to open a bank account and help them with benefit entitlements if required.

Road safety

All residents are required to undertake a road safety test before they can travel independently. Staff will supervise residents until they are competent. Staff will also help residents to obtain bus and rail discount cards if required. Health and hygiene All residents are actively encouraged to bath daily, keep their bedrooms tidy and learn how to do their own washing and ironing. Staff will offer guidance and support throughout.

Advocacy

All residents have the right to an independent advocate, which can be organised on request. In addition, care workers can also act as an advocate if needed. Qualified interpreters are provided for all formal meetings and reviews.

Medical support

The health of all residents is checked on a continuous basis. There is a qualified nurse on-site during working hours and a doctor visits daily. Vision and dental checks are organised regularly. Staff from the York Deaf Child and Family Service visit weekly. Their aim is to provide a service for deaf children with emotional and behavioural problems, and to support their families.

Leisure

Residents can relax after school/college or on a weekend by using the facilities in the house or by making the most of the varied choice of sports and recreational facilities available both on and off campus.

Code of Conduct

Residents are actively encouraged to have consideration, concern and respect for others, to have high standards of personal behaviour and self-discipline and to accept responsibility for their own actions within Dickson House and the local community. The behaviour policy and anti-bullying policy are strong features for the residents of Dickson House and discussions about consideration for others and the consequences of actions take place as necessary.

Sanctions

Sanctions are used to help residents to see when their behaviour is unacceptable and, through discussion with their key worker, to modify the offending behaviour. Sanctions may mean that a resident misses a particular activity or is ‘grounded’ for a period of time. All sanctions are recorded.

Complaints procedure

Residents have the right to complain if they are justifiably unhappy with the service that they are receiving. The Doncaster Deaf Trust has a written complains procedure. In general any complaint should be sorted out at the lowest possible level, only becoming a formal written complaint if this does not occur.

Further information

If you would like further information or would like to arrange a visit to Dickson House please contact the Registered Care Manager on: 01302 360953 (phone and fax)