A Unique Child: Inclusion - An oasis of hope

When you find your child has a disability, 'your life is torn apart' and 'you feel completely isolated,' says a mother whose child attended Peter Pan Nursery. The setting in Newcastle Under Lyme, Staffordshire, is one of just a handful of nurseries in the country caring only for children with special needs, from birth up to the age of five.

The children who attend Peter Pan Nursery have a wide range of disabilities, conditions and syndromes, including cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, autism, visual and hearing impairments and speech and language delays (see box).

For this mother, it was Peter Pan Nursery that gave her the strength to carry on. Calling it 'a haven of care and support', she says, 'When the shock eventually wears off, you are able to feel again, and you realise that you have found an oasis in a wilderness of despair.'

STARTING AT THE NURSERY

'When a parent discovers their child has additional needs, they often feel anxiety and grief and they can find it hard to come to a setting like Peter Pan Nursery,' explains the nursery's manager, Lynn Heighway.

'It depends very much on the parent. To help with this, we can carry out a home visit if this is preferred and then invite them into the setting. During a visit they will go through an induction process so we can get a proper understanding of their child and their needs.'

The nursery liaises with many outside agencies and works very closely with speech therapists, physiotherapists and teachers for the visually impaired.

'We focus a lot on development. This is not a play-based nursery. We are always looking at how the child can progress developmentally.'

It is partly the support it gives to the parents that makes the nursery popular. 'It is not just a drop-off-andgo nursery,' says Ms Heighway. 'We have regular reviews of the children's development for parents. We have an open-door policy and parents can grab us at any time and have a chat if they think their child needs to be seen by a physio or if they want us to come and visit a specialist service with them.

'We also put on regular courses for parents run by professionals. These include Makaton classes, first aid and massage, which can be very therapeutic for those with special conditions. We ask them if there is any particular course they would like us to put on.'

As it is extremely tough caring for a child with a disability, the staff are also there as a shoulder to cry on.

'Our parents are fantastic. They have to go to all these appointments and they are often sleep-deprived, but they don't moan about it,' says Ms Heighway.

In order to give more support to the parents, the nursery has a special parents' room with a fully fitted kitchen where they can socialise and relax over a coffee. 'It offers a chance for parents to have a chat and support each other. There is a TV and DVD player in there and they can relax and have a bit of peace,' says Ms Heighway.

'Parents know their children better than anyone and we have very close partnerships with parents. This helps us to understand their children's needs fully so that we are able to give them the very best that we can.'

The aim of the nursery is to make sure each child becomes as independent as possible. 'The children receive intensive intervention and because of the support they get, the children make great progress,' says Ms Heighway.

Most of the nursery's referrals come from health services and the majority of the children will go on to a special school.

CASE STUDY ONE

Alfie is aged three and has been attending the nursery for just over a year. He is blind and has developmental delays. When Alfie started coming to Peter Pan Nursery it was just for one session, but the nursery arranged an additional session.

'When he started coming he wasn't walking and he was quite sensitive to noise and got frustrated easily,' says Ms Heighway. 'Mobility is often later to develop for a child who is blind due to lack of confidence.'

Because of his blindness, it is very important for Alfie to be in an environment that doesn't change, she adds.

'We ensure that everything is talked through with him, such as where chairs and doors are located, and he has learned to feel his way around in order to make sense of his environment.'

A member from the visually impaired team works with him once a week and the nursery liaises closely with her regarding targets. 'Alfie has really gained in confidence. He now sits and carries out activities and also uses some words,' says Ms Heighway.

Peter Pan Nursery has changed Alfie's life for the better, according to his mother.

She says, 'Before he attended the nursery we couldn't take him anywhere - he was so frightened of any loud noises and super-sensitive to everything. From the ongoing support, patience and dedication of the staff, my son has made more progress than I could ever dream of. He has gone from wanting to be on his own, rocking to himself, to a happy little boy who has learned to sing and socialise.'

CASE STUDY TWO

Another Alfie is a four-year-old boy who has Down syndrome and developmental delays. He attends two sessions in nursery, though at first he started with one session.

Ms Heighway says, 'He is now walking independently, although he can be unsteady at times, and he will sit for periods of up to ten minutes depending on the activity. He particularly enjoys number work and has learned to spoon-feed himself and drink from an open cup.

'He has a high level of care during sessions, but has made progress since being at nursery and can use a few words and communicates through the Picture Exchange System.'

Alfie also attends a mainstream setting for a few hours a week, under the free entitlement to nursery education, to help to further his socials skills and speech and language skills. The Peter Pan nursery is due to visit a mainstream school and special school with his parents to support them, as they are unsure which setting may best suit his needs.

Ms Heighway adds, 'His parents are very pleased with the progress that he has made since being at nursery and feel the ratio of care that he has received has helped with his development. His mother stays on site in the parents' room while he is at nursery, where she is able to have a cup of coffee and catch up on some reading.'

PETER PAN NURSERY: FACTS AND FEEDBACK

Peter Pan Nursery was founded in 1969 by a teacher and a doctor who had children with additional needs. Now the setting is registered for 25 children, and 45 children attend the sessions over the course of each week. It currently has 23 more on its waiting list.

Each two-hour session costs £50 per child, but the nursery operates as a charity and charges parents only £8 a session. Fundraising and grants make up with rest.

'We are currently over 90 per cent funded by donations and it costs around £250,000 a year to run the nursery,' says manager Lynn Heighway.

'It is quite a challenge to raise that amount each year, but we are going to start running more big events. We can only charge parents a nominal fee. Many are on low incomes as they are full-time carers because their children have such high-level needs.'

The nursery, which receives some Lottery funding, has recently taken on a fundraising manager, Sophie Baker, who organises events and applies for grants and donations from companies.

The needs of the children mean the staff work on a ratio of one to one or one to two with the children.

Ms Heighway explains, 'Due to the high ratio and problems with funding, we can't afford to offer the full free 15 hours to the three to four-year-olds and we can only offer each child one or two sessions. Some children access other settings and continue to attend sessions with ourselves.

'We accompany parents on their initial visit to give support where needed. When the parents make their decision, we invite staff from the mainstream early years setting to visit our nursery to watch how we work with the child. We also have regular meetings with them to offer them any support they may need.'

The nursery employs a manager, deputy manager and four staff. All the staff are qualified up to Level 3 and they have also had lots of additional specialist training in areas such as how to work with children on the autistic spectrum.

The nursery was rated Outstanding in its most recent Ofsted inspection. Inspectors praised the 'fantastic level of commitment at the setting, with all staff being extremely dedicated to helping children reach their full potential'. The report notes, 'The combination of specialised equipment, specialised knowledge and kind, caring and professional staff means that parents describe the setting as "an absolute God-send".'