Referral details
The document on Page 34 of our Information Booklet sets out the process whereby a child's admission to the Mulberry Bush School takes place. The document follows the progress from initial enquiry, through the referral stage and up to the point of admission. On the admission date there will be a ‘Getting to Know You Meeting'attended by the child, their carers and the lead professional. We would then begin our assessment and expect the LA to liaise with us to arrange reviews.Contact phone
01865 300202Contact email
aburnett@mulberrybush.org.ukWebsite
http://www.mulberrybush.org.ukOfsted rating
OutstandingOfsted report
https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/inspection-reports/find-inspection-report/provider/ELS/123330Age
From 5 to 13 years oldOpening times
38 week provision (52 in conjunction with high quality foster care providers)Description
The Mulberry Bush School is an acclaimed therapeutic residential special school for children with severe social, emotional and behavioural difficulties. These are children who have suffered early trauma, neglect and abuse and their behaviours are often very high risk, chaotic, aggressive and/or sexualised.
The School is in Oxfordshire and is a non-maintained residential special school. It provides 38 week therapeutic care, treatment and education for boys and girls aged 5-13 from across the country.
The school also works with the families of children placed, in order to support a successful and stable home base for the whole family.
The Mulberry Bush School provides individualised care, treatment and education plans, overseen, in each case, by a multidisciplinary treatment team of highly trained professional staff, including a therapist.
The service comprises of group living in residential households, National Curriculum education, group and individual drama and music therapy, individual psychotherapy, group work, family work, VIG work, family therapy, training and consultation, as appropriate to meet identified needs.
All parts of the service are located on one outstanding site. The School can also work closely with carefully selected foster care providers to form 52 week packages. Mulberry Bush is a charity and so is not for profit. It continues to guarantee a 0% fee increase for children once placed, for the duration of their placement.
The School's Statement of Primary Task is: ‘To help primary aged children who have been unable to live in a family or learn in school, who have deep and complex emotional troubles and have developed antisocial ways of being, to discover helpful ways of living with themselves and others and to see themselves as learners and achievers.'
The Mulberry Bush School supports children with severe social, emotional and behavioural difficulties. The children we help come to us with a wide range of needs and a variety of diagnoses. Many of the children can broadly be described as having an attachment disorder of some kind while other diagnoses may include:
Attachment Disorder
Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD)
Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
Complex Trauma
Developmental Trauma Disorder
Mental Health Conditions
Social, Emotional and Mental Health Difficulties
Complex Needs
Our staff are among the most highly trained in the sector and we pride ourselves on excellent training and support for them. We strongly believe that if we do not look after our staff well, we cannot expect them to feel able to look after the children well.Staff are well supported through supervision, performance support, training and reflective practice sessions.
All front line staff are trained to a level 5 Foundation Degree level which integrates the organisation's theoretical understanding of the work.
The work of our Therapies and Networks Team is carefully integrated into the schools provision, providing individual therapy for some of the children and working alongside staff at every level. This helps to achieve a full understanding of each child and therefore a genuinely integrated approach to managing and nurturing each child.
We have two staff members now studying for Doctorates. Both studies should provide valuable information about how the Mulberry Bush can continue to improve its practice and so outcomes for those with whom it works.
Our Special Needs Co-ordinator has responsibility to oversee the following areas of work:
1. That learning difficulties are identified as soon as possible. We employ an Educational Psychologist who assesses all identified children and is available to look at ongoing areas of concern. We also employ a Speech and Language Therapist and an Occupational Therapist to assess identified children early in their stay and then to advise staff on strategies to help children in identified areas. The specialists also provide intensive 1:1 work with children where necessary.
2. To provide individual and small group programmes to meet individual needs. Once a problem area has been identified the teacher plans work to help the child to address this.
3. To provide support for teaching teams in planning for individuals. The Special Needs Co-ordinator is able to use her experience and knowledge to assist the teaching teams in their planning or for putting them in contact with others who could help.
4. To use external professionals and agencies to work with children and support staff in their work. We have developed a range of links with local agencies that are available to support our work. These include our local GP practice, Hearing Impairment Service, Speech and Language Unit, to a specialist teacher for dyslexic children.
For further information please see our Information Booklet.