We are delighted to have been accredited with Genuine Partnerships’ Accreditation Team, Charter Gold for outstanding practice in co-production after a recent inspection at our campus.
The term Co-production refers to a way of working where service providers and users work together to reach a collective outcome. The approach is value-driven and built on the principle that those who are affected by a service are best placed to help design it.
“I am so thrilled with the outcome of the inspection. At Seashell, we work so hard to listen and react to the voices of our students and their families and this forms a basis for all our decision-making. We are passionate about challenging the notion that children and young adults with disabilities cannot participate on an equal level with people in professional roles – we believe that our students and residents are absolutely best placed to influence change.”
Head of Family Services, Sherann Hillman
Excerpts from the report…
Seashell is an excellent example of truly inclusive and person-centred provision, where every young person is recognized as an individual with agency and autonomy. A parent carer of a student who had been part of the Seashell family for 14 years shared: “This school has saved my daughter’s life, and my life, it’s not just about her education, it’s about the care.”
Parent carers identified that the relationships staff fostered with both the young people and their families were exemplary, describing Seashell as a, “…Beacon of good practice.”
From the moment we arrived, we were greeted by friendly members of staff across the site who exuded the Seashell ethos of being welcoming, greeting us with smiles, hellos and good mornings.
Parent carers shared with us moving stories, explaining how their children and young people had been able to thrive and grow since transferring to Seashell.
All the students at Seashell and their families are encouraged to think about their future and this then informs the learning that takes place for them. Consideration is given to how – when they leave school – they will be included in their community and society.
Staff explained, “Learner voice is at the heart of all that we do.” They identified how each stage of the new school site design and build had been co-produced by staff and pupils. Students are encourage to voice their opinions and there is an established school council where representative pupils share their views on key issues.
The Genuine Partnerships’ Accreditation Team was blown away with the commitment demonstrated by Seashell practitioners to the young people and families that they support.
