Young Inspector reports

Doodles of faces on a yellow post it

The ‘Young Inspectors Scheme” provides a voice for children who use the scheme to shape and develop the service.

How the Young Inspectors rate a Short break session

The Young Inspectors reviewed the short breaks service based on the following areas and this is what the Young inspectors found:

  • Fun and Enjoyment
    • Did you enjoy the session?
    • Was the activity fun?
    • Would you go again?
  • Safety
    • Were you told about safety?
    • Did you feel safe?
    • Were staff friendly and helpful?
  • Accessibility
    • Could someone in the wheelchair access this activity?
    • Was the session time suitable?
    • Was the session good value for money?

The Inspector then gives the area a rating out of 3 stars:

  • 1 star is bad
  • 2 stars is OK
  • 3 stars is good

An overall rating out of 3 stars is then given for the session as an average from all the inspectors.

What the Young Inspectors found

The activities and sessions below were reviewed in 2023. 

John Cattles Skate Club

Skate sessions for 5 to 19 years of all abilities with qualified coaches. The session costs £5 and is 45 minutes with all equipment provided.

Overall rating of 3 stars.

Inspectors were entertained for the whole session and encouraged to try new things at their own pace. They would attend this session again and said that it was fun.
There is a seating area for parents to stay and watch safely. All equipment is provided and cleaned between sessions. The staff were fun and friendly.
All activities are on ground level making it accessible for wheelchairs. The venue is easy to find and has free parking and is located beside a bus route. The venue is easy to find with parking and on ground level which makes it easy to access in a wheelchair. The session is suitable for all ages and abilities
The session timings for the second group need to be updated in the booklet to allow time for cleaning of equipment between sessions.
“The staff at Skate Club are brilliant, they are very patient and give the kids such a confidence boost. It's a perfect mix of fun and learning, he really enjoyed himself”
“We are so pleased the young inspectors enjoyed our activity. We have had some great successes with our short breaks sessions, seeing significant development in the students, not just in their skating but their general confidence. We will continue to strive to provide quality skateboarding opportunities to as many people as possible, regardless of ability. If people want to skate, then we will get them skating.”
The times of the sessions in the Short Breaks leaflet needed to be updated to allow for cleaning and safety check of equipment to take place between sessions. This has now been updated.

Scallywags Fun Club

Scallywags Fun Club provides a fun place to play and meet friends during the school holidays. It costs £10 for 3-hour session and caters for children and Young People aged 3 to 18 years.

Overall rating of 3 stars.

Inspectors were warmly greeted, and the staff were friendly and engaging. There was a good choice of activities both inside and outside with adequate staff supervision. They were able to choose their own activity and were encouraged to try new things. They would attend this session again and said that it was fun.
The building and outside area is fully secure and children can bring their own scooters and bikes in. Helmets are provided and must be worn if using the outside equipment.
The activity is a good childcare option for working parents and provides a fun activity during school holidays. The price is reasonable, and all activities are on ground level making it accessible for wheelchairs. The venue is easy to find and has free parking and is located beside a bus route.
It is good to find an activity that is fully inclusive and the Short Breaks offer is not separated from other sessions.
“He had a lovely time and said he liked all the activities and there were lots to do. He loved nail painting especially. He said it was right amount of time and wasn't too noisy. He liked seeing all the different activities”

Bodsters

Bodsters provides equine assisted learning for children and young people where they interact with ponies on the ground. It costs £7.50 for a 1 hr 45-minute group session or 30 minute 1 to 1 session.

Overall rating of 2.5 stars

Inspectors were happy they had met new people at the activity, but it was not suitable for them all. One of them lost interest as the pace did not seem to suit his needs as there was a lot of waiting around. The others would attend this session again and said that it was fun. The children enjoyed their parents being with them and the parents were appreciative of the photos that were sent of the experience.
The outside area is secure and the staff supervised the group at all times and provided information about keeping safe around the ponies.
The age range in the group was wide which some of the children did not like. The session is inclusive to those with mobility issues as they have an electric buggy to take children to the ponies or can bring the pony up to meet the child. The venue is not easy to find and has limited parking but they felt the price was reasonable.
Suggestions for improvement include activity sheets for inspectors in the session to keep them involved and fire safety needs to be included in the safety talk for new people attending. The parents waiting area was overgrown, but this has now been cleared. The session times are incorrect as the sessions last 1 hour and 45 mins.
“A very nice day that we wouldn’t think of doing”
The parents waiting area needs to be cleared so that it is accessible again after all the rain. The session times in the Short breaks booklet are incorrect as the session lasts 1 hr and 45 minutes to allow staff to set up again for the next session.

Emma’s Otters

Emma’s Otters is a fun, friendly and fully accessible swimming session. It costs £5 a session but must be booked in blocks of 6 and is suitable for ages 3 to 18 years.

Overall rating of 3 stars

The Inspectors were warmly greeted and able to choose which swim teacher they wanted to work with. The teacher was fun and engaging and the inspectors said they would like to do this again.
The pool is small but suitable for the number of children in the session. Each swim teacher supports 3 children and there is an additional lifeguard on duty. The children said they felt safe in the session.
The session is fully inclusive and has hoist facilities to be able to get children in and out of the water if needed. The venue is easy to find with adequate parking. The session times were good, allowing for children to attend out of the area after school and are good value
To explore the possibility of move on sessions in a bigger pool once the children are ready to move on.
“I was very impressed with Emma's otters, he was relaxed from the minute we arrived, and really liked his teacher. I was impressed with how that teacher gained his trust, I was not expecting him to do so well and enjoy himself as much as he did. We are hoping to sign him up for more lessons in September”
To explore the possibility of move on sessions in a bigger pool once children are ready to move on.

Youth Club Network Ryde

A free social activity with games and snacks that takes place on a Thursday from 6pm to 8pm.

Overall rating of 3 stars

The Inspectors were warmly greeted upon arrival and were able to choose what they wanted to do. They all said that they enjoyed the session although at times it was quite loud. The Lego was very popular with everyone as well as the computers. There were snacks available throughout the session. One of the inspectors appreciated having the sensory tent and was able to use this when he needed too. The staff was fun and engaging with all the young people and the other children were very welcoming to the young inspectors.
The children said they felt safe in the session but did not feel that they were told about safety. Staff were helpful and did oversee the cooking activity and the magnetic darts to ensure that the young people were keeping safe.
The session is fully inclusive, and the sensory tent was a welcome space that was used by several of the young people in the session. The session time is good, allowing for children to attend out of the area after school. It is free to attend and fully inclusive.
One of the young inspectors said he had a nice time but didn’t like how noisy it was at times. He did say that he would probably come again. The Lead inspector said: "It would be nice to see more activities set up upon arrival specially to help new people see what is available. It is lovely to see snacks readily available and for young people to be able to help themselves. It feels like a session that is done with them as opposed to for them. The regular young people in the session were very welcoming to the new young inspectors"
“I was surprised how happy he was to stay without me. He seemed to have a lovely time”.
It was lovely to meet the young inspectors and invite them into our Short Breaks session. We like to ensure our sessions are accessible and fun for everyone. We recognise that the sessions can become quite loud at times and are working on a solution for this. We regularly ask young people for their feedback and work the sessions around this. We feel we provide a safe environment for all young people and ensure that they are able to speak to us if they have any concerns.
To share a poster of the session so that it can be promoted.

Dungeons and Dragons

Dungeons and Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game which welcomes players of all abilities. It takes place at Autism Zone in Newport on a Monday at 4.30pm until 6.30 pm. The session costs £4.50, and is suitable for age 13 to 19 years.

Overall rating of 3 stars

Both young inspectors who attended had never been to this session before or played this game. The group were very welcoming and took time to explain the game and support them along the way. They both said that they really enjoyed the session and would go again.
The staff were welcoming and provided warm introductions and a tour of the building and facilities upon arrival. The building and resources caters well for the needs of young people and is organised and presented well. Safety advice was provided and any allergies were checked out. The young inspectors both said they felt safe.
The building is fully accessible for a wheelchair with ramp access at the rear of the building and an accessible toilet. The resources were accessible, and the young inspectors were able to choose their own seating to use and were shown the quiet spaces they could use if they wanted too. The session starts at 4.30p.m which allows young people to attend from across the island on the bus. Snacks were readily available throughout the session which is welcomed by young people who arrive straight from school. Both inspectors said that the session was very good value for money .
Whilst this activity is bespoke and may not be suitable or enjoyable for everyone, I think it is very well organised activity that is welcoming of new people coming along to try this game. The staff and other players provided encouragement and support throughout the session and both young inspectors really enjoyed it. Staff were really friendly, made me feel comfortable and welcomed, safety advice was told well, and I knew what to do.
AIM would like to say a massive thank you to The Young Inspectors for joining us. Attending a new group, in a new place, with new people, can be nothing short of terrifying so, we were really pleased and pretty impressed that The Young Inspectors managed to get through the front door, let alone take part in the session! To have received such positive feedback helps us know that we are listening to what young people are telling us they need and responding appropriately so, again, thank you so much and we hope to see you again!
To continue to promote this session amongst the Young Inspectors and encourage them to come along and give it a try.

Waterside pool

Waterside pool offers fun sensory swimming lessons, taking place on Saturdays at 8.30am to 9.00am or 11.30am to 12.00 noon. The cost of these sessions is £3.

Overall rating of 2 stars

Two of the inspectors said that they enjoyed the activity and would like to do it again. They were familiar with the pool and confident in the water. One of the inspectors visiting was less confident and did not feel safe in the pool as it was too deep. There were floats and swimming noodles for the children to use in the water and swim teachers on hand to support them with their parents.
One of the inspectors left the session as he didn’t feel safe because the water was too deep. The child and parent were signed in as they entered the pool and allowed to choose what they wanted to do in the session.
The session is fully inclusive and has hoist facilities to be able to get children in and out of the water if needed. The venue is easy to find with adequate parking. The session times were good, allowing for a choice of a morning and lunchtime session and the price was good value.
One of the young inspectors aged 8 said that the session was too early but did say that the water was warmer than sessions in the afternoon that he had attended. The young inspector lead said ''I would have liked for us all to have been introduced to the swim teachers prior to the session and for the parents and children to have been given some information about the session prior to entering the pool. One of the children was less confident and this could have been addressed with a warm welcome and a more experienced swim teacher providing one to one support initially in the pool.''
''The flexibility of the session was fantastic, no pressure and free reign to make choices for himself, if he wasn't already confident in the water we'd definitely be joining that session as a long time club.''
''Fantastic, thank you. We believe that parents know their children best so this is great to hear. There is always an experienced swim teacher at the class and when a session is booked information about the class is shared with the parent and they are signposted to the webpage for more information.''
In future, information about the session will be shared with the co-ordinator and parents in advance to ensure that the session is suitable for all the children inspecting the session.

Sensory Session

A multi-sensory session with free play in a small friendly group that takes place on a Sunday from 10 am to 12noon, at a cost of £4 a session. 

Overall rating of 3 stars.

The Inspectors were warmly greeted upon arrival by Clare. There was a range of equipment set out in the main room including a sensory light area and a craft room with a range of activities to choose from including painting models, colouring with smelly pens and cornflour. They were also able to choose to get out other equipment stored in the rooms if they wanted too. Clare spent time with each of the inspectors and parents getting to know them better and find out what their interests were. One of the inspectors aged 6 years said they liked the arts and crafts and playing with the fidget spinners. All the inspectors enjoyed the lights in the room and the balls were also very popular. They were happy to play together and also spend time by themselves.
The children and parents were shown around the building upon arrival and the resources were presented well encouraging the children to explore the rooms independently. The children were not able to go into the kitchen as it was shut off with a stair gate. One of the inspectors did not feel he was given any safety advice, but all the children said they felt safe in the session.
The session is fully inclusive and is on a ground level making it fully accessible for a wheelchair. There is a fully accessible toilet, and the venue is easy to find with adequate parking outside. The session time was good although one of the inspectors aged 8 said he was tired and would have preferred the session to be in the afternoon. All the inspectors said that the session was good value.
One of the young inspectors aged 6 years old was on her first inspection and said she liked the messy play and the arts and crafts the most.
One of the parents who had been to this session at the previous location said they thought this venue was much better and liked the range of activities on offer in the separate rooms.
To explore the possibility of some afternoon sessions and providing a safety briefing at the start to include fire safety.

Vectis Radio

An opportunity to gain confidence and skills while learning about presenting, producing, promoting and podcasting in live radio. Sessions cost £5 and take place on a Saturday from 10am to 1pm.

Overall Rating of 3 stars

All 3 young inspectors had a great time at this activity. The session was planned well and allowed for them to be kept busy and engaged throughout the whole session. They had the opportunity to be on the radio show and be actively involved in recording the 4P’s session to go out the following day. They all said that they would like to go again, and one inspector enquired about being a volunteer to learn more.
The young inspectors were warmly welcomed but did not feel that any specific safety advice was given at the start of the session. However, they all said they felt safe in the session and had the safety information clearly visible on the walls and that the adults were very friendly and helpful.
The venue and toilet facilities are accessible for a wheelchair. The session is adapted to meet the individual needs of the young people, one young person with a sight impairment in the session had the script read out so that he could be included and another and the session is adapted to meet individual needs and abilities. The start time was convenient for young people as not too early on a Saturday and the price of £5 was seen to be excellent value for money.
“The activity was really fun, I was able to go on live radio. It was so fun and really cool”
They appreciated the photograph that was sent to them after the session and said that she really enjoyed the session.
To consider a safety brief at the start of the session or perhaps a sheet emailed out in advance in case any young people need support to read or understand it.
I am really pleased that everyone had a good time We work hard to keep everyone involved and still produce a broadcast quality live show in addition to the recorded one that goes out on a Sunday afternoon. The safety briefing is a really good point and whilst we do that with new presenters, it had not occurred for us to have a briefing for new Short Breaks participants. We will do that from now on.

Social Club

Fun, stimulating opportunity for young people to socialise and make friends outside of school hours at Riverside, The Quay, Newport, PO30 2QR. Sessions cost £5 and take place on a Monday at 3.30pm to 5.45pm.

Overall rating: 2 stars

Both young inspectors enjoyed the activities on offer but due to one of them living outside of Ryde they could not get there at the start and was not able to do all the activities on offer. The pool table was very popular with the young people but again due to time constraints they did not have enough time for this.
Safety advice was not given upon arrival, but posters were displayed for fire safety and the young people said they felt safe in the session.
The building and toilet are accessible. One inspector aged 16 who arrived an hour after the start time said the start time needed to be later to allow young people to travel as she does not like to arrive late to a group. It was seen to be good value for £5 as snacks were provided too.
One of the young inspectors aged 13 years enjoyed playing pool and appreciated having snacks available after going straight from school.
To provide safety advice at the start of the session for young people that are new and to consider changing the time of the session to accommodate people living outside of Newport.
Thank you to the young inspectors for fully engaging in our session and providing such great feedback, we have taken your comments on board and will be acting on them ASAP! We look forward to seeing you all again soon.

Multi-sensory arts and crafts

Multi-sensory youth club with arts and crafts sessions for secondary school children/young people, at Beechgrove House in Ryde. Sessions cost £4 and take place on a Friday from 3.30pm until 5pm - open to ages 11 to 17 years. 

Overall rating: 2 stars

The Inspectors were warmly greeted upon arrival. There was a range of activities set up including a large sensory light area in the main room. There was also a craft room where they could choose to paint a model, colour in with smelly pens or spend time with spiders in the cornflour. They were free to choose their own activities in the session and move between the areas. Clare spent time talking to them individually getting to know them and their interests. One of the inspectors said that they toys offered were fun but felt that there needed to be a larger quantity to use them in a more creative way. It was also felt that the selection of toys was limited and that having a greater variety would be beneficial.
The young people were shown around the facilities and the staff were welcoming. The rooms were decorated nicely with lots of sensory equipment available to use and the creative area was presented in an inviting way. The inspectors both said that they felt safe although one of the inspectors did not feel that any safety information was provided.
The session is fully inclusive and is all on a ground level making it accessible for a wheelchair. There is an accessible toilet. The venue is easy to find with adequate parking. The session times were good but one inspector said it would be better if they started a little later to enable young people out of the area to attend and not have to rush from school. The inspectors felt that the session was good value for money.
One of the young inspectors aged 16 said “It was really fun, loads of toys to play with. The staff were really friendly and welcoming, and I felt comfortable and safe there”
To explore the possibility of making the start time later and provide a safety briefing at the start of the session to include fire safety.

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