Children's Home run by Reflexion Care Group Limited in Shropshire

SC366090 Unique reference number 24 June 2009 Inspection date Dawn Taylor Inspector Key Type of Inspection

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28 August 2008 Date of last inspection .

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This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

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You can obtain copies of The Children Act 2004, Every Child Matters and The National Minimum Standards for Children's Services from: The Stationery Office (TSO) PO Box 29, St Cripins, Duke Street, Norwich, NR3 1GN. Tel: 0870 600 5522. Online ordering: www.tso.co.uk/bookshop

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About this inspection

The purpose of this inspection is to assure children and young people, parents, the public, local authorities and government of the quality and standard of the service provided. The inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. This report details the main strengths and any areas for improvement identified during the inspection. The judgements included in the report are made in relation to the outcome for children set out in the Children Act 2004 and relevant National Minimum Standards for the establishment.

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The inspection judgements and what they mean

this aspect of the provision is of exceptionally high quality Outstanding: this aspect of the provision is strong Good: this aspect of the provision is sound Satisfactory: this aspect of the provision is not good enough Inadequate: 3 of 8 Inspection Report: SC366090

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Brief description of the service

This children's home is registered to accommodate two young people, of the same gender, with an age range from 12 years up until their 18th birthday.

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Brief description of the service

The home is rurally situated in a small village but is within easy commuting distance of a large town. This detached home is set in its own enclosed garden.

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Summary

This inspection was an unannounced full inspection visit. The overall outcome judgement for this home is good. The outcome groups relating to Being Healthy, Staying Safe, Economic Wellbeing and Organisation were all assessed as good. Enjoying and Achieving and Positive Contribution were assessed as outstanding.

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Summary

This service is effectively meeting the individual needs of young people, promoting their self-esteem and individuality. The overall quality rating is good. This is an overview of what the inspector found during the inspection.

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Improvements since the last inspection

There were no previous actions or recommendations made at the last inspection. This home continues to monitor the standard of the service it provides to young people, parents and placing authorities.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Young peoples' health care needs are met and promoted by a well informed professional staff team. All young people have a detailed health plan that accurately reflects historical and current health care needs. This is followed in practice by staff who have been appropriately trained through induction and an established programme of professional development. They work proactively with a range of health care professionals, within the organisation and externally, to meet the physical and emotional needs of young people.

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Helping children to be healthy

Staff practice is in line with a range of established policies, procedures and guidance that detail the procedures for the safe handling, administration and storage of medicines, promoting healthy life styles and ensuring health education. All young people attend PSHE lessons at school and staff provide good guidance, advice and support on health and personal issues appropriate to the needs and wishes of each young person through day-to-day discussions and key worker sessions. Detailed written records are in place that ensure all staff are well informed and any issues are dealt with sensitively.

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Helping children to be healthy

Young people enjoy healthy, nutritious meals that they are proactively involved in planning, shopping for and preparing. Staff and young people experiment with preparing a range of dishes from different cultures and also have fun eating out. The house is appropriately furnished and equipped to ensure mealtimes are social occasions. 4 of 8 Inspection Report: SC366090

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Young peoples' safety and wellbeing is being effectively promoted. There are clear established policies, procedures and staff guidance on promoting safeguarding and privacy, managing challenging behaviour, preventing absence without permission and addressing concerns and incidents of bullying. Staff cover a wide range of safeguarding training as part of their initial induction then through mandatory training, refresher training and National Vocational Qualification (NVQ).

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff are proactive at supporting young people to develop strategies for improving behaviour and coping with difficult situations. Records of key incidents are clearly recorded and regularly monitored by the Registered Manager and regulation 33 visitor. The staff are excellent role models, demonstrating courtesy to young people, parents and visitors to the home, and this contributes to the home’s positive ethos. Encouragement and praise are very frequent within and beyond the home.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Young peoples' safety is further promoted by a clear health and safety policy, which ensures risks are identified and appropriate action is taken to manage and reduce them. Young people and staff are involved in fire drills and there are regular checks on all fire and electrical equipment to ensure it is in good working order.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Records relating to staff recruitment and selection were checked at the company's headquarters in early May 2009. The company's recruitment and selection process is robust and the procedure aspires to undertake checks over and above those required in the children's homes regulations.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is outstanding. Young peoples' self-knowledge, self-esteem and self-confidence are strongly and consistently promoted by a staff team who ensure young people are valued within the home and their contributions and efforts are noticed and rewarded. Staff promote a range of activities that support young peoples' learning needs well and their personal needs exceptionally well. They are also very well supported by a range of therapies, which aid their language, social, emotional and behavioural needs. All these result in strong academic progress and excellent personal achievement. Parents and social workers are particularly positive about how the home improves young peoples' outlook on life and their relationships.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

All young people have key workers who they meet with on a regular basis. They are also supported by a small consistent staff team who make themselves available at all times to discuss any matters or concerns. Each young person has a placement plan that clearly sets out the aims and objectives of the placement and how the day-to-day needs of a young person will be met by the staff team and key workers. The staff team works hard to promote the involvement of young people in the life of the home, the local community and nurtures friendships between young people. They support young people to take controlled risks that are relevant and necessary to negotiating their place in the community.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The promotion of education at the home is outstanding and as a result young people are learning effectively and achieve well in relation to their abilities. Key strengths are the way 5 of 8 Inspection Report: SC366090 education staff and the home's staff constantly communicate, how the home's staff support the young people during education and continue learning in the home.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Young people are making good progress and their personal development is outstanding; all staff, through their excellent relationships, open young peoples’ minds to learning and the world around them.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is outstanding. With the support of a professional and caring staff team young people are making significant progress in meeting identified needs.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

There are established procedures for supporting young people to move into and leave the home. These provide staff with clear guidance and practical options that ensure the most appropriate and sensitive approach can be implemented for each individual young person depending upon their circumstance. Prior to arriving at a home detailed information is gathered from the placing authority and previous placements. This information is used by staff to establish initial strong boundaries that ensure young people feel and are kept safe. These are regularly reviewed and modified through the constant review of young peoples' progress in relation to their placement plans.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

All young people have a placement plan that contains detailed up-to-date information. These are monitored by the Registered Manager and the young peoples' key workers. They meet with young people on a regular basis to ensure the requirements of their plan are implemented on a day-to-day basis. The concept of consultant in this home is not necessarily recognisable through formal processes but is an integral part of the home's ethos. Communication and the art of communication is promoted at all times through good staff role models, daily discussions and activities, social opportunities and education.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Young peoples' needs and development, as set out in their placement plan, are also being effectively monitored through care reviews. These are taking place at appropriate intervals with the involvement of young people, who are being sensitively supported to attend and participate by the staff team and their key workers.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The staff team are also proactively supporting young people to maintain constructive contact with their parents and family members. The staff teams commitment to parent involvement and positive family relationships has resulted in outstanding outcomes for young people. Contact arrangements are clear to young people because they are recorded in placement plans and the staff team are well informed.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

The provision is good. Young people are proactively supported to develop all the skills they will require when they eventually leave the home or leave care and either return to their family or start an independent life of their own. Staff are supported by policies and procedures that promote the rights of young person to be actively involved in planning for their future and in the running of the home. Staff are able to tailor support depending upon the interest, age and abilities of the young people. They are also very proactive at adjusting and being creative with their practice 6 of 8 Inspection Report: SC366090 to ensure opportunities are made available to young people to ensure their need to develop life skills can be achieved.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

The home continues to be furnished, decorated and maintained to a good standard. It is a warm and welcoming environment that the staff team and young people work hard to maintain and continue to want to improve. The home's annual development plan identifies plans to refurbish the kitchen and undertake some major work upstairs. The staff team and young person maintain the garden to a good standard with minimal help from the company's gardeners. The company have recently employed the services of an external maintenance team, this demonstrates their commitment to develop and maintain high standards of accommodation for young people.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. This home fulfils its aims and meets the needs of the young people well. Its values and ethos are clearly stated in the Statement of Purpose and young person's guide. These documents are regularly up dated by the Registered Manager and reviewed formally annually. They are made available to young people, parents and social workers and form the basis of induction for all staff.

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Organisation

The quality of relationships between staff and young people is outstanding and reinforces the very caring atmosphere that can be witnessed in the home. The home, with its excellent support and guidance through a clear management structure, is successful at meeting its aims to provide young people with a high standard of care. This is met by an established and consistent team of staff. Their professional practice is underpinned by established policies, procedures and staff guidance. They have good knowledge of the needs of the young people they support and are creative in meeting those needs.

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Organisation

The promotion of equality and diversity is good. Staff receive training that helps them to understand the company's policies. This is linked to the legislation relating to equality and diversity and helps staff to develop professionally. The company continues to place a high priority on staff training. There is a designated training coordinator who organises regular training events. For example, child development, drug awareness, working with young people who self-injure, autism and aspergers syndrome and promoting children's rights. Over eighty percent of the team working at the home are qualified to National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) Level 3 and higher. The remaining staff member is currently working towards completing the programme of training. Newly appointed staff complete the Children's Workforce Development Council (CWDC) standards during their induction period.

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Organisation

Practice and records are continually monitored by the home's Registered Manager through regulation 34 reports and by the regulation 33 visitor's reports. Both are completed to a high standard and ensure the responsible individuals are aware of the quality of practice in the home. The Registered Manager involves her senior staff in the monthly quality assurance process. She also sends out questionnaires to parents and social workers asking for feedback on the service they receive, which she then uses to develop practice.

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Organisation

Young peoples' case files are maintain to a good standard by the staff team and their key workers, and monitored by the home's Registered Manager and regulation 33 visitor. 7 of 8 Inspection Report: SC366090

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions, which must be taken so that the registered person meets the Care Standards Act 2000, The Childrens Homes Regulations 2001 and the National Minimum Standards. The Registered Provider must comply with the given timescales.

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Recommendations

There are no recommendations. 8 of 8 Inspection Report: SC366090

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