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

Unique reference number SC366090 Inspector Sandra King Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Registered person Reflexion Care Group Limited T/A New Reflexions Registered person address Black Birches Hadnall SHREWSBURY Shropshire SY4 3DH Responsible individual Gregory Duncan Watson Registered manager Lesa Marshall Date of last inspection 19/03/2014 2 of 10 Inspection date 30/07/2014

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Previous inspection good progress Enforcement action since last inspection none

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Overall effectiveness good

Outcomes for children and young people good Quality of care good Keeping children and young people safe good Leadership and management good

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Overall effectiveness

This home is effective in providing young people with well-planned care that meets their individual needs. Young people receive good support across all aspects of their social, physical and emotional development. This is because young people receive quality support from a team of staff who are also well supported in their work. Staff are proud of the young people and achievements they have made. They communicate high aspirations for the young people which support young people to progress and achieve positive outcomes.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people are central to all practice and their views are regularly sought. This includes day-to-day decision making as well as important decisions relating to their care.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people feel safe and are kept safe in this home through good attention to, and application of safeguarding processes. Young people have strong and trusting relationships with staff and feel secure enough to express their wishes and feelings. Placing authorities, parents and associated professionals speak highly of the quality of care, for example, ‘they are fantastic and are spot on with the care of young people.’

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Overall effectiveness

The manager understands the home’s strengths and areas for improvement. The 3 of 10 manager leads by example and is ambitious and motivated to achieve the best possible outcomes for young people in her care.

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Overall effectiveness

There are four shortfalls identified during this inspection, which have little or no impact on young people placed. These relate to a proportionate approach to risk assessments; demonstrate good recruitment practice; evaluating staff training and ensuring young people are included in staff appraisals. 4 of 10

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned children’s home may accommodate up to two young people who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties and/or learning disabilities.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

19/03/2014 Interim good progress 09/01/2014 Full good 15/01/2013 Interim good progress 13/06/2012 Full good

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):

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Recommendations

 ensure the home implements a proportionate approach to any risk assessmen (NMS 4.5)  ensure the registered person can demonstrate, including from written and electronic records, that it consistently follows good recruitment practice and a applicable current statutory requirements and guidance, in staff recruitment a carers selection. This includes Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) checks. All personnel responsible for recruitment and selection of staff are trained in, understand and operate these good practices (NMS 16.2)  ensure the learning and development programme is evaluated for effectivenes at least annually and if necessary is updated (NMS 18.2)  ensure all staff have their performance individually and formally appraised at least annually and this appraisal takes into account any views of children the service is providing for (NMS 19.6). 5 of 10 6 of 10

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Outcomes are good for young people as they are making good progress with their health, education and in developing a positive view of themselves. Young people speak well of the adults who care for them and their experience of living in this home is good.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people are consistently provided with a healthy environment where they are able to access services and support needed to meet their physical, emotional and psychological needs. Activities are individualised to the young person. They develop hobbies and learn new skills, like swimming, camping and ice skating. School attendance has improved significantly to 100% attendance. Parents comments for their child include, ‘doing really well in education.’ Achievements are well documented and celebrated and one young person commented ‘It is going well at school and I am looking forward to going back after the holidays.’

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people’s family attachments are effectively supported by well-organised and planned contact arrangements that are facilitated by staff and focused on the individual needs of the particular young person and their family. Thus ensuring, young people spend quality time with their family which is consistent with their care plan.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people clearly say they are listened to. Young people contribute to the home through participation in meetings, making suggestions for meals, activities and discussions with their keyworkers. They understand the home cannot always act on their wishes, for example they would like a larger garden but understands this is not feasible. There have not been any complaints since the last inspection but young people clearly know how to make a complaint and who to contact should they have any concerns. This means they are provided with clear information and are encouraged to raise concerns and complaints about the care they receive in the home should they need to.

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Quality of care good

Young people receive a very good quality of care that makes a positive difference to their lives. Young people speak positively of the adults who care for them. Staff are attuned to the needs of young people. Staff understand young people’s feelings when they are angry, upset or unsettled. Staff respond positively and immediately within clear boundaries. They experience positive and constructive relationships with the managers and staff team. Staff actively seek the views of young people and ensure the home reflects the wishes and views of the young people living in the 7 of 10 home. For example, the home has recently been refurbished and decorated and the young people were involved in the choosing of the décor. This helps young people feel that their views are important and encourages their self-esteem and confidence.

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Quality of care good

Comprehensive individualised placements plans are in place for each young person. These documents clearly identify strengths and positives as well as potential difficulties or risks. Young people are encouraged and enabled to contribute to their plans. All documentation is regularly reviewed and the views of parents and social workers are regularly sought. Young people benefit from the consistent approach of all staff who follow and implement the objectives of these documents ensuring continuity and consistency for the young person.

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Quality of care good

Young people’s emotional and physical health is good. Staff ensure young people have access to appropriate health care professionals. In-house therapeutic support is available and is regularly used by the young people. Staff work closely with health care professionals to ensure young people benefit from a high degree of support to ensure their optimum health. Staff are trained in the safe handling of medication. Medication is safely managed.

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Quality of care good

Education is highly valued and staff support young people within the education setting and with their educational achievements. Young people who had not previously regularly attended school now have 100% attendance. Each young person has their own well organised activity schedule. Young people take part in a wide range of activities both in the home and out of the home. As a result, young people develop an attitude of wanting to try new things and are stimulated in their daily lives. Young people are taken away on holidays, one young person commented, ‘I loved my caravan holiday.’ Sufficient risk assessments are completed for all activities and holidays, however a minority do not tailor the risk assessment to the particular bespoke activity.

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Quality of care good

The home is well maintained and attractively presented with personalisation of young people’s bedrooms. The home environment allows for private space as well as communal areas. Areas of the home have recently been redecorated and home furnishings replaced. These improvements have enhanced the look and feel of the home. Young people’s photographs are chosen by themselves and exhibited in photograph frames. This gives young people a sense of belonging and a pride in their surroundings coupled with making young people feel valued.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Young people are safe and say they feel safe within the home. There are appropriate policies in place that guide staff in their responses to when child protection concerns are raised. Staff are trained within this area and are vigilant and focused on protecting young people. Staff are confident in the action they take when a child makes an allegation or disclosure. Managers provide effective supervision to ensure 8 of 10 care practices are safe. There have been no safeguarding issues raised at the home since the last inspection. The staff team ensures comprehensive risk assessments and plans are in place for each young person. There are no concerns from placing authorities about how the service safeguards young people, and who report good inter-agency working. A social worker comments that her young person’s is, ‘being well cared for, kept safe while others are also kept safe in a homely environment’.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Staff promote a positive culture of managing behaviour, with a focus on identifying and dealing with issues quickly to avoid escalation. Staff manage young people’s behaviour by building good relationships and place a strong emphasis on promoting positive behaviour through praise and talking through any difficulties in a constructive way. This strengthens attachments and encourages young people to be able to develop alternative strategies in dealing with their own behaviour.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Incidences of physical interventions are infrequent. There have been only two interventions since the home was last inspected. Staff work with the young people using reflective therapeutic interventions to help them reflect on significant incidents following an intervention. The manager monitors each intervention, ensuring the intervention was necessary, applied correctly and comprehensively recorded. The manager also ensures parents, where appropriate, and social workers are fully informed. There have been no incidences of young people going missing since the last inspection.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

A wide range of recruitment checks are completed on staff before they start working at the home and young people are involved with this process. In a minority of instances all gaps in employment/education have not been verified.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Staff ensure that health and safety takes a high priority. Regular checks are undertaken to ensure the safety of staff and young people in areas such as electricity checks and fire evacuations. Impact assessments are completed on all admissions to ensure placements are appropriate and young people continue to be safe within the home. An independent Reviewing Officer comments, ‘the manager ensures good matching for young people in the home.’ All these actions show that young people’s welfare is promoted.

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Leadership and management good

Since the home’s last inspection, a new manager has been appointed. The new manager has successfully completed the registration process in July 2014 and is suitably qualified and experienced and is working towards the level 5 diploma. The home clearly supports the professional development of its staff and staff report they love working in the home. The staff team clearly has the interests of the young people at the centre of their practice and as a result young people are cared for by an enthusiastic and committed staff team. 9 of 10 The home is effectively and efficiently managed and staff feel supported within their work with young people. Staff are able to discuss their practice with their managers when needed and in a more formal supervisory setting. A member of staff comments, ‘management support is really good and there is an open policy whereby you are encouraged to talk about anything when you need to.’ Most staff hold an

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Leadership and management good

appropriate level 3 qualification or are currently undertaking their Children’s Workforce Development Council portfolio or working towards a level 3 qualification.

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Leadership and management good

Staff and managers ensure records are up-to-date, stored securely and fully contribute to an understanding of a young person’s life at the home. Mandatory training is routinely held and supplemented by more specialist inputs for example, understanding sexualised behaviour. This provision of high quality supervision and training ensures that staff are fully equipped and supported to provide good quality care to young people.

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Leadership and management good

The Registered Manager makes good use of a range of monitoring activities, such as Regulation 33 & 34 reports, to ensure the home operates to a high standard within its statement of purpose. Parents, staff and professionals are clear about the services and facilities provided. The manager has a home’s developmental plan, which highlights areas for further development and improvement. Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Leadership and management good

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Judgement Description

Outstanding A service of exceptional quality that significantly exceeds minimum requirements.

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Judgement Description

Good A service of high quality that exceeds minimum requirements.

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Judgement Description

Adequate A service that only meets minimum requirements.

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Judgement Description

Inadequate A service that does not meet minimum requirements.

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Information 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 to assess the effectiveness of the service and to consider how well it complies with the relevant regulations and meets the national minimum standards.

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Information about this inspection

The report details the main strengths, any areas for improvement, including any breaches of regulation, and any failure to meet national minimum standards. The judgements included in the report are made against the framework of inspection for children's homes.

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