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

Unique reference number SC389830 Inspector David Morgan 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 Keith Anthony John Harrington Registered manager Rebecca Jane Atherton - Jones Date of last inspection 05/02/2014 2 of 9 Inspection date 10/11/2014

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Previous inspection good progress Enforcement action since last inspection There has been no enforcement action since last time.

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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

The last inspection occurred in February 2014 when the service was making good progress; no recommendations or requirements were made. A new manager started in June. This inspection shows that a good standard of effectiveness is being maintained.

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Overall effectiveness

The manager has a good understanding of the service and has the advantage of being familiar with the company from previous positions. Three recommendations are made this time. These are to ensure that risk assessments are completed properly and are in a suitably effective format, and to encourage greater evaluation during monitoring exercises. These shortfalls have minimal direct impact on children but mean that improvement of the service is somewhat less than possible.

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Overall effectiveness

Children feel safe and comfortable in their home and have a large amount of input into how it operates. Staff provide a good standard of care and show a thorough understanding of children's individual needs. There is a particularly high level of consultation with them because of the effective staffing arrangements and the small size of the service. Children make clear progress from their starting points and have a good understanding of this. They get on well with staff and the amount of risk- taking behaviour is very low. 3 of 9

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is in a semi-rural location. It is operated by a private company and can accommodate and provide care for one child who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties and/or learning disabilities. The company has its own special school and therapists.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

05/02/2014 Interim good progress 21/11/2013 Full good 10/01/2013 Interim satisfactory progress 22/05/2012 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 assessment. This is with regard to risk assessments facilitating proportionality by quantifying the likelihood of occurrence and degree of hazard (NMS 4.5)  ensure that risk assessments of the whole children’s home environment are carried out to identify any potential sources of harm to the children, are recorded in writing and regularly reviewed. This is with regard to (a) assessing cupboards containing electrical equipment, and (b) all risk assessments being completed accurately (NMS 10.8)  implement effective procedures for monitoring the activities of the home. This is with regard to such procedures as the manager's monitoring exercises identifying patterns and trends and evaluating them as part of a process of improvement. (NMS 21.1) 4 of 9 5 of 9

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Children enjoy a comfortable and highly personalised home. They feel protected and safe. One described it as 'feeling cosy and warm'. The small size means that each child has a direct or indirect influence on most of what happens, including daily activities and staffing arrangements. Children feel confident in the home, which means they are able to take full advantage of the extensive opportunities on offer. They improve their reflective skills, which helps them take full advantage of the contact arrangements they have with their families and other important people.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Of particular importance is that children make good progress in short amounts of time. This is evident in their behaviours; self-esteem and awareness; education, and personal care. These are significant achievements that are vital parts of their future progress and stability. One child said, 'I love school. It's made the biggest difference.' Education arrangements (both on and off site) are carefully adjusted to maximise their benefit to each child and there is close communication between care and teaching staff. As a result, children who find school difficult at first make marked progress with their attendances and show improvements in their academic work too. Non-academic opportunities are also emphasised, including outdoor activities, sports and animal care. The personal support of care staff in all these events means that each child is helped to learn as much as possible. Their improvements are also

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Outcomes for children and young people good

evidenced by their increased independence from staff, for example, through reductions in the level of support required in classrooms.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Children also make good progress with their life skills. They learn to value their personal presentation and understand its impact on those around them.. They are routinely involved in household activities, such as cooking, and develop effective skills in these areas. Children improve their sense of responsibility and accountability through the care of pets. One child is particularly inspired by attendance at a local stables and working with horses. These opportunities also improve children's social skills and provide ideas for future employment. They gain budgeting skills and learn the importance of saving money. Another consequence is that children increasingly focus on constructive achievements and pastimes rather than negative ones.

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Quality of care good

The staff team provides a highly personalised service to each child. This is achieved through the application of a clear model of care that includes a coordinated approach to meet the individual needs of children from the point of their arrival in the home. Of critical importance is the good relationship that staff and others within the 6 of 9 organisation sustain with children. This leads to improvements in children's behaviours. Children’s confidence builds and they feel better able to represent themselves. One said, 'If I was upset about anything I’d go and talk to the directors.'

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Quality of care good

There is regular and effective communication with other professionals. Any shortfalls in the support provided by professionals is challenged so that children's rights and needs are addressed. There is a particular difficulty with high turnover of children's social workers, which delays decision making in some matters. This is addressed as well as possible by the manager. Collaboration is particularly effective with colleagues in education and health services. Consequently, children make substantial progress in addressing and understanding their own health needs. This increases their ability to promote their own good health and improves their self-confidence. Regular input from therapists means that children improve their understanding of themselves and their circumstances. This is an important contribution to their emotional wellbeing.

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Quality of care good

Children are aware that records are kept and plans are in place relating to them. Placement plans are up-to-date and reflect the most recent decisions. They are implemented promptly by staff. Satisfactory systems are in place to track the progress made by children and further improvements are underway in this area. The method of assessing the risks for each child is adequate. Written risk assessments clearly show the nature of each hazard. However, reviews of the risk assessments do not identify when the likelihood of, for example risk reducing, changes. This means that changes, such as the improved ability of children to avoid hazardous situations, is not always evident. This has little direct impact on children but means that progress in reducing risk, or increased concern about risk, is not clearly recorded. The written risk assessments for staff working alone with children are also inaccurate in some cases. This is because they have been duplicated rather than compiled

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Quality of care good

A wide range of sporting, social and recreational opportunities are enjoyed by children. These include opportunities to learn about other religions and cultures. Special interests are facilitated and new experiences undertaken. Children speak highly of their recent holidays and enjoy undertaking hobbies. They are able to use the gardens as they wish and have made a den in one of the outhouses. Children learn to celebrate seasonal and religious events in the home, the school and in the community, which are reflected in their scrap-books. This means they gain a sense of belonging and identity.

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Quality of care good

The property itself is presented well both inside and outside. There are very few institutional features and there is no use of bedroom alarms. This shows a good understanding of the need to respect children's privacy as much as possible. Children personalise their bedrooms and there is a high standard of furnishings and fittings. The presence of pictures and hobbies in the communal areas reflect the children who live there. Safety is addressed very well but greater security is necessary with regard to access to one cupboard to prevent children interfering with electrical items. Also, the use of a clasp and padlock on another cupboard compromises the otherwise 7 of 9 homely atmosphere.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Children benefit from high levels of safety and safeguarding. Since the last inspection there have been no incidents of children going missing. There are appropriate procedures in place for when children do go missing. The recruitment of new staff follows a thorough procedure to ensure that only suitable people work with children. Routine safety checks occur at the prescribed intervals and staff show a good understanding of them. Safeguarding issues are minimal and any complaints or allegations are addressed in an informed and thorough way.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Behaviour management techniques are applied effectively and receive detailed input from registered therapists. There is a high level of analysis by the manager in identifying the triggers of challenging behaviour. This leads to reductions in incidents of such behaviours. Although it is sometimes necessary to use physical interventions to keep children safe, staff intervention to manage behaviour differently reduce the frequency of this . An external professional commented, 'There is good attention to volatile behaviours.' A positive side effect of this is that children learn to accept difficult messages, which is an important part of their progress. They are involved in conversations to reflect on their behaviour good behaviour is rewarded and children understand the consequences of negative behaviour, which are applied appropriately.

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Leadership and management good

Leadership and management have been effective over a number of years. The current manager was registered in July 2014 and has the necessary care and management qualifications. The recent promotion of two staff to senior positions means a full team is in place. The team provide a good level of consistency, knowledge and enthusiasm, which are key contributions to children's progress.

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Leadership and management good

Staff training and supervision meetings are regular and staff are kept up to date with professional developments and practice, including the protection of children who are at risk of sexual exploitation. Their individual development is reviewed regularly and clear plans are in place. Satisfactory progress has been made in addressing new regulations, for example regarding amending the Statement of Purpose and improving the system of external monitoring of the service.

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Leadership and management good

There is a strong system for monitoring the service. The monthly monitoring undertaken by an independent person is thorough and serves to ensure there are no 8 of 9 gaps in the application of policies and procedures. The manager regularly completes a similar process. This provides adequate analysis but detailed evaluations of patterns and trends are not always undertaken. Development of the service is ongoing but this shortfall compromises the capacity to improve as much as possible. Regular consultation with other agencies and with children mean that the manager has confidence the service is operating to their satisfaction. 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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