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

Unique reference number SC460973 Inspector Julian Mason 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 POST VACANT / John Frederick Green Date of last inspection 21/05/2014 2 of 10 Inspection date 21/01/2015

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Previous inspection improved effectiveness 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

Young people are provided with a caring, structured and supportive environment where they can quickly achieve stability and safety. The home’s routines and practices consistently promote opportunities for all young people to develop their skills, confidence and self-esteem through participation in tailored outward-bound activities. Given the short space of time that young people spend at the home, they make good progress overall in comparison to their circumstances on arrival.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people are listened to as their views and wishes are clearly considered and incorporated into their daily routines. The dedicated team of staff help young people positively move on to more permanent and longer-term placements. This is because progress and developments are closely monitored and shared regularly with others who are involved in helping young people move on successfully.

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Overall effectiveness

The manager and seniors provide consistent, practical leadership, which supports the team to help young people successfully participate in a varied and challenging programme of activities. Young people's safety and protection is achieved by an experienced and properly trained staff group. Young people are provided with lots of opportunities to build confidence and learn new skills. Staff celebrate young people’s progress and achievements, however small the steps might be. 3 of 10 One recommendation has been made which relates to the provision of education. Currently, young people do not fully benefit from the home’s vocational learning programme because it is not well-established or consistently delivered. 4 of 10

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Information about this children’s home

The home is run by a private organisation and is in a rural location. Outdoor activities are a key feature of the service. It is registered to provide care for up to three young people of either gender with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. Most young people are placed on an emergency basis following recent placement breakdowns and usually stay for about three months.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/05/2014 Interim improved effectiveness 01/11/2013 Full adequate

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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 children are helped by staff to achieve their educational or training goals. This includes providing support, facilities and opportunities as needed. Staff work with each child's education provider to maximise achievement and to minimise any underachievement. (NMS 8.4) 5 of 10

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Outcomes for children and young people good

This good service positively impacts on young people’s lives as they settle and make use of the facilities and activities on offer. Improving outcomes are achieved for young people in crisis; previous behaviours that put them at risk, such as drug misuse and being missing from care, are greatly reduced. The staff team are professional and effectively use their specialist knowledge and skills in outward-bound activities to help young people re-engage and to address their immediate needs.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people’s health benefits from a focused approach. They usually arrive at the home at short notice and in crisis. Their needs are prioritised; young people are supported to access health care services that are based on immediate and presenting health concerns or needs. Staff actively engage young people in a range of health related topics, which encourages them to learn about how to improve their own health and fitness. For instance, young people who smoke are being successfully helped to stop because staff are fully aware of how to access and use cessation programmes and services.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

During young people’s short stay at the home, they sometimes engage in vocational based learning that is verified through the provider’s registered school. Young people have gained some awards through learning assessments that have been completed around their outward-bound programme. Currently, much of the activity based learning is uncoordinated and does not follow any structure or agreed plan. The manager has already recognised the need for improvements and is in the process of strengthening the vocational award scheme.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people are fully supported to stay in touch with people who are important to them. Contact arrangements are clearly defined including any restrictions or limitations. Staff understand the value and meaning to young people of these arrangements and work hard to ensure contact is a positive and safe experience. Where this is not the case, staff provide good emotional support to try and counter difficult or upsetting experiences.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people are provided with good support to help them to successfully participate in a challenging and engaging outward-bound programme. Activities are well planned and organised. Young people are encouraged and supported to learn new skills, which help them to successfully complete testing activities. Staff are able to shape their support according to the individual needs of each young person. Young people benefit from a constructive culture of engagement and are very positive about their experiences and achievements. 6 of 10

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Quality of care good

Young people receive a very practical service that consistently meets their needs and acknowledges their individual circumstances. There is a positive culture that embraces diversity and strongly promotes engagement and participation. Young people receive the attention required to assess their needs and to make clear recommendations for their future arrangements. All staff develop a good knowledge of young people they work with; ensuring their safety and welfare is promoted at all times. Staff work effectively and in partnership with others to ensure they provide good quality care.

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Quality of care good

Staff have constructive relationships with young people. These develop as the staff group support each young person to experience a full range of outdoor activities. Staffing levels are high, initially two staff supporting one young person. Activities include young people staying away from the home, sometimes in isolated locations either camping or in bunkhouses. Staff actively support and encourage young people to talk about their experiences, wishes and feelings. This positive engagement helps create relationship bonds, which enable staff to have sensitive conversations with young people. These day-to-day discussions and key worker sessions support young people to begin addressing their difficulties and to help them make progress socially, emotionally and behaviourally.

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Quality of care good

The home has good systems in place to deal with complaints and concerns. Young people know how to complain and they have used the home's procedure on a small number of occasions to raise concerns. The manager has responded appropriately to these matters and reached suitable outcomes and resolutions. Young people express confidence in the home’s ability to resolve any issues they may have.

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Quality of care good

The home's records reflect the diverse and individualised needs of each young person. Staff practice in a non-discriminatory way and understand the importance of promoting social inclusion and the need to challenge any racist language or discriminatory attitudes. Because of this, young people learn about what is and is not socially acceptable within local communities and wider society.

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Quality of care good

Young people are provided with tailored support when they move in and leave the home. They are expected to engage in an outward-bound programme on arrival. Staff are skilled and experienced at helping each young person engage in this programme, helping to build personal confidence and ongoing participation. This is especially the case for those young people who have no previous experience or knowledge of outdoor activities.

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Quality of care good

Young people are provided with a good standard of living accommodation, which benefits from ongoing improvements in terms of its décor and furnishings. The home and its communal areas are clean and tidy. Young people are provided with individual bedrooms, which are suitably maintained. They have access to sufficient levels of communal space, which gives them choices regarding the use of their indoor 7 of 10 recreational and leisure time.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Young people's safety and protection is effectively promoted by staff at the home. They confirm that they feel safe in their accommodation and during their outdoor activities and adventures. This is because clear organisational procedures and guidance are followed that outline staff roles and responsibilities in relation to managing risks and keeping young people safe. The manager and senior staff provide good day-to-day direction and support to the team to ensure care practice and routines are matched to changing risks and needs of each young person.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Staff receive a range of induction and refresher training to support them in their daily work with young people. This helps to ensure that staff are equipped with the right knowledge, skills and understanding to safeguard everyone in their care. Staff know what action to take if there are concerns and this includes working with lead agencies with child protection responsibilities when needed. Staff closely monitor young people's relationships and any poor behaviour is quickly challenged. Staff model their behaviour in a way that promotes clear and reasonable boundaries, which practically demonstrates how to conduct friendly, respectful relationships.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Young people are encouraged and motivated to behave in ways that are socially acceptable and they can earn rewards for good behaviour. Staff are trained in appropriate behaviour management practices and young people feel that the rules are fair. Records demonstrate that on occasions and for some young people the use of physical restraint is a necessary part of managing immediate risks or dangerous situations. Formal sanctions are also sometimes used which are appropriately matched to individual circumstances. Young people are encouraged to express their views and opinions about how they are helped to manage their behaviour and these are recorded when given.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

The overall strategy of the staff team is to talk to young people and negotiate adjustments and improvements in their behaviour. Staff focus on the positives and the successes achieved through the outward-bound programme. Young people are given many chances to adjust and improve inappropriate behaviours before any formal measures are used.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Young people do not go missing from the home as staff provide an environment where each young person is able to manage their behaviour in safer ways. Agreed working practices are in place to ensure that staff respond immediately should a missing from care event occur. This includes following the local multi-agency protocol for missing young people as well as following specific individualised plans, which are 8 of 10 in place for each young person.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

The home provides young people with appropriate levels of physical safety and security. A strong emphasis is placed on delivering safe outward-bound activities by qualified staff who are well informed about the risks associated with each activity. This is achieved through an established risk assessment process that is overseen by the manager. Outdoor equipment is checked frequently by competent staff and regular audits take place to inform the manager of any replacement needs. In addition, health and safety checks are made of the accommodation, fire drills and evacuations are practised regularly and fire equipment is serviced at appropriate intervals.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

The outward-bound operation of the home continues to be approved through its ongoing registration with the Adventure Activities Licensing Authority.

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Leadership and management good

The home has been without a Registered Manager for some while. A new manager has been appointed who is qualified, very experienced and has previously been registered with Ofsted. The manager has been in post for some time and is in the final stages of becoming registered.

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Leadership and management good

Young people are being effectively supported by management and staffing arrangements that are in line with the home’s current stated aims and purpose. The manager provides clear leadership to the trained staff team in support of their work with young people. Staffing arrangements are flexible and organised in a way that helps manage the changing risks and needs of each young person.

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Leadership and management good

There are clear lines of accountability within and between shift teams and successful communication systems ensure that young people's daily needs are met and any risks managed safely. The service has a cycle of quality assurance activities that produces a detailed range of information about the home’s operation. This includes regular monitoring visits from an independent person as well as the manager’s own quality assurance systems. Formal feedback from young people and professionals, which has been gathered using questionnaires, is very positive about the service and what young people achieve.

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Leadership and management good

The manager has formulated an outline development plan for the year, which identifies specific aspects of the service to be developed or improved. The manager is well informed about successes as well as areas that the home needs to develop or strengthen for the benefit of young people. The three recommendations from the last inspection have been addressed.

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Leadership and management good

Managers provide an on-going programme of formal supervision and annual appraisal, which is used effectively to promote the ongoing development of the team 9 of 10 and maintain professional standards of work practice. Staff regularly participate in core training events to update their knowledge and skills as well as more specialist training to address any specific areas of need. This means that staff are able to develop their knowledge and skills in line with the profile of young people the service has been set up to accommodate.

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Leadership and management good

Young people’s records are clear, up to date and contribute to the understanding of each individual's experience and progress while living in the home. Case files are stored safely and securely to promote privacy and confidentiality. The manager notifies the appropriate authorities of all significant events and the necessary actions taken that relate to the promotion of young people’s safety and well-being. 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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