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

Unique reference number SC366107 Inspector Carole Moore 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 Kim Edwin Langton / Tracy Jane Wild Date of last inspection 22/01/2014 2 of 9 Inspection date 22/01/2015

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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 is a good home that continues to impact positively on young people’s lives. Young people experience strong, caring relationships with staff, all of whom have high aspirations for the young people in their care. Staff support and encourage young people to have positive and ambitious goals for their future. Staff clearly understand how to deliver good quality care and there are firm but fair structures in place that young people understand. This provides a safe, supportive and comfortable environment in which to live.

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Overall effectiveness

There has been a period of young people being unsettled, showing little respect for boundaries and engaging in risk taking behaviours. This has been dealt with well by staff with appropriate partnership working to ensure young people have been kept safe. The young people have since settled down and are re-engaging with staff to ensure outcomes are back on track.

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Overall effectiveness

The home has effective, collaborative relationships with partner agencies, as well as young people’s families and this ensures young people living in this home are safeguarded and their well-being promoted. Communication is good and social workers and families are regularly kept up-to-date with young people’s progress and achievements. 3 of 9 The home is well managed. All staff are appropriately qualified, experienced and skilled. The staff team is fully committed to the home’s ethos and working practices. The strengths and weaknesses of the home are fully recognised by the manager and suitable development plans are in place to ensure there is continuous improvement in the care provided in the home. There are no breaches to the regulations. 4 of 9

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Information about this children’s home

This home is operated by a private company that has several similar homes in this area. Care and accommodation are provided for up to three young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties and may also have learning disabilities. The company has its own school for children not attending mainstream education and also has its own therapy team.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

22/01/2014 Interim good progress 12/04/2013 Full outstanding 17/12/2012 Interim good progress 22/05/2012 Full good 5 of 9

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people make progress and their outcomes are generally good. They develop and gain confidence from living in a very stable and safe environment. Clear expectations and a consistent staff approach results in a reduction of high risk behaviours and an increase in age appropriate activities. They are able to move forward in their lives and begin to learn to make well informed decisions. As a result, young people’s self-esteem increases because they develop greater insight into themselves and others.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people’s contact with their family is actively supported and promoted by staff. They transport young people and work with parents to ensure the time spent with the family is really positive. As a consequence, young people are able to maintain positive links with their home, family and friends.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people are making real progress in attending school compared with their attendance when they were first placed. With the support and encouragement of staff, young people have learnt the importance of education and have shown a real commitment in attending school. As a result they have good reports and have made real achievements. Those young people who have left school are supported and encouraged to engage in work placements.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people benefit from living in a well furnished and comfortable home that is kept safe, clean and tidy. Young people are able to personalise their bedrooms and can arrange their own space to suit their individual choices and tastes. The home’s communal areas are decorated to a practical standard and provide enough space for young people to spend time together or on their own. There is also a good sized garden for young people to enjoy.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people are in good health. They have regular access to external health professionals as well as the company's own therapeutic team. They attend health appointments and learn to lead healthy lifestyles. As a result, they are physically active, prepare and eat nutritious meals and are actively involved in decisions about their well-being.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people make a positive contribution to the home. They are well engaged and encouraged to express their views and opinions to staff and the Registered Manager. Young people share their views through their keyworker sessions and house meetings. They can if they choose to do so, directly influence their care, activities, food and house rules.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people learn skills needed for adulthood. Young people are routinely involved in the care of their own rooms and their personal laundry. Those young people on 6 of 9 personal independence plans have clear expectations of the tasks they need to achieve through the week.

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Quality of care good

Young people are receiving a good quality of care, which is provided by a committed and dedicated staff team. Staff have high aspirations for all the young people in their care and do their utmost to ensure they achieve their full potential. Young people are therefore given every opportunity and encouragement to develop their interests and talents and as a result make progress.

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Quality of care good

Young people are involved in the planning and review of their care along with family members where appropriate. Written information is detailed, reflecting individual circumstances and needs of each young person. Plans clearly address daily living arrangements and the aims of the placement. Staff encourage and support young people to talk with their social workers and independent reviewing officers about matters that are important to them to ensure their views are incorporated into the review of their care. They also send weekly reports to their social workers. Comments from social workers confirm how helpful this practice is in understanding young people's weekly progress.

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Quality of care good

Young people are encouraged to demonstrate socially acceptable behaviour. Individual behaviour management plans are incorporated within comprehensive risk assessments, one-to-one sessions and input, where appropriate, from external services, such as school and therapy. Plans are consistently reviewed and strategies adapted or changed where necessary. This ensures behaviour is appropriately and effectively managed. Similarly, the incentive system is also regularly reviewed to ensure it continues to be effective in enabling young people to recognise the value of having positive attitudes and behaviour. The home has firm, but fair boundaries and this enables young people to feel safe and secure in the home.

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Quality of care good

Staff interact positively and develop constructive relationships with the young people. As a result young people feel secure and are aware that staff are concerned about their wellbeing and development. They know how to complain and are effectively supported in having their views heard. Staff promote and arrange advocacy for young people if this is needed.

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Quality of care good

Communication between the home and the school is good. As a result any difficulties that emerge are quickly resolved and young people make good educational progress. Staff place a real priority on education and this is communicated well to the young people. Staff accompany young people within school to ensure they are well supported and behaviour is dealt with consistently. Consequently, young people know what is expected of them, their view on education improves and they engage 7 of 9 well with school. This results in good attendance and attainment at school.

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Quality of care good

Young people routinely enjoy a good range of activities, and again dedicated staff time enables them to access some good opportunities in the community. Young people’s cultural background and personal identity are positively addressed in both daily living and care planning and their rights are respected and promoted.

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Quality of care good

The home is maintained to a good standard and is warm and welcoming for young people and visitors. There has been some redecoration with clear plans in place to update the bathrooms.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Young people are kept as safe as possible within this home by competent and trained staff, effective leadership by the Registered Manager and well developed agency networking.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Young people are encouraged to increase their problem solving abilities and make well informed decisions that keeps them safe. Young people’s safety and promoting their welfare is threaded throughout the care they receive from the staff team. Young people say they are safe and feel safe. This is underpinned by good staff training which ensures consistent safeguarding practice. Young people learn to understand the necessity of keeping staff informed and in telephone contact when they are out in the community. When young people fail to do this they are appropriately challenged and further work takes place around protective behaviours, safety and well-being.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

There have been several incidents of young people being absent or missing from the home. Staff are fully aware of the procedures to follow when young people are missing. The staff work closely with the local police, who visit as part of the interagency relationships that exist within the service. This has had an impact on the number of incidents and a reduction in these risk taking behaviours. Young people realise that the home is not prepared to accept this risky behaviour. As a result, young people’s safety and welfare is improving.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

There have also been several physical interventions. These have been used in order to keep young people safe and they adhere to the legislative framework. Staff are well trained in restraint and use it very much as a last resort. Debriefs follow each intervention with a good reflective account of each incident, including a clear and accurate recording of the restraint and reasons for its use.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

The home is physically safe and secure. Fire equipment checks are completed appropriately and young people participate in regular fire drills to ensure they can evacuate the home in an emergency. The organisation has clear procedures for the recruitment of staff which prevents unsuitable people from being recruited. 8 of 9

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Leadership and management good

Leadership and management are good. The Registered Manager is appropriately qualified and experienced and has been working in this organisation for 11 years. She promotes good outcomes for young people and ensures staff are fully committed to the care that young people require. The quality of care is consistent with the home’s Statement of Purpose and there is effective partnership working with parents and other professionals. A social worker stated: 'Staff do all they can to promote stability and ensure safety.'

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Leadership and management good

Staff are supported to continually review and develop their skills and practice. They attend a range of mandatory and additional training. They meet regularly both informally and formally and with regular input from the therapy and the school team. They also receive good regular supervision. As a result they are kept up to date with practice developments and young people’s progress which means they are able to recognise and meet the needs of the young people in their care.

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Leadership and management good

The Registered Manager monitors the quality of care at the home. Independent Regulation 33 visits are regularly carried out and the Registered Manager uses these as part of her Regulation 34 quality assurance audit. Both processes include consultation with the young people on their views about their care. Findings from these processes effectively identify the services strengths and areas for development. The manager did identify some minor shortfalls in some recordings during the inspection. These processes are used to inform the home's development plan which ensures practice and the service continues to develop.

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Leadership and management good

Young people are looked after by competent and well-supported staff. They provide the young people with a high level of consistency and good quality of care. They are enthusiastic, caring and work well together to promote young people’s welfare. The skills within the staff team match young people’s needs very well. The numbers of staff on duty ensures that the young peoples’ needs are effectively met. This includes the support they need for education, activities undertaken, visits to their families and attending any health or specialist appointments. 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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