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

Outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the home contribute to significantly improved outcomes for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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The children’s home provision is outstanding because:

 Staff form excellent relationships with young people.  Staff take time to listen to young people and are committed to ensuring that the best possible outcomes are achieved for every young person in their care.  Young people thrive because of the trusting relationships they have with staff.  Staff have an excellent awareness of young people’s individual journeys and plan their care to ensure that they make measurable progress. Staff’s meticulous understanding of young people’s needs means that care planning is personalised and supports young people to make exceptional progress that enhances their life chances.  Staff have very high levels of insight into risk factors that affect young people. The staff ensure that there is clear and effective plans in place to reduce risk and to keep young people safe.  Staff provide young people with clear and consistent boundaries. Well- considered behaviour management systems encourage positive behaviours,

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The children’s home provision is outstanding because:

and include rewards that young people strive to achieve and are proud to accomplish.  Staff put considerable time and energy into helping young people to overcome barriers to their education. Staff are ambitious for young people and celebrate every academic success.  Staff work meticulously with partnership agencies, including placing authorities, youth offending service and the police. This proactive approach ensures that young people receive a level of care that is consistently high and means that rapid progress is achieved.  The child-focused registered manager ensures that staff fully understand the ethos of the home and that their priorities are always focused on the needs of each young person.  The registered manager is innovative in her approach, and explores various ways to learn from others and to develop practice further. This includes using research to inform practice.

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Information about this children’s home

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

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 04/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 04/08/2015 Full Outstanding 11/02/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness 30/07/2014 Full Good

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Outstanding

Staff ensure that young people experience a homely and welcoming environment. Staff are proud of the home, giving the decoration and furnishing the level of attention and detail that they would expect of their own home. The registered manager’s ethos is that ‘a clean home is a happy home’. Young people’s pictures are displayed throughout the house, giving the young people a sense of belonging and ownership. Young people see the house as their own and are keen for visitors to recognise this. A young person excitedly told the inspector, ‘Do you like it here, have you seen my room yet, I chose that colour, and that is my playroom down there, you know.’ This shows how young people are enthusiastic and proud of their home, and have formed strong, meaningful connections that help them to gain a sense of belonging and identity. Staff have excellent relationships with young people. Staff are warm, nurturing and

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Outstanding

affectionate in their approach. Staff see young people as an extension of their own families and want the absolute best for them. Staff care deeply about young people and are intuitive of their needs. Staff work effectively as a team, utilising the individual strengths of staff members to address the changing needs of young people. As a result, young people receive care from staff who care about them and understand their needs extremely well. Staff provide young people with a wealth of opportunity to share their views and contribute to the care that they receive. For example, the registered manager has created a consultation document for young people, which they complete each month to help inform their placement plan. This highly personalised document evolves, month on month, capturing every success and achievement. Young people buy into this, providing staff with meaningful and relevant information. As a result,

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Outstanding

staff not only understand young people’s views about the placement, but are also adapting their care through each young person’s personal contribution. This means that young people feel that staff understand them and that their opinions are valued and given the utmost priority. Staff are creative in planning for key-work sessions, using interactive materials in order to make them more interesting and accessible for young people. Staff use sessions highly effectively in supporting young people to make progress across a range of development areas such as their health, education, self-care skills and understanding of risk. This means that young people receive highly personalised care, which supports them to make exceptional progress. Staff value young people’s education. Effective planning means that staff swiftly overcome barriers to education, even when these have previously been entrenched. Staff give young people their time by attending school, being there to

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Outstanding

offer reassurance and emotional support at times of uncertainty and distress. Staff acknowledge and celebrate academic success, giving out certificates and rewards. Staff make a fuss when a young person does well, showing genuine pride and excitement about the young person’s success. As a result, young people develop a positive attitude towards their education. Staff are diligent and proactive in meeting the physical health needs of young people. High-quality staff relationships mean that young people are willing to discuss sensitive health issues and accept the help required. Staff meticulously monitor the effectiveness of treatment offered, and are quick to seek follow-up treatment, where required. The staff’s focus on championing young people’s health needs has a very positive influence on young people’s self-esteem, confidence and sense of identity. Staff’s strong links with the therapeutic team mean that support to address young

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Outstanding

people emotional health needs is very well coordinated and seamless. Young people who have previously been unwilling to engage in therapy feel safe and supported by staff to do so. Staff have a solid understanding of the progress that young people are making in respect of their emotional health and what their ongoing support needs are. Staff provide personalised care, ensuring that young people are able to address their emotional health needs. Staff enthusiastically support young people to engage in a range of positive social and recreational activities. This includes horse riding, kayak polo, paintballing and swimming. When a young person lacks motivation to engage, staff do not give up. The staff look for new ideas to encourage the young person to achieve success. When a young person engages with an activity, staff show excitement and interest in this, having banter with the young person. As a result, staff support young

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Outstanding

people to develop rich, varied and imaginative experiences that not only enhance their physical well-being, but also help to develop their confidence and self-esteem. Staff support young people to develop independence skills, which are appropriate to their age and understanding. When a young person struggles to make or maintain progress, staff think creatively about ways in which to motivate and reward them. As a result, young people learn the skills that they need for their transition into adulthood. Staff are thorough in their planning for admissions and discharges. This means that staff have all the information that they need to understand and meet the individual needs. As a result, young people settle at the home quickly and begin making rapid progress. When a young person leaves, the staff make all possible efforts to maintain contact, visiting the young person or maintaining telephone contact. This

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Outstanding

means that young people experience positive transitions, and feel that staff genuinely care about their welfare and progress. Judgement grade

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Outstanding

The registered manager ensures that the whole staff team understands the importance of being vigilant in order to safeguard young people. The registered manager ensures that when concerns are identified, these are responded to swiftly and thoroughly. Staff are able to take decisive action to keep young people safe, adhering to safeguarding procedures and individual risk management plans. This means that staff are rigorous and effective in protecting vulnerable young people. Staff ensure that good case recording helps to identify patterns and trends of risk- related behaviour quickly. This means that staff are able to implement preventative strategies and identify quickly any additional support required to help to keep a young person safe. Staff update risk management assessments promptly. Because of this, staff understand how to keep young people safe from harm. Staff have an excellent understanding of young people’s presenting risks. This

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Outstanding

includes staff being awareness of the potential signs and triggers that can place young people at risk of child sexual exploitation. Staff are alert to such concerns, and take active steps to manage and reduce the risk. This includes staff ensuring that they supervise young people well and that there are appropriate restrictions on mobile phone use and internet access. Staff utilise key-work sessions and positive relationships with young people to increase their awareness and understanding of their potential vulnerability. Staff actions have helped to reduce the potential risk of exploitation for young people. Despite this, staff are mindful that young people remain vulnerable and actively review how they keep young people safe from such risks. Thorough management of a wide range of risks results in young people feeling safe.

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Outstanding

Staff promote young people’s positive behaviours consistently. For example, staff use reward charts, praise, activities and treats effectively. High-quality relationships mean that young people receive acknowledgement of their good behaviour. When a young person perceives that their actions have disappointed a member of staff, they take steps to make up for this, showing the esteem that they hold their staff in. As a result, young people’s behaviour rapidly improves. Young people do not go missing from the home, and the levels of physical intervention are very low. When situations of conflict arise, staff are effective in diffusing situations and use distraction techniques to good effect. When a young person displays inappropriate behaviour, staff use reflective therapeutic interviews to support both themselves and young people to learn and reflect on these situations. This means that staff learn how best to support a young person to

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Outstanding

reduce the likelihood of the behaviour escalating again. The registered manager ensures that risks associated with self-harm are fully considered and reviewed appropriately. Such risks are not an active concern for the current young people. Staff’s excellent links with the therapy team and their own high levels insight into the emotional health needs of young people mean that staff identify any change in risk quickly and put in place comprehensive strategies that enhanced a young person’s well-being.

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Outstanding

The registered manager and staff model excellent professional standards in all of their work, and demonstrate a high level of courtesy and respect towards the young people in their care. As a result, this service is not only caring, but also takes responsibility for improving young people’s lives as its top priority. The registered manager has been in post since April 2014. She has completed the level 5 diploma in leadership and management. On a day-to-day basis, the registered manager is very enthusiastic and highly driven to provide the best possible care for young people. The registered manager understands the home’s strengths well, and is equally receptive to new ideas and different ways of working. This ensures that her team always meets the needs of young people to a high standard. Staff are consistently complimentary about the registered manager. Staff appreciate that the registered manager has high expectations of them and that

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Outstanding

they are motivated to achieve these. Regular reflective supervision ensures that staff feel well supported. The registered manager uses team meetings to great effect, using this forum to assess and promote staff practice and development. As a result, the staff who support young people are happy, dynamic and driven. The home has six staff members. Three of the staff are qualified to the level 3 diploma in residential childcare. Two members of staff are currently completing the qualification in the required period, and two other members of staff are currently in their probation period and will be enrolled following their successful completion. The registered manager actively promotes a culture in which staff recognise the aims and objectives set out in the home’s statement of purpose. Staff embed this into their practice. Consequently, young people feel highly respected, valued and supported. The registered manager ensures that a robust recruitment process results in only

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Outstanding

staff who are suitable vetted get to work with young people. Her well-organised training matrix ensures that all staff stay up to date with current practice and gain the skills that they require to support young people. In addition, the registered manager explores ways to enhance staff practice through non-mandatory training. For example, in response to the outcome of a young person’s clinical assessment, staff completed training to improve their understanding of how to recognise and work with young people with autism. This additional training has enhanced the staff team’s knowledge and in turn, enabled them have the level of expertise needed to meet the individual needs of young people. Staff actively promote joint working and engage well with the community and partnership agencies such as the police, youth offending service and placing authorities. This collaborative and professional approach ensures that effective

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Outstanding

lines of communication are sustained. The registered manager is confident and assertive in challenging partner agencies when they do not fulfil their responsibilities. This challenge helps to protect young people from risk and supports them to make meaningful progress. The registered manager’s use of self-evaluation is well considered, regular and attention to detail is very good. This routine programme of self- assessment and review enables her to promote outstanding practice in which young people’s needs are at the heart of the process. Data analysis enables the registered manager to understand and to evidence the changing needs of young people, both in the short and long term. This ensures that she is able to support her staff to understand how best to work with a young person in order to keep them safe and to help them to make outstanding progress.

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What the inspection judgements mean

The experiences and progress of children and young people are at the centre of the inspection. Inspectors will use their professional judgement to determine the weight and significance of their findings in this respect. The judgements included in the report are made against ‘Inspection of children’s homes: framework for inspection’. An outstanding children’s home provides highly effective services that contribute to significantly improved outcomes for children and young people who need help and protection and care. Their progress exceeds expectations and is sustained over time. A good children’s home provides effective services that help, protect and care for children and young people and have their welfare safeguarded and promoted. In a children’s home that requires improvement , there are no widespread or serious failures that create or leave children being harmed or at risk of harm. The welfare of looked after children is safeguarded and promoted. Minimum requirements

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What the inspection judgements mean

are in place, however, the children’s home is not yet delivering good protection, help and care for children and young people. A children’s home that is inadequate is providing services where there are widespread or serious failures that create or leave children and young people being harmed or at risk of harm or result in children looked after not having their welfare safeguarded and promoted.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people living in the children’s home. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the difference adults make to the lives of children and young people. They read case files, watched how professional staff work with children, young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care given to children and young people. Wherever possible, they talked to children, young people and their families. In addition the inspectors have tried to understand what the children’s home knows about how well it is performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the children and young people who it is trying to help, protect and look after. This 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 Children’s

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Information about this inspection

Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’. the guidance, ‘Raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted's website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work- based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It inspects services for looked after children and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

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Information about this inspection

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

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Information about this inspection

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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