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

Inspection report children’s home: SC366080 1 SC366080 Registered provider: Reflexion Care Group Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is run by a private company. The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three children who have learning disabilities and emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

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

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: Improved effectiveness

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

None Inspection report children’s home: SC366080 2

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Key findings from this inspection

This children’s home is outstanding because:

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people make significant progress in all aspects of their lives.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people are exceedingly positive about the relationships that they have with staff and their experiences of living in the home.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Staff work extremely effectively with other agencies to keep young people safe.  All young people’s school attendance is excellent, as is their attainment. Teachers report that young people’s behaviour, presentation and commitment to learning have improved significantly since living at the home.  Leadership is outstanding. The registered manager successfully manages a motivated staff team. Their enthusiasm is key to the significant progress that young people make.

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Key findings from this inspection

 The staff team’s approach to behaviour management and developing young people’s emotional resilience is exceptional. The models of care in the home are exemplary and worthy of dissemination to other services.

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Key findings from this inspection

The children’s home’s areas for development:

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Key findings from this inspection

 Some young people’s records include jargon. This does not always help young people to understand the information easily.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

28/03/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 21/09/2016 Full Requires improvement 14/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 02/12/2015 Full Outstanding Inspection report children’s home: SC366080 3

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Recommendations

 Ensure that staff encourage young people to see the home’s records as ‘living documents’ supporting them to view and contribute to the record in a way that reflects their voice on a regular basis. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 57, paragraph 11.19) This is with particular regard to the quality of key-working records.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people build self-confidence and make excellent progress. They feel valued and play an integral role in making decisions about their care and their future. They thrive and experience a strong sense of belonging. Staff have excellent relationships with young people. Young people’s comments include, ‘The staff are like having a mum and a dad’, ‘The home has changed my life. I think I may have ended up in prison or a really bad place if I had not come here’ and, ‘This is the best home… I would never be where I am now if it wasn’t for coming here. I would be locked up by now.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff support drives young people’s progress. Young people excel in education. One young person’s achievements include good GCSE grades, allowing them to attend their chosen college and pursue a vocation in sports coaching. The young person has also developed significant skills playing for a rugby team and attending regional rugby trials.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Another young person thoroughly enjoys school and has recently enrolled in a military academy as part of his education arrangements. He is now part of a boxing club and is extremely proud that staff are all coming to watch his first fight. He is healthier and fitter due to eating good meals and training regularly. The young person is also able to embrace his passion for cars. He thoroughly enjoys working on an old car purchased by the registered manager. This hobby gives the young person quality time with staff and the opportunity to learn skills that will support his chosen career in the army.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff understand the impact of special education needs. Close liaison with school staff results in another young person making steady progress and, most importantly, enjoying school.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

School teachers’ comments about young people include, ‘a model pupil’, ‘such a good pupil’ and ‘delightful and joyful’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people’s self-esteem grows. Positive relationships with staff help them to become more confident and develop their social skills. Young people make good friends, both at school and in their local communities. One young person thoroughly enjoyed inviting his Inspection report children’s home: SC366080 4 new friends to his birthday party. This is an extremely special achievement for a young person who previously found making and maintaining friendships particularly challenging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Positive behaviour management strategies have transformed young people’s behaviour and self-esteem. One young person, who has experienced high levels of physical intervention in previous placements, now thrives on reward. He takes great pride in his sticker charts and no longer needs physical interventions to keep himself and others safe.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Meaningful key-working sessions, day-to-day discussions and young people’s meetings help young people to explore their behaviours, emotions and the tensions that can arise from group living. They said that they get on well and are emphatic that bullying is not a concern because it is simply not allowed.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people’s health improves. Due to regular medical checks set up by staff, young people now have better hearing, wear glasses and have healthier teeth. Young people also have a greater understanding about relationships and their sexual health because of the support that they receive from staff. Staff insight into the impact of childhood neglect promotes good, focused healthcare support. Staff perseverance and encouragement help young people improve their personal hygiene and understand the need for good dental care and a healthy diet.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The registered manager and staff challenge incorrect childhood diagnoses and liaise with relevant health agencies. One young person now has an accurate medical history. He no longer takes medication for conditions such as epilepsy and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder due to the strong challenge to health professionals by the staff team. Young people are protected with sound procedures for the storage and administration of medication.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people develop emotional resilience and improve their mental health by accessing therapeutic support. The provider’s therapist also offers invaluable support to staff. This informs their practice and responses to young people’s behaviours and emotional challenges. Young people receive bespoke and sensitive care. The therapist attends team meetings and talks to staff before each therapy session, to gain insight into the young people’s current needs. He also visits the home to meet young people so that they feel more comfortable about meeting him.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people receive excellent support to help them prepare for leaving care and to live independently. Bespoke independence plans set practical, gradual targets to enable young people to practise budgeting, shopping, cooking and managing their free time. A score chart for each section of the programme, and weekly meetings, help young people to look at their progress and enable staff to adapt the programme and their support accordingly. This clear and individualised structure gives young people confidence in the skills that they will need to live away from the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people’s concerns and complaints are managed very effectively. The registered Inspection report children’s home: SC366080 5 manager and staff are excellent advocates. For example, one young person now receives good support from his social worker after staff supported him to make a complaint to his placing authority.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

As young people mature, they progressively take more responsibility for their plans and futures. For example, one young person is now starting to manage his own contact arrangements. Collaborative work between staff, the young person and his social worker ensures excellent support for this young person while allowing him to have a far greater sense of self-determination.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The home’s environment feels homely and nurturing. Well-furnished and well-decorated communal areas give young people a choice about where to spend leisure time as a group. Young people’s bedrooms are exceptionally well presented and personalised according to their wishes and needs. Some young people have an array of toys and games, while older young people have their guitars and personal items in pride of place.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: outstanding

Young people feel safe and cared for. Their needs are set out and met via a comprehensive and regularly reviewed care, risk and behaviour planning framework. Staff have excellent insight into young people’s histories. For some young people, this includes risks such as going missing, potential child sexual exploitation and self-injurious behaviours. There are now no concerns about young people going missing or being subject to child sexual exploitation. There is also a significant decrease in young people’s self-injurious behaviours. This is because of the support that they receive from staff.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: outstanding

While there are no concerns about young people’s exposure to radicalisation, staff training equips them with the knowledge that they need to identify and report concerns should they arise. Internet safety software and random checks on young people’s mobile phones ensure that young people are safe and that they develop a good awareness about the risks of using the internet.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: outstanding

Staff take their safeguarding and parenting roles very seriously. They consistently work in the best interests of the young people and are assertive in delivering difficult messages to young people when this is required. Messages and boundaries are clearly communicated. Young people fully understand how staff will continue to keep them and others safe.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: outstanding

The registered manager works well in partnership with safeguarding agencies. He swiftly refers concerns about young people and potential risks to others. Staff discuss concerns directly with young people when appropriate. This work is instrumental in keeping young people safe and helps young people to reflect on, and adjust, their behaviours.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: outstanding

Staff receive extensive training in behaviour management and implement it consistently in their day-to-day care of young people. Strong boundaries and routines give young people a strong sense of safety. Staff endeavour to spend as much time as possible with Inspection report children’s home: SC366080 6 young people. Staff have an exceptional understanding of the triggers for young people’s behaviour. Timely intervention, sensitive discussions and positive reinforcement minimise young people’s needs to present challenging behaviours. Young people who have complex needs and histories of aggressive behaviours have had few, if any, incidents of challenging behaviours since living at the home.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: outstanding

Staff practice is underpinned by the home’s reflective therapeutic model of care. Staff engage with young people to explore and reflect on their behaviours. Young people grow in self-confidence and emotional resilience as they gain a deeper insight into the reasons for their behaviour. Young people engage well with staff. They work together to find strategies that will minimise the young person’s emotional distress and subsequent behaviours. This approach helps young people to improve their behaviour and build better emotional resilience. Staff are reflective and seek to continuously improve their practice.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: outstanding

Young people live in a safe environment due to regular health, safety and fire checks. The provider has been quick to respond to fire safety issues. Weekly oversight by the health and safety officer and the commissioning of a fire safety consultancy across all the provider’s homes demonstrate a commitment to keeping young people safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager has extensive managerial experience. He is due to complete his qualification in management by the end of December 2017. The registered manager keeps the home’s statement of purpose regularly under review. It accurately reflects the home’s reflective and therapeutic model of care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The extent and breadth of staff training are exemplary and equip staff to work with young people who have complex needs. Staff benefit from a seamless progression from induction to probationary processes and achieving an appropriate qualification for residential childcare. This process is supported by regular and much-valued staff supervision. The registered manager also makes sure that staff access specialist training when required.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staffing arrangements are very effectively and sensitively managed. One-to-one staffing ensures individual support for each young person and underpins the excellent progress that young people make. Social workers have very positive views about staff. They are clear that young people’s progress is because of the strong relationships that young people have with staff and the firm boundaries that are in place. Staff work collaboratively with social workers to ensure that local authority plans and targets are adhered to and regularly reviewed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leadership is strong and inclusive. The registered manager leads by example. Staff value highly his commitment. Putting young people first is integral to the running of the home. The manager demonstrates this commitment by, for example, going to watch young people play football in his free time. All staff are attending a young person’s first boxing Inspection report children’s home: SC366080 7 match, whether they are working that day or not. Young people feel extremely valued when they see staff celebrating their achievements.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff consult young people about all aspects of their care. The kitchen is the hub of the home, where young people and staff cook and talk about their experiences, views and the day-to-day running of the home. Weekly young people’s meetings and regular key- working sessions capture young people’s wishes and feelings. Young people complete questionnaires and give regular feedback to the registered manager about all aspects of their care. He acts on this feedback and uses it to drive improvement.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager and staff have high aspirations for young people. The registered manager has met the statutory requirement and two recommendations from the last inspection. For example, the registered manager has successfully worked with partner agencies to ensure that a young person has a fully completed education, health and care plan. In addition, young people enjoy their newfound responsibility for having keys to their bedroom doors. Staff risk assess this sensibly, considering issues of fire safety and access in an emergency. The registered manager’s research into resources to support young people’s special education needs is part of the child-focused improvement in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager is very clear about his responsibilities. His monitoring and oversight of the operation of the home is robust. The home’s independent monitoring reports confirm this.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The majority of recording is of a high standard and is child-focused. However, some young people’s records contain jargon. For example, terms such as ‘outside of baseline behaviour today’ lack meaning for young people. A recommendation has been made to improve this.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the differences made to the lives of children and young people. They watched how professional staff work with children and young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care provided. Wherever possible, they talked to children and 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 whom it is trying to help, protect and look after.

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Information about this inspection

Using the ‘Social care common inspection framework’, this inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, and to consider how well it complies with the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’. Inspection report children’s home: SC366080 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Reflexion Care Group Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Black Birches, Hadnall, Shrewsbury, Shropshire SY4 3DH

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Inspector

Elaine Cray, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC366080 9 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, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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