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

Inspection report children’s home: SC366090 1 SC366090 Registered provider: Reflexion Care Group Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

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

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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

Date of last inspection: 21 February 2017

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: sustained effectiveness

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

None. Inspection report children’s home: SC366090 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 exceptional progress in relation to their starting points because of the care and support they receive.  Staff make extraordinary efforts to develop strong, nurturing relationships with the young people.  The registered manager is an inspirational leader who sets high standards for her staff team.  The registered manager makes sure that young people have the best possible opportunities to progress with their lives.  The registered manager and staff use training and research to inform their practice.  The staff make sure that the home environment is maintained to a high standard.  Staff understand the risks young people face and make sure safeguards are in place.

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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

 The registered manager does not always revisit the home’s location risk assessment when there is a new admission.  The statement of purpose includes a reference to old legislation.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 28/09/2016 Full Outstanding 04/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 04/08/2015 Full Outstanding Inspection report children’s home: SC366090 3

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Recommendations

 Ensure the appropriateness and suitability of the location and premises of the home are reviewed at least annually. The review should include the identification of any risks and opportunities presented by the home’s location and strategies for managing these. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.1). In particular, review the document when new young people arrive at the home.

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Recommendations

 Ensure that the Statement of Purpose is current and accurate. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 14, paragraph 3.5). In particular, ensure that the home reflects the current regulations and guidance.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people are extremely positive about the help they receive from the staff. One young person told the inspector, ‘It’s nothing like I expected residential to be; it’s like a normal home.’ Another said, ‘I like being here and I would give it 10/10.’ One young person complimented the staff on the support they provide, and commented, ‘Some managers are 9 to 5, but the manager always comes in to see us off to school.’ A social worker told the inspector, ‘The young person has made great progress with life and social skills; the home offers an excellent quality of care.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff prioritise young people’s education. They accompany young people to school and, if necessary, they support young people throughout the school day. One young person now attends school full time, following a two-year absence. Another young person has been supported to complete a food-handling course. A social worker told the inspector that staff support has encouraged the young person to ‘want to do her best’. Young people have aspirations for their future, and understand the role education plays in achieving positive outcomes.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Managers and staff work tirelessly to promote an active and healthy lifestyle. Staff have supported one young person to stop smoking, with clear health benefits for the young person. Young people enjoy a fantastic range of activities, including clubs, sport and local leisure facilities. The young people enjoyed a summer holiday to Wales. If young people lose interest in their hobbies, the staff encourage them to find new interests. This means that young people enjoy a wide range of exciting opportunities that promote their self-worth and their self-confidence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff support young people to develop essential life skills. Young people help with the Inspection report children’s home: SC366090 4 day-to-day running of the home and they regard this as a part of their daily routine. Young people cook tea once a week, they keep their rooms clean and tidy and they learn about financial management; for example, young people learn about budgeting. Young people are encouraged and supported to save money in their bank accounts.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people contribute to the development of their care plans from the time of their arrival. This involvement helps them to understand their current needs. Young people recognise their progress and their achievements. This increases their self-confidence and self-esteem.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people are supported to maintain contact with their families and friends. Staff transport young people and liaise with families so that contact proceeds as smoothly as possible. A parent commented that ‘this has helped the relationship between the siblings’. Maintaining positive relationships with family and friends helps young people to have a sense of belonging and identity.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people feel very welcomed by staff when they arrive at the home. One young person told the inspector that the manager had arrived in the early hours of the morning to welcome her. This made the young person feel valued on her arrival. This initial warm welcome has helped her to settle into the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people’s key-work sessions enable them to focus on relevant issues such as understanding personal safety and relationships. The work completed during these sessions helps to support positive change, with young people feeling increasingly confident and ready to make safer decisions. Staff routinely use their knowledge from research and training courses to strength their work practice. For example, one member of staff has developed his understanding of autism through training and research. This has helped him to understand how one young person communicates.

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

Managers and staff work hard to promote young people’s safety. A social worker told the inspector that her young person had a greater understanding of the risks she was exposed to before moving to the home. She said that the impact of the work undertaken has been ‘a massive breakthrough’.

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

Staff work together to manage young people’s behaviour exceptionally well. Behaviour management is excellent and there has been only one physical intervention since the last inspection. Young people understand the expectations of living in the home and these are reinforced by a well-thought-out rewards procedure. A young person commented, ‘The rewards work well for me. Because I am giving good behaviour, I get good back.’

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

Managers and staff meticulously analyse information relating to risk. Managers undertake a risk analysis before a young person arrives at the home. This includes deciding on appropriate strategies for managing risks’. Young people and staff are all Inspection report children’s home: SC366090 5 prepared for new young people before they move to the home. Staff regularly review risk assessments as young people progress. Staff also support young people to take appropriate, measured risks. For example, staff recognise that young people need free time and need to be able to use social media. However, at the same time, staff acknowledge that there need to be safety nets in place. These include protection filters when young people use the internet and staff ensuring that they know where young people are going and for how long.

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

All staff receive training in recognising and supporting young people who are at risk of sexual exploitation or radicalisation. Since the last inspection, there have not been any incidents relating to these issues. Young people rarely go missing from the home. On the rare occasions that this happens, the staff work extremely closely with police and other agencies to ensure that young people are safe.

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

Inter-agency work is highly effective. This promotes the safety of the young people. A social worker told the inspector, ‘Staff advocate well, and they always let us know if there are difficulties.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager holds a level 5 qualification in leadership and management of residential care services. She provides outstanding and inspirational leadership. She strives to continually improve and develop the experiences of young people through supporting the staff team to use research-based practice in their work with young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager enthusiastically promotes the welfare of each young person in her care. Staff reflect her determination and energy.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Young people’s needs are central to all practice, planning and development. All decisions focus on their welfare, progress and outcomes. Staff are highly motivated and supported to maintain excellent standards of practice. Supervision is regular and evaluative, underpinning the home’s ethos of reflective practice. Appraisals identify the staff’s progress and their areas for development. Training opportunities for staff are wide- ranging. All staff have either completed their level 3 qualification in residential childcare or are working towards the award.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The staff make sure that the home environment is exceptionally warm and inviting. The home is full of homely touches, with young people’s pictures and certificates adorning the walls.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager works closely with the independent visitor, and ensures that any actions are promptly completed. She uses various monitoring tools, enabling her to scrutinise all aspects of the care received by young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager is aware of the areas of strength and areas for development in Inspection report children’s home: SC366090 6 the home. The latter include staff forging links with local colleges to support young people’s transitions and staff helping young people to develop their aspirations for the future.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The home is operating in line with the statement of purpose. However, there is a reference to out-of-date guidance for children’s homes. This is misleading. The location risk assessment is updated annually and identifies any potential risk associated with the area. However, the registered manager does not always review this document when new young people are admitted.

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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: SC366090 7

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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: Reflexion Care Group Ltd, Black Birches, Hadnall, Shrewsbury, Shropshire SY4 3DH

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Inspectors

Julia Wright: social care inspector Tracey Coglan Greig: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC366090 8 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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