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

Inspection report children’s home: SC366112 1 SC366112 Registered provider: Reflexion Care Group Limited

p.1

Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This privately operated children’s home is registered to provide care for one child who has emotional and/or behavioural and/or learning disabilities.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 19 to 20 February 2018

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: sustained effectiveness

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC366112 2

p.1

Key findings from this inspection

 The young person receives consistent care from staff who care about him.  Staff are proactive in their support of education and this has enabled the young person to achieve academic qualifications.  Staff are committed to supporting family contact. This has enabled the young person to retain important family links.  Staff are quick at spotting any changes in the young person’s physical, emotional or psychological health.  Staff provide clear direction about what is acceptable behaviour and only use physical intervention as a last resort.  Staff receive training and support to enable them to understand the developmental, psychological and health needs of the young person.

p.2

Key findings from this inspection

The children’s home’s areas for development:

p.2

Key findings from this inspection

 The registered manager has not ensured that staff recruitment checks are sufficiently detailed.  The registered manager’s review of care is not sufficiently detailed.  Some of the financial planning for activities affects the young person’s ability to participate in all activities that he would like to do.  The young person’s views are not always captured in care plans or similar documents.

p.2

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 18/10/2016 Full Outstanding 18/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 07/10/2015 Full Outstanding Inspection report children’s home: SC366112 3

p.2

Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’. The registered person(s) must comply within the given timescales.

p.3

Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children and use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

p.3

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff make decisions about the day-to-day arrangements for each child, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans, which give the child an appropriate degree of freedom and choice. (Regulation 6 (1)(2)(b)(ix)) 07/04/2018

p.3

Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that helps children aspire to fulfil their potential and promotes their welfare.

p.3

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(2)(h)) 07/04/2018

p.3

Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety. The registered person may only employ an individual to work at the children’s home if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3). (Regulation 32 (1)(2)(a)(3)(d)) 07/04/2018 Inspection report children’s home: SC366112 4

p.3

Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendation:

p.4

Recommendations

 Ensure that children are encouraged by staff 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 58, paragraph 11.9)

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young person is encouraged to follow his individual interests. This includes playing Pokémon Go, playing cricket, going to the cinema and playing pool. For example, all staff have started to play Pokémon Go so that they can share this interest with the young person. This mutual interest supports the young person to maintain relationships with staff and to develop his confidence through positive social experience.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff meet with up with teachers daily to help to encourage good school attendance and to promote academic success. This level of focus has supported the young person to achieve a catering qualification a year ahead of expectation. A weekly activity allowance is linked to school attendance. However, the young person is required to pay for staff from his allocated activity allowance. This prevents the young person from accessing all of the activities that he may wish.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are good at spotting any changes in the young person’s physical, emotional or psychological health. Staff meet regularly with the home’s therapists, which helps improve their understanding of the young person’s needs and how best to respond.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young person is encouraged to take responsibility for his day-to-day care. As a result, he regularly prepares his own meals, keeps his bedroom tidy and does his own laundry.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young person is encouraged to express his views in relation to the day-to-day running of the home. He is consulted through a combination of regular key-work sessions and weekly house meetings. However, this level of consultation is not equally evidenced in care plans and review documents. As a result, the young person’s voice is not apparent in planning and target setting that directly affects him.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff commitment to enable the young person to visit his family is impressive. This involves air travel due to his family home location, with two staff supporting the young person for a whole weekend. Staff recognise the positive impact of this contact for the young person. This positive approach to contact supports the young person to retain meaningful relationships with people who are important to him. Inspection report children’s home: SC366112 5

p.4

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

Staff ensure that the young person is safeguarded. Challenging behaviour that was previously reported has significantly reduced. As a result, staff have not needed to use any form of physical restraint. Instead, staff have established a good relationship with the young person that has enabled them to have open discussions. The young person’s social worker said, ‘It’s great. The atmosphere is very relaxed… they manage him really well.’

p.5

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

All staff complete safeguarding and physical intervention training before they start work at the home. Staff also receive training to improve their understanding around radicalisation and the signs of child sexual exploitation and the management of self- harm. As a result, staff are increasingly alert to the signs that could indicate emerging risks to the young person.

p.5

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

The registered manager ensures that regular health and safety checks are completed and that any maintenance issues are quickly addressed so that the young person continues to live in a safe and homely environment.

p.5

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

The registered manager has not always ensured that the necessary recruitment checks are completed for staff coming to work at the home. This prevents him from knowing that all staff employed at the home are safe to do so.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Since the last full inspection there have been two changes of manager at the home. The current registered manager has been in post since September 2017. He was previously a member of staff and therefore already has a good understanding of the service.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is currently working towards a level 5 diploma in leadership and management. He also has responsibility for another home operated by the same organisation.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The majority of staff are experienced in providing care to complex young people. When new staff have joined the team, they have received a thorough induction. A new member of staff told the inspector that he was well prepared by his induction and has subsequently felt supported by his colleagues and manager.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager ensures that staff are supported to develop their knowledge and experience through practice-based supervision. Staff also access training on a wide range of subjects that are not limited to the profile of the young person. For example, some staff have received advanced training to help them manage incidents of missing from home, despite this not being a current challenge within this home. This supports staff to maintain a good understanding of wider, current issues that can affect young people’s safety.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have developed working relationships with social workers, teachers, police and Inspection report children’s home: SC366112 6 therapists to enable them to support the young person. The social worker for the young person told the inspector that communication with staff is good and that he receives regular updates about the young person’s progress. This consistent, open communication makes sure that everyone involved in the support and care of the young person is aware of current plans and the progress of these.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The statement of purpose accurately reflects the home’s aims and objectives and is regularly updated. This is available to all stakeholders and means that they receive clear, up-to-date information about how the home is operated.

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff maintain detailed systems of recording within the home, which support oversight of the home’s operation. However, the registered manager does not always review these fully. For example, team meeting minutes do not accurately reflect who has attended or contributed to the meeting. In addition, the registered manager does not hold a detailed knowledge of historical factors for the young person. This prevents him from having effective oversight of the home and making sure that the care provided is focused to meet the needs of the young person.

p.6

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.

p.6

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: SC366112 7

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Reflexion Care Group Limited

p.7

Children’s home details

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

p.7

Inspector

Tracey Coglan Greig, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC366112 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.

p.7

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, 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 http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.8

Inspector

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

p.8

Inspector

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

p.8