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

Inspection report children’s home: 1227596 1 Registered provider: Reflexion Care Group Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is registered to provide care for up to three young people who display a combination of emotional and behavioural difficulties and who may have learning disabilities. The home is privately owned and forms part of a large social care organisation, which offers an education service and therapeutic support.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered since June 2017. She is suitably experienced and holds a level 5 diploma in leadership and management.

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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: 14 November 2017

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 1227596 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/11/2017 Full Good 08/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 03/11/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: 1227596 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people make exceptional progress from their starting points. Both young people have lived at the home for over two years and enjoy trusting and nurturing relationships with staff. They thrive both physically and emotionally, and staff talk about young people with passion and pride.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Improvements in behaviour, developing emotional resilience and greater self-esteem mean that both young people benefit from good family contact, positive relationships and meaningful engagement with education.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

One young person says that the home is ‘excellent’ and his social worker commented, ‘He is in a different mindset – has done so well and made good progress.’ This young person has now progressed so well that staff are working on a programme to develop his independence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people’s education outcomes are outstanding. Both young people’s school attendance is exceptional, as are their learning achievements. Staff commitment and dedication shine through when supporting young people to re-engage in learning and in building young people’s confidence to attend school. After-school activities and clubs are supported by staff. One young person loves his secret reading den; he is accumulating his own collection of favourite books and enjoys his bedtime reading with staff. This commitment and help with homework extends young people’s enthusiasm for education.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Partnership working with the placing authority and link teachers is excellent. One teacher told the inspector, ‘The progress he has made, particularly on an emotional level, has been excellent. The staff support the school with homework and talk/reflection time if his actions have been inappropriate or impulsive, and this has really helped his relationships with peers in class and on the playground.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

One young person now takes on a mentoring role in school, his behaviour is much improved and he engages well in class. This young person has also completed a bronze Duke of Edinburgh award, which included an overnight camping trip.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people’s learning, confidence and a firm sense of self-belief consistently develop as they take part in a range of new and exciting activities. One young person excels in trampolining, while another young person enjoys playing football. A recent outward bound holiday in Scotland was thoroughly enjoyed by both young people. They tried and fully embraced the excitement of going hiking, gorge walking, participating in water sports and fishing. Both young people are keen on fishing. They have an array of photos, including awards for fishing and learning how to prepare and cook their daily catch.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people’s health improves. Staff perseverance and encouragement help young Inspection report children’s home: 1227596 4 people to improve their personal hygiene and understand the need for good dental care and a healthy diet. One young person now maintains a healthier weight, exercises regularly, enjoys cooking his own meals and exudes confidence as he gains an ever- growing sense of achievement.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff ensure that young people’s emotional health and well-being are paramount. Both young people engage in weekly therapy sessions and the therapist holds regular meetings with the staff, so they can better support young people. As young people develop confidence in talking about their feelings and explore their behaviour, they make exceptional progress. For example, one young person no longer takes medication to help with his behaviour as he has now developed a greater self-awareness of the triggers that can lead to his behaviour deteriorating.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people have individually designed mini-placement plans that set out how staff should support each young person. Young people positively engage in focused key- working sessions because of the staff’s ability to accurately gauge the levels of their abilities to verbally communicate and plan face-to-face work according to the young person’s preferred method and level of communication.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people live in a comfortable and well-maintained home. They enjoy having two lounges, so that they can enjoy their own personal space when needed. Young people also enjoy the privacy of their own bedrooms, which are highly personalised.

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

Exceptional child-centred planning means that risk and behaviour management plans are detailed to a level that enables staff to understand how to keep young people safe. Staff understand, and use, the individual character of each young person to inform their practice and provide meaningful support. Partnership working is effective and ensures that all agencies are appropriately informed about key issues so that care planning is centred on the young person.

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

Staff are highly trained and understand the home’s safeguarding and child protection procedures. Strong partnership working with social workers and constant vigilance provide staff with an excellent insight into the safeguarding needs of young people, and the risks that they may face. While there are no concerns about young people going missing from the home, the registered manager works closely with local police to draw up missing from care protocols that reflect the vulnerability of the young people in her care.

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

Young people are safe because the staff and registered manager ensure that the smallest concern is referred to, discussed and addressed with social workers and the hosting local authority safeguarding team. The staff maintain their child-centredness throughout and provide time for young people to reflect on their behaviour and how young people can keep themselves and others safe. For example, one young person clearly understands the risks of having a mobile phone, including potential exploitation by others in the community and the need to use the internet safely. Inspection report children’s home: 1227596 5 The models of care and behaviour management in the home are exemplary and worthy of dissemination to other services. Staff have an exceptional understanding of the young people’s communication needs, anxieties and triggers for deterioration in their behaviour. This insight means that staff can sensitively and assertively deliver difficult

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager successfully manages a motivated staff team. Her enthusiasm, passion and child-centredness, combined with robust systems and monitoring processes, promote excellent leadership and effective management.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager and staff have met the statutory requirement and recommendation set at the last inspection. The registered manager and the provider have carefully considered the impact of admitting new young people to the home. They fully understand the complexity of the two young people currently living at the home and have made the decision not to admit a third young person.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Problems of a high level of staff turnover have been addressed. Young people are looked after by a core team of experienced and qualified staff. New staff feel welcomed and are an integral part of this cohesive and well-led staff team. Young people are positive about the staff, including a bank member of staff, who provide a clear sense of stability and permanence for young people. Staffing arrangements are very effectively and sensitively managed. One-to-one staffing ensures that each young person makes excellent progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

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 supervision. Staff development is a key strength, with an organised and regularly refreshed training programme. Research topics about sensory diets and the impact of trauma in young people’s lives are usefully presented as training packages in staff team meetings and used in staff practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Recording is of the highest standard, with a clear child focus and evidence of accountability. Young people can access their records, which, alongside photo albums, provide a meaningful account of their journey of being looked after at the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

There have been no complaints from young people. Excellent and trusting relationships between young people and staff mean that young people are confident in expressing their views and concerns. Open discussion leads to early resolution by the manager and gives young people a firm sense of empowerment in the running of the home and their future plans.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Young people feel valued and listened to because consultation is strong, both in relation to the running of the home and in ensuring that young people make a full contribution to their placement plans. The large inflatable swimming pool, a greenhouse, garden games Inspection report children’s home: 1227596 6 and projects to feed the birds are all the result of young people’s ideas shared in their weekly young people’s meetings.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager has a good working knowledge of the regulatory and inspection framework. She is aware of, and competently implements, her monitoring responsibilities and values feedback from independent monitoring reports. This effective oversight, partnership working and practical use of research drive improvement and the outstanding nature of this home.

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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: 1227596 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: Black Birches, Hadnall, Shrewsbury, Shropshire SY4 3DH

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Inspector

Elaine Cray, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1227596 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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