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

Inspection report children’s home: 1213416 1 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 home is registered for two young people who have emotional and/or behavioural and/or learning difficulties. Education and therapeutic services are part of this home’s statement of purpose.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 15 to 16 November 2018

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

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

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good

Date of last inspection: 31 January 2018

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 1213416 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

31/01/2018 Full Good 14/02/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 27/07/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: 1213416 3

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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.

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i) 20/12/2018

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff help each child who is above compulsory school age to participate in further education, training or employment and to prepare for future care, education or employment. (Regulation 8(1)(2)(a)(ix) 20/12/2018

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Recommendations

 Children must be consulted regularly on their views about the home’s care, to inform and support continued improvement in the quality of care provided. Children should be able to see the results of their views being listened to and acted upon. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 22, paragraph 4.11)

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Recommendations

 Staffing structures should promote continuity of care from the child’s perspective. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 10.15)

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Recommendations

 The children’s home must produce a children’s guide. The children’s guide should Inspection report children’s home: 1213416 4 help children to understand how they can access advocacy support or independent advocacy if eligible. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 24, paragraphs 4.21 and 4.22)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff develop warm and nurturing relationships with young people. One young person told the inspector about her key worker by saying, ‘[The name of the member of staff] is really warm. She always has time for you and is really helpful.’ Social workers also say that staff help young people and support them through difficult times.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support young people to have their views heard through young people’s meetings and to be able to contribute ideas to staff meetings. However, managers do not always involve young people in reviewing the quality of care. This creates a missed opportunity for young people to have their voices heard in the formal monitoring of the service.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people know how to make a complaint and staff ensure that young people receive a written response once their complaint has been thoroughly investigated. However, young people do not have access to an independent advocate. This limits their opportunity to speak to someone independent of the staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The organisation provides young people with access to therapeutic support. This service enables young people to access therapy sessions. Staff also benefit from the service. For example, therapists will offer staff advice on how to support young people’s emotional needs. Consequently, young people find new ways to manage their emotions.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff welcome young people who are new to the home through careful early planning. This includes planning to meet the young person before their admission. This can include going out on a fun activity. This helps the young person to get to know the staff who will be caring for them, before their admission.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support young people to attend medical appointments. Consequently, young people’s physical and emotional health improve.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff promote the importance of education by working closely with schools and colleges. However, when young people are not able to attend school or college staff do not explore other opportunities to promote the young person’s learning.

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

Young people are supported to take age-appropriate risks. For example, staff work closely with young people to help them to understand what a risk is. Staff understand the risks that young people can face when they go missing from the home, including the risk of sexual exploitation. Staff make sure that they welcome young people back to the home and help young people to talk through any issues that may be upsetting them. However, staff Inspection report children’s home: 1213416 5 have not brought a young person’s risk assessment up to date after an incident happened in the car. This leaves the young person, other young people and the staff at risk.

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

The registered manager ensures that the organisation’s recruitment process protects young people from the danger of unsafe adults working with them.

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

The registered manager reviews physical interventions, rewards and sanctions, and gives advice to staff on their proportionality and effectiveness. Because of this monitoring the number of physical interventions has reduced.

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

When parents raise safeguarding concerns, the registered manager ensures that the designated officer is informed. This openness to share information means that all investigation procedures are followed, and staff are given the opportunity to learn lessons from incidents.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

New staff benefit from a good induction. Ongoing training means that the specific needs of the young people are met. The registered manager looks for training opportunities such as using social media sites to inform staff about the risks from gangs and county lines. This means that staff have access to up-to-date knowledge to develop their practice so that young people stay safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is aspirational in her care of young people. She works closely with senior staff members to develop appropriate plans for young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Although the registered manager works hard to ensure that young people experience consistent care from staff they know and trust, young people have raised concerns over some of their staff being moved to other homes. This has compromised how young people view their continuity of care.

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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: 1213416 6 Inspection report children’s home: 1213416 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

Karen Gillingwater, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1213416 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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