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

Inspection report children’s home: 1256638 1 Registered provider: Reflexion Care Group Limited Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is operated by a private company. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for young people who have learning disabilities and/or who exhibit complex behaviours because of their childhood experiences. The home provides care for up to three young people. The registered manager has been in post since the home opened in October 2017. He holds a level 5 qualification in leadership and management.

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Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged requires improvement to be good at the last full inspection. At the interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has improved effectiveness.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

At the last inspection in August 2018, seven requirements and five recommendations were raised. At this inspection, inspectors found that five requirements and four recommendations have been met. For the remaining two requirements, work is in progress.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Since the full inspection in August 2018, one young person has left the home and two young people remain in placement. Young people told the inspector that the home is a much more settled place to live and somewhere that they now feel comfortable. One young person told the inspector that the young people do argue at times but more like Inspection report children’s home: 1256638 2 ‘brother and sister’.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The young people who live in the home are making good progress. Both young people are attending school and are positive about their learning. One young person has achieved pupil of the week. This is a real achievement.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people show improved health. For example, increased staff attention to healthy eating has helped one young person to lose weight.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff provide young people with opportunities to take part in activities that interest them. For example, one young person has joined the St John Ambulance. Another young person has continued to develop his interest in boxing and has recently spoken on local radio about the positive impact that boxing has had on his life. These positive opportunities encourage young people’s self-esteem and support them to develop links in the local community.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people’s risk-taking behaviours have reduced and there are fewer incidents in the home which require staff to physically intervene. The registered manager has carried out a review of young people’s risk assessments. However, in doing so, the registered manager has removed some historical risks that do remain relevant. This leaves staff without all the necessary information that they require to enable them to safeguard the young people.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager has implemented a plan to support young people to develop their independence skills. This is very new and therefore the impact is not yet known.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager has taken steps to improve the safety of the home environment. Previous oversights regarding fire safety have been addressed. The system for monitoring and dispensing of medicines within the home has been improved and staff have received training in this area. However, previously identified failings in food hygiene remain and this ongoing poor practice places young people’s health at risk.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

There is still a heavy reliance on support from staff from other homes. As a result, 42 different members of staff have worked at the home since the full inspection in August 2018. This lack of consistency impacts the ability of the manager to further improve the service. Despite this continued inconsistency, young people are developing relationships with some staff and told the inspector that they would talk to staff members if they were concerned about anything.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager has ensured that all staff who work at the home have attended training in response to the issues raised at the full inspection. For example, staff have attended training to refresh their knowledge of physical intervention and de-escalation. This ensures that staff have the skills and knowledge required to care for the young people who live in the home.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager was unable to locate staff supervision records during this Inspection report children’s home: 1256638 3 inspection. As a result, it is not possible to identify what, if any, action has been taken to address the shortfalls identified at the full inspection.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

At this inspection, one new requirement has been raised regarding standards of accommodation. The home offers a large, bright space for young people and there are recent improvements in furnishings. However, this is not yet completed in all areas of the home. For example, one young person’s bedroom does not have sufficient furniture for him to store his belongings and he does not have enough hangers for his clothes. This does not support him in valuing and respecting his possessions and his environment.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

One new recommendation has been raised. Staff do not always ensure that records offer sufficient detail to provide clear oversight of incidents.

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judgement

29/08/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good

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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 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; use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 6 (1)(2)(c)(i)) 01/04/2019

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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. 01/04/2019 Inspection report children’s home: 1256638 4 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.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i)(b)) 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.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child and use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(2)(e)) 01/04/2019

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Recommendations

 A record of supervision should be kept for staff, including the manager. The record should provide evidence that supervision is being delivered in line with regulation. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.3)  Staff should be familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4) Inspection report children’s home: 1256638 5

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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

This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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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’.

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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 Limited, Black Birches, Hadnall, Shrewsbury, Shropshire SY4 3DH

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Inspector

Tracey Coglan Greig, social care inspector Patrick McIntosh, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1256638 6 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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