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

Inspection report children’s home: SC460973 1 SC460973 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 private children’s home provides care and accommodation for up to three young people who have social and/or emotional needs. Young people stay for a 12-week assessment period, followed by a further four weeks, if required, to support the young person to their next placement. On arrival, young people engage in a two-week overnight outdoor learning programme that is run by the children’s home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered since November 2014 and holds a level 4 children and young people’s award and a level 4 management award.

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Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: 19 September 2018

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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 sustained effectiveness.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

At the last inspection in September 2018, nine requirements and six recommendations were raised. At this inspection, the inspector found that five of the requirements and three of the recommendations have been met. For the remaining requirements and recommendations, work is in progress. One new recommendation has been raised. Inspection report children’s home: SC460973 2 Since the last inspection, two young people have left and three young people have moved into the home. The registered manager has improved his communication with social workers about the placement arrangements for young people. This has helped to ensure that timescales for young people to move on are clearer. This helps young people to have time to familiarise themselves with their new home before they move in.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people have good relationships with staff, who support them to continue learning through participating in outdoor activities. Consequently, two young people have achieved units towards nationally recognised qualifications. Staff have helped one young person to successfully start back at school.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people benefit from individualised plans and risk assessments. However, these are still not promptly reviewed following incidents of physical intervention. This means that staff do not have the most up-to-date information to help them to provide safe care and support for young people.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

One young person is at risk from child sexual exploitation. However, direct work by staff to support the young person to understand the risks posed is weak. This creates a missed opportunity for staff to support the young person in understanding how to stay safe.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager now has a development plan that has helped him to secure a range of improvements to the home environment. For example, murals to the downstairs hallway and stairway give a more inviting and homelier feel. Young people can freely access the downstairs toilet. Bedding has been replaced and the window in the young people’s bathroom has been obscured to enhance privacy. Young people now have lockable storage within their bedrooms. However, young people still do not have a key to their bedroom. In addition, young people’s bedrooms and a lounge are cold. This detracts away from the young people having a comfortable place to live.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager has acted to ensure that the premises are safe. The fire risk assessment has been reviewed. Fire doors have been replaced and fencing around the oil tank has been removed. A fire safety officer told the inspector, ‘I’m happy with what they have done and the commitment shown.’

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff vetting has improved, and staff now receive their supervision notes. Staff awareness in key areas, including online safety, the ‘Prevent’ duty, anti-bullying and child sexual exploitation, has improved as a result of staff receiving training. However, the registered manager has still not developed a workforce development plan to help him understand the ongoing development needs of the team.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Managers do not keep staff rotas in accordance with regulation. This continued shortfall means that the rotas remain unclear about when staff have been in contact with young people should this information be needed in the future.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager has made improvements to the review of the suitability of the Inspection report children’s home: SC460973 3 location of the home. However, the registered manager has still not sought the views of other agencies when completing this review. Consequently, it remains unclear if there are any risks posed to the young people by the location of the home.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager told the inspector that the organisation is currently agreeing how to increase young people’s contribution to their records.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The organisation has removed references to out-of-date working together guidance from their safeguarding policies.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

19/09/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good 19/09/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 23/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 20/12/2016 Full 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. 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 enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (1)(2)(c)(ii)) 01/05/2019

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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. 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) and (2)(a)(i)) 01/05/2019 Inspection report children’s home: SC460973 4 The registered person must maintain in the home the records in schedule 4. (Regulation 37 (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

This includes a copy of the staff duty roster of persons working at the home and a record of the actual rosters worked. 01/05/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must review the appropriateness and suitability of the location of the premises used for the purposes of the children’s home at least once in each calendar year taking into account the requirement in Regulation 12(2)(c) (the protection of children standard). When conducting the review, the registered person must consult, and take into account the views of each relevant person. (Regulation 46 (1)(2)) 01/05/2019

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Recommendations

 Limits on privacy and access may only be put in place to safeguard each child in the home (Regulation 21(c)(i)). Any decisions to limit a child’s access to any area of the home and any modifications to the environment of the home, must only be made where this is intended to safeguard the child’s welfare. All decisions should be informed by a rigorous assessment of that individual child’s needs, be properly recorded and be kept under regular review. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.10)  The importance of understanding who we are and where we come from is recognised in good social work practice, for example through undertaking life story work or other direct work. Staff in children’s homes should play a full role in work of this kind. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 16, paragraph 3.14)

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Recommendations

 Ensure that there is a workforce plan in place, which can fulfil the requirements of Regulation 16 Schedule 1. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.8)  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 11.19) Inspection report children’s home: SC460973 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

Alison Cooper, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC460973 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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