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

Inspection report children’s home: SC366093 1 SC366093 Registered provider: Reflexion Care Group Limited

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Full inspection 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 children who have social and/or emotional 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

At the time of the inspection, three children were living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 24 to 25 September 2019

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: sustained effectiveness

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC366093 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/03/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness 10/07/2018 Full Good 07/11/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 30/01/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC366093 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

In meeting the quality standards, if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5(c)) 04/11/2019

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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 the premises used for the purposes of the home are located so that children are effectively safeguarded. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(c)) 04/11/2019

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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. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose; ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(c)) 04/11/2019 Inspection report children’s home: SC366093 4

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to have well-planned moves into the home. One child was able to visit the home and meet the staff and the other children. She was also able to choose her bedroom. As a result, the child quickly settled, and staff helped her to attend school and to study for her important exams. Staff also helped her to attend therapy. However, the child has recently faced uncertainty about her move out of the home. This uncertainty has compromised her progress in her education and routines. The registered manager has escalated concerns about the impact on the child. However, the registered manager has not been proactive enough to challenge the child’s placing authority when further delay has occurred.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff work particularly well with teachers and colleagues who provide therapy to ensure that children’s needs are understood. This well-coordinated support means that children’s achievements, school attendance and behaviour all significantly improve.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to express their views, wishes and feelings by having day-to-day discussions, holding regular meetings and enabling children to contribute to their placement plans. The regular meetings help children to discuss their progress and make decisions on activities, menus and improvements to the home. This gives children a sense of ownership and responsibility for their care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy a range of activities, such as going on an adventure holiday, attending a local youth club and skiing on a dry ski slope. Staff also support children to develop hobbies and interests in the local community. One child is a member of a local football club. Another child goes to a drama group and staff recently attended a performance when she sang. Staff constantly encourage children to try new activities. This means that children develop social skills, their self-confidence increases and they develop new friendships.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children with their independence through encouraging them to do daily chores and to develop self-care skills. Older children are helped to plan and cook their own meals. They have a bank account and they have charge of their money. When the time is right, staff help them to search for college places and to attend college interviews. Children are also encouraged to take age-appropriate risks. For instance, staff are helping a child to attend the youth club on her own.

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

Children are kept safe by staff following comprehensive risk assessments. These assessments identify the triggers for children’s behaviours and give staff clear advice on how to manage children’s sometimes challenging behaviour. Staff are skilful at de- escalating situations and the registered manager uses monitoring systems to ensure that restraint is used only when necessary. When learning is identified, he takes a proactive approach. For instance, at a recent team meeting the registered manager used a group Inspection report children’s home: SC366093 5 exercise with staff to help them to understand how a situation had escalated and how it could have been managed differently.

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

Staff carry out work with children to help to increase their understanding of risks. For example, staff have skilfully used resources from the police with a child to develop her awareness of drug and alcohol misuse. Another child has worked closely with the therapy team to help her to understand the risks from child sexual exploitation. This means that children are being educated about risk.

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

Staff have developed strong links with key safeguarding agencies such as the designated officer and the police. This close partnership enables staff to keep children safe.

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

The registered manager has used research-based resources to help staff to understand more about the risks children face in the community. This includes risks from county lines, child sexual exploitation and radicalisation. This is an example of outstanding practice and staff say that this has helped them to keep children safe within the home and in the community. However, not all staff have completed the company’s online training in these areas.

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

Staff are required to undergo a rigorous interview and vetting process before they start to work with children in the home. As a result, safe recruitment is effective.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Since the last full inspection, four staff have left the home and seven new staff have joined. The home is now fully staffed, and children are cared for by a consistent staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff say that they receive good support from the registered manager. They have regular team meetings that enable them to discuss the care of children as well as their own practice. Staff have regular well-planned supervision and annual appraisals where they talk about their development. New staff have a planned induction. However, some new staff have not had twice-monthly supervision as set out in the home’s statement of purpose. This means that some staff have not had enough opportunity to have reflective discussions and to receive support and advice to help them to develop in the role.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has helped staff to promote good relationships between children in the home. Bullying is not tolerated, and staff talk with children individually and together about the importance of kindness and tolerance. Kind behaviour by children towards others is recognised and rewarded. Staff recently supported children to plan an adventure day out for staff and children together, which they all enjoyed and which cemented relationships.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff develop strong relationships with families and with professionals. Professionals say that staff at the home really listen to children and support them in the way a good parent would. Excellent communication means that children experience a consistent approach in dealing with their sometimes complex and challenging behaviours. This Inspection report children’s home: SC366093 6 excellent level of support has enabled one child to maintain her place in mainstream education and to progress academically and socially.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has completed a review of the home’s locality risk assessment. However, he has not included risks from a nearby farm building which houses livestock and from a nearby pond. This means that local risks are not assessed effectively.

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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: SC366093 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: Reflexion Care Group Ltd, Black Birches, Hadnall, Shrewsbury, Shropshire SY4 3DH

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Inspector

Karen Gillingwater, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC366093 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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