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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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. 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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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 12 to 13 November 2019

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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: 16 October 2018

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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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

16/10/2018 Full Outstanding 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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Recommendations

 It is crucial that the home works in close partnership with all those who play a role in protecting and caring for the child, but particularly the child’s local authority and statutory social worker. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 11, paragraph 2.3) Inspection report children’s home: 1227596 4

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The home is exceptionally well maintained and decorated to meet the children’s individual needs. Children’s bedrooms are highly personalised, and children are encouraged to display photos of their family and other people who are important to them. The kitchen and dining area are the hub of the home and children and staff gather here to play games and to eat delicious home-cooked meals. When children return home from school, staff are delighted to see them and give children a warm welcome. Staff enquire about each child’s school day and show a genuine interest in children’s individual learning and their achievements. This child- centred approach helps to create a strong bond between the children and the staff. Consequently, children are happy and know that their views and opinions truly matter. Staff are highly skilled at helping children to manage their emotions. For instance, staff have used imaginative play to help one child to talk about their past difficulties. Staff

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

proactively look online for books and work sheets to use with children to help them to explore their emotions safely. This creative support helps children to learn new ways to express their feelings with the knowledge that support is never far away. Staff support children to maintain relationships that are important to them. This includes transporting children long distances to enable these important relationships to flourish. When appropriate, staff regularly update parents and carers about their child’s progress. Staff prepare children for their futures exceptionally well. They help children to acquire crucial skills such as using public transport and managing a bank account. Staff support children to contribute to plans for their future and they share with social workers when children are anxious or upset. Bespoke programmes agreed with social workers ensure that children develop the skills that they need in adulthood at their own pace. One child

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

is pleased that he will remain at the home beyond his 18 th birthday to enable him to finish his education in the same school.

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

Staff have an excellent understanding of the importance of safeguarding and the need for vigilance so that children stay safe. Staff ensure that well-informed risk assessments help to identify children’s triggers and the action that staff need to take to keep children safe. Staff support children to take age-appropriate risks as part of their development of independent living skills. As a result, children are supported to develop the essential life skills in readiness for adulthood. Staff work in partnership with the police to help to keep children safe. Staff are quick to share information with the community police officer to ensure that children remain safe. On the one occasion that a child was away from the home without permission, staff followed his missing from care protocol. They quickly located him and skilfully managed Inspection report children’s home: 1227596 5 his behaviours and persuaded him to return to the home. This swift action resulted in

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

the child’s welfare being safeguarded. Staff deal with any bullying and unkind behaviour from children swiftly and effectively. They promote positive relationships by talking to children in a way that encourages personal responsibility and understanding of the feelings of others. This means that children learn to understand the importance of tolerance and kindness in social relationships. The home is safely located, and staff ensure that children live in a safe environment by carrying out regular health and safety checks and fire drills.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager is an excellent leader who works in partnership with other professionals. The registered manager is tenacious in ensuring that children can access the services that they need to support their development and enhance their lives. One headteacher commented that her relationship with staff is one of the best she has experienced with external providers. The impact of this excellent practice is that children make significant progress in all areas of their lives. The registered manager understands each child’s care plan. She will challenge other professionals when appropriate. However, one child’s file does not contain their most up- to-date care plan. This slightly limits staff in being up to date with a child’s revised care plan. Leaders and managers ensure that staff receive appropriate training to meet the needs of children in the home. This includes staff receiving training in playfulness and

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

awareness training in recognising self-harming behaviours. Staff receive regular and good-quality formal supervision. The registered manager uses these meetings to challenge staff practice and to consider their training needs. New staff benefit from a structured induction programme including twice-monthly supervision and an end of probation appraisal. More established staff have an annual appraisal. This means that staff have many opportunities to reflect on and to develop their practice. The home is fully staffed and any shortfalls in staffing are covered by staff from other homes in the company. This means that children benefit from consistent care from motivated adults who strive to meet children’s individual needs. The registered manager uses good-quality systems to monitor the quality of care given to children. She works collaboratively with the independent visitor and other managers in the company to continually improve the quality of care for children.

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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 Inspection report children’s home: 1227596 6 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: 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: 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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