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

Inspection report children’s home: 2507361 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 home is owned and operated by a private company. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for two children aged eight to 18. Children may have complex social, emotional and behavioural needs. They may require therapeutic opportunities that support them to achieve positive social integration.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager is suitably experienced and holds a level 5 qualification in leadership and management.

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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 good

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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: This is the first inspection since the home was registered in April 2019.

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 2507361 2

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outstanding

Young people receive excellent individualised care from dedicated staff. This helps young people to make and sustain exceptional progress from their starting points. An education professional said, ‘The quality of care is impeccable. He works hard on life skills with his team at the home and he is flourishing. I have never witnessed a pupil to develop so rapidly before my eyes.’

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outstanding

Staff deliver highly effective care based around a secure base model of attachment. As a result, young people make strong attachments with staff, based on trust and respect. Staff work closely with the therapy team and together they have significantly improved young people’s emotional and psychological health.

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outstanding

Young people make exceptional progress with their learning. They invest in their education because they develop an ambition to succeed. Staff continually encourage young people to fulfil their aspirations and work tirelessly with education professionals to support young people. As a result, young people are now working towards qualifications and further education. One young person is undertaking and enjoying an apprenticeship in mechanics after not being in education for three years. This is exceptional progress.

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outstanding

Young people take part in a wide range of hobbies that they are interested in, for example going to the gym and boxing. Staff consistently encourage young people to make the most of their opportunities in the community. Young people’s participation in the community improves their confidence, self-esteem and social ability to make friends.

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outstanding

Staff provide excellent support to young people that enables them to stay in touch with family and friends who live far away. Staff go the extra mile to build positive relationships with family members so that young people have a better chance of returning home to live with their family. A parent told the inspector that the level of care provided is ‘fantastic’ and that staff are ‘highly supportive’ of their son.

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outstanding

Young people develop important life skills while living at the home. For example, young people cook with confidence, and offer their skills and knowledge to younger residents so that they too can develop crucial life skills. As a result, young people live in harmony together and learn from each other.

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

Young people feel safe and have developed a sense of belonging living at the home. Communication between staff and young people is reflective and exceptionally positive. This helps young people to understand their feelings and overcome their anxieties. Inspection report children’s home: 2507361 3 Episodes of going missing have significantly reduced from young people’s starting points. A police officer said, ‘There are a few missing-from-care incidents now, the last one was six months ago. The manager always keeps us informed when there are young people missing. They have gained [young person’s] trust and there are massive changes in his behaviour for the better. The manager has a certain way with young people that they trust him. He does a good job.’

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

Staff know how to identify triggers to behaviour because they have clear risk management plans that help them to understand young people’s needs and how to support them. There has been one incident requiring physical intervention since the last inspection. This demonstrates the effectiveness of the behaviour management strategies that staff use. Young people learn what acceptable behaviour looks like because consistent staff implement firm boundaries and consequences that are fair and proportionate. As a result, young people develop skills to manage their emotions without inflicting harm on others or causing damage to property.

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

There has been one complaint from a neighbour about a young person’s behaviour since the last inspection. The manager addressed the complaint with tact and sensitivity by engaging the young person in writing a letter of apology to the neighbour. As a result, the relationship between the neighbour and the young person was repaired.

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

The home is meticulously maintained to a high standard. Young people take pride in their home and this is reflected in the beautiful, well-presented and safe environment.

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

Staff administer medication to young people in pairs as an additional safety measure. The staff check the dose to be given against the prescribed medication before they administer it. However, staff do not record the dose given to the young person. This means that there is no clear audit trail as to how much medication is administered to a young person. This has not had a direct impact on young people’s welfare, but has the potential to do so if unaddressed. In addition, it increases the chances of errors being made in relation to stocktaking and reordering medication.

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

When young people come to live at the home, staff talk to them about the use of bedroom door alarms. Young people say that they understand why these are used. However, staff do not routinely record these discussions . This recording shortfall has not affected young people’s care.

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

Staff sometimes lock the door to the games room to prevent young people accessing it during education hours. Staff do not routinely review this measure and so young people are not given the opportunity to develop self-control in managing this aspect of their behaviour.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is dynamic and leads by example. He has the necessary skills, experience and qualifications to manage the service very effectively. The highly Inspection report children’s home: 2507361 4 supportive and nurturing environment created by the manager enables young people to reach their full potential regardless of the difficulties they face.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff practice reflects the manager’s ambition for and dedication to children. They are determined to get the best results for young people in their care. The manager provides excellent quality supervision and training to assess staff learning and development. As a result, staff continue to develop and excel in helping young people to improve their outcomes.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff, young people and professionals speak highly of the manager and are consistent in their praise for his commitment and hard work. They describe him as ‘first class’. Young people recognise that with his help, their lives and future prospects have significantly improved. As a result, partnership working is highly effective.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager works skilfully and collaboratively with partner agencies. He is instrumental in challenging others when services are not good enough. This proactive approach means that young people get access to the support they need from others.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager knows the strengths and weaknesses of the service and is not shy to acknowledge them. He is constantly looking for improvement through rigorous monitoring of the quality of care, feedback and consultation with others. As a result, the home continues to develop and high-quality care for young people is maintained. Inspection report children’s home: 2507361 5

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person 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 must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home. In particular, the registered person must ensure that— a record is kept of the administration of medicine to each child. (Regulation 23(2)(c)) 27/03/2020

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Recommendations

 Just as in a family home, children should be able to access all shared areas of their home unless there are specific reasons why this would not meet a child’s needs. 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)  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)

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, 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: 2507361 6

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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

Michelle Spruce, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 2507361 7 to 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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