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

Assurance visit report: SC366080 1 SC366080

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is run by a private company. The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three children with learning disabilities and social and/or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

Previous inspection date: 3 December 2019

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Information about this visit

Due to COVID-19 (coronavirus), Ofsted suspended all routine inspections in March 2020. As part of a phased return to routine inspection, we are undertaking assurance visits to children’s social care services that are inspected under the social care common inspection framework (SCCIF).

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Information about this visit

At these visits, inspectors evaluate the extent to which:  children are well cared for  children are safe  leaders and managers are exercising strong leadership.

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Information about this visit

This visit was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000, following the published guidance for assurance visits.

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Information about this visit

Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills is leading Ofsted’s work into how England’s social care system has delivered child-centred practice and care within the context of the restrictions placed on society during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Findings from the visit

We did not identify any serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance visit. Assurance visit report: SC366080 2

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The care of children

The home is a comfortable and homely place for children to live. Staff support children to tidy their bedrooms and to take pride in them. Children’s bathrooms have recently been replaced and their bedrooms redecorated to their personal taste. This promotes a sense of ownership and belonging in children.

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The care of children

When children return from school or college, staff give them a warm welcome. Staff then use their strong relationships with children to encourage them to follow well- established routines. This includes encouraging children to complete their homework and to eat a healthy meal with staff, prepared from scratch. This individual attention builds relationships and trust between staff and children.

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The care of children

When the time is right, staff use well-designed programmes to help children to gain skills for independent living, such as cooking and budgeting. Staff work with children to set achievable goals, which are regularly reviewed. This joined-up work means that children take ownership of their independence plans and make progress.

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The care of children

Staff understand the impact of COVID-19 on children. For example, following the lifting of some restrictions, staff have helped one child to overcome their anxiety about returning to college by liaising with education staff and planning a phased programme of return. This has helped the child to build resilience and to feel comfortable about returning to college full time.

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The care of children

Staff support children to follow bespoke educational timetables that meet their needs. Because of this support, a child who has been out of education for a long period of time is now attending every day.

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The care of children

Staff work with a range of health professionals, including the organisation’s clinical team. This coordinated approach to healthcare means that children’s physical and emotional health needs are met.

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The care of children

During the period of national lockdown and restrictions relating to COVID-19, children have been supported to stay in touch with people who are important to them. This has helped to sustain important relationships.

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The safety of children

Staff take their duty to safeguard children very seriously. Children do not go missing from home because staff supervise them effectively in the home and in the community.

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The safety of children

Although staff know the children very well, sometimes risk assessments are not up to date with all relevant information. For example, some risk assessments are missing details about the impact that attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and autism spectrum disorder have on a child’s behaviour. For instance, records miss out Assurance visit report: SC366080 3 the detail that staff should encourage a child to go to a sensory space in their bedroom when they need to self-regulate.

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The safety of children

Managers work effectively with safeguarding agencies, such as the designated officer. The local community police officer regularly visits the home and spends time with the children. This informal approach helps children to build a positive and trusting relationship with the police and to be educated on staying safe.

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The safety of children

When there is a concern about staff practice, or when children complain about a member of staff, managers carry out a thorough investigation. This includes ensuring that children are happy with the outcome. This means that children feel that staff listen to them and take their concerns seriously.

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The safety of children

Staff have not received the usual level of face-to-face training due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, staff have shown a commitment to their own personal development and have completed online training to help them to have the skills to meet children’s needs and to keep children safe.

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Leaders and managers

In October 2020, the registered manager resigned from the manager’s post and is now the deputy manager. As result, the home does not currently have a registered manager.

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Leaders and managers

There have been significant changes to the staff team over the past six months. Several members of staff have left the company or are working in other homes. Great effort has been made to ensure that children’s care has not been compromised. This has included members of staff working additional shifts and the use of bank staff. These efforts have helped to sustain some stability for the children. However, despite these efforts, a significant number of unfamiliar adults have cared for the children and these members of staff have not always had knowledge of the children’s complex needs.

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Leaders and managers

Feedback from professionals is mixed. One social worker told the inspector that she is really pleased with how the staff are supporting her child, who has made significant progress with their self-care skills and in their education. An independent reviewing officer described his child’s progress as ‘fantastic’. However, social workers working with one child said that their child, who had previously made good progress, has been impacted by the staff changes.

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Leaders and managers

Staff receive regular, good-quality supervision and an annual appraisal. During supervision, managers ask staff about safeguarding concerns, including whistle- blowing. Consequently, staff are regularly reminded about their duty to safeguard children. Staff say that they feel supported by managers, despite recent changes to the management of the home. Assurance visit report: SC366080 4 Managers do not always record the actual hours that staff work in the home. This omission prevents managers from monitoring the quality of care in relation to staffing effectively.

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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 leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(h)) 10 January 2021

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Requirement Due date

Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the records are kept up to date. (Regulation 37 (1)(2)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This is with specific reference to having a copy of the staff roster that must show the actual roster worked. 10 January 2021 Assurance visit report: SC366080 5

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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 Assurance visit report: SC366080 6 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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Inspector

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