Children's home run by Reflexion Care Group Limited

Inspection report children’s home: 2563818 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

The home is operated by a private company. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three children who have experienced adverse childhood experiences that have led to associated trauma and presenting complex behaviours.

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Information about this children’s home

The current manager was registered with Ofsted in January 2020. The manager has a level 5 qualification in leadership and management.

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Information about this children’s home

Due to COVID-19 (coronavirus), at the request of the Secretary of State, Ofsted suspended all routine inspections of social care providers on 17 March 2020.

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Information about this children’s home

Ofsted last visited this home on 7 October 2020 to carry out an assurance visit. The report is published on the Ofsted website.

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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

Date of last inspection: Not previously inspected

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: Not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: None Inspection report children’s home: 2563818 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

This is the home’s first full inspection since registration in January 2020. The home received an assurance visit in October 2020. Since the assurance visit, one young person has left the home and one young person has moved in. At the time of inspection, one young person lived at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young person’s health and well-being is promoted well by staff. Staff ensure that healthcare plans identify her individual health needs and that the young person attends required medical appointments. Specialist support is in place to meet her emotional needs through the organisation’s therapeutic team, who also support staff through consultation and training. This enables staff to support the young person during times of crisis and helps her to regulate her emotions. Staff work hard to create a nurturing environment which promotes the young person’s well-being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young person builds trusted and secure relationships with staff. She receives good levels of support from a committed team. Despite challenges that have required temporary changes to the staff team, the manager ensures that the young person is supported by individuals that she knows and has relationships with. This helps the young person to be provided with a continuity of care that supports her progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff promote the young person’s education. The young person at times does not attend education due to anxieties about crowds and worries about the COVID-19 pandemic. When this happens, the young person completes education at home with the help and support of staff. This has enabled her to continue to achieve qualifications. The good communication between the staff and the young person’s teacher means that the young person’s emotional needs are understood and sensitively managed. As a result, the young person continues with her learning at a pace and in a way that is right for her.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have helped the young person to stay in touch with people who are most important to her throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Staff plan visits carefully in line with restrictions and make sure that telephone and video technology is readily available. This has helped the young person to continue to have positive experiences with family and friends.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff provide the young person with skills and strategies to manage her own conflicts and difficult feelings using one-to-one discussion. This positive one-to-one work is helping the young person to make progress. However, staff do not always use their positive relationships with the young person to gain her views and wishes regarding her care planning and future aspirations. This is a missed opportunity that would allow the young person to further express her views, set goals and feel listened to. Inspection report children’s home: 2563818 3

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

Staff ensure that the young person is safeguarded. Risk assessments are clear and include relevant information. The manager learns from incidents that happen and reviews plans to adapt the approach needed to reduce risk. This ensures that staff understand the young person’s needs and vulnerabilities and are clear about how to respond and protect the young person.

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

The young person lives in a safe and well-maintained home. She has been involved in choosing the colour schemes and decoration of her bedroom. This enables her to take pride in her home and, as a result, there have been no incidents of damage in the home.

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

When young people go missing from the home, staff make sure that a detailed record is made that reflects their response. Staff are proactive in their efforts to locate the young person by searching known areas and following the guidance provided to them. Staff will contact the police and relevant agencies to share information and promote the young person’s safe return. Young people can discuss issues with an independent person. This affords the young people the opportunity to discuss the reasons why they went missing and for staff to take action to minimise this happening again in the future.

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

Young people are protected by the organisation’s safe recruitment practice. Staff are vetted and assessed as suitable before any appointment is confirmed. These procedures promote young people’s safety by preventing unsuitable adults from working with them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A suitably qualified registered manager leads the staff team. The manager has made improvements to the home since the assurance visit and has met the requirement identified at that time. As a result, the young person lives in a safe and homely environment. The manager has a good oversight of the service and is able to drive improvement.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are positive about the support they receive from the registered manager. Supervision sessions are regular and of good quality. The sessions help staff with their development and to reflect on their practice. The registered manager and experienced staff support new staff through a clear, effective induction process. This helps to ensure that staff develop the knowledge, understanding and skills to provide young people with high-quality care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The majority of staff hold the required level 3 diploma qualification. A small number are currently working to achieve this or are planned to be enrolled on a training programme. Plans are in place to ensure that staff complete this within the required timescales. Good training informs staff practice and meets young people’s individual and diverse needs. Inspection report children’s home: 2563818 4 Effective management oversight and monitoring processes ensure that good standards are maintained. The registered manager has good insight into the home’s strengths and areas of development. One professional told the inspector that ‘the manager is very quick at addressing shortfalls’. The statement of purpose accurately reflects the services offered by the home and is clear about the support offered to young people. The staff provide care in line with the aims and objectives set out in this document.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and staff work collaboratively with other professionals to ensure that the young person receives good-quality care. Strategy meetings are arranged when required following allegations of harm, which ensures a full multi-team approach. This partnership working results in young people receiving the best possible care to meet their individual needs. One professional stated that, ‘The manager is helpful and supportive and genuinely cares about what he does.’ Inspection report children’s home: 2563818 5

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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 children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who— develop positive relationships with them; engage with them; and take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— ensure that staff— ascertain and consider each child’s views, wishes and feelings, and balance these against what they judge to be in the child’s best interests when making decisions about the child’s care and welfare; help each child to express views, wishes and feelings; help each child to understand how the child’s views, wishes and feelings have been taken into account and give the child reasons for decisions in relation to the child. (Regulation 7 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii) This specifically relates to gaining the young person’s views

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Requirement Due date

and wishes in relation to her care planning process. 4 June 2021

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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: 2563818 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: Reflexion Care Group Ltd, Black Birches, Hadnall, Shrewsbury, Shropshire SY4 3DH

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Inspector

Kev Brammer, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 2563818 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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