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

Inspection report children’s home: 1227596 1 Registered provider: Reflexion Care Group Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home provides care and accommodation for up to three children with a variety of complex behavioural needs and learning disabilities. The home is privately owned and forms part of a large social care organisation, which offers an education service and therapeutic support.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered with Ofsted in October 2021. She is suitably experienced and has a level 5 qualification in leadership and management.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

Due to COVID-19, at the request of the Secretary of State, we suspended all routine inspections of social care providers carried out under the social care common inspection framework (SCCIF) on 17 March 2020. We returned to routine SCCIF inspections on 12 April 2021.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

Ofsted undertook a monitoring visit on 18 February 2021. The report is available on our website.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.1

good

Date of last inspection: 12 November 2019

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 1227596 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/11/2019 Full Outstanding 16/10/2018 Full Outstanding 14/11/2017 Full Good 08/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: 1227596 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The inspector observed warm and friendly relationships between children and staff. Staff listen to children and advocate for their wishes and feelings. Children contribute to their care planning. They told the inspector that the staff treat them well. Dedicated staff offer children help when they need it. As a result, children make good progress.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive nurturing care and support and this helps children to have positive day-to-day experiences of living at the home. Staff understand children’s individual needs. They make sure that internal care plans reflect the aims and objectives of the placing authority and staff ensure that they provide care in line with these plans. As a result, children receive coordinated and effective support.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help children to attend routine health appointments and to access more specialised services when needed. Children enjoy a balanced diet and take part in a range of leisure activities. They make the most of local facilities and those further afield, such as theme parks. As a result, children enjoy good physical health and have fun.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to share their views and develop their value systems as individuals. Views are sought through key-working sessions and daily teatime discussions. Good attention is given to exploring culture, diversity and equality. A range of calendar events are celebrated. A recent example is a peer-led discussion about the war in eastern Europe and Black History Month. This helps to increase the children’s curiosity and understanding.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff respond sensitively to children’s emotional health needs and work in partnership with health professionals to ensure that children receive the right support. When children have specific needs, staff are compassionate and supportive. For example, when a child self-harms, staff work well with health professionals and the child to promote the child’s best interests.

p.3

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

The manager and staff take their safeguarding responsibilities very seriously. Children experience good levels of safety planning and stability, due to informed and child-centred risk assessments. The manager and staff use their own knowledge, stakeholder input and children’s experiences to identify, assess and plan to reduce risk.

p.3

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

Children say that they feel happy, well supported and safe living at the home. Children do not go missing from the home. Children’s views are taken seriously and this contributes to them feeling safe and well looked after. Inspection report children’s home: 1227596 4 A child is experiencing significant difficulties with their emotional health and displaying self-harming behaviour. Staff and the manager have worked tirelessly to promote and support the child’s health, well-being and safety. The manager had advocated with professionals in health and social care to engage services to support the child and keep them safe. The child described staff as ‘amazing’ and said, ‘They have worked so hard to help keep me safe and help me understand my behaviours.’

p.3

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

Children have access to the internet via various devices and staff monitor their use of the internet. One child has previously attempted to access unsuitable sites. However, the internet safety filter is ineffective and so monitoring is not always robust. The manager took immediate action to reimplement the internet safeguards.

p.4

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

The manager has not ensured that fire safety precautions in the home are suitably assessed and adhered to. For example, intumescent smoke strips on some fire doors had been painted over and a further fire door had not had these strips fitted in line with the fire risk assessment. Although the manager took immediate action to rectify this during the inspection, it raises questions about the monitoring of some health and safety matters at the home. The fire protection system has recently been maintained and mitigates any immediate risk. The manager has arranged a full fire audit of the premises later this month.

p.4

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

Staff receive training to raise their knowledge and awareness of how best to safeguard children. Staff are committed to training because the manager makes sure that this a priority. They implement their learning into their day-to-day practice. Most staff have received specialised training to help them to know how to respond to incidents of self-harm. However, some staff have not refreshed this training. The manager took immediate action to address this with staff.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The care that children receive and the progress children make is good because of the support that they receive from staff. Staff practice is built on the in-depth knowledge and implementation of policies and procedures instilled by the manager. These are consistently reinforced through effective induction and probation, and ongoing training.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff feel supported by the manager and speak highly of her leadership. She is experienced and shows commitment to the professional development of the team. Staff benefit from regular team meetings and supervision. Supervision sessions are reflective, detailed and show that staff receive clear direction and support to inform their practice.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has a positive relationship with the children. She spends time with them and advocates for them when needed. She talks proudly of their progress and achievements. She listens to and supports children’s views on the home’s development and their own wishes and feelings. One child told the inspector how the manager had helped them and advocated for them at meetings. This has contributed to this child feeling safe and supported. Inspection report children’s home: 1227596 5 When incidents of concern do occur, staff manage these in a very well-coordinated and professional way. Children receive intensive support from staff to alleviate their concerns. As a result, staff are clear and self-assured in how to meet the individual needs of each child.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager works effectively in partnership with a range of professionals. Professionals are positive about the care and support that children receive and the communication they have with the manager and staff.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

While the turnover of staff in the home has been high, the manager has ensured timely recruitment and induction of new staff. Potential employees are subject to an assessment of their suitability to work with children. This includes references and criminal records checks. However, managers have not ensured that all staff have had their full employment history explored and gaps explained. This increases the risk of unsuitable people being employed to care for children.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager uses audit systems to oversee the home’s monthly information, including health and safety checks and medication. However, these systems have not picked up the shortfall with the fire risk assessment and a minor shortfall with the administration of medication. For example, medication had been dispensed from a local pharmacy and hospital. These medications had been mixed up, meaning that dosage and use-by dates were not clear. The manager addressed this shortfall immediately.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The six-monthly review report about the quality of care at the home was completed by the previous manager. It does not show if the views of parents, professionals and children were sought and reflected in the report. The current manager has a clear plan to ensure that the next review will provide thorough oversight of the home and incorporate the views of relevant people. Inspection report children’s home: 1227596 6

p.5

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.

p.6

Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

p.6

Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

p.6

Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(v)(b))

p.6

Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that appropriate safeguards are in place for children to use the internet. 3 Apr 2022

p.6

Requirement Due date

If the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (1) applies to the home—

p.6

Requirement Due date

the registered person must ensure that the requirements of that Order and any regulations made under it, except for article 23 (duties of employees), are complied with in respect of the home. (Regulation 25 (2)(b))

p.6

Requirement Due date

This relates to ensuring that the fire risk assessment for the premises is suitable and fire door smoke seals are in place and maintained. 3 Apr 2022 Inspection report children’s home: 1227596 7

p.6

Recommendations

 The review of the quality of care should enable the registered person to identify areas of strength and possible weakness in the home’s care. The report should clearly identify any actions required for the next six months and how those actions will be addressed. This relates to ensuring that the regulation 45 report reviews the quality of care, with actions and feedback from children, families and professionals. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.4)

p.7

Recommendations

 The registered person must ensure that recruitment of staff safeguards children and minimises potential risks to them. Specifically, that potential employees’ full employment history is explored and gaps explained. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1)

p.7

Recommendations

 The registered person is to ensure that they make suitable arrangements to manage, administer and dispose of any medication. This relates to ensuring that medication is not mixed up between boxes and the dosages and expiry dates are clear. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 35, paragraph 7.15)

p.7

Recommendations

 Staff need the knowledge and skills to recognise and be alert to any signs that might indicate a child is in any way at risk of harm. The registered person should ensure that staff training is refreshed and recorded. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 43, paragraph 9.12)

p.7

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: 1227596 8

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Reflexion Care Group Limited

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Fitzroy Academy, Cruckton, Shrewsbury SY5 8PR

p.8

Inspector

James Tallis, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1227596 9 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.

p.8

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.9

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.9

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.9