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

Inspection report for children’s home: SC396721 1 SC396721 Registered provider: Reflexion Care Group Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home is operated by a private company. It is registered to provide care for one child who has had adverse childhood experiences that have led to associated trauma and presenting complex behaviours.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager is suitably qualified and experienced and has applied to register with Ofsted.

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: 30 November 2022

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC396721 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

30/11/2022 Full Good 15/02/2022 Full Good 10/12/2019 Full Outstanding 03/12/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC396721 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child in the home has lived there for over a year. On the day of the inspection, they were moving out, into shared lives accommodation, in line with their care plan. The child has benefited from receiving good-quality care from a nurturing and resolute staff team. Staff are knowledgeable and attuned to the child’s needs. Staff have provided the child with a stable and warm home. As a result, the child’s educational attainment, independence skills and relationships with their family have improved and their overall risks have reduced.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child said that they were unhappy living in the home, due to the location. The manager and staff relentlessly advocated for the child about this and worked collaboratively with the local authority to develop comprehensive transition plans to move the child on from the home, as soon as possible. This ensured that the child’s wishes and feelings were heard and acted on.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child has been well supported by staff to prepare for moving into their new home. Staff have supported the child to make several visits to their new home and to meet their new carer. They have also chatted with the child about their anxieties and what to expect when they move. This has helped to reduce the child’s anxieties about moving on.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have high aspirations for children. After a long period out of education, staff have supported the child to attend school and take their GCSEs. When the child has been unable to attend education, staff have been proactive in securing an alternative provision. As a result, the child attained several qualifications. These will support them to achieve their future employment goals.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have supported the child to become more independent. The child has developed their independence skills in areas such as cooking, cleaning, managing finances and self-care.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff ensure that children have fun and have opportunities to try new things. The child has been on holiday with staff, enjoyed trips to theme parks and taken part in a driving experience.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have ensured that the child is registered with local health professionals and encouraged them to attend all routine appointments. When the child has refused to attend appointments, staff have spoken to them about the impact of this on their health. Staff are supported by the organisation’s clinical team, which provides regular consultation and advice on how to best support the child.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand the importance of children spending time with their families and friends. As a result, the child has enjoyed increased time with their siblings. Inspection report for children’s home: SC396721 4 The home environment is clean, welcoming and homely. There are certificates on display throughout the home, celebrating the child’s achievements. The child decorated their room to their own tastes and staff encouraged them to participate and share their views on any changes they would like to make in the home.

p.3

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

Safeguarding practices in the home are effective. Staff are aware of their responsibilities and the actions they need to take to keep children safe. Staff know the child extremely well and understand their behaviours and triggers. They consistently follow detailed risk and behaviour support plans to mitigate risk for the child. As a result, there have been no physical interventions, and incidents in the home are rare.

p.4

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

There have been occasions when the child has been missing from the home. Staff understand the factors leading to missing-from-care incidents. They are proactive in looking for the child and encouraging them to return home. When the child returns to the home, staff are sensitive and offer the child the opportunity to talk with an independent person. This allows the child to share any worries or concerns they may have. Professionals’ meetings are held when incidents increase, and staff work collaboratively with the police and other professionals to reduce missing-from-care incidents.

p.4

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

The staff manage behaviour effectively. There have been no physical interventions since the last inspection. Staff have helped and supported the child to learn how to regulate their own behaviours. Staff use their research-based therapeutic training and consultations with the in-house clinicians to gain a better understanding of the child, their behaviours and responses to staff.

p.4

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

Staff support the child to understand how to keep themselves safe. Direct work, videos and discussions have all been used to support the child’s understanding of the risks associated with the internet and sexual exploitation and how to recognise and maintain healthy relationships.

p.4

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

There is a strong response to safeguarding concerns. The manager ensures that allegations and complaints are quickly responded to. Information is promptly shared with the appropriate professionals, including the local authority designated officer. Records on safeguarding concerns and the actions staff have taken are comprehensive. These practices help to keep children safer.

p.4

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

The registered manager works proactively with safeguarding agencies, including social care professionals and the police. A police officer spoke positively of the effective partnership working between them and the home.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Since the last inspection, there has been a change in the management of the home. The new manager and responsible individual have both worked hard to minimise the Inspection report for children’s home: SC396721 5 impact on the child, staff and the home. They have developed a good understanding of the home, its progress and areas where development is required. They have high aspirations for the home and children who come to live there. Leaders, managers and staff are tenacious and have unconditional regard for children, putting them at the front and centre of their practice. They are committed to ensuring positive outcomes and have plans in place to continually develop the home and the quality of care afforded to children.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has effective monitoring systems in place to review the quality of care children receive. He uses these well, along with independent visitor assessments, to continually assess and improve the quality of care. However, when carrying out the six-monthly review of the quality of care, the manager does not always include consultation with the child. This shortfall could potentially affect their ability to fully consider how the care provided by staff impacts on the child’s progress.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A strength of the home is the continuity of care provided to children. There is a small team of staff, who work together well. Excellent communication ensures that the child receives consistent care, with clear routines and boundaries.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff say that they feel very well supported by the manager. They receive regular good-quality, practice-related supervision and participate in reflective team meetings. Staff are complimentary about the new manager’s leadership style and how this has supported them to develop further in their roles.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The training offered to staff supports them to meet children’s needs effectively. There is a comprehensive training plan in place, which includes specific training on topics such as missing from care, internet safety and child exploitation.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff and the manager work closely with a wide range of professionals so that children receive well-coordinated care. The manager challenges those who are not meeting children’s needs, or when he feels that decisions are not in the best interests of the children. Feedback from professionals is good. They are positive about the care the child in the home has received and the actions that staff take to keep the child safe. Inspection report for children’s home: SC396721 6

p.5

Recommendation

 The registered person should carry out a review, at least once every six months, that focuses on the quality of the care provided in the home, the experiences of children living there and the impact the care is having on outcomes and improvements for the children. Reviews should be underpinned by the quality standards, as described in Regulations 5 to 14. The review should include consultation and feedback from the children, professionals and parents, where appropriate. It should also include what action the manager has taken in response to the feedback. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.2)

p.6

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 for children’s home: SC396721 7

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Reflexion Care Group Limited

p.7

Children’s home details

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

p.7

Inspector

Sonia Sullivan, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC396721 8 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

p.7

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.8

Inspector

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

p.8

Inspector

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

p.8