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

Inspection report for children’s home: 1227596 1 Registered provider: Reflexion Care Group Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

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

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in October 2021. She is suitably experienced and has 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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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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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: 21 February 2024

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 1227596 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/02/2024 Full Good 07/02/2023 Full Good 01/03/2022 Full Good 12/11/2019 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: 1227596 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

At the time of this inspection one child was living in the home. They were spoken to as part of this inspection. Two children have moved on from the home. Their experiences were also taken into consideration.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive excellent care from a nurturing and resolute care team. The adults ensure that they develop a homely and welcoming environment for the children to feel safe. Carers are knowledgeable and attuned to children’s needs. They continually reflect on how they can help children grow in all areas of their development. Children have clear targets in place and progress is kept under constant review. Children’s achievements, no matter how small, are always celebrated.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child currently living in the home said that they like the home and that they are happy and safe. They are positive about the care that they receive. Relationships between adults and the child are warm, affectionate and loving. As a result, the child is continuing to make progress and develop in all areas of their life. For example, their education attendance and attainment have improved, they are able to build relationships more easily and overall risks are reducing. The child is now preparing to move on to foster care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Despite the high-quality care provided by the care team, the home has recently gone through an unsettled period. Incidents and risks for one child significantly increased, and despite all efforts, the care team was unable to keep the child and others safe. As a result, the child moved on from the home. The care team supported the child to move to a more specialist provision within the organisation.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

At times, children have had fractured relationships, which impacted on one child’s feelings of safety. While carers supported children with this, it did contribute to one child leaving the home earlier than anticipated. However, the care team continued to work with the child, ensuring that they had a positive ending to their time in the home and they have now moved into foster care, which is in line with their care plan. The care team is still in contact with the child, which is a testament to the positive relationships the child developed with the care team.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Education is an integral part of the home’s routine. Carers encourage children to go to school and work closely with education professionals to ensure that children have education that supports their individual needs. As a result, children do well in education and attendance has improved. One child’s attendance is now 100% and one child gained their GCSEs and secured a college placement. This support helps children to grow in confidence and self-esteem. It also provides them with a better opportunity to reach their full potential and increases their life chances. Inspection report for children’s home: 1227596 4 The care team supports children to develop their independence skills. For example, carers help children to learn to cook, budget and keep their environment clean. This prepares children for transitions to adulthood and moving on.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The care team ensures that children have opportunities to have fun, make friends and develop their interests. Children have been involved in clubs, such as football, snooker and youth clubs. In addition, they have enjoyed a range of activities both in the home and out in the community. For example, children have been to the cinema, bowling, out for meals, attended their school prom and been on holiday.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The care team supports children to attend their routine health appointments and will seek specialist support when required. This supports children to have good physical and mental health. The care team receives regular research-based guidance from the clinical team, which supports their secure-base and trauma-informed approach with children. This allows the care team to be more responsive to children’s changing needs

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

Carers have positive regard for the safety and well-being of children. They understand their roles and responsibilities and ensure the children are safeguarded effectively. Children’s written plans are detailed and regularly reviewed. Comprehensive individual support plans provide the care team with clear, up-to-date guidance and strategies to support children, mitigate risk and keep them safe.

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

Incidents of children going missing from care are rare. When children do go missing, carers follow clear missing-from-care protocols to locate children quickly. They search the local area and work closely with police and other professionals to ensure that children are found and are safe. When children return to the home, the care team is caring and supportive. Carers talk to children to find out the cause and look at ways to prevent a reoccurrence. An independent person completes return home interviews, ensuring children have an opportunity to discuss any worries or concerns they may have. The care team works with children to develop their understanding of the dangers associated with going missing from home.

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

The care team uses physical intervention as a last resort to keep children and others safe. Records of interventions are detailed and recorded in line with regulation. The manager has effective oversight of all incidents. She ensures that children and carers involved have opportunities to reflect on incidents. This ensures that any intervention used is necessary and proportionate, which helps to keep children safe. It also allows the care team to develop practice to meet children’s individual needs.

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

Carers talk to children about important topics, such as internet safety, bullying and relationships. This supports children to be informed and helps them to keep themselves safe. Inspection report for children’s home: 1227596 5 Managers follow safer recruitment practices. As a result, they have confidence that the adults working in the home are safe.

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

Managers take prompt action when children make complaints. The manager ensures that information is shared with appropriate professionals, and that children are spoken to and kept informed of any outcomes. However, managers’ written responses to children are not always recorded in a child-friendly manner. For example, in one record viewed, language used was blaming and failed to take into consideration the child’s feelings. This will not support children to feel listened to or promote their confidence to raise concerns in the future.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is an ambitious and inspirational leader. She leads by example, providing highly effective leadership. She has created an environment where everyone can succeed. She has high aspirations for both children and the care team and will go above and beyond to help everyone to reach their potential. This leadership inspires the care team to provide excellent care. The manager has created an open and inclusive culture that places children at the centre of practice. She has an exceptional knowledge of the children’s starting points and their achievements while living in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has highly effective monitoring systems to enable her to review the quality of care that children receive. She has a good understanding of the home’s strengths and areas of development. She completes regular audits to scrutinise the performance of the home and children’s outcomes. She uses these extremely well. The manager also uses independent person reports and development plans to continuously develop the service.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The morale of the care team is high. The manager is extremely well regarded and is nurturing towards the care team. This means that carers work in an environment where they feel valued and well supported. Carers say they ‘love’ working in the home. They receive good-quality, reflective supervision sessions and appraisals which help them develop and achieve. Team meetings are also regular and reflective and support the care team to work together to provide consistent care for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Children receive care from a skilled and knowledgeable care team who can meet their needs. The manager ensures that members of the care team receive a robust induction and extensive basic and child-specific training. This ensures that children receive care from a skilled and knowledgeable care team who can meet their needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is innovative and creative in her thinking. She is constantly looking for new and creative ways to develop the care team and generate ideas for working with and improving the quality of care for children. For example, she regularly ensures that published theories and/or research, such as the ‘Group theory’ or Corum Voice’s study into care-experienced young people, are discussed in team meetings. This strengthens the care team’s understanding of the children’s needs and how to keep children safe. Inspection report for children’s home: 1227596 6 Partnership working is a strength of the home. The manager and care team have extremely effective working relationships with external agencies and schools, to ensure the best possible care, experiences and futures for children. The manager will challenge those who are not meeting children’s needs, or when she feels decisions are not in the best interests of the child. Professionals speak favourably about the quality of care

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

provided and the standards of communication maintained by the manager and care team. One professional commented that ‘Communication within the home is a clear strength, with staff demonstrating open, transparent and proactive communication both within the team and integrated service and external professionals.’ Another social worker said: ‘I am really pleased with the placement. Communication is really good. [Name of child] is thriving at the placement.’ Inspection report for children’s home: 1227596 7

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that all members of the care team are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. The care team 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. Specifically, written responses to children’s complaints should be child focused, to support children to feel listened to and heard. (‘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 for children’s home: 1227596 8

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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: Fitzroy Academy, Cruckton, Shrewsbury SY5 8PR

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Inspector

Sonia Sullivan, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1227596 9 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.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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