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

Inspection report for children’s home: SC396721 1 SC396721

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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

The home is owned and operated by a private company. It is registered to provide care for one child who has experienced adverse trauma or neglect. One child was living in the home and was seen as part of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted on 16 September 2024. She holds a level 5 diploma.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

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

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

25/03/2024 Full Good 30/11/2022 Full Good 15/02/2022 Full Good 10/12/2019 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: SC396721 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child has moved into the home and one child has left since the last inspection. Both children received sensitive well-planned moves. The child who moved in had the opportunity to view the home and meet the staff before moving in. This was a planned move from another home within the company. Members of the child’s existing staff team, including the manager, made the move alongside the child. This provided consistency for the child.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Boundaries that are clear and consistent for children are implemented by staff. This ensures that the child receives clear direction, and when incidents occur, staff complete reflective discussions with the child to help them learn from what happened. One professional noted that ‘support to the child is consistent; restorative work is completed after incidents,’ and that the child is ‘learning from this support and is able to reflect on their actions’. As a result, the child is developing their own strategies to manage difficult situations.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is attending school and is aspirational for the next steps in their education. When the child is unable to attend school for short periods, teachers provide a structured timetable for them to study at home. This helped to maintain learning routines and structure until they could return to school.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Revision guides have been purchased, and the child is using these to support learning and preparation towards their GCSEs. The child has a clear plan for the next steps in their education, and the staff team has supported the child to obtain a place at a local college for post-16 studies.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage the child to take part in daily exercise and provide nutritious meals to promote healthy lifestyle choices. They have taken practical steps to support the child to attend some routine healthcare appointments. However, resistance to attend has resulted in the child not attending regular dental check-ups, and they have outstanding immunisations. The manager advocates for the child around their mental health and ensures that the child has access to specialist help when needed.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child enjoys a range of leisure activities. They attend a horse-riding school, have completed The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and volunteer at a local charity. As a result, the child is developing skills and confidence while contributing and becoming involved with their local community.

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

Staff understand the child’s behaviours and risks well. They implement strategies to support the child, and as a result, the child is kept safe. Incidents are rare, and staff prevent situations from escalating through a calm and measured approach. Risk Inspection report for children’s home: SC396721 4 assessments are kept under review to ensure that information to support the child is reflective of their current needs. Risk management documents are updated following each incident and discussed in team meetings, with opportunities for learning and peer reflection with the support of the in-house therapist. As a result, a consistent approach is provided by the staff team to promote children’s safety and well-being.

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

Incidents of physical intervention are rare. However, a situation on holiday resulted in physical intervention being necessary to maintain the child’s safety. Recording of the incidents was detailed and showed a proportionate response by staff to some challenging situations. Prompt managerial oversight was achieved despite the child being out of the country. This effective and supportive response from leaders helped to promote the child’s safety and was reassuring for staff.

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

There have been two episodes of the child going missing from care. Staff are confident in how to respond and follow procedure when the child goes missing from home. As a result, the child has been back in the home within a couple of hours and incidents remain rare.

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

Positive behaviour is rewarded, and consistent boundaries are supporting the reduction of incidents in the home. When incidents occur, staff respond proportionately and consider the reasons behind the behaviour. They offer support and nurture and have found incidents of the same nature do not then reoccur.

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

Staff are safely recruited. The manager ensures that all safer recruitment checks are completed before new staff start working in the home. The home has a committed and stable staff team that understands the ethos of the home and strives to support the child’s progress and development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

A confident and experienced manager leads the home. She has created a culture within the staff team of high expectations for the child. She is ambitious for the child and considers ways to promote positive experiences. The introduction of a pet hamster into the home has supported the child to feel a sense of belonging, and it has become a significant part of the child’s life and routine.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager leads by example. She moved to this home to support the child, who required a planned move into a solo home. The manager has used her knowledge and expertise to support staff with the care needs of the child. She is available to support staff when incidents occur, providing guidance and learning to the staff team and support to the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Effective monitoring systems are implemented by the manager. This provides for excellent oversight of all aspects of staff development, the child’s needs and the home environment. The responsible individual has good oversight and will review actions with the manager to learn from practice and shape how the team works to Inspection report for children’s home: SC396721 5 support the child. Strong oversight has enabled learning from practice and care tailored to the needs of the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers have formed effective partnership working with those who support the child. Strong communication with the placing authority and school ensures that the child’s voice is heard and acted on. The manager has sought to build relationships with the community. This has resulted in the child volunteering at a local animal rescue centre, which is an experience the child values greatly.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff feel valued; they are supported by leaders who are confident and enthusiastic about the child in the home and who are invested in their development. Staff understand the nurturing ethos of the home and therapeutic approach.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has a clear understanding of her strengths and areas for further development. She will review the home’s progress with senior leaders and external agencies and has consulted with the child for feedback on the home. The child has contributed to the development of the children’s guide and complaints procedures and so has shaped and informed the information given to children. Inspection report for children’s home: SC396721 6

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that the child attends all necessary health appointments. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 34, paragraph 7.11)

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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: SC396721 7

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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

Joanne Hawkins, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC396721 8 and inspects 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.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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