Children's home run by Reflexion Care Group Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2563818 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 is owned by a private provider. It can provide care for up to three children who may experience emotional or social difficulties or have learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, two children were living at the home. Both children were involved in the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in January 2020. He was on holiday during the inspection. The responsible individual was present during the inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: 21 January 2025

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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requires improvement to be good

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

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/01/2025 Full Good 17/05/2023 Full Good 04/05/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 20/04/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2563818 3

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improvement to be good

Both children living at the home have lived there for over two years. They each have a sense of permanence and that it is their home. However, they have had very different experiences from each other over the last year.

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improvement to be good

One child has fun-filled days and does lots of activities. Staff play games with the child and enjoys lots of day trips. However, encouragement for the older child to have fun is lacking. The child does not want to engage. Support to encourage the child is limited and staff leave the child alone, showing little ambition to motivate the child.

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improvement to be good

One child has close relationships with staff. Staff spend lots of time playing with the child and giving them attention and affection. Conversely, staff spend very little time with the other child. This child spends long periods on their own, not wanting to engage with education, activities or the staff. They rated the home poorly.

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improvement to be good

Staff know the children well individually but the children do not spend any time together. Children are not supported to have positive relationships with each other. The relationship between the children is strained. Both children said the home would be better if the other child moved out. They have very separate lives. One child has little sense of a ‘family home’, eating separately, and rarely going out.

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improvement to be good

Educational experiences are mixed. One child has good attendance and is progressing well. The other child has missed the entire academic year. The home has been proactive and engaged well with other professionals to address this. External professionals said that the home had done everything expected. However, little has been done to provide informal learning opportunities.

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improvement to be good

Children are encouraged to give their views. Regular conversations take place with children about their preferences. These are then included in the planning for meals or activities, for example.

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improvement to be good

Specialist help is made available for children when needed. One child is supported to attend art therapy, in line with their needs. One child has refused all medical appointments, although staff are encouraging them to attend, they have not attended. Staff also encourage and prompt children to brush their teeth and make healthy choices. For one child, support to have a healthy diet is lacking. Children are not being actively encouraged to try other foods or enticed by new smells. They are given the same food repeatedly that they request.

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improvement to be good

The home is clean but lacks a homely feel. Lots of rooms are locked, with children having separate areas in the house. Rooms are locked without an assessed need for this. There are few decorations, photo or personal touches that show that the children live Inspection report for children’s home: 2563818 4 there. One child’s bedroom continues to be sparse. Attempts have been made to introduce colour to this room and repairs have been made quickly. However, creativity to make this room cosy is lacking. This does not help children to understand that they deserve to have nice things. Smoking areas in the garden for staff with cigarette bins do not create a homely feel or model healthy behaviours to children.

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improvement to be good

Children have said that they do not always feel safe. They do not always feel able to talk to staff about how they feel. Staff have worked hard with one child to help them to understand their emotions. This is helping the child to talk about their feelings more.

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improvement to be good

Staff know the risks to children well and there have been no incidents of going missing for either child. Clear plans are in place should children go missing from the home.

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improvement to be good

There have been a high number of restraints for one child and some holds have been for long periods which has not always been best practice. Staff have been curious about why children have behaved in a certain way and what may have caused this and have worked hard to support children to calm. Records of restraint are highly detailed. Conversations with the child and staff involved take place quickly after an intervention. Oversight of these incidents highlights staff’s understanding of what might be causing the child to become upset. However, there is no explicit review of what staff could have done differently, or whether there would have been a different outcome if staff had taken different actions.

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improvement to be good

Staff promote clear boundaries for children. Positive behaviour is promoted, and children are praised and encouraged which helps children to feel valued.

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improvement to be good

Staff have limited curiosity about whether children are safe online. Internet security systems are in place, which may block harmful searches. However, staff do not know what one child accesses or who they may be talking to online.

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improvement to be good

Restrictions are in place for one child. Several items are removed or locked away that do not present an obvious risk to children. The rationale for restricting these items is unclear and no systems for reviewing these restrictions are in place. Door alarms have been used for one child for two years. Appropriate consent is in place but there is no clear rationale or plan to review their use or reduce their use or remove them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager is registered and suitably qualified. He was on annual leave during the inspection. The responsible individual and a manager from another home operated by the provider supported the inspection. Inspection report for children’s home: 2563818 5 Staffing has been consistent for the children which promotes stability in these relationships for children. There is a culture within the home of having separate spaces for children and several rooms were locked. This does not help to create a family environment and nurture close relationships.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Leaders and managers regularly monitor the care within the home. The manager’s oversight can be seen routinely when incidents have happened. While this oversight is detailed, it does not highlight what staff could do differently. Staff do not actively encourage one child to leave their room. Regular verbal checks are made but staff lack a proactive approach to motivate the child. The home’s ethos is ‘If it is not good enough for our own children, it is not good enough for any child.’ However, this is lacking in practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Leaders work closely with other professionals to support children. There has been regular communication with other professionals to support children’s education. The manager shares information and concerns quickly with other professionals supporting the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Systems are in place to support staff; regular supervision and check-ins take place. Team meetings are helpful in discussing the children’s needs and staff say they feel supported. Inspection report for children’s home: 2563818 6

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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, The 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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably;

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Requirement Due date

provide to children personal items that are appropriate for their age and understanding; and

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Requirement Due date

make decisions about the day-to-day arrangements for each child, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans, which give the child an appropriate degree of freedom and choice;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(vii)(viii)(ix)(c)(i)(ii)) 17 October 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2563818 7 In particular, all areas of the home should be welcoming and accessible to the children. Any items that are locked away and any restrictions in place should be assessed as being necessary to protect the child, with clear strategies as to how to reduce or remove such restrictions. Children’s bedrooms should be personal to them, with comfortable mattresses and furnishings.

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on— mutual respect and trust;

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

that each child is encouraged to build and maintain positive relationships with others. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, staff should encourage children to have positive relationships with each other and ensure that children are not fearful of each other. 17 October 2025

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may only use devices for the monitoring or surveillance of children if—

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Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is for the purpose of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the child concerned, or other children;

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Requirement Due date

the child’s placing authority consents in writing to the monitoring or surveillance;

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Requirement Due date

so far as reasonably practicable in the light of the child’s age and understanding, the child is informed in advance of the intention to do the monitoring or surveillance; and

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Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is no more intrusive than necessary, having regard to the child’s need for privacy. (Regulation 24 (1)(a)(b)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, door alarms should only be used when necessary to protect a child. The use of door alarms should be regularly 17 October 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2563818 8 reviewed, with plans in place to reduce their use or remove them.

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(e)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

The home should be operated in line with the ethos set out in the home’s statement of purpose. Reviews should consider whether staff could have taken any other actions and highlight learning opportunities. 17 October 2025

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that when children are not participating in education they are engaged in suitable structured activities. Opportunities should be given for children to learn informally. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 28, paragraph 5.15)  The registered person should ensure that incidents of restraint are reviewed to identify effective practice and respond promptly where any issues or trends of concern emerge. The review should provide the opportunity for amending practice to ensure it Inspection report for children’s home: 2563818 9 meets the needs of every child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 49, paragraph 9.59)  The registered person should ensure that children are safe online. Staff should support children to be aware of and manage their own safety inside and outside the

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Recommendations

home to the extent that any good parent would. Staff should have clear guidance as to how to manage online safety and the risks to be aware of. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 43, paragraph 9.9)

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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: 2563818 10

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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:

Nickie Doney, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2563818 11 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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Inspector:

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