Children's Home run by Phoenix Children’s Homes Limited in Devon

Unique reference number SC403234 Inspection date 11/09/2013 Inspector Linda Bond Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 30/01/2013 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Brief description of the service

This home is operated by a private company which also operates a number of other homes in the locality. The home provides care and accommodation for up to three young people who may have behavioural and emotional difficulties. The home provides planned or emergency long-term care.

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The inspection judgements and what they mean

Outstanding : a service of exceptional quality that significantly exceeds minimum requirements Good : a service of high quality that exceeds minimum requirements Adequate : a service that only meets minimum requirements Inadequate : a service that does not meet minimum requirements

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Overall effectiveness

The overall effectiveness is judged to be outstanding .

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Overall effectiveness

Overall the home provides young people with a level of care that is outstanding. Outcomes are good and measures to ensure young people are safe are excellent. The young people live in a home where committed, enthusiastic and compassionate staff are led by a manager who is responsible, innovative and above all child- focused. The stability and consistency that the home provides has enabled each young person to make exceptional progress. Not only do young people regularly attend education but their achievements are impressive.

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Overall effectiveness

Staff have developed strong and positive relationships generating a culture of trust and openness. Staff model positive and respectful behaviour, thereby promoting good values and beliefs. Placing social workers report 'amazing' and 'brilliant' progress in young people. Excellent systems are in place in order to provide personal and well-organised care. Individual assessments are of an impressive quality and provide staff with an in depth understanding of young people’s emotional and social needs.

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Overall effectiveness

Staff focus young people on their achievements and success, where praise and celebration are a daily occurrence. As a result young people have grown in confidence, self-worth and self-respect. Young people do not engage in any risk taking behaviours, going missing, self-injurious or offending behaviours.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people benefit from individual support from the staff team which enables them to develop a positive self-view, increase their self-esteem and build confidence. Young people are extremely positive about the staff who care for them. Social workers report that young people cannot speak highly enough of the staff and the home stating 'young people are doing amazingly well' and 'making significant progress in all areas of their life'. Young people acknowledge they are valued, which contributes to increasing their emotional resilience. Young people are provided with opportunities to reflect and make sense of their background. They openly discuss feelings and how to positively address issues.

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Outcomes for children and young people

The atmosphere within the home generates a solid sense of belonging, unconditional regard and acceptance for young people. Not only does this contribute to the personal development of young people but also their educational achievements. Young people are encouraged and supported to learn through various educational resources, attending further education college, mainstream school and extra- curricular activities. This has resulted in young people making significant progress and success and having aspirations for their future. All young people are in full time school.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people receive constant encouragement to lead a healthy lifestyle. They take pride in their personal appearance, this includes shopping for their own clothes, visiting the barbers, attending all necessary health appointments, taking responsibility for their own sexual health and eating a good diet. Young people do not participate in any risk taking behaviours, choosing not to smoke, misuse drugs or alcohol. Exercise forms part of the weekly routines, this can include going for walks, cycling and playing football.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people make a positive contribution to the home and also engage in the wider community. Young people learn the importance of equality and tolerance for all sections of society. This contributes to the development of their social and moral behaviour. They pursue their interests and talents through fulfilling weekly activities. They enjoy attending youth clubs, going to the cinema, visiting friends and attending to their allotment. In addition to these, young people have opportunities to explore the country through days out and holidays. They also enjoy in-house activities, which include art and craft nights, playing board games, DVD nights and spending time as a group.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Where appropriate and in accordance with care plans, staff actively facilitate contact with families. Young people can communicate with their friends and relatives by telephone. Family and friends are able to visit young people at home or they can choose to visit their homes.

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Quality of care

The quality of the care is outstanding . The ethos within the home is that of building on young people’s strengths, being positive and developing strategies to manage the day to day challenges of life. Young people benefit from living in an extremely warm, caring, nurturing and supportive environment. This stems from sound relationships with staff that are based on honesty and mutual respect. This is supported by consistent and clear boundaries, praise and expectations of which the young people are fully aware of. Through activities, group discussions and one-to-one working, staff are proactive and imaginatively address equality and diversity issues and celebrate difference; in doing so they help young people develop a positive self-view.

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Quality of care

A stable, consistent and extremely well qualified staff team consults with the young people on all aspects of their care and the running of the home including, for example, the design, planning and decoration of the new kitchen. House meetings take place in the form of discussions and healthy debates during evening meal times. This informal approach further emphasises the family environment that the home provides. Young people benefit enormously from the consistency of eating and socialising together, listening, sharing and reflecting on their days. Further to this, records indicate that regular key worker sessions include seeking the views and opinions of individual young people. Young people acknowledge that their views are listened to by staff and where it has not been possible to act on these they have been provided with a full and reasonable explanation.

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Quality of care

Young people receive consistent encouragement from an impressive staff team, who work together to provide a warm and nurturing environment. Underpinning the home's comprehensive care planning arrangements is a model of intervention called THRIVE. This involves a dynamic, developmental approach to work with vulnerable and challenging children whose behaviour interrupts their own leaning. Social workers report that young people are making 'amazing progress' and 'their outcomes are improving'. Where once young people couldn’t engage in therapy, now they are beginning to develop and grow. Their placement plans address all important aspects of their lives and including specific aims relating to their gender, ethnicity, faith, sexuality, culture, family background and any disability.

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Quality of care

Young people benefit from the exceptionally strong partnership working between the home and educational establishments. This focuses on their best interests and helps them fulfil their potential. Young people are achieving GCSEs, attending a further education college, securing awards and certificates in achievement and positive contribution. With the support of staff who challenge and encourage them, young people are learning to have healthy friendships and relationships, taking responsibility for their own physical and emotional health.

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Quality of care

Young people are fully involved in the plans for their future and the running of the home on a day-to-day basis. It is clear from observation and records that lots of discussion takes place over the meal times, that young people would have no hesitation in raising issues with the manager or any of the other staff. Some young people are currently engaged in working towards their independence and developing their skills in this area. This includes not only the practical household chores but also how to manage challenging scenarios for example using public transport, joining activities and clubs etc.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The service is outstanding at keeping children and young people safe and feeling safe.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people live in a home that has safeguarding at the very heart of their agenda. There are extensive and robust safeguarding policies and procedures at the home in which all staff are extremely well trained in with regular updates. Further discussions and observations of staff evidences their commitment to promoting young people’s welfare and safety.

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Safeguarding children and young people

There are currently no issues with young people being absent without permission. If these occasions do occur staff are knowledgeable and understand the processes and procedures to follow to keep young people safe. The home has a strong relationship with the missing person’s liaison officer. Individualised risk assessments, reflective and evaluative records, and free time agreements between young people and staff further enable staff to monitor young people when away from the home. Young people respond well to this initiative. They understand the reasons why they need to keep in contact with staff.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people respond well to the home's use of positive reinforcement. Staff rarely have to undertake restraints, young people do not go missing and neither do they engage in any risk taking or self-harming behaviour. Since the last inspection there have been no episodes of any damaging behaviour towards the home, no complaints and no incidents of bullying. The behaviour of the young people is exceptional and they are a credit to themselves and the staff team. Although the staff team receive regular training in safe holding techniques these have not been used for nearly a year and there have been only three minor sanctions since the last inspection. Socially acceptable behaviour is promoted through strong role modelling, reflective discussion and through an individualised reward system. It is also supported by the comprehensive individual risk assessments for young people and the calm, settled environment in which they live.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Health and safety policy and practice guidelines, including the secure storage of medicines, are well established and help ensure that staff and young people are appropriately safeguarded. No health and safety issues were identified during this inspection. Risk assessments are carried out to identify potential sources of harm and ensure that staff and young people are safe from fire and other avoidable hazards. Young people and staff regularly practise fire evacuation procedures and the various health and fire safety records are accurate and up to date.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people are cared for by an extremely skilled and consistent staff team. The stability of the staff and management team has undoubtedly contributed to the young people saying and feeling they are very safe. However, should there be changes to the staff team, a robust recruitment process is in place, ensuring that call new staff are appropriately vetted and trained.

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Leadership and management

The leadership and management of the children's home are outstanding .

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Leadership and management

The staff are led by a Registered Manager who is extremely experienced, compassionate, warm and sincere. The manager ensures their professional practice is underpinned with current and innovative knowledge that is regularly updated, reflected upon and evaluated. As a result staff present confidently and positively and their enthusiasm and commitment to improving the lives of the young people is impressive. A placing social worker reports the staff team are 'brilliant', they are led by a manager whose approach is child focussed and as a result 'incredible changes' in the young person have been recorded. Staff report they 'adore' working in the home and as a direct result of the manager implementing the THRIVE programme they are better practitioners.

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Leadership and management

Young people benefit from this supportive leadership style which empowers staff encouraging them to use their initiative. Staff feel valued and speak highly of the manager and the organisation. Within the home the manager is very well organised and efficiently delegates areas of responsibility to specific staff members. There is a strong awareness of the home's strengths and weaknesses. Staff and young people contribute towards the home's comprehensive development plan. This extensively highlights the home's progress in meeting and exceeding the national minimum standards.

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Leadership and management

Young people benefit from a competent, enthusiastic, gender-balanced staff team. Staff possess the necessary experience and qualities to meet the young people’s complex needs. The high number of staff enables each young person to receive the necessary individual attention. Staff either hold the necessary care qualifications or are currently completing their vocational qualification. This ensures training is responsive to the needs of the young people. Staff receive extensive support to fulfil their roles. This includes meetings with the company psychologist, regular supervision and annual appraisals.

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Leadership and management

The organisation has its own computer-based information recording system. Staff also securely store young people’s paper files. Records provide a clear and concise evaluation of young people’s progress, contributing to a good understanding of their lives. The electronic recording system contributes significantly to the quality assurance arrangements and provides essential management information. Monthly Regulation 33 visits, Regulation 34 monitoring and additional management and director audits further strengthen the quality assurance system.

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About this inspection

The purpose of this inspection is to assure children and young people, parents, the public, local authorities and government of the quality and standard of the service provided. The inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service and to consider how well it complies with the relevant regulations and meets the national minimum standards.

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About this inspection

The report details the main strengths, any areas for improvement, including any breaches of regulation, and any failure to meet national minimum standards. The judgements included in the report are made against the Inspections of children’s homes – framework for inspection and the evaluation schedule for the inspection of children's homes.

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