Children's Home run by Phoenix Learning & Care Holdings Limited in Plymouth

Unique reference number SC458812 Inspection date 07/01/2014 Inspector Guy Mammatt Type of inspection Interim Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 13/06/2013 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Brief description of the service

The home provides accommodation for up to two young people who may have emotional and behavioural difficulties. It is operated by a private company.

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The inspection judgements and what they mean

Good progress The children’s home has demonstrated continued improvement in quality of care and outcomes for children and young people and where appropriate has addressed all requirements and the large majority of recommendations that were raised at the previous inspection. Satisfactory progress The children’s home has maintained quality of care and outcomes for children and young people and where appropriate has addressed all requirements and the majority of recommendations that were raised at the previous inspection. Inadequate progress The children’s home has failed to address one or more requirements and/or has not met the majority of recommendations and/or the quality of care and outcomes for children and young people have declined since the last full inspection.

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Progress

Since their previous inspection the service is judged to be making inadequate progress .

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Progress

At the full inspection in June 2013 the home was judged as adequate with six requirements and six recommendations made. The home has made inadequate progress during this time. The home has not successfully met two requirements and three recommendations. Leadership and management arrangements have declined during this period and outcomes for two out of three children are poor.

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Progress

The home has not addressed the sleeping arrangements for all staff. As such young people are not able to use the lounge and dining room at certain times. Predominantly this does not create a homely environment for young people to live in.

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Progress

The home does not have a Statement of Purpose in place that is up to date with the staff team, their experience and qualifications. Although this does not have a significant direct impact on the young people living at the home. It does not accurately inform stakeholders of the staffing arrangements in place at the home. Failure to meet this requirement also demonstrates the decline in basic managerial duties at the home. As a response to other requirements the home has successfully put in place training for all staff around Autistic Spectrum Condition (ASC); sent a copy of the previously up to date Statement of Purpose to Ofsted; ensured that a full description is included for each measure of discipline recorded as well as ensuring its effectiveness is monitored and medication totals recorded correctly. This ensures that staff are trained to meet the needs of young people with ASC; Ofsted was up to date with the

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Progress

account of the service provided by the home; measures of discipline used demonstrate a full explanation for its use and the welfare of children is maintained with the safe recording of medication.

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Progress

The recommendations that are not met are to ensure that children have their views obtained and recorded following disciplinary measures in the home. This means that there is little room for learning from each event for staff and no opportunity for young people to discuss and develop alternative coping strategies to help them. The team continues to largely consist of staff that do not have substantial relevant experience of working in a children’s home. None of the staff team are qualified to Diploma Level 3 standard and three out of four staff have not completed their probation. As a result vulnerable young people are potentially exposed because they are not looked after by an experienced, competent and qualified staff team. The Registered Manager also does not regularly monitor all records kept by the home to identify patterns and trends and take immediate action to address any emerging issues.

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Progress

Recommendations that are met by the home are that a record of staff recruitment and vetting checks is kept at the home; impact risk assessment are conducted at the point of referral of a new young person to the home and the records kept by the home when a child goes missing contain sufficient detail. As a result the Registered Manager can be sure that all new staff have received satisfactory clearance to work with children, consideration is given about whether the service can meet the needs of new young people at their time of placement and records of missing from home incidents clearly detail their whereabouts and the action taken by staff to ensure they return safely.

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Progress

The leadership and managerial arrangements have declined during the interim period. This was identified by the provider and the Registered Manager was the subject of disciplinary action. There is a noticeable decline in the quality of care at the home during the period before their suspension. This may also have contributed to young people putting themselves at further risk and poor outcomes.

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Progress

During this period missing from home incidents records where not regularly monitored . Therefore important information that could have contributed to keeping the young people safe may have been missed. Physical intervention records were also not monitored effectively and did not identify important issues to maintain the welfare of the young people involved.

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Progress

The Registered Manager has not completed a review of the quality of care and sent it to the HMCI to provide Ofsted with oversight of the home. Supervision arrangements for staff are poor. This is especially relevant because many of the staff are inexperienced and having to manage difficult situations that are new to them. Therefore staff are not sufficiently guided to fulfil their role and keep young people safe at all times.

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Progress

The Registered Manager has not included the young people’s views in their care planning. As a result an important aspect of information is not available to the home while providing care and support for the young people. Consultation exercises are also infrequent at the home for young people and non-existent for a two month period prior to the Registered Manager suspension. As a result the views of young people are not consistently included in the running of the home.

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Progress

The use of physical intervention is low. However, on one occasion it has been implemented to enforce compliance by staff. This is not lawful and alternative methods of keeping the young person safe are available without using force.

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Progress

Outcomes for most young people during the interim period are poor. There is inadequate selection and matching of young people at the home by the provider. Young people suffered racial abuse. Others put themselves at risk as a result of teaming up with and competing with other residents. Two have had their placements ended and moved on after only a short time at the home.

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Progress

The provider was proactive in addressing the managerial arrangements. Currently an interim arrangement is in place with a newly appointed house manager and further support from the Operations Manager. This has resulted in improved leadership and better outcomes for young people.

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Progress

Monitoring of the homes records and supervision of staff has recently begun again with a positive effect. The existing young people have decreased risk taking behaviour and are in a positive frame of mind. Young people engage with the home, they feel safe there, they attend education placements and benefit from regular contact with their close family.

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Statutory Requirements

This section sets out the actions which must be taken so that the registered person/s meets the Care Standards Act 2000, Children's Homes Regulations 2001 and the National Minimum Standards. The registered person(s) must comply with the given timescales.

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) compile in relation to the children's home a written statement (in these regulations referred to as the Statement of Purpose) which shall consist of a statement as to the matters listed in schedule 1 (Regulation 4 (1)) 31/01/2014

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure that at all times, having regard to the size of the children's home, the Statement of Purpose, and the number 31/01/2014 and needs of the children accommodated there a sufficient number of suitably qualified, competent and experienced persons working at the children's home (Regulation 25 (1) (a))

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure that the registered person provides for persons working at the children's home sleeping accommodation where the provision of such accommodation is needed in connection with their work at the home (Regulation 31 (10) (b)) 31/01/2014

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure that the children's home is conducted so as to promote and make proper provision for the welfare of children accommodated there; with particular reference to the matching of children in placement to achieve positive outcomes for them (Regulation 11 (1 (a)) 31/03/2014

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Reg. Requirement Due date

17A (2001) ensure that a measure of restraint shall only be used on a child accommodated in a children's home for the purpose of preventing injury to any person or preventing serious damage to the property of any person (Regulation 1 (a and b)) 31/01/2014

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure that all person employed by the registered person receive appropriate training, supervision and appraisal (Regulation 27 (4) (a)) 31/01/2014

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure that the Registered Person supplies to the HMCI a report in respect of any review conducted by them for the purpose of paragraph (1), and make a copy of the report available on request to placing authorities where the placing authority is not the parent of a child accommodated in the home. (Regulation 34 (2)) 31/01/2014

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):

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Recommendations

 ensure that all children communicate their views on all aspects of their care and support; with particular reference to ensuring that they are involved in the care planning (NMS 1.3)  ensure that the manager regularly monitors, in line with regulations, all records kept by the home to ensure compliance with homes policies, to identify any concerns about specific incidents and to identify patterns and trends. Immediate action is taken to address any issues raised by this monitoring. (NMS 21.2)

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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 progress made by the provider since the last full inspection, identifies any further strengths, any areas for improvement and makes judgements as outlined in the Inspection of children’s homes – framework for inspection.

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