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

Unique reference number SC403234 Inspector Guy Mammatt Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Registered person Phoenix Child Care Limited Registered person address First Floor, Rolle Quay House Rolle Quay BARNSTAPLE Devon EX31 1JE Responsible individual Mark Ian Parker Registered manager Deborah Jane Roddis Date of last inspection 23/01/2014 2 of 10 Inspection date 10/07/2014

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Previous inspection satisfactory progress Enforcement action since last inspection There has been no enforcement action since the last inspection.

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Overall effectiveness adequate

Outcomes for children and young people good Quality of care adequate Keeping children and young people safe adequate Leadership and management adequate

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Overall effectiveness

The home provides an adequate quality of care with improved outcomes for most young people. Some young people make good progress with their education and health outcomes. Those that are approaching care leavers age are, as best they can be, prepared for adult life and living by themselves.

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Overall effectiveness

Generally the quality of relationships between staff and young people are good. Staff do find it difficult to support young people with a disorganised attachment and mental health issues due to their lack of training and expertise.

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Overall effectiveness

Largely the home responds well to incidents to keep the young people safe. The home is proactive in its response to young people that go missing. However, not all of the staff team has current safeguarding training. Also, the home has on occasions used an inappropiate method of physical restraint to control unsafe behaviour.

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Overall effectiveness

The Registered Manager is aware of the strengths and weaknesses of the home and works collaboratively with other professionals to improve the standard of care at the home. Monitoring of the home is conducted regularly; however, a quality review audit by the Registered Manager is not submitted to Ofsted every three months. The home recognises when young people are no longer suitably placed and are beyond 3 of 10 the capabilities of a children’s home. It takes appropriate action to help source a new placement for the long term best interest of the young person. 4 of 10

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Information about this children’s home

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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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

23/01/2014 Interim satisfactory progress 11/09/2013 Full outstanding 30/01/2013 Interim good progress 21/06/2012 Full good

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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

4 (2001) ensure that the registered person compiles 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)) 31/08/2014

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure that no measure of control or discipline which is excessive, unreasonable or contrary to paragraph (2) shall be used at any time on children accommodated in a children's home (Regulation 17 (1) 31/08/2014 5 of 10 (2001) ensure that all persons employed by the registered person receive appropriate training, supervision and appraisal (Regulation 27 (4)(a)) 30/09/2014

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure that all parts of the children's home used by children are kept clean and reasonably decorated and maintained (Regulation 31 (2)(e) 31/08/2014

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure that registered person shall supply to HMCI a report of any review conducted by him 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)) 31/08/2014

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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 sanctions and rewards for behaviour are clear, reasonable and fai and are understood by all staff and children; in particular ensure that sanction are educational or restorative, to enable learning for the young people (NMS 3  ensure that written records kept by the home when a child goes missing deta action taken by staff, the circumstances of the child's return, any reasons give by the child for running away from the home, and any action taken in light of those reason; with particular reference to recording conversations with staff a independent persons on the child's return. (NMS 5.10) 6 of 10

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Most young people make good progress since being at the home. Others that have recently left the home have transferred to an establishment that is better suited to their needs. The home is instrumental in ensuring that young people who require a specialist level of therapeutic assessment and care are now in the appropriate placement.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people achieve well at their education placements. They undertake GCSE’s in English, Maths and Science and also vocational qualifications in Animal Care. Young people have clear plans for their next academic year at further education colleges. They all have high aspirations for their own careers; including, going to university to become a sports psychologist.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people learn to take care of their important personal health matters. For example, self –regulation of diabetes. They are now in control of ordering and collecting their own medication as well as, self-administering. Young people also engage with behavioural therapy. This has helped them learn how to act appropriately in public.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

They also benefit from accessing sexual health advice. This helps them to ensure that they are well prepared for sexual relationships and the positives and negatives of forming relationships.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people make good progress in looking after themselves and maintaining an appropriate level of personal hygiene. This is an improvement from when they began their placement. They have learnt to choose clothes that are suitable to their age group.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people develop a good range pf independence skills while living at the home. For example; they have become more confident to go into shops alone and frequently use public transport by themselves. There is a noticeable increase in their self - confidence and resilience since living at home.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people also access support for leaving care from groups outside of the home; such as, a leaving care group at college and attending a local youth club. This helps with a variety of tasks; for example, compiling their own curriculum vitae and also establishing a peer group support network.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Most young people benefit from the ‘Thrive’ programme that is in place at the home. This helps staff identify areas of underdevelopment and put the necessary support in place to build their emotional resilience. As a result, young people are enabled to achieve better at school; as well as form some positive attachments at the home. 7 of 10 Young people benefit from regular opportunities for physical exercise. They enjoy a wide range of sporting activities including badminton and swimming. Some young people are training for a 56 mile sponsored bike ride in aid of the prostate cancer charity. Young people enjoy good physical health as a result.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people have opportunities for family contact in line with their agreed local authority care plan. The home adheres to the contact arrangements for all young people. This benefits the young people as it maintains a link to important people in their lives.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

A Young person living at the home for some time with initial success in their placement aims have since had to move on to access a specialist health service. A rapid deterioration in their mental health led to poor outcomes in their education, potential personal safety and emotional well-being. The young person is now in a more suitable environment that will enable an accurate diagnosis and qualified help.

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Quality of care adequate

The home provides an adequate quality of care. The home is not kept sufficiently clean and maintained reasonably . Areas of the home are not decorated to an acceptable standard and a young person’s bedroom is not kept hygienically. There are also large amounts of clutter and storage throughout the home that detract from creating a homely environment. For example; a staff member’s duvet is kept on a shelf in the lounge and a fire door is stored behind the sofa. As a result, young people do not live in a relaxing and pleasant environment.

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Quality of care adequate

Relationships at the home are positive. Staff provide firm boundaries and a consistent response to the young people. As a result, young people form some positive attachments to the home and to the staff team. They state ‘that it is the best home that they have lived in – otherwise I would not still be here’.

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Quality of care adequate

Placement planning is individualised around the needs of each young person. Young people have opportunities to contribute to their care planning and the running of the home. However, they are not always keen to participate at planned meetings. Therefore, staff ensure that their views are captured and included on an ad hoc basis. This ensures that they are represented within the home.

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Quality of care adequate

Care plans are detailed and contain good relevant targets for each young person. The home frequently measures their progress and adapts the care provided to promote positive outcomes for them. Education placements and learning opportunities are tailored to their needs. This included arranging a period of home tuition from a tutor at the school, when a young person was struggling with their attendance.

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Quality of care adequate

The home provides reasonable access for young people to access specialist services. 8 of 10 This helps young people with their underlying psychological issues and enables them to move forward. On occasions, a therapist will support the team. This helps the staff respond appropriately to young people who are experiencing a time of crisis and high anxiety in their life.

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Quality of care adequate

The home encourages a range of purposeful and enjoyable activities for the young people. For example, gym membership, youth club discos, magic clubs and a holiday scheme called the Colour Cabin. They benefit from the social experience and the opportunities to try new things that build the confidence.

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Keeping children and young people safe adequate

The safeguarding of young people at the home is adequate. One young person frequently went missing from the home and exposed themselves to unsafe situations. The home works proactively with the local community to ensure that when young people go missing steps are taken to ensure their safety and they return home quickly. As a result, young people do not come to any significant harm when they are missing from home.

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Keeping children and young people safe adequate

Young people have access to an independent visitor from the Devon Reach service and the police following their return from being missing. The home’s recording and evaluation of this is inconsistent and does not allow for learning from each incident to be fed back to the team who are managing the young people. Therefore, this does not effectively help prevent any further occasions of young people going missing from home.

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Keeping children and young people safe adequate

The home promotes positive behaviour through clear behaviour management strategies. These include individualised weekly incentive targets for the young people to achieve. The Registered Manager uses negative consequences sparingly. However, the few consequences that are used rely on punitive measures instead of educational research or restorative work. This does not allow for young people to learn about their actions and the effect it may have on others.

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Keeping children and young people safe adequate

There is minimum use of physical intervention at the home. This is monitored by the Registered Manager and young people are de-briefed following each incident. Thoughtfully, the Registered Manager asks the young people ‘what can the home can do to make you smile again; as you have appeared very troubled recently?’

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Keeping children and young people safe adequate

On occasions the home uses a front ground hold recovery position to manage young people’s unsafe behaviour. There is serious risk of harm to young people when using this method of restraint. The home must ensure that it is absolutely necessary to employ this technique and look to reduce its use wherever possible.

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Keeping children and young people safe adequate

The home manages the dynamics between young people well. There are no serious issues between them that are detrimental to their well-being or personal safety. 9 of 10 Bullying is not reported as an issue at the home and young people have not made any formal complaints.

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Leadership and management adequate

The Registered Manager has been in post for six months. She has the necessary qualifications and experience for the role. The requirement from the last inspection has been met so that all the necessary medicines are now countersigned by staff.

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Leadership and management adequate

The Statement of Purpose does not contain the experience and qualification of the staff team. Therefore, all stakeholders are not provided with the necessary information about the home. This is an administrative task and has not had a detrimental impact on the well-being of the young people at the home.

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Leadership and management adequate

The Registered Manager conducts a detailed weekly monitoring exercise of the home. This ensures that all records are well kept and completed accurately. The Registered Manager does not submit a review of the quality of care to HMCI at Ofsted. This does not allow for effective oversight of the home by the regulator.

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Leadership and management adequate

Monitoring of the home by an independent visitor takes place regularly. This includes consultation with young people, families and placing authorities. Accordingly, this provides good opportunities for all the stakeholders’ opinion on the quality of care at the home. The monitoring is thorough and produces relevant action plans that the Registered Manager completes.

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Leadership and management adequate

Staff receive good levels of formal supervision to ensure that they are guided to fulfil their role properly. Staff have begun to also have annual appraisals to help them set clear performance development targets and receive objective feedback. This helps them with their professional development and provides them with a useful evaluation of their practice.

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Leadership and management adequate

The staff team as a whole has insufficient training to provide a consistently effective service. Sixty per cent have current safeguarding training and less than half have child development attachment training. This does not ensure that all young people at the home are looked after by highly qualified trained staff to support them with their identified needs and also provide safe care throughout.

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Leadership and management adequate

Nonetheless, the Registered Manager can demonstrate the difference that the home has made to the young people lives. The home provides a good basic level of care that most young people respond to positively. As a result, most young people feel secure at the home and have gone on to achieve personal milestones as a result of the care and encouragement provided by the home. Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Leadership and management adequate

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Judgement Description

Outstanding A service of exceptional quality that significantly exceeds minimum requirements.

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Judgement Description

Good A service of high quality that exceeds minimum requirements.

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Judgement Description

Adequate A service that only meets minimum requirements.

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Judgement Description

Inadequate A service that does not meet minimum requirements.

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Information 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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Information 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 framework of inspection for children's homes.

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