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

Unique reference number SC463431 Inspector Guy Mammatt Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Registered person Phoenix Learning and Care Limited Registered person address Phoenix Learning & Care Ltd Rolle Quay BARNSTAPLE Devon EX31 1JE Responsible individual Mark Ian Parker Registered manager Lynda Margaret Waller Date of last inspection 30/10/2013 2 of 9 Inspection date 04/12/2014

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Previous inspection good Enforcement action since last inspection There has been no enforcement action since the previous inspection.

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Overall effectiveness good

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

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Overall effectiveness

Young people have good relationships with the staff team and engage positively with what the staff ask of them. Young people have made some excellent choices about keeping themselves safe. They have shown great maturity and better decision making since their previous placements. Young people are also engaged in training opportunities that they enjoy and suit their style of learning. Young people are now in an excellent position to move forward with the next phase of their development and learn to look after themselves physically and emotionally when they leave care.

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Overall effectiveness

Staff in the home demonstrate a good understanding of safe working practice and safe care. Staff are mindful as to who the young people socialise with and perform good parenting checks on all of their new acquaintances. Staff have helped the young people stop absconding with inappropriate individuals. Staff have helped the young people understand the dangers that they were putting themselves in. They have also created a nurturing, supportive home that the young people enjoy being part of.

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Overall effectiveness

The Registered Manager shows a strong commitment to achieving the best outcomes for the young people. She leads by example and fully supports her staff team. The manager has vast experience of running children’s homes. She uses her 3 of 9 knowledge well to support the young people at this home. There are no requirements made at this inspection. 4 of 9

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Information about this children’s home

The home provides care and accommodation for one young person of either gender, who may have emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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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 children develop skills and emotional resilience that will prepare them for independent living (NMS 2.2)  ensure that children understand their health needs, how to maintain a healthy lifestyle and to make informed decisions about their own health. (NMS 6.2) 5 of 9

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Outcomes for children and young people adequate

oung people have made good progress in important aspects of their life. However, the outcomes for young people remain at adequate because they are not confident about their readiness for independence and they do not make good choices across all of their physical and emotional health needs.

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Outcomes for children and young people adequate

Young people make improved choices about their personal safety and have significantly reduced the risk to themselves since they moved in. They now have a good understanding of how to keep themselves safe when using social media and also when they are out with their friends.

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Outcomes for children and young people adequate

Young people attend a college that is suitable to their age and capabilities. They enjoy going and have developed friendships there. The opportunity has boosted their confidence and enabled them to socialise with peers of their own age. Young people gain skills that help them prepare for employment. They take part in functional skills, as well as engage in work placements and community projects. This enhances their career prospects and provides them with good opportunities to explore the type of work that they would like to do when they are older.

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Outcomes for children and young people adequate

Young people benefit from regular contact with their family and friends. This helps them stay in touch with people who are important to them and gives them opportunities to spend time with people with whom they share common interests.

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Outcomes for children and young people adequate

Young people make good progress in developing their self-belief and show maturity as a result of living at the home. For example, they take part in a young person’s forum and contact professional bodies to pursue their own rights and ask questions. This demonstrates that they have gained skills which have built their confidence and broadened their life experiences.

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Quality of care good

Young people are happy at the home, they have a very trusting relationship with the staff and refer them as ‘my family.’ The staff have a good understanding of the young people’s needs and provide good opportunities for them to develop their social skills safely. A social worker states that ‘it has been a fantastic placement for the young person, the staff work well with them to improve their safety and education outcomes.’

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Quality of care good

Staff have a good understanding of the placement objectives for the young people. They use individual support sessions to discuss important aspects of their care. For 6 of 9 example, sexual health and relationships, internet safety and using medication safely. This helps the young people make safe choices and supports their personal development.

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Quality of care good

Young people are involved in well-planned and thorough transitions into the home. Throughout their admission process they helped the manager decorate their new environment. Their views continue to significantly influence the operation of the home as they attend staff meetings and are now involved in giving feedback into staff’s appraisals. Young people are very much included in everything that happens, and as such they are open and trusting with staff in return. This helps promote their safety as they spend a lot of their time engaging positively with the staff.

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Quality of care good

Staff cover a range of independence work with the young people in preparation for them leaving home. This includes eating a healthy balanced diet, looking for work and exploring care leaver’s rights and responsibilities. Young people make some progress in relation to their knowledge at the start of their placement. They have a better understanding of what their commitments will be when they leave care, but are still daunted by the idea of living by themselves.

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Quality of care good

Young people are encouraged to be in charge of their own medication and general health appointments as part of their independence training. This encourages the young people to take greater responsibility for their well-being. They also access a specialist therapeutic service which is arranged by the provider. This helps the young people with their emotional development and how to conduct themselves in a safe manner. The support has had a positive effect on the young people.

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Quality of care good

The manager ensures that the physical appearance of the home is maintained to a high standard. It is a homely and pleasant environment, furnished with the young people’s belongings. This ensures that young people feel comfortable living there and are happy to invite friends and family back to their home.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

The safeguarding arrangements at the home are good. Young people have stopped putting themselves at risk through going missing and now fully engage with the staff. This is a significant improvement to their personal safety since moving into the home 18 months ago and has greatly reduced their risk of experiencing harm.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Staff use positive behaviour management strategies. Young people are not sanctioned for any negative behaviour, instead staff use rewards and praise to encourage them to make the right choices. These include, taking the young people out for a coffee or to get their hair done. Staff provide nurturing care that makes the young people want to stay and take part. This has had a noticeable positive effect on the young people’s welfare and decision making. 7 of 9 Young people feel safe at the home. There is no record of physical restraint being used since the last inspection. Young people are very proud that they have not run away from this home and have also never been physically restrained there. They recognise that they have made significant progress in important areas of the life.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

The manager responds appropriately to any suspicions of harm to provide effective protection for the young people.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

The manager has conducted all of the necessary health and safety checks and environmental checks at the appropriately intervals. This ensures that young people live in a home that is kept as safe as reasonably possible.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

The manager has made improvements to the system in place for the vetting of staff who work at the home. They have gone back through the recruitment records of existing staff to ensure that all the necessary information is in place. This helps to safeguard young people from individuals who are not suitable to work with them.

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Leadership and management good

The leadership of the home is strong. The Registered Manager has been in post since the home’s registration in May 2013 and has also been registered for other services prior to this. She has the necessary skills and experience for the role. The manager is also aware of the strengths and weakness of the home and uses monitoring procedures well to address the areas that can be improved upon.

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Leadership and management good

The manager of the home is committed to providing meaningful care that will make a difference to the young people’s life. The manager consistently communicates high expectations to staff about sustaining improvement.

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Leadership and management good

Staff feel well–supported and enjoy working at the home. Staff have good training opportunities to further their development; including learning about child sexual exploitation and behaviour management techniques that are specific to their home. Staff also receive regular supervision. This ensures that they are supported and guided to fulfil their role to the best of their ability and have opportunities to reflect on their practice.

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Leadership and management good

The manager monitors the outcomes for the young people and can demonstrate the difference that the staff have made to the young people’s life. The manager has good communication with the placing authorities and other professionals that are involved with the home. The feedback from stakeholders is very positive; a social worker reports that the young person has shown considerable improvement in their time at the home.

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Leadership and management good

The Statement of Purpose is clear, accessible and comprehensive. Important information is also available to the young person in many ways. For example, they 8 of 9 are given a handbook when they first move into the home and there is information about helplines and advice on a discreet notice board.

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Leadership and management good

The frequency of the monitoring by the Registered Manager and the independent visitor is in line with the regulations. The Registered Manager uses these exercises to provide effective monitoring of the home. This has helped to ensure that there are no breaches of regulation and the care provided is of a high standard. Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Leadership and management good

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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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