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

Unique reference number SC458812 Inspector Christina Maddison Type of inspection Interim 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 POST VACANT Date of last inspection 28/05/2014 2 of 6 Inspection date 06/01/2015

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Previous inspection adequate Enforcement action since last inspection none

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This inspection

This home was judged adequate at the last full inspection. At this interim inspection Ofsted judge that it has declined in effectiveness .

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This inspection

The full inspection of this service was undertaken in May 2014 when the overall judgement was adequate. The previous Registered Manager resigned in January 2014. Since this time there has been no Registered Manager in post. Efforts by the Provider to recruit a manager were successful during this time and a manager was appointed. However, this person resigned prior to her application for registration being received by Ofsted. Therefore, the home has now been without a manager for twelve months. Recruitment to the post is currently taking place and Interim management arrangements are in place. An experienced Registered manager for a nearby home in the group is overseeing the home and undertaking supervision with staff.

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This inspection

Young people living at the home continue to benefit from long term, stable placements. A consistent staff team, where there have been no changes since the previous inspection, is in place at the home. A strength of the home is how staff build trusting relationships with young people who have a history of sabotaging placements and previously have been unable to maintain relationships with others. In sometimes very difficult circumstances, staff have effectively supported young people to maintain their placements at the home and make progress.

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This inspection

Staff effectively support young people to maintain good health and succeed in encouraging and helping young people to reduce smoking. This success is achieved through education about the dangers of smoking in key working sessions with young people and obtaining literature and posters giving information about the health risks of smoking. Young people enjoy a healthy and balanced diet and are supported to help with budgeting, cooking and shopping. All young people are registered with a Doctor, Optician and Dentist and are encouraged and prompted to attend appointments and treatment if required in order to promote their health and well being. 3 of 6 Action is taken by staff to encourage and support young people to engage with education and further education courses when they leave school. Staff liaise with virtual head teachers if young people refuse to attend education and actively encourage young people to attend taster days for various vocational courses, to help

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This inspection

them decide what employment they may wish to pursue in the future.

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This inspection

Young people due to leave the home in the near future do not have formal pathway plans in place from placing authorities. This shortfall formed the basis of a recommendation from the previous inspection and is not met. Staff do undertake independent living skills training with young people but there is no comprehensive documentation of this to ascertain what skills young people still need to acquire before they leave the home to live independently, nor a detailed plan of what steps need to be taken to ensure a smooth and successful transition when young people leave the home.

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This inspection

Incidents of missing from home are reduced and staff liaise with placing authorities and the local police to effectively and safely manage incidents of missing young people. Agreements are successfully made with young people regarding free time and their responsibility to return on time and let staff know where they are. Due to positive relationships with staff, young people now always let staff know where they are and who they are with when they are late back to the home. Friends and family of young people are welcome to the home to spend time there with young people, who also spend time with their families with the agreement of their social worker and support from staff.

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This inspection

Behaviour of young people is improved since the previous inspection. There are no recorded restraints documented since the previous inspection. In order to meet a requirement from the previous inspection, staff now undertake regular training in safe restraint and are clear that details of actions taken to try to avoid a restraint are clearly recorded in the record of restraint. Sanctions given to young people for inappropriate behaviour are minimal and evaluated for effectiveness by the acting manager. One placing social worker said 'my young person takes less risks now, they have matured since being at the home and now take more responsibility for their behaviour. Staff have worked long and hard to build positive relationships with my young person and it has had beneficial results.'

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This inspection

Staff ensure the home is clean, well maintained and homely. Decoration has taken place since the previous inspection throughout the house and both staff and young people take pride in the appearance of the house. Young people's bedrooms are personalised and they are able to display photographs and pictures of their choosing throughout the house.

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This inspection

Health and safety is well managed in the home. A location risk assessment has now been completed to evidence the home is situated in an appropriately safe area. Risk assessments and corresponding control measures are in place for incidents such as 4 of 6 self harm, activities outside of the home, lone working and smoking.

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This inspection

An independent person undertakes regular monthly monitoring visits. As a result of these visits, actions are made for the manager to take to address any shortfalls found. A development plan is in place for the home and details planned improvements and how they will be met, for example, the decoration of the home, which is now completed. Communication between staff at the home and placing authorities and other involved professionals is positive and effective. One placing social worker said ' staff provide regular communication and ask for feedback and we have worked well together for the benefit of the young person.' 5 of 6

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Information about this children’s home

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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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

28/05/2014 Full adequate 07/01/2014 Interim inadequate progress 13/06/2013 Full adequate

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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) ensure that the children's home is conducted so as to make proper provision for the welfare of children accommodated there; in particular that young people approaching adulthood and leaving care have a pathway plan in place (regulation 11(1)(a)) 09/02/2015

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Reg. Requirement Due date

7 (2001) ensure that an individual is appointed to manage the children's home if there is no registered manager in respect of the children's home and the registered provider is an organisation or partnership (Regulation 7 (1)(a)(b)(i)). 16/03/2015 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Reg. Requirement Due date

This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

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What inspection judgements mean

At the interim inspections we make a judgement on whether the home has improved in effectiveness, sustained effectiveness, or declined in effectiveness since the previous full inspection. This is in line with the Inspection of children’s homes: framework for inspection.

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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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