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

Good

The children's home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.2

The children's home provision is good because:

 Young people make very good progress from their starting points because of the caring, nurturing and therapeutic support they receive at the home. This helps to build their self-confidence, self-respect and self-esteem.  Staff successfully build trusting relationships with young people and placement stability is strong. Staff have high aspirations for young people and help them come to terms with, and move on from past trauma.  Keeping young people safe is a high priority for staff. They have good links with the police child sexual exploitation team and the Local Authority safeguarding team and effectively implement robust safeguarding policies and procedures.  Staff work collaboratively with families to rebuild difficult relationships and prepare young people to return home, if this is their plan.  The staff receive comprehensive training from the organisation and support from the manager that helps them effectively care for young people and

p.3

The children's home provision is good because:

keep them safe.  The leadership and management of the home is robust and the manager has a strong focus on continuous improvement and development and learning.  Pen picture records of young people’s details that are displayed on the office wall contain information about young people for staff is not always kept up to date.

p.3

Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):  Ensure that case records are kept up to date and signed and dated by the author of each entry (Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations 2015, paragraph 14.3)

p.4

Information about this children's home

This section should outline:  The home is registered for up to 3 young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home is owned by a private organisation that operates a number of services for children in the area. This home specialises in providing therapeutic support and care for young people who have been subject to sexual exploitation.

p.5

Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

p.5

Recent inspection history

This is the home’s first inspection since registration in March 2015.

p.5

Good

Young people benefit from caring and nurturing relationships with staff who understand their needs and the trauma they may have experienced prior to coming to live at the home. Young people who, in previous placements, were regularly going missing and engaging in unsafe, risk taking behaviour are now settled, are developing trusting relationships with staff and making progress in all areas of their lives.

p.6

Good

Young people who previously refused to engage in any education now have regular attendance at an on-site educational provision, where education is provided by a qualified teacher who is employed by the company school. Plans are in place for young people to complete GCSE examinations and they have gone up an educational level in a short time. Young people’s learning is encouraged through educational trips to places of interest and through availability of books in the home. Use of the internet is closely monitored by staff. Young people take an e- safety course to help them understand potential dangers of using the internet and how to keep themselves safe. One young person has learned to tell the time, through staff making clocks and practising reading the time when out and about.

p.6

Good

Health care needs of young people are fully met. A strength of the home is the availability and effectiveness of therapeutic intervention. Therapists work with young people, their families and staff to ensure a consistent approach. Strategies are given by the therapists to parents and staff to use with young people. All young people have individually tailored therapy plans in place that detail aims and monitor progress. Therapy is based on providing the young people with safety, nurture, reflection, understanding and emotional containment. All therapy is provided by suitably qualified practitioners using evidence based models of attachment theory.

p.6

Good

Managers and staff understand the potential risks of placing together young people who have experienced sexual exploitation. Compatibility of young people is carefully considered to ensure young people experience stable and successful placements. Young people are encouraged by staff to welcome other young people to the home. For example, one young person bought a new arrival a plant, baked cakes and devised a fun game so they could get to know each other.

p.6

Good

Young people fully participate in all decision making in the home. Their suggestions and views are listened to. For example, one young person wanted to make the games room ‘more kid friendly.’ She was provided with materials to decorate the room and she has decorated it beautifully with bright colours and paper butterflies. On the day of the inspection young people were preparing to host a barbeque at home. They were choosing where to put balloons and what food to have. If requests are unable to be granted, staff fully explain why not to young people. For example, young people are not able to have televisions in their bedrooms as part of their therapy plan, although they are able to watch tv in the lounge. The manager explained to young people the reasons why she could not have a television in her room in a child friendly and patient manner, so that the young people fully understood and accepted the decision.

p.6

Good

Young people are encouraged and supported by staff to take part in activities in the community. One young person is enjoying attending a kick boxing club. Other activities available include shopping, cinema visits and visits to nearby city centres. A strength of the home is how staff enable young people and their families to repair relationships and build up visits in preparation for young people to return home in accordance with their care plan. One young person said ‘I am pleased because I now go home for visits and tomorrow I am going home to stay overnight for the first time since I came here.’

p.7

Good

Young people say that they think staff really care about them. One young person said ‘at my other home the staff gave up on me. Do you know, at this home now they never give up on me. When I was running off, they always followed me and don’t give up until I come back here. I haven’t run off for a long time now. I like it here, staff are nice.’ Staff are careful to keep memorabilia such as photographs for young people as a memory of their time at the home.

p.7

Good

Placement plans are comprehensive and document how staff are to help young people progress and achieve. A concise pen picture of young people is posted on the office wall as a reminder to staff of current arrangements. Not all of this information is up to date. One young person’s contact arrangements with her father were out of date, stating she has no contact, when she now does. This shortfall was rectified during the inspection by the manager.

p.7

Good

Young people arrive at the home having been subjected to sexual exploitation and engaging in risk taking behaviours. They become safe and gain a sense of safety through effective protective actions and support from staff. Young people learn to value themselves and trust others. Incidents of missing are decreased. Young people who regularly went missing no longer do so as they know staff will care, follow and not give up on them.

p.7

Good

Effective risk assessments that contain clear control measures guide staff to ensure that known risks are understood and managed. Young people’s behaviour and respect for others improves through staff succeeding in gaining their respect. Potentially difficult situations are de-escalated skilfully by staff through the consistent and positive relationships they develop with the young people. Young people are not restrained and no sanctions given. If young people make a mistake with their behaviour, staff discuss incidents with them and help them to understand and learn not to repeat the behaviour in the future. Positive behaviour is promoted. Staff praise young people and reward them when they make good choices. A placing social worker said ‘staff are very good at implementing boundaries. My young person is feeling so safe she is now disclosing previous abuse which has been appropriately dealt with by staff and passed on to the

p.8

Good

relevant agencies in accordance with safeguarding procedures.’

p.8

Good

The manager and staff liaise effectively with other agencies such as the police. The local police officer responsible for overseeing child sexual exploitation in the areas has close links with the home and is available for guidance and support. Staff are knowledgeable and clear about action they would take if there is a safeguarding incident to keep young people safe.

p.8

Good

Staff are carefully selected and recruited. The manager ensures only suitable people are employed at the home following thorough checks. The manager can demonstrate that she will not employ people who she feels are not exactly right and will effectively meet the care needs of young people.

p.8

Good

This inspection is the first inspection since the home was registered in March 2015. The manager is experienced and appropriately qualified to manage the home. She has the skills and experience to manage this specialist provision and as a result of her work with girls who have experienced sexual exploitation she has recently won a national ‘unsung hero’ award for her work in this area. Staff speak highly of the manager and the leadership and support she provides for them.

p.8

Good

The home is achieving its aims and objectives as stated in the statement of purpose. The manager is committed to improvement and development and investigates and implements latest research and theories regarding how best to help young people in her care.

p.8

Good

The home is decorated in a homely and modern style that appeals to young people. Young people enjoy living in the large house in a rural setting. Nearby towns and facilities are only a short drive away and young people have the use of a car belonging to the home.

p.9

Good

The manager effectively oversees a consistent and caring staff team, who are regularly supervised and benefit from a comprehensive and relevant training programme that helps them to effectively meet the needs of the young people. Staff are helped to reflect further on their practice through regular sessions with therapists. Most staff have been employed at the home since it opened in March 2015. If there are gaps on shifts, staff cover them rather than use agency staff, to ensure consistency and continuity for young people.

p.9

Good

The manager and staff work effectively with partner agencies, including placing social workers. One social worker said ‘communication from the home is excellent and they are very good at letting me know everything. Communication with parents is also very good and staff have done well to engage my young person’s parents.’

p.9

Good

The organisation employs an independent visitor who provides regular scrutiny of practice in the home and produces recommendations that the manager actions in order to improve the quality of care. The manager regularly monitors records and produces a development plan to detail how further improvement will be achieved in the forthcoming year.

p.9

What the inspection judgements mean

The experiences and progress of children and young people are at the centre of the inspection. Inspectors will use their professional judgement to determine the weight and significance of their findings in this respect. The judgements included in the report are made against Inspection of children's homes: framework for inspection.

p.10

What the inspection judgements mean

An outstanding children's home provides highly effective services that contribute to significantly improved outcomes for children and young people who need help and protection and care. Their progress exceeds expectations and is sustained over time. A good children's home provides effective services that help, protect and care for children and young people and have their welfare safeguarded and promoted. In a children's home that requires improvement , there are no widespread or serious failures that create or leave children being harmed or at risk of harm. The welfare of looked after children is safeguarded and promoted. Minimum requirements are in place, however, the children's home is not yet delivering good protection, help and care for children and young people. A children's home that is inadequate is providing services where there are widespread or serious failures that create or leave children and young people being

p.10

What the inspection judgements mean

harmed or at risk of harm or result in children looked after not having their welfare safeguarded and promoted.

p.10

Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people living in the children's home. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the difference adults make to the lives of children and young people. They read case files, watched how professional staff work with children, young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care given to children and young people. Wherever possible, they talked to children, young people and their families. In addition the inspectors have tried to understand what the children's home knows about how well it is performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the children and young people who it is trying to help, protect and look after. This 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 Children's

p.11

Information about this inspection

Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards. the guidance raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted, which is available from Ofsted's website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.11

Information about this inspection

achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, workbased learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It inspects services for looked after children and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

p.12

Information about this inspection

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.12

Information about this inspection

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.12

Information about this inspection

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

p.12