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

Requires improvement

The children's home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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because:

 This children’s home has not had a registered manager for 22 months. Despite appointing two managers during this period, neither stayed in post long enough to be approved as the registered manager.  While the staff team have worked hard during this period, the impact of not having a qualified and competent manager taking full time responsibility for the home has been felt across the service.  During this time, the placement of one young person has drifted. There is no dynamic plan of care in place. This has meant that the young person’s identified needs in education and therapeutic care, in particular, have not been properly met.  The staff team has not had the benefit of consistent line management support. Practice-related supervision for new and existing staff has not taken place regularly. The pursuit of professional qualifications and other training has not been achieved in a timely way. These shortfalls have led to

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because:

staff not achieving consistently good quality care practices. In some circumstances this has led to staff suspensions for conduct issues.  Management oversight has not been rigorous. For example, while a young person’s complaint was responded to, not enough attention was given to reflecting on staff practices and decision making around the incident. As a result, it is not clear what lessons have been learnt and how future practices will be improved. In respect of staff recruitment, a lack of management oversight has led to an omission to get a reference from the last employer not having beenen identified.

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The children's home strengths

Throughout the period since the last inspection there has been some consistent staff. Recently members of the staff team have taken on some management responsibilities and a senior manager spends two days each week in the home. Adults working in the home have worked hard to build positive relationships with young people. They know young people well and want to achieve the best they can for them, but feel that the placement does not fully meet all of the identified diverse needs. They are developing their engagement with the placing authority and feel that better outcomes are starting to be achieved.

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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 (England) Regulations 2015 and the Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards. The registered person(s) must comply with the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

5: Engaging with the wider system to ensure children's needs are met In order to meet the engaging with the wider system to ensure children's needs are met standard, with particular reference to appropriately challenging the placing authority, the registered provider must and must ensure that staff 5 (b) seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child's needs; (c) if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority's or a relevant person's performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child's needs are met in accordance with the child's relevant plans. 04/12/2015

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Requirement Due date

6: The quality and purpose of care standard In order to meet the quality and purpose of care standard, with particular reference to the effective oversight of each placement and how well the home is meeting individual needs, the registered person must ensure that 6 (3) (b) the care meets the child's needs; (c) care is delivered by a person who (i) has the experience, knowledge and skills to deliver that care; and (ii) is under the supervision of a person who is appropriately skilled and qualified to supervise that care. 04/12/2015

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Requirement Due date

8: The education standard In order to meet the education standard, with particular reference to young people being admitted without plans for their education being in place and the need to keep the success of their education under review, the registered person must ensure that they 8 (2) (a) (vii) raise any need for further assessment or specialist provision in relation to a child with the child's education or training provider and the child's placing authority. 04/12/2015 10: The health and well-being standard In order to meet the health and well-being standard, with particular reference to young people achieving healthier lifestyles, the registered person must ensure that 10 (1) (c) children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being. 04/12/2015

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Requirement Due date

13: The leadership and management standard In order to meet the leadership and management standard, with particular reference to staff skills and experience and demonstrating how practices are reviewed and improved, the registered person must 13 (2) (c) ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; (g) demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received. 04/12/2015

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Requirement Due date

21: Privacy and access The registered person must ensure that any limitation placed on a child's privacy is necessary and proportionate, with specific regard to the nature of the practice used to confiscate a personal possession. (Regulation 21 (c)(ii)) 30/11/2015

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Requirement Due date

27: Appointment of manager The registered provider must appoint a person to manage the children's home. (Regulation 27 (1)) 30/01/2016

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Requirement Due date

32: Fitness of workers The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children's safety. In particular this refers to the home gaining two written references, including a reference from the person's most recent employer. (Regulation 32 (3) (d) Schedule 2) 30/11/2015

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Requirement Due date

32: Fitness of workers The registered person must ensure that staff achieve the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare within 2 years of their start date or by 1 April 2016. (Regulation 32 (4) (a)) 01/04/2016

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Requirement Due date

33: Employment of staff The registered provider must ensure that all employees receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4) (b))) 30/11/2015

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Information about this children's home

This children’s home is owned by a private company that has several children’s home in the same region. While initially registered for two young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties, it is currently restricted to single occupancy. The company has its own school but it is located too far away for young people living in this setting to attend. Education is sourced locally. The home is well located close to a city. It provides a very homely environment in a domestic property that is not distinguishable from its neighbours.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

06/01/2015 CH - Interim Declined in effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

07/01/2014 CH - Interim Inadequate Progress

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Requires improvement

Young people living in this home do not receive consistently good care. Their overall experiences and progress are hampered by not having a registered manager in post. Currently, while staff are very committed to young people and work hard to achieve good outcomes, the current placement of a complex and vulnerable young person, is drifting. While some progress has been made there is no dynamic plan of care in place. In part this is due to the uncertainty of the placement continuing, but also as a result of the lack of a registered manager’s oversight of the placement.

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Requires improvement

It is difficult to measure the long-term benefits to the young person of living in this home. The initial placement was unplanned and intended to be for a short period while a more suitable placement was found. In the seven months since admission the staff team has forged really positive relationships with the young person. They have a good insight into her vulnerabilities and have helped her to become increasingly safe. Some of the measures put in place, including high staffing ratios and the removal of a Smart phone, are not sustainable in the long-term. The young person is not fully engaged in the placement. For example, she is not benefitting from therapeutic support which is more likely to enable her to make measurable progress.

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Requires improvement

The overall experience and progress in education requires improvement. The young person was in placement for five months before an educational provision was found. In the interim, home education was tried, without a great deal of success. The current education provision is not working out well. The young person does not like it, attendance is poor and engagement while there is mixed. The young person is frustrated by this experience and wants to do better. This is now being dealt with by the young person’s newly allocated social worker.

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Requires improvement

The registered person does not always challenge the placing authority effectively and in the best interests of young people. This is apparent in respect of the most recent placement that has been allowed to drift. Robust decision making has not always taken place to better support staff and the young person. Also, a very specific incident occurred during the summer, when staff misguidedly followed instructions from the placing authority without properly considering the impact of their actions. This related to the decision that for safeguarding reasons a young person was not allowed to retain a Smart phone. While the rationale for the decision making was sound, the way in which this was achieved provides an example of poor practice that did not treat the young person with respect or dignity. A subsequent complaint made by the young person was responded to but, staff failed to reflect on the wider implications of the incident and lessons learnt to

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Requires improvement

Members of staff are aware of the importance of helping young people achieve healthy lifestyles. While some progress has been made, more focused attention needs to be given to securing external support and identifying achievable targets to improve all aspects of health and well-being.

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Requires improvement

Staffing arrangements require improvement because not all staff are suitably trained and supported. For example, one member of staff has worked for the company for over two years, but has only just been enrolled to commence the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare. Nor do all staff members receive regular practice-related supervision. This combined with a lack of really robust induction and foundation training, means that staff are not always clear about what is expected of them. This has led to poor practices leading to potential safeguarding issues and staff disciplinary action being taken.

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Requires improvement

Overall the young person has very good relationships with staff, and can identify several staff who they can speak to and have access to an advocate. They are given opportunities to learn new skills and develop in confidence and their achievements are celebrated. They have opportunities to have a sense of belonging by being involved in day-to-day tasks and decision making and feel relaxed in the comfortable and homely environment. The staff team are particularly effective in supporting young people to maintain positive relationships with their family and friends.

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Requires improvement

Young people do not receive consistently good help and protection. While some progress has been made, not enough has been achieved to support young people to become increasingly safe and make informed decisions about their own safety, both now and in the future. For example, young people do not always access specialist therapeutic support. This means they do not benefit from professional help with known risks such as self-harm, drug or alcohol misuse or going missing from care.

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Requires improvement

When young people go missing, the staff team takes appropriate action to encourage young people to return. They liaise with a range of agencies and family. When young people return home, they are positively welcomed and offered opportunities to discuss their reasons for go missing. As a follow up, one-to-one sessions focus on related risks and how staff can support young people to reduce such risk taking behaviour. Staff in the home maintain good communication with the placing authority and risks are regularly reviewed by a multi-disciplinary team. Plans are being put into place to help achieve longer term safeguarding objectives which will better support young people as they mature into young adults.

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Requires improvement

Staff promote positive behaviour in the main. However, during a recent incident, staff intervened in such a way that it caused conflict between a young person and staff. This culminated in the need for physical restraint, which rarely happens in this home. The incident was not properly investigated in terms of reflecting on how staff intervened and what approach could have achieved a less negative outcome for the young person. A failure to learn lessons from such events and to provide staff with appropriate guidance means that practices are not being improved to achieve a consistently good standard. In other respects, staff set clear boundaries and communicate their expectations to young people. Good attention is given to positive reinforcement and sanctions are used moderately. Mostly these are reviewed to ensure proper oversight and reflection, but recently this has not occurred, which fails to ensure consistently good practices are maintained.

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Requires improvement

Staff recruitment is not consistently robust. A sample of paperwork examined, including for a recent appointment, revealed that while two references were on file, a reference had not been acquired from the member of staff’s previous employer. Furthermore, this oversight by recruitment staff had not been identified by in house quality monitoring processes which would normally be undertaken by a registered manager.

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Requires improvement

Adults who work in the home demonstrate a good awareness of child protection and the procedures they need to follow to protect young people in their care. There is effective liaison with the placing authority and host authority and other agencies. Prompt action is taken to protect young people, by making referrals and where necessary, removing staff from their duties. Members of staff have a very good understanding of the risks associated with young people accessing the internet and social media and monitor this well. They are supporting young people to develop their own awareness and responsibility to keep themselves safe in this area.

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Inadequate

The home has not had a registered manager in post for 22 months. During this period two appointments were made but neither candidate remained in post long enough to be registered. The company has advised that a new appointment has just been made and they are awaiting disclosure checks. In recent months, a senior residential support worker has been acting manager, a residential support worker acting senior, and a senior manager in the company has spent two days each week in the home providing additional support. These arrangements have helped but, the impact of not having a registered manager in place for such an extensive period of time has had an impact across the service.

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Inadequate

While some day-to-day management responsibilities have been completed, others have not. One of the main shortfalls is the lack of clear planning for the current young person living in the home, who was initially admitted for a short-term placement. There is a consensus of opinion among the placing authority and the home’s staff, that the young person’s needs cannot be fully met by the home. However, the placing authority has been unable to secure a more suitable placement during the past seven months. A new social worker is now re-assessing the placement and along with support from residential staff, is identifying the best way forward.

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Inadequate

Since the previous full inspection, the home has made four new staff appointments which represent a high turnover of approximately 50per cent in a 17 month period. Staff supervision of both new and existing staff is not completed regularly. For example, a newly appointed member of staff has only had one, practice-related supervision in seven weeks and an existing member of staff only four in the previous year. This infrequency means that members of the staff team are not receiving clear and up-to-date guidance and support about how they are expected to care for young people. Issues around staff conduct, which are responded to seriously by the company, could be improved if individual supervision and appraisal of performance are improved. Opportunities for staff to achieve professional qualifications, such as the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare, are not always provided in a timely way. For example, one member of staff who has worked for

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Inadequate

the company for just over two years has only just been enrolled to start the course. This fails to meet the expectations of The Children’s Homes Regulations 2015.

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Inadequate

Other management responsibilities such as undertaking quality monitoring processes are not effective. Recently imposed sanctions have not been reviewed or signed off. The development plan and location risk assessment need updating. A recent complaint made by a young person was responded to, but, not enough attention was given to reflecting on staff practices and decision making around the incident. As a result, it is not clear what lessons have been learnt and how future practices will be improved.

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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.

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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

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What the inspection judgements mean

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

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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

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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 .

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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,

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Information about this inspection

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Information about this inspection

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Information about this inspection

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