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

This monitoring visit

The purpose of this monitoring visit was to assess progress made to meet the compliance notice issued on 21 July 2016.

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This monitoring visit

Since the previous inspection, the acting manager has worked hard and effectively to re-organise all systems of recording and risk assessment for young people placed at the home. This follows an incident where staff failed to protect a young person who is at risk of child sexual exploitation during a visit to a city centre. This young person was missing from care for two weeks and was finally returned to the home by police. It is not yet clear, despite staff’s attempts to find out the information and the offer of a return-to-home visit by an independent person, where she was or whom she was with. The police have made arrests in connection with this incident.

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This monitoring visit

Risk assessments concerning both young people and any visits they make outside the home are now comprehensive and contain robust control measures. Staff must gain permission from the acting manager before any visits to ensure that all risks are assessed and managed safely. All individual placement plans have been rewritten and updated. Healthcare plans are updated and detail all the healthcare needs of young people and how these are to be met. The office has been re- organised and staff are now able to find information easily, such as contact details and addresses where a young person may go to when missing. Systems to make best use of this information and to keep it updated are yet to be embedded, but the manager has a clear plan of how she will achieve this, through staff training and supervision.

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This monitoring visit

Staff are now alert to potential signs that a young person may go missing, such as when a young person may begin packing a bag or try to make unauthorised telephone calls. The young person is not now made aware of where she is going on an activity and is not allowed to dictate which members of staff will go with her. These measures are clearly stated in risk assessments, including her individual weekly risk assessment.

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This monitoring visit

Young people say that they feel safe living in the home and can name members of staff they would speak to if they feel unsafe. Young people are making progress. This means that for two out of the three young people currently placed at the home, they are now enjoying regular overnight visits to their parents, with a view to returning home to live, as they are learning to keep themselves safe and reduce their risk-taking behaviours.

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This monitoring visit

Three new members of staff have been recruited. Until they have completed their induction, three experienced members of staff from another home in the organisation are working in the home. One member of staff commented: ‘There is better leadership now; the team are pulling together’. This means that young people are benefiting from being cared for by a well-led, consistent and stable staff team.

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager is currently not at work and, in her absence, the operations manager is undertaking the management role. She is providing effective and strong leadership and management to the staff team. The compliance notice issued at the previous inspection is met, and the voluntary restriction on the admission of a fourth young person will remain in place until it can be demonstrated that the new staff team is embedded and appropriately trained to keep young people safe.

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is operated by a private provider that operates a number of children’s homes in the south west of England. The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to four female young people who have been victims of child sexual exploitation.

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that 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 within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

13: The leadership and management standard 04/08/2016

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Requirement Due date

12: The protection of children standard 04/08/2016

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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 including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.3)

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection. This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. the guidance ‘Raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . 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, work- based 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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