Children's Home run by Phoenix Children’s Homes Limited in Devon

Good

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

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The children’s home provision is good because:

 Young people find stability and safety in this home, often from chaotic and unsafe circumstances. This security allows them to progress and make the most of the experiences and opportunities provided by the dedicated care team.  Relationships between staff and young people are genuinely warm, caring and affectionate. It is made clear to young people by the members of the care team that they have high expectations for them and expect them to do well. Staff constantly reinforce to young people that they are valued as unique individuals. Young people say that they are ‘happy’ in this home.  Contact with families and others who are important to young people is prioritised and supported. This includes those whose family live a long way from the home.  Preparation for independence forms part of the planning for young people. Alongside emotional development, staff make sure that young people have the practical skills needed to make a success of living independently.

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The children’s home provision is good because:

 Young people enjoy a wealth of activities, including regular holidays to support their well-being and enhance their experiences. Two young people chose and enjoyed a Greek island holiday this year.  Consultation with young people plays a major part in the success of placements. Young people feel listened to and the staff understand how they feel and are able to respond to any issues that may cause them upset or concern. The home functions as one big family. All the young people recently attended the wedding celebrations of the manager. This act of inclusion effectively demonstrates the ethos of the home and how much young people are valued.  Notification of a serious event had not been provided to Ofsted as required, and the lounge had continued to be used occasionally as a second sleeping- in room. The manager took immediate action to rectify these regulatory shortfalls.  A number of records have not been recently reviewed to ensure that they

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The children’s home provision is good because:

are up to date and fit for purpose. Some areas need painting, cleaning and/or decorating to ensure that they do not detract from what is otherwise a homely environment.  The shortfalls identified do not have a discernible impact on the welfare or experiences of the young people.

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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 within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

40: Notification of a serious event The registered person must notify Ofsted without delay following any serious incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (3)(e)) 30/09/2016

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Requirement Due date

21: Privacy and access The registered person must ensure that children can access all appropriate areas of the home’s premises. In particular, night staff must not use the lounge for sleeping-in duties. (Regulation 21(b)) 30/09/2016

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendations:  Ensure that the children’s home is a nurturing and supportive environment that meets the needs of their children. This will in most cases, be a homely, domestic environment. In particular, ensure that attention is given to maintenance, repairs and decoration of the home in providing a clean, hygienic environment. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  Ensure that the records kept under regulations 35 to 39 are up to date, informative and meaningful. This particularly applies to complaints, rewards and fire evacuation records. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.3)

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Information about this children’s home

The home is operated by a private provider of education and social care for children and young people. It provides care and accommodation for up to three young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties. The home is situated on the edge of town near the coast and two cars are provided. Young people can attend education within the company school or via external provision.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

02/03/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

18/02/2015 Interim Improved effectiveness

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Good

The home and the staff provide an environment in which young people can develop and thrive regardless of their previous difficulties, experiences and background. Care planning follows the expectations of the placing authority. Regular feedback is provided to professional stakeholders. Copies of essential information and plans are kept in the home alongside permission slips and placement contracts. This contributes to understanding the life of the child and helps in planning for progress.

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Good

All young people are treated as unique individuals. Their achievements are celebrated and there is a genuine sense of pride when staff talk about young people and how far they have come. Staff constantly speak positively and encouragingly about young people. They demonstrate a clear understanding of how previous experiences and current circumstance have an impact on the lives of young people.

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Good

The support provided by other professionals contributes to the progress of young people. Access to the child and adolescent mental health services supports the emotional well-being of some young people, and specialist assessment and therapeutic interventions have also been used to support others.

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Good

The home does not underestimate the importance of young people understanding their culture, history and background. Contact with family and those important to young people is supported and promoted. Staff have made careful and clear arrangements to keep young people safe where visits to an area of origin may be problematic.

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Good

Education has a high priority. Young people can access the organisation’s school, which has a small number of pupils and is ideal for those who have struggled without education or been away from education for some time. Bespoke packages can be provided and young people’s engagement has been such that they are due to attend a mainstream school in the next school term. One young person has completed exams and a vocational college course. They are employed by a local firm in a skilled trade with the promise of an apprenticeship staring in the next college year. Young people who do not have a school placement are expected to participate in educational activities and online lessons in the home. The local children in care education support service recorded in a recent report that: ‘Residential care staff have done an absolutely brilliant job in providing home tuition.’ Young people benefit socially and emotionally from the wealth of activities on offer.

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Good

They are encouraged to develop skills and make friends. Hobbies such as fishing and trick scootering are supported. Young people are also encouraged to attend local youth clubs where they have achieved a sports coaching award. Holidays are provided and young people have been abroad as well as on holidays and camping in this country. The staff in the home operate a Duke of Edinburgh award scheme and young people have participated in this.

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Good

Young people feel listened to, and it is obvious that they are able to express their views to the staff and can expect their feelings to be taken into consideration. Young people are involved in everyday decisions about their lives. Where it is not possible to provide for their wishes, this is carefully explained and young people understand the reasoning. All young people’s bedrooms are decorated following choices made by them, and they choose food, activities and holidays. The eldest young person compiled the young person’s guide to the home. The information is interspersed with puzzle and word/number games ‘giving young people something to do when they first arrive’. The young person enjoyed putting in all the clip-art and making it child friendly.

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Good

For the most part, the environment is homely and it is easy to see from the things around and photos that teenage boys live here. The timeliness of decoration, repair and refurbishment doesn’t quite meet their needs and some areas are unkempt or worn.

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Good

Behaviour management is primarily focused on building positive relationships with young people. In trusting the staff, young people develop appropriate ways to demonstrate their concerns and frustrations. Clear boundaries and expectations reinforce acceptable behaviour, and improvements are evident. Over time, there is a gradual reduction in incidents. One young person said that before coming to the home he used to spend his days on the streets and had found it hard having to let people know where he was and not just going out when he wanted. He now understands people were making sure he was safe.

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Good

All the staff are trained in the safe use of physical restraint should this be needed to keep young people safe. These techniques have not been used for more than two years. Staff recognise early warning signs of distress and can act to de- escalate and avoid any incidents. Sanctions are used to give a clear message to young people when their behaviour is unacceptable. Each young person also has a rewards chart, which can be personalised to address particular issues. Points are scored daily and rewards are given for trying as well as for achievement.

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Good

The young people are well matched and there is a camaraderie between them that allows for joint activities and spending positive time together. They also take an interest in one another’s lives and are emotionally supportive of each other. Bullying is not a feature of this home.

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Good

Incidents of young people going missing from the home are rare. There has been just one occasion since the last full inspection. The staff acted appropriately, following guidance recorded in individual risk assessments, and with attention to police protocols. The young person returned within a few hours and the social worker determined that the episode was not connected to any difficulties the young person was experiencing in the home.

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Good

Risk assessments support keeping young people safe while allowing them to take age-appropriate risks. They participate in age-appropriate activities, such as fishing and playing pool, and they regularly go out on scooters and bikes.

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Good

Health and safety checks take place regularly to make sure that the environment is safe. Young people are involved in fire drills so that they know what to do in an emergency.

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Good

Safer recruitment contributes to ensuring that those known to be unsuitable are not given opportunities to work with vulnerable young people.

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Good

There has been one serious incident since the previous inspection, which should have been reported to Ofsted for independent scrutiny. Appropriate action had been taken immediately to protect the young people. Official notification to Ofsted was made during the inspection.

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Good

The manager and staff work in partnership with professional stakeholders to make sure that young people get the help and guidance they need. These relationships also help to keep young people and others safe. A police protection officer reported: ‘I have nothing but praise for the staff team, and I always feel young people and the public are safer because of the work they do there.’

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Good

The home is managed by a suitably qualified and experienced woman. She has the trust and confidence of the staff team and is respected by the young people. Nothing is too much trouble when it comes to supporting the young people, she clearly wants the best for them and this ethos is spread throughout the staff team. Several times she described the home as ‘one big happy family’ and the positive atmosphere created by her and the staff team reinforces this.

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Good

Work in partnership with other agencies and the family who are important to young people contribute to the support provided and the success of placements. A youth offending team officer described the manager as ‘amazing’ adding, ‘The young people are happy, it’s like a real family over there.’

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Good

The statement of purpose has been updated recently and provides clear, comprehensive detail of the services provided. The aims and ethos are described and implemented in practice.

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Good

Since the previous full inspection there has been a focus on staff completing the required qualifications. Currently all those staff who have completed their probationary period are either qualified or are working towards these qualifications. Several will complete their qualifications in the next two months. The manager carefully considers the staff on duty together so that they are able to learn from one another and have a mixture of skills, experience and ability.

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Good

Supervision is provided regularly and the majority of staff have recent annual appraisals to support personal and continuous development. The manager and senior staff identity any performance or personal development needs for staff, which are then addressed in supervision sessions.

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Good

Training and induction provided for staff prepare them for the work and for the care of young people. Staff are drawn from a variety of backgrounds, with differing experiences of working with young people and of care systems. The manager ensures that safer recruitment techniques are used. She is careful in selecting and keeping people who are committed to the care and welfare of young people.

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Good

Good use is made of team meetings to share information and discuss any issues. These are also used as opportunities to agree and implement improvements, as identified in the home’s development plan.

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Good

On a number of occasions, the home’s lounge has been used as a sleeping-in room. he manager is aware that the lounge should not be used as a bedroom, as this has been a previous inspection requirement. The bed/chair was removed off- site during this inspection and alternative arrangements are to be made in the future.

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Good

Not all records are up to date and some information is kept in several places. This includes complaints records, fire evacuation details and rewards, and this has the potential to cause confusion and loss of information. The manager took action to address this during the inspection and included the need for improvement in the latest development plan. The impact of these shortfalls on young people is not evident.

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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 children looked after 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, work- based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It inspects services for children looked after 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

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

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Information about this inspection

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

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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

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