Children's home run by Phoenix Child Care Limited in North Devon

Inadequate

There are serious and/or widespread failures that mean that children and young people are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded and/or their care and experiences are poor and they are not making progress.

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The children’s home’s provision is inadequate because:

 The home does not have a sufficient number of suitably experienced staff with the required expertise and knowledge to understand the emotional and developmental needs of the young people. This includes staff who were unable to demonstrate a good knowledge of appropriate safeguarding procedures.

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The children’s home’s provision is inadequate because:

 Written records lack clarity and do not provide a sufficient understanding of the needs of young people. Records providing an individual profile of the young people include the use of derogatory and discriminatory language. The manager has shared this, and other confidential and sensitive information about young people, with another professional agency.

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The children’s home’s provision is inadequate because:

 Action by the staff to help young people stop smoking and to make healthier life choices is poor.

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The children’s home’s provision is inadequate because:

 Medication records do not contain details of why non-prescribed medication has been given to young people.

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The children’s home’s provision is inadequate because:

 Staff do not manage difficult and challenging behaviour effectively. They do not provide clear boundaries or well-defined expectations of what is acceptable behaviour. At times, staff have relied on police intervention to manage the young people’s behaviour. This intervention has led to young people’s behaviour being criminalised.

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The children’s home’s provision is inadequate because:

 Incidents of bullying and complaints made by young people are not always recognised, and in some instances are not taken seriously enough, properly investigated or appropriately recorded by staff.

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The children’s home’s strengths

 All young people attend school or college, or are in employment. Their attendance is good, and for some, this is a significant achievement given their poor attendance before living in the home.  Some young people have found stability in this home following several previous placement breakdowns.  A good range of activities is provided for the young people to enable them to try new experiences and build their self-confidence and self-esteem. This has included holidays abroad.  Young people are encouraged to keep a history of their time in care. Scrap books and memorabilia are well presented and provide the young people with memories of their time living in the home.

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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

13: The leadership and management standard

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Requirement Due date

(1) In order to meet the leadership and management standard, the registered person must enable, inspire and lead a culture in relation to the children’s home that: (a) helps children aspire to fulfil their potential, and (b) promotes their welfare. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to: (a) lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose (c) ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child (f) understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home (g) demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on:

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Requirement Due date

(i) research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met, and (ii) feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received. 31/12/2016

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Requirement Due date

(1) In order to meet the positive relationships standard, the registered person must ensure that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on: (a) mutual respect and trust (b) an understanding about acceptable behaviour, and (c) positive responses to other children and adults. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure: 31/12/2016 (a) that staff: (i) meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans (ii) help each child to develop socially aware behaviour (iii) encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding (iv) help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone (v) communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those

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Requirement Due date

expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding (vii) help each child to develop the understanding and skills to recognise or withdraw from a damaging, exploitative or harmful relationship (viii) strive to gain each child’s respect and trust (ix) understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children (xi) de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children (xii) understand and communicate to children that bullying is unacceptable, and (xiii) have the skills to recognise incidents or indications of bullying and how to deal with them, and (b) that each child is encouraged to build and maintain positive relationships with others. 10: The health and well-being standard

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Requirement Due date

(1). In order to meet the health and well-being standard, the registered person must ensure that: (a) the health and well-being needs of children are met (b) children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being, and (c) children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure: (a) that staff help each child to: (i) achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans (ii) understand the child’s health and well-being needs and the options that are available in relation to the child’s health and well- being, in a way that is appropriate to the child’s age and understanding (iii) take part in activities, and attend any appointments, for the 31/12/2016 purpose of meeting the child’s health and well-being needs, and (iv) understand and develop skills to promote the child’s well-

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Requirement Due date

(4) In order to meet the employment of staff standard the registered person must ensure that all employees: (a) undertake appropriate continuing professional development (b) receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience, and (c) have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. 31/12/2016

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendations:

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Recommendations

 Staff should be familiar with the home’s policy on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective, and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between, fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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Recommendations

 Just as in a family home, children should be able to access all shared areas of their home unless there are specific reasons why this would not meet a child’s needs. Limits on privacy and access may only be put in place to safeguard each child in the home (regulation 21 (c)(i)). Any decisions to limit a child’s access to any area of the home and any modifications to the environment of the home, must only be made when this is intended to safeguard the child’s welfare. All decisions should be informed by a rigorous assessment of that individual child’s needs, be properly recorded and be kept under regular review. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.10)

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Recommendations

 When a child returns to the home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission, the responsible local authority must provide an opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview. Homes should take account of information provided by such interviews when assessing risks and putting arrangements in place to protect each child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30)

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Information about this children’s home

This home is part of a company that operates a school and a children’s home within the region. The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to five young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 14/03/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 05/11/2015 Full Good 19/02/2015 Interim Improved effectiveness 05/06/2014 Full Adequate

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Inadequate

The experiences of the young people living in the home and the progress they make remain too variable. Two young people have found stability at the home following several previous placements. Staff were unable to meet the needs of two other young people and their placement in the home was ended earlier than planned. Staff have been unable to de-escalate confrontations between young people or help them to develop a sense of responsibility and understanding about the impact of their behaviour on themselves and each other.

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Inadequate

Meeting the healthcare needs of the young people is inadequate. There is a lack of effective action to help young people stop smoking, even when their health is seriously at risk, or for making sure that young people’s medication is reviewed regularly.

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Inadequate

While the staff team tries to support young people having contact with their families, the lack of clarity about family contact for one young person is poor. Telephone contact and access to personal post are being restricted without a proper assessment or reasonable cause. The rights of young people are not clear to the staff group.

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Inadequate

The quality of relationships between staff and young people is too variable. This has a negative effect on young people’s day-to-day experiences of living in the home. Some concerns expressed by young people about staff have not been fully explored by leaders and managers. Frequent staff changes mean that young people do not develop meaningful relationships with members of staff.

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Inadequate

Young people are encouraged and supported by the staff team to develop their independent living skills by learning to cook, shop and clean for themselves. However, there is an emphasis on developing practical rather than social and emotional skills. A lack of age-appropriate nurturing and guidance from some staff was evident during the inspection. One young person’s bedroom was not well kept, demonstrating a lack of care and support.

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Inadequate

Overall, young people’s bedrooms are personalised and they feel listened to about their preferences for decoration, furniture and fittings. Some practices are restrictive. The computer room was unnecessarily locked and window restrictors are fitted to downstairs windows without good cause. Repairs take too long to be completed. For example, repairs to a damaged coffee table have not been arranged for several months. Young people are attending full-time education or college, or are in employment with training. Their attendance is good. The manager has organised a Prince’s Trust placement for one young person, which is going well.

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Inadequate

A range of activities enable young people to enjoy the cinema, bowling and swimming trips. Holidays are provided and have included trips abroad for young people. Significant events, such as birthdays, are celebrated. Young people are encouraged to keep a record of their time living in the home, which includes pictures and other memorabilia. This contributes to them understanding their history and identity, now and for the future.

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Inadequate

Young people who have moved on from the home keep in touch, and the manager offers ongoing support and encouragement.

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Inadequate

Confidential and sensitive information about young people has been shared with the police without proper consideration of the impact of sharing this information. This information contains subjective and derogatory statements about young people, which could be misinterpreted and has the potential to be harmful and embarrassing for them.

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Inadequate

Records which should enable staff to respond quickly when a young person goes missing are not filed correctly, are out of date and lack important information, such as where it is most likely that a young person will go to when they go missing from the home. This delays finding young people who go missing from the home.

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Inadequate

The purpose and value of independent return home interviews with young people who have been missing are unclear to the manager. There is no attempt by members of staff to get feedback from the young people when they return home or take account of any information they may provide to help them understand their behaviour, or the risks they may be putting themselves in.

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Inadequate

The behaviour of young people is not well managed by the staff. A lack of clear boundaries and well-defined expectations of what is acceptable behaviour means that young people do not develop social and emotional skills or trust in the staff to care for them in a consistent and safe way. During the inspection, the inspectors observed a lack of challenge by staff to socially unacceptable behaviour. However, when incidents escalate and become more serious the police have been called to deal with the young people. This practice gives young people a clear message that the staff cannot keep them safe. The inability of some staff to manage challenging behaviour has led to some serious disruption for young people and at least one young person having to leave the home.

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Inadequate

Sanctions are not linked to the difficult behaviour, and ineffective sanctions are used repeatedly. This weakness has been raised by the independent visitor who monitors the home, and by a senior leader, but no changes have been made to deal with this.

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Inadequate

Complaints and incidents of bullying are not always identified by staff. As a result, some go unchecked and remain unresolved, leaving young people vulnerable. Records of complaints or incidents of bullying have not been kept. As a consequence, this hinders the manager from monitoring the quality of care provided in the home effectively.

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Inadequate

Medication records do not contain details of why non-prescribed medication has been given to young people. This approach does not allow staff to follow medication guidance effectively and decide when they should contact a doctor if the symptoms persist.

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Inadequate

Some staff spoken to during the inspection were unclear about how to manage allegations from young people and described practice that would compromise a safeguarding investigation. The manager has not assessed the safeguarding knowledge of the staff team. There is a lack of opportunity for staff to reflect on their practice following incidents, which limits their learning or practice development.

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Inadequate

Some young people say that they feel safe in the home, and for some young people significant risk-taking behaviour has reduced since moving in.

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Inadequate

The manager has significant experience of working in children’s homes and holds a suitable qualification. Despite this suitability, the impact of leaders’ and managers’ work, to ensure that the statement of purpose is consistently achieved, is ineffective.

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Inadequate

The manager has failed to ensure that sensitive information about young people is recorded appropriately and protected. As a result, sensitive information has been shared with an outside agency without good cause or permission from those people with parental responsibility.

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Inadequate

Care planning and risk assessment records do not contribute to staff understanding the needs of young people. Several records were out of date, not filed correctly or lacking the information needed. Hand-written case notes, including supervision records, are often illegible, making some information difficult to read and understand.

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Inadequate

The manager has some awareness of the strengths and weaknesses of the quality of care, but has been unable to implement successful development plans.

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Inadequate

Few staff have the experience or qualifications needed to understand the needs and behaviours of the young people. Reflective supervision, support and guidance required to develop staff is not provided. There is no performance management system in place to assess the staff team’s knowledge and ability, although, for the most part, they are receiving induction and essential training to support them. The frequency of, and the staff team’s attendance at, team meetings is poor, reducing their opportunities to learn and to develop better behaviour management techniques to support young people.

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Inadequate

Positive outcomes are not evident for all young people. Two young people had to move to another home because their behaviour could not be managed by the staff.

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Inadequate

The manager has not responded effectively to issues of bullying and complaints made by young people. There is no effective use of feedback received from the independent visitor’s reports or of guidance received from senior managers.

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Inadequate

The manager has challenged some aspects of care planning for one young person with a placing authority when she has felt actions were unfair and not in the young person’s best interests. She has recently advocated for telephone and internet use for a young person.

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Inadequate

Following this inspection, the manager and a senior leader took immediate action to provide a comprehensive development plan. This includes additional support, guidance and training for the manager and the staff team.

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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

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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