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

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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The children’s home provision requires improvement because:

 Care planning lacks sufficient detail and review to address the needs of the young person. Plans do not ensure that all is being done to promote progress and positive outcomes. Elements of the placing authority’s expectations of the placement are not given sufficient consideration in particular work on sexual health and appropriate relationships. Risk assessments are not up to date or accurate. Information is contradictory across several documents, and it is not clear which documents the staff should be working from.  Progress made by the young person is limited. School attendance is poor as is engagement in any activities with peers or outside of the home in the community. The young person is socially isolated, and the staff struggle to engage the young person in meaningful alternatives to education, which would support learning and the development of social skills.  Insufficiency of staffing has led to staff working on their own with a young

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The children’s home provision requires improvement because:

person described by professionals as having complex needs. Several times, the staff working alone have been on probation and have little professional childcare experience. Assessments have not been produced to consider the risks of lone working or to provide guidance to staff, should there be any issues.  There are gaps in the frequency of supervision and support provided to staff. The quality of supervision and support is variable, records are not complete and there is little evidence of attention to ensuring that staff fulfil their responsibilities to young people and/or have the opportunities to consider and improve their practice.  Fire prevention and safety have not been given sufficient priority. Several fire door closures, including those on the young person’s and staffs’ bedroom doors, do not work. It is not clear whether all staff have had the opportunity to practise fire drills, and weekly checks of fire detection alarms

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The children’s home provision requires improvement because:

 Monitoring by leaders and managers does not promote the progress needed. Identified shortfalls are not transferred to development plans.

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The children’s home strengths

 The young person has developed trusting relationships with the staff.  The young person feels safe, and staff have the skills and knowledge needed to respond effectively to any threats from other adults or young people.  The manager and staff team communicate well with other stakeholders, keeping them well informed and up to date. Arrangements for the young person to return home, following the completion of full-time compulsory education, are being followed.  Staff have arranged holidays, which support the young person’s cultural needs and allow additional contact with family members.  The young person has access to the therapeutic services that he needs to promote his emotional health.

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions which must be taken so that the registered person(s) meet(s) 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

The care planning standard 14(1) The care planning standard is that children— (a) receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure (b) that arrangements are in place to (ii) manage and review the placement of each child in the home; and (iii) plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child’s placing authority; (c) that each child’s relevant plans are followed; (f) that staff help each child to access and contribute to the records kept by the registered person in relation to the child. 31/12/2016

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Requirement Due date

Fire precautions 25(1) The registered person must— (c) make arrangements for persons working at the home to receive suitable training in fire prevention; and (d) ensure, by means of fire drills and practices at suitable intervals, that persons working at the home and, so far as reasonably practicable, children are aware of the procedure to be followed in case of fire. 31/12/2016

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Requirement Due date

12(1) The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe. 31/12/2016 (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— (a) that staff— (i) assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child; and (iii) have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm; (b) that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. In particular, they should ensure that risk assessments are up to date and accurate.

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Requirement Due date

Employment of staff 33(1) The registered person must— (a) ensure that each employee completes an appropriate induction; (b) ensure that each permanent appointment of an employee is subject to the satisfactory completion of a period of probation. (4) The registered person must ensure that all employees— (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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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard 13(1) The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads 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— (c) ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills 31/12/2016 to meet the needs of each child; (d) ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for 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— (i) research and developments in relation to the ways in which the

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Requirement Due date

needs of children are best met; and (ii) feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and (h) use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home.

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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

 3.9 For children’s homes to be nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of their children, they will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. Children’s homes must comply with relevant health and safety legislations (alarms, food hygiene etc.); however, in doing so, homes should seek as far as possible to maintain a domestic rather than ‘institutional’ impression. (The ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 13.9)

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Recommendations

 14.3 Regulations 35−39 detail the records that must be kept in children’s homes. All children’s case records (regulation 36) must be kept up to date and stored securely while they remain in the home. Case records must be kept up to date and signed and dated by the author of each entry. Children’s case records must be kept for 75 years from the date of birth of the child, or if the child dies before the age of 18, for 15 years from the date of his or her death. (The ‘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 four young people who have emotional and behavioural difficulties and/or a learning disability. The home is situated in a rural area near the coast and a car is provided. Young people can attend education in the company school or via an external provision.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

07/09/2016 Full (same service at a different address) Requires improvement

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Recent inspection history

16/02/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness

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Requires improvement

The home is having little impact on the progress of the young person. Assessment and care planning are insufficient in influencing those areas which need to improve. Meaningful strategies to deal with lack of progress are not documented or reviewed to see what works and what does not. Attempts to get the young person to school, engaged in meaningful activities and to develop the social skills needed to make a success of adult life are ineffective. Education attendance has declined significantly since the start of this school year. It has taken more than 12 months to secure the services needed to support the young person’s mental health needs. Following a problem with securing and then engaging with child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS), the young person is just starting to access private mental healthcare services. The physical health of the young person appears good, although he continues to smoke and to

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Requires improvement

choose to eat a diet which is high in fat and snack food. This could have implications for long-term health. The young person is focused on returning to live in the family home. Additional contact and work with the family are being provided to make this work, once the young person is of school-leaving age. On a day-to-day basis, the young person chooses to spend a lot of time isolated from peers and from the community around him. He likes the company of staff, and they keep him entertained when he is not at school. The young person likes to cook, and staff encourage this skill. There appears to be a lack of balance between ignoring difficult behaviour and having clear expectations and boundaries for the young person, so that he learns to take responsibility for himself and for his actions. In the relatively short space of time left to work with this young person, staff have no planned focus on the important things that need to improve.

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Requires improvement

Relationships between the young person and staff are positive, and staff feel that this is translated into the young person listening more and displaying less risky behaviour. The staff and young person transferred to this home three months ago. It offers more space than the previous home, and the young person would like to stay until he is able to return home. The environment lacks refurbishment and repair in some areas, such as a downstairs toilet and the conservatory. The kitchen has been recently refitted, and the living room is like that of any homely, domestic dwelling. The young person is sleeping on a damaged bed base without any sheets or covers on a duvet. It is not documented what action, if any, is being taken to address this. The home is providing containment for the young person, and he is safer because of the move from the previous home.

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Requires improvement

Risk is inconsistently recorded across three separate documents, including a recently introduced electronic system. The quality of risk assessments and behaviour management records is poor and does not evidence understanding of the risks and how these are being managed or effectively reduced. There is a lack of planning for or guidance on how staff should deal with socially unacceptable behaviour, such as swearing or damage to property. The young person has also been allowed access to unsuitable, age-inappropriate videos and a video game. Staff were unsure whether they are able to monitor the young person’s internet use when accessed through a personal mobile phone, and there is little evidence of ensuring that the young person knows how to keep himself safe when accessing the internet. There are gaps in the monitoring of fire safety equipment, and several fire doors did not have effective closures fitted. The manager is unaware whether all staff

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Requires improvement

have completed fire safety checks. These shortfalls have the potential to compromise the safety of young people and staff in the event of a fire. Action was taken to address this during the inspection. The young person feels safe and demonstrates an element of trust in the staff who care for him. Staff feel that he listens to them more, and they have been able to link some of the rewards to behaviour that needs to change. Restraint is only used as a last resort to manage very serious or dangerous behaviour and it has not been used in this home since the young person moved in. The young person’s safety has improved since he moved to this home. There have not been any incidents of the young person being missing, and he has been removed from the negative influences of another child looked after. Staff recruitment records detail the information needed to avoid those being employed in this home who may seek to harm children.

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Requires improvement

Staff are able to respond effectively and know how to deal with allegations or suspicions of abuse to protect young people.

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Inadequate

Many of the shortfalls identified during this inspection relate to poor or ineffective management of the home. Some of the strengths and weaknesses of the home are known to the manager. However, it is not clear whether he has the capacity or skill to make and sustain the required changes without additional support and mentoring. Requirements and recommendations set at this service’s previous full inspection have not been satisfactorily addressed. There is some attention to practice development, and the manager has been working to implement and trial an electronic recording system. Unfortunately, this has caused additional confusion especially about records, risk assessment and planning. Records do not support understanding of the young person, his support needs or ways in which to manage difficult behaviour. Aside from increased contact with some important family members, progress made by the young person is limited. There has been a recent reduction in school

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Inadequate

attendance and in social and community activities. Care planning does not focus on the daily needs of the young person. It is not up to date or reviewed to consider what else could be done to effect change. There are not effective strategies in place to deal with the most prominent issues, such as school attendance, socially unacceptable behaviour or isolation. Supervision practice lacks the frequency or quality needed to ensure that staff are clear about the needs of young people and are offering the best possible service to them. Records of supervision, appraisals and probation reviews are not complete, have little or no element of agreed actions or development needs and lack the signatures of staff. Monitoring of the home by the manager has not led to suitable development planning or addressing the shortfalls identified during this inspection. The manager and staff are in regular communication with the school and placing

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Inadequate

authority to keep them updated. The home also has the services of a clinical psychologist to help staff to understand behaviour. Training provided to the staff supports their job roles, and the manager has just completed a foundation degree-level leadership and management qualification.

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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 that 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 that 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 whom 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

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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