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

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged good at the full inspection. At this interim inspection Ofsted judges that it has declined in effectiveness . Since the previous inspection, managers and staff have been unable to respond effectively to meet the needs of the young people placed together in the home. Young people currently living in the home are not well matched. Pre-placement risk assessments are not well informed and underestimate the impact of the presenting concerns. They do not provide full details of previous placement breakdowns. Young people have both complex and competing needs as a result of their historical experiences. They influence and encourage one another to take part in difficult, dangerous and criminal behaviour. Staff are not managing these risks well and as a result fail to keep young people safe. Devon and Cornwall police have issued warning letters to all the young people living in the home, which describe

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

their behaviour as a ‘risk to themselves and the local community’. Behaviour management is inadequate. The staff team has been too slow to respond when behaviour and activities are getting out of control. There is very little use of physical intervention techniques, even when there is a clear and serious risk to young people and members of the community. Instructions recorded by the manager have been ignored by staff, including not allowing young people to have access to aerosols and not giving them money. Some young people have been allowed to go out unsupervised into the local community when they are not safe and are unable to regulate their own behaviour. Planning documents are incomplete or out of date. Staff struggle to find key information to support their understanding of young people’s circumstances and needs. Young people’s daily records are inadequate. Some information is contradictory. Significant information and unrelated information are often mixed

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

together. Risk-taking behaviour is often recorded among detail about what a young person had to eat. Language is frequently subjective: one member of staff has recorded that, in response to difficult and challenging behaviour by one young person, they told the young person (aged 12) to ‘stop behaving silly and grow up’. Access to the internet is not appropriate. Young people aged 12 have been allowed to access social networking sites. Alongside dangerous behaviour, young people also continue to put their health at risk. Two 12-year-olds are smoking cigarettes on a regular basis. A social worker reported that the staff were managing a young person well, although some key paperwork had not been provided to her by the home. She was unaware of correspondence from the police. Despite several requests, the social worker had still not received an account of a young person’s arrival at the home, relating to which she questioned the suitability of the transport arrangements.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The environment is in a poor state of repair and refurbishment. Bedrooms were found to be in an unacceptable state. One particularly is dirty, all surfaces and fittings are damaged and the young people’s belongings are strewn across the floor. The surface of a communal table is scrawled with crude graffiti. There is no evidence that the staff have acted appropriately to ensure that a more suitable environment is provided as an important part of nurturing young people. Young people do not experience consistency of staffing. A number of staff have left the home, and levels of staff sickness have increased. Vacancies and gaps in staffing have been filled by both bank and agency staff. Few staff have the experience or knowledge required, and, generally, staff do not demonstrate the skills needed to manage the current behaviour of young people. Consequently, there is an over-involvement of the local police in the lives of young people.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager does not have access to all the information necessary to be assured that suitable pre-employment checks have been undertaken. Agency and bank staff records lack detail of employment history and references. Supervision and guidance for some staff, including the manager, lack the frequency needed to make sure that they understand their roles and responsibilities and can manage the young people in their care. One young person has moved to more independent accommodation since the previous inspection. Staff continue to offer support and guidance to this young person. He is doing well and attends a full-time apprentice programme, which was set up when he lived at the home. The manager and staff are able to build relationships with parents and other family members who are important to young people. This work in partnership allows young people to spend more time with parents and siblings. Staff work in partnership with schools to try to support young people attending

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

school more regularly. One young person attends full-time education while others are struggling to engage after significant periods of absence from school. Staff encourage young people to take part in activities. During school holidays, they go out to places of interest or do activities on most days. They also enjoy bike riding and visits to theme parks.

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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 who have 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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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, the 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

31: Staffing of children’s homes Fitness of workers 32. – (1) The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety. (2) The registered person may only – (a) employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or (b) if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home, if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3). (3) The requirements are that – (a) the individual is of integrity and good character; (b) the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform; (c) the individual is mentally and physically fit for the purposes of the work that the individual is to perform; and (d) full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the

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Requirement Due date

individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. 05/04/2017

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Requirement Due date

12: The protection of children standard 12. – (1) The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe. (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; (iii) have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm; (iv) manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other; 05/04/2017 (v) understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person; (vi) take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and (vii) are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s

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Requirement Due date

child protection policies; (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; (c) that the premises used for the purposes of the home are located so that children are effectively safeguarded; (d) that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health.

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Requirement Due date

14: 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; and (b) have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure – (a) that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose; (b) that arrangements are in place to – (i) ensure the effective induction of each child into the home; (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;

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Requirement Due date

(e) that the child’s placing authority is contacted, and a review of that child’s relevant plans is requested, if – (i) the registered person considers that the child is at risk of harm or has concerns that the care provided for the child is inadequate to meet the child’s needs; 05/04/2017

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Requirement Due date

13: The leadership and management standard 13. – (1) The leadership and management standard is that the 05/04/2017 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 – (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; (b) ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate; (c) ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; (d) ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child; (e) ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child; (f) understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the

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Requirement Due date

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 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:  Many children placed in homes may undergo a difficult transition and what should be simple aspects of their care take on substantial significance in this context. Staff should provide a nurturing environment that is welcoming and supportive and which provides appropriate boundaries in ration to their behaviour. Homes must also meet children’s basic needs and physical necessities. Staff should seek to meet the child’s basic needs in the way that a good parent would, recognising that many children in residential care have experienced environments where these needs have not been consistently met. Doing so is an important aspect of demonstrating that the staff care for the children and value them as individuals. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.7)

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Recommendations

 Staff should be familiar with the home’s policies 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 a child must 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)  The registered person must have systems in place so that all staff, including the manager, receive supervision of their practice from an appropriately qualified and experienced professional, which allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2)

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What the inspection judgements mean

At the interim inspection we make a judgement on whether the home has improved in effectiveness, sustained effectiveness, or declined in effectiveness since the previous full inspection. This is in line with the ‘Inspection of children’s homes: framework for inspection’.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors 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 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 focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection. This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the

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Information about this inspection

effectiveness of the service and to consider how well it complies with the Children’s 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 0300 123 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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