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

Inspection report children’s home: SC458812 1 SC458812 Registered provider: Phoenix Learning And Care Ltd

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is registered to provide care and accommodation for one young person who has emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. It is operated by a local private provider which owns a number of children’s homes in the area.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

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

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good

Date of last inspection: 9 February 2017

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: Sustained effectiveness

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Enforcement action since last inspection

None Inspection report children’s home: SC458812 2

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people make good and sustained progress with their social, emotional and educational development from their starting points. This is due to the trusting, nurturing relationships that they develop with the staff team, which is a strength of the home.  Feedback from the young person living at the home, their parents and placing social worker is overwhelmingly positive. The placing social worker said: ‘I am really impressed with the provider and the home, it is really child-focused.’  The manager and the staff have high aspirations and expectations of themselves and the young person, who responds positively to these. The young person has made notable progress, from being a young person who refused education for two years to one who is now top of the school in maths and able to sit a maths GCSE one year early. Their self-esteem and confidence is improved through the staff’s success at supporting them to take pride in their

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Key findings from this inspection

appearance and eat healthily.  The young person feels safe at the home and comments that they are able to speak with the staff about anything. The staff know the young person very well and are curious and vigilant. This helps to ensure the safety of the young person. The young person no longer goes missing, nor engages in risk-taking behaviours.  The young person respects the staff team and responds positively to the clear and consistent boundaries that the staff put in place.  The registered manager provides strong leadership and direction. She is respected and trusted by the staff and morale is good in the home. Records and documents are well organised and kept up-to-date.  All three requirements from the previous inspection have been fully met.  Leaders and managers are aware of the strengths and areas for improvement in the home and have a detailed development plan in place to tackle the shortfalls.

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Key findings from this inspection

The manager is committed to improvement of the home and improving the outcomes and progress of the young person.

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The children’s home’s areas for development

 The manager and staff have not fully explored all options and services available to support the young person to stop smoking.  The care plans do not clearly document the targets in place for the young person and therefore do not clearly evidence the progress that the young person is making. Inspection report children’s home: SC458812 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

09/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 12/09/2016 Full Requires improvement 01/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 03/11/2015 Full Requires improvement Inspection report children’s home: SC458812 4

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Recommendations

 Ensure that care plans devised by the home contain information about how progress will be monitored and measured and ensure that targets set are regularly reviewed. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 56, paragraph 11.2)  Ensure that healthcare plans contain detailed information about how the staff intend to encourage and support a young person to stop smoking. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 33, paragraph 7.3)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff succeed in supporting the young person to make progress in all areas of their life. The young person moved between a number of places prior to arriving at this home 12 months ago. The young person is now settled in to this home and has formed nurturing, engaged and trusting relationships with the staff team. These positive relationships support the young person to take fewer risks, succeed at school and be positive for the future.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young person said: ‘I have got better at controlling my anger and have lost weight. They always ask my opinion about things. I miss my home town, it’s more exciting there, but I am happy here.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff keep to consistent routines and boundaries which benefits the young person. This sense of order and safety enables the young person to make progress with their education. Before arriving at this home, the young person had been out of education for two years. The young person is now established at a nearby school. The school reports that they have made so much progress that they will be able to take their maths GCSE one year early.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Comprehensive placement plans are in place and they capture the complex care needs of the young person. The manager is currently improving the plans by adding in targets that can be monitored. The manager intends to clearly evidence the obvious progress that the young person has made, and this can then be shared and celebrated with the young person, who is fully involved in writing the plan. The manager, staff and young person have created a detailed memory book, which is full of photographs of the young person and staff. It details the story of the young person’s time so far living in the home. When they leave, they will take a lot of positive memories with them contained in the book. The manager and staff stay in touch with previous young people who were resident at the home, who state in thank you cards, ‘You are my rock.’ Inspection report children’s home: SC458812 5 The young person is now being trusted to build up their free time and become more

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

independent. The staff encourage the young person to take a full part in the day-to-day running of the home. The young person has been able to buy two rabbits and learn animal care and to take responsibility for their pets.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young person’s social worker comments that the young person is making good progress. They comment that a notable success is with the young person succeeding in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. The staff attend a slimming club with them and eat the same healthy meals in order to keep up the young person’s motivation. The manager is pro-active in sourcing activities and clubs for the young person to attend. One of these is a local project that supports young people to maintain a healthy weight, understand nutrition and to exercise. The young person happily attends these sessions, which is great progress as previously they would not discuss healthy eating or participate in physical exercise. The staff have failed to encourage the young person to stop smoking.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff succeed in encouraging the young person to take a pride in their appearance. As a result, the young person feels good about them self and makes sure that they are smartly presented when they go out of the house.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young person enjoys participating in a range of activities. This is progress in that the young person did not have the confidence to join in with activities when they first came to the home. They participate in swimming, music lessons and going to the gym.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The parents of the young person comment that communication from the manager and staff at the home is very good and they are kept informed. The staff support regular contact to the young person’s home town, where they meet with their parents and friends. This stops the young person from trying to run back to their parents without permission. One parent said: ‘My child’s attitude is better, their education has got better, they used to be missing all the time. They are safe there. There is nothing I am concerned about, it is a good place for them.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff create a home that has a calm and relaxed atmosphere. Regular decoration and maintenance ensures that the home is clean, tidy and well decorated. The young person’s bedroom is personalised with wallpaper of their choice. Photographs of the young person, their family and the staff are displayed throughout the home, giving the young person a sense of ownership and permanence.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The young person living at the home commented that they feel safe and could name a member of staff who they completely trust and who they could talk to about anything. The young person has lived at the home for 12 months. As a result of the staff sensitively, slowly and carefully building very nurturing and trusting relationships with the young person, they are no longer going missing. There has been no need for physical restraint and serious incidents are greatly reduced. Inspection report children’s home: SC458812 6 The manager and staff have established effective links with local safeguarding professionals, and any safeguarding concerns have been appropriately referred and managed. This prompt action promotes the safety of the young person.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

If the young person does make a mistake, the staff effectively help them to understand their mistake and how they could have acted differently in a situation. The manager invites other agencies to the home, such as the community police, to speak with the young person. This is effective in helping the young person to understand their mistakes and not repeat them.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The staff know the young person very well and are vigilant. This means, for example, that they know all of the people who the young person usually speaks with on their mobile phone. The staff intervene if they are at all suspicious that they do not know who the young person is contacting. They are curious and discuss any concerns they have with the young person. As a result of this vigilance and trusting relationship, the young person is no longer contacting undesirable people who may pose a risk to their safety. The staff commented that the young person is downstairs in the house with them most of the time and is no longer being secretive and shutting themselves in their bedroom. E-safety is taken seriously at the home and the staff are pro-active in enforcing the e- safety policy, such as mobile phones handed in at night and appropriately restricted access to the internet.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The young person has improved their behaviour and was observed to have respectful relationships with the staff, where in the past this was an area of difficulty for them. The staff focus on encouraging positive behaviour through a points system, where the young person can earn rewards. The manager has devised a ‘thank you’ diary, where the young person is thanked for positive behaviour, for example cleaning their room or getting the washing in.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Identified risks are managed through clear and comprehensive risk assessments. These documents clearly state any risks and what action the staff should take to manage these risks. The staff feel confident that they are aware of all risks and the actions they should take to help to ensure the safety of the young person. The manager and staff allow the young person to take risks while keeping them safe. For example, the young person is allowed to gradually build up their free time, first by walking to the local shops and then building it up to two hours of free time in the local shopping centre.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Recruitment procedures are robust and ensure that only suitable people are employed in the home. The company is reviewing its records of recruitment to detail what checks have taken place or are outstanding, so that managers can easily monitor and review these documents.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home was without a registered manager for some time. The present manager Inspection report children’s home: SC458812 7 became registered with Ofsted on 19 May and has been in post as manager since November 2016. The positive impact of her appointment is very evident. She has an ambitious vision and high aspirations for the home and the young person. The staff have responded positively to her initiatives and high expectations of staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A full staff team is now in place and is providing consistent and stable care to the young person. The care staff team is currently all female. The manager recognises that gender diversity would be positive for the young person. Despite her efforts, no male care workers have been recruited. To remedy this, the manager tries to cover any staff gaps that have arisen through sickness or leave with male members of staff from other homes in the group. Staffing ratios are high due to the complex care needs of the young person. The staff work with sensitivity and allow the young person ‘space’. They succeed in not appearing intrusive or overbearing.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff report that they are well trained, well supported both by the manager and the organisation and regularly supervised. One member of staff said: ‘We have grown as a team together. We have a consistent thinking process and all have high standards. When there are challenging issues, the staff are strong and supportive.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

All of the staff are either qualified to an appropriate level or are enrolled on the level 3 childcare course. The company offers a wide range of training alongside the mandatory topics such as first aid, physical intervention, administration of medication and safeguarding.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is extremely well organised. Records and documents are easily found and are comprehensive and up-to-date. The registered manager has recently updated the home’s statement of purpose, and it is now accurate and informative. Any young person arriving at the home benefits from reading the home’s children’s guide, which is presented in a child-friendly format and contains all of the information that a young person needs, including contact details for Childline and Ofsted.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A strength of the home is how the young person’s views and opinions are listened to and acted upon by the manager and the staff. Views of the young person are gathered through key-worker sessions, surveys and day-to-day conversations with the staff. For example, the young person has fully contributed to the decoration of the home and choices of menus.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Robust quality monitoring systems are now in place. Monthly visits from an independent person are rigorous and comprehensive. Actions are set for the manager as a result of these visits. The registered manager also undertakes effective quality monitoring checks and is pro-active in addressing any shortfalls. Inspection report children’s home: SC458812 8

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the difference made to the lives of children and young people. They watched how professional staff work with children and young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care provided. Wherever possible, they talked to children and 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.

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Information about this inspection

Using the ‘Social care common inspection framework’, this inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, 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’. Inspection report children’s home: SC458812 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Phoenix Learning And Care Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Phoenix Learning And Care Ltd, Rolle Quay, Barnstaple EX31 1JE

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Inspector

Tina Maddison, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC458812 10 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, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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