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

Inspection report children’s home: SC463431 1 SC463431 Registered provider: Phoenix Learning And Care Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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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 is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to two young people who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. Young people can attend education at the company school or through external provision.

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Information about this children’s home

The provider operates a number of other services for children and young people in the South West of England.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 31 August to 1 September 2017

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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: 11 January 2017

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: Improved effectiveness

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

None Inspection report children’s home: SC463431 2

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Key findings from this inspection

 Leaders, managers and staff provide a welcoming home for young people. The staff team provides young people with good-quality, nurturing care.

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Key findings from this inspection

 The registered manager and staff team are passionate about the care of young people. Overall, aspirations for young people and the home are high.

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Key findings from this inspection

The children’s home’s areas for development:

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people are not receiving enough support to lead healthy and active lifestyles. This includes support to develop healthy relationships with other young people.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Pre-admission planning is not always robust enough. This led to one young person leaving the home after a short time.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/01/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 07/09/2016 Full Requires improvement 01/02/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 26/11/2015 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC463431 3

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet 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

9: The enjoyment and achievement standard

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Requirement Due date

(1) The enjoyment and achievement standard is that children take part in and benefit from a variety of activities that meet their needs and develop and reflect their creative, cultural, intellectual, physical and social interests and skills.

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Requirement Due date

(2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— (a) that staff help each child to— (i) develop the child’s interests and hobbies; (ii) participate in activities that the child enjoys and which meet and expand the child’s interests and preferences; and (iii) make a positive contribution to the home and the wider community; and (b) that each child has access to a range of activities that enable the child to pursue the child’s interests and hobbies.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, young people must be supported to lead healthy and active lifestyles. This includes support to develop healthy relationships with other young people. 16/10/2017

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home provides a welcoming environment for young people. It is maintained and cleaned to a high standard. The environment is further enhanced by the registered manager and staff team who provide young people with good-quality, nurturing care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, there have been three young people who have only lived at the home for a short time. The reasons for these shorter stays were circumstantial overall, although on one occasion, pre-admission planning was not robust enough and contributed to the decision for the young person to move. Inspection report children’s home: SC463431 4 One young person left in a planned way and was supported well to move on to semi- independent living. The staff are still in contact with this young person, which supports the ongoing positive development of their self-esteem.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Feedback from the young person who currently lives at the home, other professionals, and a family member, has also been very positive regarding the individualised care provided to the young person. The young person plays an active role in their own care planning. This includes being part of team meetings and being enabled to consistently share their views.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young person currently living at the home informed the inspector that they liked their home, and that they would not like to change anything. This young person has been at the home for only a few months, and staff have developed good relationships with them during this time. However, interaction with other young people of the young person’s own age is limited. The young person does not currently have any social interests. This means that, aside from contact with family members, the young person spends their time with staff members.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young person is also not yet in full-time education. However, the registered manager is strongly advocating for the young person in order to ensure that educational provision is organised for the September term.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

During the summer months, staff supported the young person to try new experiences, including a trip to a seaside island, which they greatly enjoyed. Other activities include swimming and fishing.

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

Risk assessments are working documents that accurately reflect the progress made by young people. Only relevant risks are assessed, and young people’s progression in respect of risks reducing is recognised. This is good practice and supports young people to develop positive behaviours.

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

Behaviour management approaches are based on learning and nurturing. Only one sanction has been recorded since the last inspection. The approach that staff take to managing an episode of challenging behaviour is to support the young person to reflect on the incident. This approach works well and reduces the need for sanctions.

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

There have been no significant safeguarding incidents since the last inspection. However, arrangements to protect young people are clear. For example, systems to support young people to use the internet safely are good.

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

The registered manager and her staff team strongly advocate for the needs of young people. This includes times when other professionals are not meeting the best interests of young people. For example, staff supported the current young person to make a Inspection report children’s home: SC463431 5 complaint regarding the shortfalls of other professionals. The registered manager and senior staff member have also followed this up by making a further complaint. The registered manager is dedicated to pursuing these complaints in order to ensure that the young person’s needs are met.

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

On one occasion, the registered manager sought to help a young person move to a different home. This was due to the risks associated with repeat absconding. The young person moved after a matter of days, which was in line with their needs, wishes and feelings.

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

The young person spoken with during the inspection told the inspector that they felt safe in their home. The young person commented that they were much happier in this home than they had been when living at previous homes.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager and her staff team are passionate about the care that they provide to young people. Overall aspirations for young people and the home are high. The registered manager consistently reviews the standards of care provided to young people in order to ascertain and act upon areas for improvement.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Due to the previous short stays of three young people, and the current young person only living at the home for a few months, it is not possible to clarify whether there has been significant progress for these young people. However, it is clear that the young person currently living at the home is settling well, and that care planning is evolving in order to support positive outcomes for them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Recruitment is safe, and supervision systems are of a good standard. This ensures that the ability of staff to meet the needs of young people is consistently monitored. Ongoing professional development through the provision of training is also consistently monitored, and any gaps in training needs are quickly identified and dealt with.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has good working relationships with other professionals that promote the best possible all-round support to children and young people in all areas of their development. The registered manager also actively challenges others who are not meeting the needs of young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Young people’s views are consistently considered within formal and informal care planning. This is evident within recorded documentation and within the ethos of the home.

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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 differences made to the lives Inspection report children’s home: SC463431 6 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 whom 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: SC463431 7

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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: Rolle Quay, Barnstaple EX31 1JE

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Inspector(s)

Polly Soper, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC463431 8 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector(s)

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Inspector(s)

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Inspector(s)

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