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

Inspection report children's home: SC478152 1 SC478152 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 up to four female young people who have experienced child sexual exploitation. The service offers therapeutic intervention as a part of the placement agreement. On-site educational facilities are also available.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 13 to 14 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: 1 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: SC478152 2

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Key findings from this inspection

 The young people make very good progress. The foundations of this are the trusting and nurturing relationships that the staff build with them. The staff understand the comprehensive needs of the young people. They support them effectively to help overcome the trauma they have previously experienced and to become more resilient.  The staff support the young people to learn new skills, such as how to keep themselves safe on the internet and how to build healthy relationships, their self-esteem and their confidence, as a part of the therapeutic programme. One young person said: ‘I have learned to be more resilient; I don’t hurt myself so much now.’  The staff succeed in keeping the young people, who previously engaged in risk- taking behaviours, safe. Incidents of young people being missing and self- harming have reduced. The young people are encouraged to be as independent as possible while learning how to keep themselves safe.

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Key findings from this inspection

 The healthcare needs of young people are promoted. The staff support the young people to eat healthily, take part in physical activity and attend medical appointments. The young people benefit from regular therapeutic intervention that takes place in the home as part of their plan.  The promotion of equality and diversity is a strength of the home. Managers and staff teach the young people tolerance and acceptance of religious, sexual and racial differences. The young people are supported to improve their self- confidence, understand their identity and learn to be proud of who they are.  Leaders and managers provide clear direction and leadership in the home. The staff team is well supported and supervised. The staff commented positively about the range of training available in the home, which equips them with the skills they need to care for the young people.  The young people make very good progress with their education. Young people

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Key findings from this inspection

who previously refused to engage with education are now regularly attending school and making progress. One young person, who previously refused any education, has succeeded in passing her GCSE examinations and has gone on to employment and college.

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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

 Placement plans do not clearly document how progress will be measured. Therapeutic intervention is a large part of the placement. However, the outcomes from therapeutic sessions are not always documented in the plan so that the staff have all of the information they need to support the young person effectively. Inspection report children's home: SC478152 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

01/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 20/09/2016 Full Good 06/07/2016 Full Inadequate 10/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children's home: SC478152 4

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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

Ensure that arrangements are in place to manage and review the placement of children in the home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that each child has a placement plan that contains clear aims and objectives that are regularly reviewed and document progress. In addition, that therapeutic aims and objectives arising from therapy sessions are incorporated into the plan. (Regulation 14 (2)(b)(ii)) 06/10/2017

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people make significant progress. They are placed at the home to undertake an individualised 18-month therapeutic programme, following incidents of significant exploitation and trauma. The staff succeed in engaging the young people in trusting, nurturing relationships that form the foundations for them to progress. The young people were observed having fun with the staff while always being respectful towards them and respecting the boundaries.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young people benefit from living in a home that is well decorated and maintained. It provides a very homely and welcoming environment for them to live in. Daily routines run smoothly. Birthdays and special occasions are celebrated. On the day of the inspection, the young people were helping each other with their make-up and clothes, prior to going out with staff for a celebration meal. The staff and the other young people decorated the home with birthday banners and pictures, enabling the young person to feel special and valued.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All of the young people are making good progress with their education. Prior to coming to the home, all were refusing to attend school. All are now regularly attending and making progress. One young person passed her GCSE exams last year and is now attending college and also has been successful in obtaining a part-time job.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Placement plans are individualised. Information for staff is kept in a number of different documents which makes them sometimes difficult to find. Plans detail the care needs of the young people and how the staff are to meet these needs. However, the progress of Inspection report children's home: SC478152 5 the young people is not clearly documented to inform the next steps.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Healthcare needs of the young people are fully met. Healthy eating is encouraged and the young people learn to cook healthy meals. Physical fitness is encouraged and the young people take part in a variety of activities, including bowling, walking and riding. Emotional healthcare needs of the young people are met through regular sessions with the home’s psychologists. On arrival, each young person undertakes a psychological assessment to ascertain how best to help overcome previous trauma and build resilience. An individual therapy programme is then put into place. These programmes are documented separately from placement plans. Staff do not always benefit from clear direction from the psychologists, so they are not always able to continue the therapeutic work in the day-to-day support offered to the young people. The young people are making progress with overcoming the trauma they have experienced. One young person

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

is now making good eye contact and is more confident. Another has significantly reduced her self-harming behaviours and all have reduced their risk-taking behaviour.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young people are well prepared for the future. They are encouraged step by step to become more confident and independent. This is achieved through a programme that supports them to learn new skills, such as cooking, budgeting and enjoying free time. A major part of the programme is to equip them with the skills they need to keep themselves safe. This includes building self-esteem, confidence and learning about how to avoid being exploited by others. All of the young people have a clear exit plan that they are working towards. For example, some are going to return to their family home and others are leaving to live independently.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff support the young people to have regular contact with their families. Some young people live a long way from their home town. They are able to Skype their families and make regular telephone calls. Families are welcome to visit the home and are made welcome by the staff, who are in regular contact with them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Placing social workers comment very positively about the progress that their young person has made since coming to the home. One placing social worker said: ‘I never expected she would be so far along; it is excellent, she is now talking about her feelings and views.’ Another said: ‘It is great to see her [the young person] improved so much.’

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

The young people said that they feel safe living in the home and could all name a member of staff they could trust and speak with if they felt worried about anything. Risk assessments are up to date, individualised and explain how identified individual risks will be managed. The staff achieve a good balance of keeping the young people safe while allowing them to take managed risks, learn and make progress. For example, free time is slowly built up as the young people earn trust by keeping in touch with the staff when out and returning at an agreed time.

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

Incidents of the young people going missing and engaging in high-risk behaviours are reducing. The staff achieve this through building trusting relationships where the young Inspection report children's home: SC478152 6 people feel able to discuss any worries and thoughts they have about going missing and meeting unsuitable people. One placing social worker said: ‘… there is a big reduction in self-harm. She has improved self-worth. Her general risk is reduced; she is not now wanting to hurt herself. Staff have earned her trust. It is great to see her improved so much.’

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

The young people engage in sessions with the staff to learn how to keep themselves safe on the internet, how to avoid being exploited by others, the dangers of extremism and how to build their confidence. Young people who previously self-harmed have significantly reduced these behaviours. One young person said: ‘staff give me good support to keep me safe.’

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

Behaviour is well managed. The young people report that rules are fair and the staff consistently put boundaries in place. One young person said: ‘Rules are clear, like if you don’t go to school, you don’t go out.’ Behaviour management plans and individual profiles are in place to guide the staff how best to support each young person. The young people are involved in writing the plans and inform staff in what they think is the most effective way to support them.

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

Safeguarding concerns are swiftly and effectively reported to the relevant authorities and appropriate action is taken to protect the young person. The staff are vigilant and work closely with the police, parents and placing authorities. This is to ensure that they have all the information they need, such as known addresses and names of friends, so they can contact them should the young person be missing and they may have gone there.

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

Leaders and managers undertake careful recruitment of new staff. They make appropriate checks to ensure that they are suitable. The manager is clear that due to the care needs of the young people, she needs to be very careful about who she recruits to the staff team, to ensure that they have the necessary skills and experience.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager provides strong leadership and direction to the staff. She is skilled, experienced and appropriately qualified. The staff report that they are well supported and benefit from receiving regular and challenging supervision and appraisal.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has high aspirations for, and expectations of the young people and the staff. These are communicated through regular staff and house meetings and informal supervision. One member of staff said: ‘Staff feel happy and comfortable and in a good place.’ Another member of staff said: ‘The manager is very supportive, we know where we are going. We know what we are going to achieve.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager will strongly challenge if she believes that the young people are not receiving the best possible service from other professionals. She has developed good working relationships with placing authorities, the police and the families of the young people. Inspection report children's home: SC478152 7 A strength of the home is how managers and the staff promote equality and diversity. The young people arrive at the home from very diverse backgrounds and some young people were making racist comments about others. Through sensitive education and discussion, barriers have been broken down. One young person said: ‘I have got used to different cultures.’ Other young people have been supported effectively to understand their sexuality and identity. This has helped them to be more confident, understand themselves and be happy with who they are.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is fully aware of the home’s strengths and areas for development. She has written a detailed development plan for the home. One area that is being developed is placement planning and reordering of placement planning documents. She has clear ideas about how the home will further develop and improve. An independent person visits the home monthly and provides comprehensive and challenging reports. The manager then identifies how she will address any shortfalls in a timely manner. These shortfalls are then followed up the next month to ensure that they have been addressed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The views of the young people, the staff, professionals and families are regularly gathered through survey forms, house meetings and discussions. Ideas and concerns arising from these are addressed and put in place. For example, one young person and their family requested that she be able to keep her horse near to the home. Staff are now supporting her with this by transporting her daily and using the horse as part of her therapy plan.

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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 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: SC478152 8

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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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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Stephen Nicholson

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Inspector

Tina Maddison, social care inspector Inspection report children's home: SC478152 9 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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