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

Inspection report children’s home: SC038167 1 SC038167 Registered provider: Phoenix Child Care Limited

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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. It provides care and accommodation for up to four children who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties and/or a learning disability.

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Information about this children’s home

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged requires improvement to be good at the last full inspection. At the interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has declined in effectiveness.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

While some very good work has taken place to support the children’s development at this home, significant safeguarding shortfalls present a risk to children and leave them vulnerable.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

In the absence of the interim manager, child protection concerns were dealt with well. However, on other occasions safeguarding concerns were not always handled correctly. On several occasions, delays in referring serious concerns to the relevant safeguarding agencies have occurred. Inspection report children’s home: SC038167 2 On occasions, when staff have made errors of judgement the acting manager has failed to address the deficits with the member of staff in supervision. As a result, staff are not supported to improve their practice.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The staff team fails to ensure that children’s medication is always managed safely. In one case, when anomalies in written records occurred, no investigations were undertaken. In another, the staff failed to ensure that medical advice was sought regarding a child who was refusing to take prescribed medication, or that medication was available to him when he moved to another home.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff store the majority of the food in a locked store cupboard that children cannot access. The kitchen cupboards and fridge only contain basic items, although fresh fruit and drinks are freely available. This is necessary because of the needs of a child currently living in the home. However, managers and staff do not have a plan to help the child to develop the skills to enable him to have access to all food items.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Until recently, a senior manager supported the acting manager and the staff team. During her tenure, she helped to create a good nurturing ethos in the home and guided the staff team to base its care on praise and positive regard for the children. This approach helped the children living in the home at that time to learn how to interact with each other, with adults and with their peer group. Since her departure, staff’s ability to manage children’s behaviour has deteriorated. Incidents of violence, aggression and attacks on staff increased. The Christmas period was unsettled and a number of volatile incidents occurred. Staff resorted to calling the police to the home to assist them in dealing with children’s behaviour. This inappropriate use of police resources brings very young and vulnerable children in contact with the police unnecessarily. When the senior manager was leading the home, similar behaviours were dealt with effectively without

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff fail to use a recently introduced electronic recording system effectively to capture the details of events when children go missing from the home and the action taken in response. In addition, leaders and managers have failed to challenge the placing authority when independent return home interviews are not carried out following a child going missing from the home.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

One requirement from the previous inspection is unmet. Children have not been sufficiently involved in helping to plan their care. The requirement is repeated at this inspection.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children have good opportunities to make friends and to have fun. For example, both children who have lived in this home since the last inspection were members of local youth clubs and they had both been on holidays with the staff members. One child has been to London to watch his favourite football team and both enjoyed a trip on the ‘Polar Express’ earlier this winter.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Managers worked hard to ensure that both children secured places at local schools. This took some tenacity on their part. During their time in this home, both children had very Inspection report children’s home: SC038167 3 good levels of attendance at school.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

A core team of staff is now established at the home, providing stability and continuity for children. During the inspection, staff members demonstrated a sensitive approach to caring for children. A child was seen cosily tucked up on the sofa with a blanket watching television with staff before bedtime. Another sensitive but important touch noted was that the staff team had kept a child’s lost tooth in a small box, after a visit from the ‘tooth fairy’.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Since the previous inspection, improvements have been made to the property. A new kitchen has been installed and there is a new gravel drive and fencing. A large, nautically themed mural has been painted in the hallway by the children and the staff. The approach to designing and creating the mural was well thought-out; this activity was used to promote positive relations between children and with staff. Overall, the building presents as homely, clean and comfortable.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Record-keeping has improved since the previous inspection. Care plans are well thought- out and easy for staff to access. Risk assessments are detailed and are updated promptly when new risks emerge.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

30/05/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 15/02/2017 Interim Declined in effectiveness 29/11/2016 Full Requires improvement 16/02/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness

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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

6: The quality and purpose of care standard 01/03/2018 Inspection report children’s home: SC038167 4 The quality and purpose of care standard is to ensure that children receive care from staff who–

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Requirement Due date

Understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children; and use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to–

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop resilience and skills that prepare the child to return home, to live in a new placement or to live independently as an adult;

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Requirement Due date

make decisions about the day-to-day arrangements for each child, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans, which gives the child an appropriate degree of freedom and choice.

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to–

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Requirement Due date

meet the needs of each child; and enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b)(2)(b)(vi)(ix)(c)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, develop a strategy to enable children to have full access to food stocks.

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Requirement Due date

7: The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard

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Requirement Due date

The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is to ensure that children receive care from staff who–

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Requirement Due date

develop positive relationships with them; engage with them; and take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to–

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff– 01/03/2018 Inspection report children’s home: SC038167 5 ascertain and consider each child’s views, wishes and feelings, and balance these against what they judge to be in the child’s best interests when making decisions about the child’s care and welfare; help each child to express views, wishes and feelings; help each child to understand how the child’s views, wishes and feelings have been taken into account and give the child reasons for decisions in relation to the child; regularly consult children, and seek their feedback, about the quality of the home’s care.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 7 (1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders, managers and staff must develop creative ways to ensure that children’s wishes have a direct impact on the care they receive.

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standards ensures that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on–

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Requirement Due date

mutual respect and trust; an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and positive responses to other children and adults.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure–

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Requirement Due date

communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding; and have the skills to recognise incidents or indications of bullying and how to deal with them.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(a)(v)(xiii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that staff employ skills to engage children and de-escalate volatile behaviour without resorting to calling the police to the home, unless not to do so would pose a significant risk. 01/03/2018

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Requirement Due date

12: The protection of children standard 01/03/2018 Inspection report children’s home: SC038167 6 The protection of children standard is to ensure that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure–

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Requirement Due date

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; have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm; understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person; take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 12 (1)(a)(2)(i)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that professional medical advice is sought when children refuse medication and ensure that matters are fully investigated when medication cannot be accounted for. 01/03/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees–

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development; receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience.

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Requirement Due date

34: Policies for the protection of children

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy which– 01/03/2018 Inspection report children’s home: SC038167 7 is intended to safeguard children accommodated at the home from abuse or neglect.

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Requirement Due date

The procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect must, in particular–

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Requirement Due date

provide for liaison and co-operation with any local authority which are, or may be, making a child protection enquiry in relation to a child accommodated in the home; provide for the prompt referral of an allegation about current or ongoing abuse or neglect in relation to a child to the placing authority and, if different, the local authority in whose area the home is located; provide for the prompt referral of an allegation about past abuse or neglect in relation to a child to the placing authority and, if different, the local authority in whose area the alleged abuse or neglect occurred.

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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

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.

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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: SC038167 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Phoenix Child Care Limited

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspector

Michelle Oxley, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC038167 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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