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

Inspection report children’s home: 1256771 1 Registered provider: Phoenix Learning And Care Ltd

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three children. It is operated by a private company that has several other homes in the same area.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

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

p.1

good

Date of last inspection: 22 January 2018

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

22/01/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report children’s home: 1256771 2

p.1

Recommendations

 The registered person should actively seek independent scrutiny of the home and make best use of information from independent and internal monitoring (including under regulations 44 and 45) to ensure continuous improvement. They should be skilled in anticipating difficulties and reviewing incidents, such as learning from disruptions and placement breakdowns. They are responsible for proactively implementing lessons learned and sustaining good practice. In particular, the registered manager must develop the necessary skills so that he can better extract information from the home’s electronic recording system and use it to inform the development of the home and children’s progress. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 55, paragraph 10.24)  Children must be consulted regularly on their views about the home’s care, to inform and support continued improvement in the quality of care provided. Due

p.2

Recommendations

consideration should be given to the child’s cognitive ability in the development and implementation of any consultation processes. Children should be able to see the results of their views being listened to and acted upon. In particular, ensure that the children are included where possible in the recruitment process. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 22, paragraph 4.11)  Where children placed in a home are not participating in education because they have been excluded or are not on a school roll for some other reason, the registered person and staff must work closely with the placing authority so that the child is supported and enabled to resume full-time education as soon as possible. In the interim, the child should be supported to sustain or regain their confidence in education and be engaged in suitable structured activities. If no education place is identified by the placing authority, the registered person must

p.2

Recommendations

challenge them to meet the child’s needs under regulation 5 (engaging with the wider system to ensure children’s needs are met). (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 28, paragraph 5.15)

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive good-quality individualised care and support. Staff place the well-being and safety of the children at the centre of their practice. A strength of the staff is their nurturing approach. Staff support the children to better understand their feelings and worries. As a result, children make trusting and positive relationships with the staff.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Most children make progress in their education and attend school regularly. For one child, there has been a delay in returning to formal education following the closure of Inspection report children’s home: 1256771 3 their school. However, there is clear evidence of challenge and advocacy by the registered manager and staff members, and interim learning opportunities provided.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy a wide and varied range of activities. Staff take a sensible and proportionate view of risk, ensuring that the children have access to many different fun experiences. As a result, they form friendships, and develop confidence through play.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help children to share their views and wishes. Holidays, days out and activities are child-focused and child-led. Children informing the development of the home needs to be improved, in particular the recruitment of staff.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health needs are clearly identified and promoted, and there is good management of medicines and regular attendance at routine health appointments.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff team has been consistent for some time. As a result, the quality of the relationships between the staff and children are positive. There is a lot of laughter in the home and good-humoured banter that indicates how strong the relationships are. One child spoken with said: ‘I really like it.’ The inspector observed very loving and caring responses by the staff towards the children.

p.3

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

There are effective safeguarding procedures and a culture of safeguarding children in the home. All staff receive safeguarding training and have a good understanding of protocols and processes, including whistle-blowing.

p.3

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

The registered manager identifies when children are at risk, for example poor practice by staff. Serious incidents are promptly referred to all professionals involved with the children. The registered manager understands his role in safeguarding children. He ensures that the whole staff team remains up to date with safeguarding training and that they have an understanding of child protection. Supervisions and team meetings provide staff with good opportunities to reflect on practice and update their knowledge.

p.3

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

All staff have an understanding of how the children’s previous experiences and trauma may impact on their behaviours. The company commissions a clinical psychologist to support the staff, in terms of meeting the children’s emotional needs. As a result of this intervention, incidents of physical intervention are rare, and there has been a significant reduction in the children becoming upset.

p.3

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

The ethos of the home is one that promotes positive behaviour. Staff use strategies, incentives and rewards to help the children behave positively, and the children choose their own rewards and incentives with the staff. These may be an activity or a trip out. The inspector found extensive evidence in the form of pictures, photographs and reports of the positive impact on the children as a direct result of a reward they had chosen.

p.3

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

Children do not go missing from the home. Despite this, should a child go missing the staff have a good understanding of how to support their safe return. Inspection report children’s home: 1256771 4

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is relatively new to the role. He is, however, experienced in working with children, qualified and is enthusiastic about improving the outcomes for the children. He is committed to ensuring that the children receive high-quality care and support, and he leads by example. As a result, the home is managed well.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Comprehensive care and support plans provide staff with guidance on how to meet the children’s individual needs. The registered manager ensures that they are regularly updated and reviewed. There is very good evidence of challenge and advocacy by the registered manager within these documents, for example a school being swiftly identified for a child without formal education.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager and staff team have positive relationships with local authorities. Regularly sharing information with commissioners and stakeholders has resulted directly in reducing placement breakdowns.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the home, and there are effective systems in place to monitor the quality of care, including the routine visits of the independent visitor and an electronic recording system. However, there is insufficient evidence of how the registered manager makes use of the electronic recording system to support the improvement of the home and the progress of the children.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

As well as mandatory training, the registered manager provides all staff with opportunities to refresh their knowledge. He provides staff with time to reflect on their practice and identify new learning opportunities. Staff spoken with said that they were very happy working at the home. This was because the registered manager was supportive and inclusive in his management style.

p.4

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.

p.4

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 Inspection report children’s home: 1256771 5 children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’. Inspection report children’s home: 1256771 6

p.4

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Phoenix Learning And Care Ltd

p.6

Children’s home details

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

p.6

Inspector

Linda Bond, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1256771 7 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.

p.6

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, 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 http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: http://www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7