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 to one young person who is assessed as requiring support with their emotional and/or behavioural needs. The home is operated by a private provider. This provider operates a number of 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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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC458812 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/05/2017 Full Good 09/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 12/09/2016 Full Requires improvement 01/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC458812 3

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Recommendations

 Ensure that the staff help each child to prepare for any moves from the home, whether they are returning home, moving to another placement or to live independently. This includes supporting the child to develop emotional and mental resilience to cope without the home’s support, and, where the child is moving to live independently, practical skills such as cooking, housework, budgeting and personal self-care. In particular, that a time-focused plan is put in place that works towards reducing the number of staff required to support the young person. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 17, paragraph 3.27)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young person continues to make progress in all areas of their life through receiving consistent, nurturing care from the staff team. The young person has reduced their risk- taking behaviour and they are now able to recognise their feelings of frustration and anger. They are now expressing these emotions in a mature and considered manner, by writing letters to people who have upset them, or appropriately discussing their issues with others. The young person said: ‘I have learned that no isn’t always a bad thing. Sometimes it is there to protect you. The staff understand me.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff succeed in supporting the young person effectively to maintain positive relationships with their family members, who are geographically distant. Regular short visits and overnight stays enable the young person to maintain family bonds and peer friendships that are important to them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The views and wishes of the young person are listened to and acted on by the manager and all members of staff. The young person and the members of staff proudly describe themselves as a team. The young person contributes their views and wishes to their care plan and is fully involved in the reviews of their plan. They have gained confidence and increased their self-esteem through involvement in a project for looked after children, where they learn about children’s rights and the law. As part of this project the young person has taken part in a residential and is visiting the Palace of Westminster in London.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

A strength of the home is how the staff succeed in supporting the young person to willingly engage in full-time education. The young person’s school attendance is excellent. The young person has taken two GCSE examinations one year early, because Inspection report children’s home: SC458812 4 of the progress they have made. Prior to coming to live at the home, the young person refused to attend school. The young person’s headteacher commented: ‘It is great to see the academic and personal progress that [the young person] is making.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Healthcare needs of the young person are fully met at the home. The staff successfully encourage healthy eating and regular physical exercise. The young person attends the local gym and has their own personal trainer to encourage a healthy fitness level. Identified physical or emotional healthcare needs are promptly addressed through sourcing relevant therapists or healthcare professionals.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

With the support of the staff, the young person is starting to learn independent living skills such as cooking, budgeting and using public transport alone. The aim is for the young person to work towards living independently, and for a gradual reduction in staff support. This is being implemented by the staff on an ad hoc basis. The plan lacks identified timescales. Achievements and progress are not yet being fully documented, so it is not clear what skills the young person has achieved and what topics still need to be learned.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Feedback from professionals is very positive about the progress the young person has made since arriving at the home. The local authority independent reviewing officer commented: ‘The young person has really blossomed at [this home].’

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

The young person reports that they feel safe living at the home and are confident that the staff will keep them safe. The young person could name the individual members of staff they would confide in with any concerns or worries.

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

The safety of the young person is promoted through comprehensive and detailed assessments of known risks. These documents offer effective guidance to the staff, detailing what action needs to be taken to manage the identified risks. The staff succeed in ensuring a balance of allowing the young person to take age-appropriate risks, alongside keeping them safe. The young person is now allowed free time outside of the home with their friends and to independently travel to school using public transport.

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

The staff and the young person have built very solid and trusting relationships. The staff implement consistent boundaries, routines and rules in a nurturing but firm manner. This approach has been effective in supporting the young person to make progress, and they are now able to manage their own behaviour, using strategies taught to them by the staff, who de-escalate any potentially difficult situations effectively. The young person no longer goes missing and has not needed any physical intervention to keep them safe. The young person is now able to reflect and learn from the rare occasions when there are any incidents, and discuss them in a mature manner with the staff.

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

Staff recruitment procedures are robust and comprehensive, to ensure that only suitable persons are employed at the home. Candidates have to provide evidence of any gaps in their employment, proof of identify and a police check, in conjunction with other Inspection report children’s home: SC458812 5 documents required to evidence their suitability.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager provides strong direction and leadership to the staff team. The staff report that staff morale and motivation are high, and that the home’s routines run smoothly. The manager has high aspirations and expectations for the young person and members of staff. She challenges the staff team to work hard and effectively to ensure that the young person makes progress in all areas of their life.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The young person benefits from being cared for by a staff team which is consistent and stable. There have been no changes in the staff team since the previous inspection. A comprehensive programme of training and regular supervision is in place, to ensure that the staff have all the knowledge and skills they need to support the young person effectively. The manager promptly sources any specialist training if this is identified as necessary to meet the care needs of the young person.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and the staff actively challenge other professionals and services if the young person is disadvantaged because of ineffective practice. The manager has recently challenged effectively the placing authority and an education provider. This action was taken to ensure that relevant and necessary care documents for the young person were received in a timely manner, and that incidents of bullying experienced by the young person at school were robustly dealt with by the school staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager works hard to implement and embed constant improvement in the home. A comprehensive development plan has been produced. This plan identifies the strengths of the home, the areas for improvement and what action needs to be taken to address any identified shortfalls. The requirement from the previous inspection is now met.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers ensure that the young person is provided with a homely and well- maintained home. The young person is fully involved in decision-making about how they would like the house decorated and furnished. The office has been decorated and is now a room the young person is able to access, and in which they can sit with the staff.

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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. Inspection report children’s home: SC458812 6 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

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Information about this inspection

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 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)

Tina Maddison, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC458812 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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