Children's home run by Phoenix Care & Education Limited in Liverpool

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1228091 1

p.1

Phoenix Care And Education Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This privately owned home is registered to care for up to three young people who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The manager was registered with Ofsted in August 2018. On 24 April 2018, Ofsted completed a full inspection that judged the home inadequate. The home is subject to ongoing enforcement action by Ofsted.

p.1

This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit has been completed to review the progress made since the last inspection. Previous monitoring visits were completed on 25 May 2018, 12 June 2018 and 20 August 2018. Since the last inspection, the provider has chosen not to take any new admissions into the home, which means that, currently, there are no young people residing at the home.

p.1

This monitoring visit

Following the full inspection, an action plan, dated June 2018, was completed by the provider to address the identified requirements. A second action plan was completed in August 2018 following the last monitoring visit. These action plans have informed this monitoring visit.

p.1

This monitoring visit

The registered manager has identified in his action plans the home’s approach to care planning. This includes a detailed plan of how staff will assess the suitability of young people who are to be admitted into the home, as well as how young people’s needs will be reviewed once admitted. Similarly, the registered manager has considered how staff will assess and meet the educational and health needs of young people.

p.1

This monitoring visit

On paper, staff and managers demonstrate an understanding of what good care should look like. This has been shown through the home’s action plans and the fact that the full complement of the staff team is now qualified with the level 3 Diploma. However, without a child in placement, the staff and managers are unable to Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1228091 2 demonstrate their ability to put much of this into action. This means that the extent to which staff can provide consistent personalised care to meet the needs of young people and to keep them safe remains untested.

p.1

This monitoring visit

As a result, the requirements raised under Regulation 8, Regulation 10, Regulation 12, Regulation 14 and Regulation 36 remain outstanding requirements.

p.2

This monitoring visit

The registered manager has implemented a system to review the training needs of staff. Although staff have been completing a range of training courses over the last five months, there remain some significant gaps. For example, only one member of staff has completed medication administration training. This means that if that member of staff was not on duty, the remaining staff could not safely administer medication to young people. It is noted that training is planned to address this.

p.2

This monitoring visit

The registered manager has identified that staff need training to be able to care for children who are at risk of child sexual exploitation or who go missing. The registered manager has completed some internal discussions regarding these topics and some staff have attended a briefing around child sexual exploitation. However, the registered manager has not satisfied himself that this training has been sufficient to address the shortfalls in staff knowledge. Despite this, the registered manager has not identified or commissioned any further training for staff in these areas.

p.2

This monitoring visit

This means that in some instances, staff have not been provided with the training needed to safeguard young people who may be placed at the home. This means that the requirement raised under Regulation 13 has not been met and is re-issued.

p.2

This monitoring visit

The registered manager has failed to demonstrate that he is able to undertake robust recruitment and vetting checks. For example, the registered manager has not obtained evidence of one member of staff’s identification or required qualifications. Similarly, the manager’s own personnel file is incomplete, with only one form of evidence of his identification.

p.2

This monitoring visit

In these examples, the registered provider has not adhered to their own safer recruitment policy. This means that the requirement raised under Regulation 32 has not been met and is re-issued.

p.2

This monitoring visit

Since the last monitoring visit, the registered manager has ensured that all visitors to the home have been recorded. This is a positive improvement. However, the registered manager does not maintain an accurate record of shifts completed by staff. Specifically, the registered manager does not complete rosters which record the expected or completed start and finish times of staff shifts. This means that rosters are not clear. This means that the requirement raised under Regulation 37 has not been fully met and is re-issued.

p.2

This monitoring visit

A quality of care review has not been completed. This is an outstanding requirement that was first raised during a monitoring visit completed on 6 March 2018. The registered manager’s own action plan has identified that this would be completed in Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1228091 3 August 2018. Despite this, the registered manager has failed to complete this. This is a missed opportunity for the registered manager to demonstrate his ability to review the progress made since the full inspection and to identify any further areas of improvement.

p.2

This monitoring visit

Despite the identified shortfalls, there have been some areas of progress.

p.3

This monitoring visit

The registered manager has ensured that the statement of purpose has been updated regularly. This means that local authorities, young people and their families would be provided with a clear understanding of the type of care that staff will provide in the home.

p.3

This monitoring visit

The registered manager has taken the appropriate steps to monitor and review fire safety arrangements. As a result, the home’s fire safety arrangements are now in line with their fire safety risk assessment.

p.3

This monitoring visit

The company has appointed a new responsible individual who has consistently demonstrated, both during and outside of inspections, that they have an appropriate level of experience and knowledge. The responsible individual has committed to undertaking training alongside the staff team, which reflects his commitment to enhance his own learning.

p.3

Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 20/08/2018 Monitoring Not judged 12/06/2018 Monitoring Not judged 25/05/2018 Monitoring Not judged 24/04/2018 Full Inadequate 06/03/2018 Monitoring Not judged 17/01/2018 Interim Declined in effectiveness 02/08/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 19/04/2017 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1228091 4

p.3

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.

p.4

Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff— understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers; help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment; help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible; and help each child who is above compulsory school age to participate in further education, training or employment and to prepare for future care, education or employment. (Regulation 8 (1)(2)(a)(iii)(iv)(vii)(viii)(ix))

p.4

Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that— the health and well-being needs of children are met; children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff help each child to— understand the child’s health and well-being needs and the options that are available in relation to the child’s health and well-being, in a way that is appropriate to the child’s age and understanding; and understand and develop skills to promote the child’s well- being. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c) and (2)(a)(ii)(iv)) 20/07/2018

p.4

Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

p.4

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the 20/07/2018 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1228091 5 registered person to ensure that staff— 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; help each child to understand how to keep safe; have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm; and take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(vi)) The care planning standard is that children— receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that the child’s placing authority is contacted, and a review

p.4

Requirement Due date

of that child’s relevant plans is requested, if— the registered person considers that the child is at risk of harm or has concerns that the care provided for the child is inadequate to meet the child’s needs; and the child is, or has been, persistently absent from the home without permission. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) and (2)(e)(i)(ii)) 20/07/2018

p.5

Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (‘case records’) for each child which— include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)) This particularly refers to ensuring that local authority care plans are on file. 20/07/2018

p.5

Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety. The registered person may only— employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home, if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3). The requirements are that— full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1)(2)(a)(b)(3)(d)) 31/10/2018

p.5

Requirement Due date

Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home. The registered person must— maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4; 31/10/2018 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1228091 6 ensure that the records are kept up to date; and retain the records for at least 15 years from the date of the last entry. (Regulation 37 (1)(2)(a)(b)(c)) In particular, the registered person should maintain duty rosters of persons working at the home and a record of the actual rosters worked. The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (‘a quality of care review’) at least once every 6 months. The system must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (1) and (5)) 31/10/2018

p.5

Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that— helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(c)) 31/10/2018

p.6

Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

p.6

Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000.

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Phoenix Care And Education Limited

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 22–24 Balfour Road, Bootle L20 4NZ

p.6

Inspector

Paul Robinson, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1228091 7 to 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.

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