Children's Home run by Phoenix Children’s Homes Limited in Devon

Inspection report children’s home: SC403234 1 SC403234 Registered provider: Phoenix Child Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

 The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three children and young people who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.  The home is operated by a private provider of education and social care for children and young people .  The manager has been registered with Ofsted since September 2018.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: 9 November 2017

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: declined in effectiveness

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC403234 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

09/11/2017 Interim Declined in effectiveness 12/07/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 20/02/2017 Interim Declined in effectiveness 23/08/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC403234 3

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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

5: Engaging with the wider system to ensure children’s needs are met

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Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the manager should escalate concerns about not receiving information that he has requested that supports the care of children. 14/12/2018

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on 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

that staff— meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans; help each child to develop socially aware behaviour; and encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, staff should not use the threat of police 30/11/2018 Inspection report children’s home: SC403234 4 involvement as a means of controlling children’s behaviours. In addition, children’s risk assessments must be updated to reflect their current living situation.

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Requirement Due date

13: The leadership and management standard 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—

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Requirement Due date

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose; and ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers should determine the suitability of leaving staff who are still in their probationary period in sole charge of the home. 30/11/2018

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Requirement Due date

33: Employment of staff The registered person must ensure that all employees— undertake appropriate continuing professional development; and receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that records of the supervision reflect the discussions that take place and records any required actions to be taken. These actions need be reviewed regularly to assess progress. 28/12/2018

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Requirement Due date

44: Independent person: visits and reports The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month. When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person— if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires. 31/12/2018 Inspection report children’s home: SC403234 5 A visit by the independent person to the home may be unannounced. The independent person must produce a report about a visit (‘the independent person’s report’) which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether— children are effectively safeguarded.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 44 (1)(2)(a)(b)(c)(3)(4)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the report should state whether the independent person’s visit is announced or unannounced, and confirm the start and end time of the visit. In addition, the views of children, parents and social workers are to be sought consistently and reflected in the report. The independent visitor should clearly state whether, in their opinion, children are effectively safeguarded.

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improvement to be good

Weaknesses in how well children are helped and protected and in the effectiveness of leaders and managers mean that the overall experiences of children require improvement.

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improvement to be good

Following a temporary closure, the home reopened and a child started living here in June 2018. While the home was closed, it underwent a complete refurbishment. The manager reorganised the internal space of the home and made decisions that benefit children. The number of children the home can accommodate has reduced from three to two. As a result, children now have larger bedrooms and the office has been relocated. Children are now provided with a well-furnished, comfortable home in which to live.

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improvement to be good

Children receive good-quality care from a staff team that knows them well. Staff who supported a current child in his previous home moved with him to this home. This has helped to provide the child with stability and a consistent approach and has enabled experienced staff to share their knowledge of the child with the new staff.

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improvement to be good

Relationships between the staff and children are strong and positive and are based on respect and trust. Staff consult well with children and work hard to involve them in all aspects of their care. This has led to children becoming more confident and voicing their views and ideas.

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improvement to be good

Children’s day-to-day experiences are good, they like living at the home and they feel that the staff who care for them are ‘great’. A child told the inspector that they chose to Inspection report children’s home: SC403234 6 move into this home and that they are becoming more independent. This child can now get themselves to and from school and is able to access local facilities easily.

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improvement to be good

Staff manage well the process of moving children into the home. The team carries out detailed risk assessments to evaluate the needs of the child and assesses the child’s compatibility with children who already live at the home. This prevents unnecessary moves for children and ensures that the staff have the right skills to meet the child’s needs.

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improvement to be good

Children’s healthcare needs are well met. Staff work with health professionals to ensure that children receive the support and treatment that they need. Children learn about the importance of a healthy lifestyle and how this can benefit their general well-being.

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improvement to be good

Staff work closely with education providers to enable children to reach their full potential. This can include staff going into school to support children. This work is effective as children are making progress.

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improvement to be good

Parents, social workers and education providers praised the staff team for the work that it is doing. They said that children are making good progress and are happy living in the home.

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improvement to be good

Children have individualised risk management and positive handling plans. These plans currently state that if the child loses control, the police will be called. Although this has not happened, a child was told by staff during an incident that this could happen. Using the police inappropriately to manage children’s behaviour can lead to children being unnecessarily criminalised and is not in line with the organisation’s policy on police involvement. Risk management plans are not up to date to fully reflect a child’s move to this home. Despite these weaknesses, staff have a good understanding of risk and children’s individual vulnerabilities. Staff work with children to develop their skills in managing risk more safely.

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improvement to be good

There have been no safeguarding events since the home reopened. Staff demonstrate a good understanding of safeguarding practices and the action that they must take to protect children.

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improvement to be good

Records of incidents are detailed but do not provide consistent clarity in describing the children’s behaviours. This level of detail is necessary to ensure that leaders and managers can more effectively monitor the incident and evaluate the appropriateness of staff’s actions.

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improvement to be good

With support, children are starting to develop their understanding of their behaviours, including how this affects themselves and others. Together with staff, children are devising self-management techniques. As a result, children are developing their self- esteem and incidents have started to reduce. There have been no restraints or incidents Inspection report children’s home: SC403234 7 of children going missing from the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

After the previous inspection in November 2017, leaders and managers took the decision to temporarily close the home. The home reopened in June 2018 with a new manager and staff team. The first child moved into the home in June 2018. Due to the short time that the home has been open, it is not yet possible to state that practices seen at this inspection are fully embedded or to determine the impact of them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The current staff team consists of staff from one of the organisation’s other homes and new staff. The staffing levels are sufficient as only one child lives at the home. However, on five occasions in September and October 2018, staff who have not completed their probationary period have been left in sole charge of the home, including overnight. Leaders and managers had not undertaken risk assessments to assure themselves that this practice is appropriate and safeguards the children and staff effectively. Action was taken during the inspection to address this weakness.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff receive regular supervision and feel well supported by the manager. The records of supervision sessions require improvement as they do not consistently reflect the discussions held or clarify the actions set. In addition, where actions are set, these are not routinely followed up at the next session.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The independent person visits regularly. The reports completed following the visit contain helpful information for the manager to use to make improvements to the home. However, reports do not let the reader know the time that the visit took place or whether it was an announced visit. The report does not always state the views of children, parents and social workers and it does not include confirmation as to whether children are effectively safeguarded.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager does challenge placing authorities when they have not provided the required documents, such as minutes of review meetings. However, the manager is not escalating these concerns when he fails to get a response to his requests.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

This is the manager’s first management role. He is appropriately experienced and qualified. He understands most of the strengths and areas for development of the home. Staff told the inspector that they feel that their views and ideas are valued and that they are supported by the senior care team. The management style is inclusive and helpful.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Monitoring systems are in use. However, it is not yet possible to determine the effectiveness and impact of this monitoring due to the short time that the home has been operating since it reopened.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young Inspection report children’s home: SC403234 8 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: SC403234 9

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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 Limited, First Floor, Rolle Quay House, Rolle Quay, Barnstaple, Devon EX31 1JE

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Inspector

Wendy Anderson: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC403234 10 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

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Inspector

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Inspector

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