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

Inspection report children’s home: 1228091 1 Registered provider: Phoenix Care and Education Limited

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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 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.

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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: 21 November 2018

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not judged

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

On 24 April 2018, Ofsted completed a full inspection that judged the home inadequate. Ofsted issued a restriction of accommodation notice. The restriction of accommodation notice was removed following a monitoring visit completed on 12 June 2018. The home’s progress since the last full inspection has continued to be monitored closely, with monitoring visits completed on 25 May 2018, 12 June 2018, 20 August 2018, 20 September 2018, and 4 January 2019. Inspection report children’s home: 1228091 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/11/2018 Interim Not judged 24/04/2018 Full Inadequate 17/01/2018 Interim Declined in effectiveness 02/08/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report children’s home: 1228091 3

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Recommendations

 Ensure that the home is a nurturing and supportive environment that meets the needs of the children, and is a homely, domestic environment. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9) In particular, that the registered manager reviews the quality of the young person’s bedroom furniture and completes the planned redecoration of the young person’s bedroom.  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 reason, the registered person must ensure that the young person is engaged in suitable structured activities. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 28, paragraph 5.15)  The registered person should ensure that all incidents of control, discipline and restraint are subject to systems of regular scrutiny to ensure that their use is fair.

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Recommendations

(‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.36) In particular, that the registered manager reviews the staff use of any sanctions.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One young person has been admitted to the home since the last full inspection. The registered manager’s planning prior to the young person’s move into the home ensured that staff had enough information to support the young person from the very start of his placement. As a result, the young person has settled well. Staff have been successful in developing their relationships with the young person. Inspectors were told by several professionals, including the young person’s social worker, how well the young person has established relationships with the staff. This is a significant achievement for this young person. These relationships are central to the progress that the young person has made while living at the home. The young person has developed a real sense of belonging at the home. The young person told inspectors that he likes living at the home and that he gets on well with staff. This has provided the young person with the motivation to engage with the home’s

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

routines and boundaries. The young person is attending education. Although he is on a restricted timetable, this is increasing gradually. A headteacher told inspectors, ‘[The young person] is blossoming.’ A social worker reflected with inspectors that the progress the young person has made in respect of education was ‘massive’. Inspection report children’s home: 1228091 4 Despite this, a recent incident in school has resulted in the young person being given a short-term exclusion. Positively, staff worked with school to ensure that the young person was quickly reintegrated back into school. However, during the period of exclusion staff had limited success in engaging the young person in educational activities. This meant that he missed out on opportunities to promote his learning and development. Staff recognise the importance of the young person maintaining contact with his family. Staff have provided practical support to allow the young person to have regular contact

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

with his loved ones. This has helped to reduce the young person’s anxieties about living away from his family. In the main, the home is pleasant and well maintained. However, the young person’s bedroom needs to be improved. Specifically, the bedroom furniture is mismatched, marked and looks past its best. Positively, there are plans to replace this furniture and his bedroom is imminently due to be decorated to his tastes and preference.

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

Staff have a good understanding of the young person’s presenting vulnerabilities and risk. Regularly reviewed risk assessments provide staff with clear guidance on how to keep the young person safe. When required, staff have worked with partner agencies such as the police and youth offending team to share information and to ensure that appropriate plans are in place to manage known risks. Staff respond quickly to emerging patterns of behaviours. For example, staff utilised the input of specialist drug and alcohol services to address potential substance misuse. This means that the young person has the opportunity to understand the impact of his lifestyle choices. This is helping the young person to make positive decisions. The need for physical interventions is low and only used as a last resort. This is because staff are successful at managing the young person’s behaviour. The young person explained to the inspector that when he is starting to get agitated that staff have a way

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

of talking to him and calming him down. The young person respects staff for this, and he is pleased that they are there to help him. The young person has not gone missing. He feels safe and he likes living at the home. In one instance, the registered manager’s oversight of an imposed sanction was not recorded. This administrative issue has had no impact on the young person.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

This home is led by a registered manager and suitably experienced responsible individual. This has afforded the home with a period of stable leadership. The registered manager has used internal and external monitoring systems to develop and improve the quality of care provided. As a result, the young person has benefited from consistent and reliable care. Inspection report children’s home: 1228091 5 The small staff team has demonstrated a real commitment to the home. The staff work well together, communicating and sharing information effortlessly. In doing so, staff place the young person at the heart of their decision-making. Staff say that they like working at the home, as they feel well supported. Staff benefit from a management team that is approachable and helpful. Staff supervision and team meetings complement the training available to staff. This ensures that staff have the skills and knowledge to meet the needs of the young person.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has developed good links with a range of partner agencies. This includes the young person’s placing authority, police and school. This promotes a collaborative approach to meeting the needs of the young person.

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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

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: 1228091 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Phoenix Care and Education Limited

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspectors

Paul Robinson, social care inspector Louise Redfern, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1228091 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.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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