Children's home run by Phoenix Child Care Limited in North Devon

Inspection report children’s home: SC038167 1 SC038167 Registered provider: Phoenix Child Care Limited Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is operated by a private provider of education and social care. It provides care and accommodation for up to four children or young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged requires improvement to be good at the last full inspection. At the interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has sustained effectiveness.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Since the last inspection, the registered manager has resigned and left the home. An experienced manager was promptly appointed and is having a positive impact. A core staff team has been recruited. All five requirements and one recommendation from the previous inspection are met.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Two young people have left the home since the last inspection. There are currently no young people living in the home. The records belonging to the last young person to recently leave the home have been scrutinised to inform this inspection judgement.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The young people have left the home at short notice when it became clear that their care needs were not able to be met by the staff and they moved on to where they were able to receive the care to meet their needs. Other young people left the home after Inspection report children’s home: SC038167 2 only living there for a short time. They communicated that they did not wish to stay at the home through increasingly violent behaviour towards the staff and by causing damage to the home. Although initially happy to live at the home, the young people decided that they were unhappy living at the home and wished to move back to their home area. This request was agreed by the placing authority.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The staff ensure that moves from the home, albeit at short notice, are well planned and the young people are fully prepared. A comprehensive handover of information is given to the young person’s new carers and visits to the young person’s new home take place prior to the move.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Placement plans are now comprehensive and clearly detail the aims and objectives for the young people. Plans now set targets and monitor progress. Young people’s information now contains a detailed healthcare plan and clearly documents what action the staff need to take to meet a young person’s identified healthcare needs.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Behaviour management plans are detailed and guide staff in how best to manage a young person’s behaviour. All staff are trained in how to safely physically restrain young people and this is only undertaken to ensure the safety of the young person and others. Safeguarding incidents are promptly reported and comprehensively documented to evidence how the staff take prompt action to appropriately manage any safeguarding concerns.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The staff are currently working to repair damage to the home caused by the previous young people. New carpets are being fitted, walls repainted and bedrooms redecorated. This work is planned to be completed before a young person will be considered to be admitted to the home.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Before a young person is admitted to the home, the manager plans to closely scrutinise the referral and care needs of the young person, to ensure that they can be met at the home. The staff have been unable to meet the care needs of the last two young people to live at the home.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

09/10/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good 10/01/2018 Interim Declined in effectiveness 30/05/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 15/02/2017 Interim Declined in effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC038167 3

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Recommendations

 Ensure that the registered person only accepts placements for children when they are satisfied that the home can respond effectively to the child’s assessed needs as recorded in the child’s relevant plans and where they have fully considered the impact the placement will have on the existing group of children. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 56, paragraph 11.4)

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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

This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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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’.

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

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Wanda Green Inspection report children’s home: SC038167 4 Registered manager: Post vacant

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Inspector(s)

Tina Maddison, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC038167 5 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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