Children's Home run by Phoenix Learning & Care Holdings Limited in Somerset

Inspection report children’s home: SC478152 1 SC478152 Registered provider: Phoenix Learning and Care Holdings Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home varied its registration conditions in August 2019 to provide care and accommodation for up to four young people, irrespective of gender, and to add a separate, self-contained one bedroomed annex, which is positioned next to the main house. The statement of purpose was also changed to provide time-limited accommodation for young people who are at a point in their lives when they need emergency care and have been exposed to high levels of risk. The home assists the local authority to identify suitable plans for young people, by working with them to assess their needs.

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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 requires improvement to be 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: 16 January 2019

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC478152 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/01/2019 Full Good 13/09/2017 Full Good 01/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 20/09/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC478152 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

In meeting the quality standards of engaging with the wider system to ensure children’s needs are met, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child’s needs. (Regulation 5 (b)) 25/11/2019

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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—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(f)(h)) In particular:  ensure that incident reports are reviewed effectively to support learning and to influence plans, where relevant;  review plans and activities for the young person, in line with the statement of purpose, to ensure that the young person is reaching his full potential consistently, and use this information to analyse progress and experience;  discuss and clarify the arrangements regarding feedback about the young person’s progress and experience to the 25/11/2019 Inspection report children’s home: SC478152 4 parent and social worker;  supervise staff on probation at a frequency that is in accordance with the home’s statement of purpose; and  review the maintenance of the home and address outstanding issues, including the effectiveness of the Wi-Fi.

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Recommendations

 The home’s Statement of Purpose should be child-focused, indicating how the home provides individualised care to meet the Quality Standards for children in their care. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, pages 14–15, paragraph 3.5)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young person in this home receives good support from experienced staff, who provide sensitive and skilled care. They have made good relationships with the young person and understand his views and wishes.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The progress the young person has made in relation to his health, self-care and emotional well-being is encouraging. It is noteworthy that he has accepted and settled into a new routine that is different from his previous lifestyle. This has allowed him to have a glimpse into an alternative and constructive future. The young person has enjoyed channelling his energies into a variety of positive activities, allowing staff to help him make choices that do not put him at risk. Other young people, who have previously lived in the home, have also made good progress and benefited from the care provided.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young person engages with an educational programme, which has been set up by the staff team, while a pathway to a more permanent solution is being identified. Staff work creatively with the young person to provide educational activities that are not just desk-based.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young person makes regular contact with family members, in person and by telephone, and staff provide transport to make sure that this happens. Family members are also invited into the home.

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

Incidents are managed well by staff. The manager has ensured that substantial background history is available to them, so that they understand the potential risks to the young person. Staff have been given clear guidance about how to manage these Inspection report children’s home: SC478152 5 risks. They have shown that they know what to do to help the young person and have responded thoroughly and flexibly where needed. The young person, who has previously been exposed to high-risk situations, says he feels safe in the home and with the staff, who he describes as ‘sound’.

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

When the young person first came to the home in difficult circumstances, he ran away from the home and was missing for some time. Staff were diligent in their searching for the young person. When he came back, an independent return home interview was arranged to look into the reasons why he went missing. Since this episode, the young person has not gone missing, but he has tried to run away. However, staff have stayed with him throughout, to ensure that he has not come to any danger and have managed to bring him back home.

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

Staff have completed the necessary safeguarding training courses and safeguarding arrangements are well organised. The team is trained to use physical intervention as a very last resort, but this course of action has not been necessary. When allegations or concerns have been raised in the past, they have been dealt with effectively. Staff recruitment is carried out safely and thoroughly.

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

The manager has a clear and thoughtful vision about what he wants to achieve for young people, which is described in the revised statement of purpose. The vision is to meet a need for young people who are at a critical point in their lives and help them to achieve safety, security and a carefully planned future within a short-term timescale. However, the statement of purpose does not reflect well enough the good practice that takes place in the home. Although it is early on for the young person in the home, there are indicators that the objectives in his plan are on the way to being achieved, and that the team has reflected and learned lessons along the way.

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

The home bases itself on a model that provides a structured programme of adventurous activities for young people. However, the young person’s timetable does not always clearly outline the day with enough activities so that he is challenged sufficiently to meet his full potential consistently. A smarter plan would assist in allowing the manager to critically analyse progress and have an overview of milestones that are being met. Additionally, a more in-depth approach to reviewing incidents would help staff’s practice to be further enhanced.

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

Professional relationships are in place and both the social worker and parent are kept informed of progress. However, a clearer arrangement regarding feedback about the young person’s experiences and an emphasis on escalating unresolved issues, such as care and education planning, would elevate the effectiveness of these relationships and enable the young person’s needs to be met.

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

When staff join the organisation, they undertake a comprehensive training and induction programme, which staff feel equips them well to do their jobs. Staff speak highly of their manager, and say they are well supported and receive good-quality supervision. Inspection report children’s home: SC478152 6 Supervision is recorded succinctly, although it does not happen fortnightly for newly- employed probationary staff. Staff meeting minutes indicate that the team discusses and reflects upon important issues in relation to supporting the young person and the running of the home. Staff enjoy caring for the young person and are proud of his achievements.

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

Some aspects of the home environment need to be attended to, due to the challenge of maintaining a large, older property with a very poor Wi-Fi signal. However, it is inviting and comfortable, with a spacious garden and countryside views.

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

An independent visitor provides good-quality monthly reports to the home, which support the manager in his role of monitoring and analysing the progress and experiences 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: SC478152 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Phoenix Learning and Care Holdings Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Phoenix Learning and Care Limited, Rolle Quay, Barnstaple, Devon EX31 1JE

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Inspectors

Sarah Canto: social care inspector Joy Howick: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC478152 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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