Phoenix Family Care Limited

Inspection report for residential family centre: Phoenix Family Care Ltd 1 Phoenix Family Care Ltd Phoenix Family Care Ltd Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this residential family centre

This residential family centre is registered to accommodate up to five families. It was registered in August 2018 and has had a qualified registered manager in post since registration.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and parents, taking into account good

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Overall experiences and progress of

How well children and parents are helped and protected good

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Overall experiences and progress of

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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Overall experiences and progress of

The residential family centre provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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Overall experiences and progress of

Date of previous inspection: this is the centre’s first full inspection following registration

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Overall experiences and progress of

Overall judgement at last inspection: N/A

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Enforcement action since last inspection

There has been no enforcement action. Inspection report for residential family centre: Phoenix Family Care Ltd 2

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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, Residential Family Centre Regulations 2002 and the national minimum standards. The registered person(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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Statutory requirements

Requirement Due date The registered manager must ensure a written record is made of any complaint or representation, the action taken in response, and the outcome of the investigation. (Regulation 20(6)) 04/10/2019

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Statutory requirements

The registered person shall establish and maintain a system for reviewing at appropriate intervals and improving the quality of care provided at the residential family centre. The registered person shall supply to the Commission a report in respect of any review conducted by him for the purposes of paragraph (1), and make a copy of the report available to residents. (Regulation 23(1)(a)(b)(2)) 04/10/2019

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Recommendations

 Prior to a placement, a risk assessment is carried out to ensure both that the centre is well placed to meet the family’s needs and that the family is able to fit in with the centre’s other residents. It informs the level of supervision necessary for the parents and is kept under review throughout the placement. (Residential Family Centres National Minimum Standards, page 17, paragraph 9.1)  Staff complete a written family placement plan, in consultation with the placing authority and agreed, so far as may be practical, with the parent(s) and, if age appropriate the child. The plan should specify the objectives and intended outcomes of the placement, details of training, assistance, assessment, supervision and protection to be provided at the centre, and how welfare is promoted. (Residential Family Centres National Minimum Standards, page 17, paragraph 9.2) Inspection report for residential family centre: Phoenix Family Care Ltd 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

Parents and children living at the centre are treated with respect and dignity by the staff team. Staff work hard to develop positive relationships with parents. They support them to have a positive and beneficial stay irrespective of the outcome of their assessment.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

Care and support are individualised. The staff team works collaboratively with the family and placing authority to ensure that needs are assessed. Direct work and support are implemented specifically around the family’s identified needs. Staff are skilled at helping parents learn and prepare for the day-to-day life of a parent. They help parents settle their children into a positive routine and educate them in how to meet their child’s basic care needs through a range of resources.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

Parents learn about the importance of attachment. Staff positively promote activities that encourage bonding through play, activities, outings and reading stories.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

The assessment process is clear and well structured. The qualified social worker responsible for assessment provides well-written, concise reports that are evaluative and have clear outcomes and recommendations. The assessments help identify whether parents can meet their child’s needs and keep them safe from harm. They help to inform social workers and courts to determine the next steps for the family.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

Placement plans are not routinely drawn up when families are admitted to the centre. This means that their needs are not always clearly identified in one document that can easily be accessed and read by workers. Additionally, it is not clear how their needs will be met, nor what are the anticipated outcomes or what progress will look like. To date, this has not impacted on progress because staff make good use of other documents used within the centre to inform and guide their practice. That said, this is not best practice and does not assist in providing holistic support for children and their parents.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

Transitions into and out of the centre are well managed. Families are warmly welcomed and helped to settle in and get to know the routines, staff and the other residents. Those moving on are sensitively supported regardless of the outcome of the assessment. Good support is offered to those parents who are distressed due to decisions made about their child’s future care arrangements. Those who leave with their children are often supported post-placement by an outreach service to help them settle into new accommodation and cope with increased independence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

Staff make good use of community resources such as children’s centres. They also ensure that families know the local area and understand how to access resources such as food banks and local health services. This helps families prepare to live independently with their children. Inspection report for residential family centre: Phoenix Family Care Ltd 4

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

Staff know how to manage risk and understand their role in safeguarding children. They quickly get to know families well and develop a rapport and trust that contributes to collaborative working. Staff are alert to signs of risk and harm and take appropriate action to address concerns.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

Staff are responsive to new risks as they arise. They quickly communicate any safeguarding concerns to social workers and seek a joined-up approach to address the area of risk.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

Risk assessments are undertaken at the start of each placement. These assessments are not treated as live documents and therefore do not contain information relating to whether risks are increasing or decreasing, nor whether any new risks have arisen during the placement. This shortfall has not had an impact on risk management in the centre because the information is known and shared by staff, but best practice would be to clearly record contemporary risks and risk management strategies.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

There is a wealth of evidence to show how parents are helped to understand risks to their children and what they need to do to reduce risks. For example, parents can undertake the Freedom Programme to educate them about domestic violence. The centre supports families to access drug and alcohol services where this is appropriate. They also ensure that residents are provided with a counselling service to help them understand and process harm they may have suffered themselves.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

The current cohort of families living at the centre get along very well and engage in joint activities, celebrations and mealtimes. When parents do not get along, staff act to resolve conflicts at an early stage and therefore prevent escalation.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

All staff are trained in safeguarding and the majority in paediatric first aid. They are also offered training in a variety of other safeguarding areas, including radicalisation, online safety, hidden harm and conflict resolution. This improves their knowledge of safeguarding issues and helps them to better identify risks as they arise.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

This residential family centre has been operational for just under a year. Managers report that the first months of operation have been a steep learning curve for them. They have had a difficult first year in respect of staffing the home with suitable staff and with staff retention.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers have shown commitment and dedication. They have worked hard to bring the team together and to improve staff cohesion and morale, which has benefited the centre because the staff team has strengthened and developed. Staff report that they are well supported through an open management style and regular supervision. New staff have been recruited in line with the centre’s needs and there is now a clear staffing structure in place. Inspection report for residential family centre: Phoenix Family Care Ltd 5 Managers have a positive ethos. They show commitment to development and improvement. They have a clear understanding of the progress families are making due to good use of key-worker sessions, weekly summaries and caseload supervision.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The strengths and weaknesses of the centre are well understood and there are clear plans in place to address any areas identified for improvement. The manager and the responsible individual undertake regular monitoring checks. This system would be strengthened by the manager undertaking a regular review of the quality of care provided to families.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers make good decisions about which families come to live at the centre. The manager can clearly articulate the matching considerations given to referrals. However, she does not yet have a system in place to document those considerations and show how individual risks have been evaluated and impact-assessed, which would be considered best practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Parents are aware of the complaints procedure. Complaints are addressed appropriately. However, recording and documenting evidence relating to complaints could be improved. Records of investigations into complaints and allegations are not kept, therefore there is no clearly documented, evidence-based outcome to complaints. Nor is there a record that the outcome has been shared and that any actions or recommendations are approved by other parties.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers are good at developing positive partnership working arrangements. External agencies spoken to as part of this inspection were complimentary about both the support offered to families and the good levels of communication and joined-up working.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and parents. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the differences made to the lives of children and parents. They watched how professional staff work with children and parents and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care provided. Wherever possible, they talked to children and parents. In addition, the inspectors have tried to understand what the residential family centre knows about how well it is performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the children and parents 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 Residential Family Centre Regulations 2002 and the national minimum standards. Inspection report for residential family centre: Phoenix Family Care Ltd 6

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Residential family centre details

Registered provider: Phoenix Family Care Ltd

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Residential family centre details

Registered provider address: 103 Greenside, Euxton, Chorley, Lancashire PR7 6AR

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Residential family centre details

Telephone number: 07713257818 07764241586

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Residential family centre details

Email address: mgr.phoenixfamily@outlook.com

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Inspectors

Mrs Bamber, social care inspector Ceri Evans, social care inspector Inspection report for residential family centre: Phoenix Family Care Ltd 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 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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