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

Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC458811 1 SC458811

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Phoenix Learning & Care Holdings Limited

Monitoring visit 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. Care and accommodation are provided for up to two children who have needs that are associated with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has worked in the home for more than six years.

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This monitoring visit

The purpose of this monitoring visit was to review safeguarding notifications and information from the monthly independent visitor’s reports that are sent to Ofsted. Additionally, the home has not been inspected for over a year due to the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic.

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This monitoring visit

At the time of the monitoring visit, the same two young people were living in the home as at the previous inspection.

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This monitoring visit

The visit was conducted virtually, with a combination of telephone calls, video conversations with children and staff, and scrutiny of documentation.

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This monitoring visit

The pandemic has had an impact on the children due to there being less choice of activities. This has made it harder for staff to help one child to fulfil their care plan aims of enjoying hobbies outside of the home which do not involve using the internet. However, the children do go on long walks and skateboard, and one child enjoys caring for her hamsters.

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This monitoring visit

Despite the pandemic, the team has helped the children see their families in a meaningful way and have managed any difficulties that have arisen regarding contact arrangements. The staff facilitated a positive Christmas Day for one child and her parents in the home. For the other child, the manager drove a 12-hour Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC458811 2 round trip over Christmas Eve and Boxing Day to make sure that he could see close family members.

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This monitoring visit

One child has made excellent progress in all areas of his life and continues to work towards long-term goals successfully. His social worker said that this is one of the best homes he has worked with. The other child has made less progress. A much- needed psychological assessment of the child has not been finished and there has been a lack of effective communication and information received from the local authority. These problems have exacerbated the lack of progress.

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This monitoring visit

Both children have affectionate and trusting relationships with staff. The team has a therapeutic and gentle approach to parenting. Planning documents reflect this approach and the team’s knowledge of the children’s needs. Incidents do happen, but the staff are skilled in using empathy and appropriate humour to de-escalate most situations so that they do not worsen. However, on one occasion, the staff did restrain a child in order to keep the child safe and this incident resulted in the police being called and a staff member pressing charges against the child. Not all the information regarding this incident was recorded correctly and the manager’s oversight and monitoring activities were not curious enough to prompt any learning for the future.

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This monitoring visit

Children have very rarely gone missing although, when they have done so, independent return home interviews were not requested. While the manager and the staff know the children very well and have regular, meaningful conversations with them, such interviews may have assisted staff in understanding any other reasons that had not been identified during these conversations.

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This monitoring visit

When needing to implement certain boundaries, such as managing safe and appropriate wi-fi use, improving routines or tackling unwanted behaviours, written guidance for staff does not always offer clear enough direction. This risks further incidents occurring. Staff have undertaken online anti-racist and diversity training but it did not generate team discussion to agree a strategy or develop the staff’s knowledge and ability to bring about change.

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This monitoring visit

The home is well looked after and the manager has an ongoing development plan for the home’s decoration and maintenance. The children’s bedrooms need to be decorated and some furniture repaired, but the manager is aware of this.

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This monitoring visit

The staff team is stable and caring. They enjoy looking after the children and are proud of them. The team is led by a thoughtful and committed manager who, since the previous inspection, has completed his level 5 qualification, so this requirement from the previous inspection is met. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC458811 3

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 01/10/2019 Full Good 18/07/2018 Full Good 20/09/2017 Full Good 16/06/2016 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC458811 4

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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

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. ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; 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; use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(c)(f)(h)) In particular:  The manager must ensure that the manager and team are well trained and developed in anti-racist practice so that they are aware, confident and skilled in safely promoting an anti-racist culture in the home.  When analysing incidents, managers should demonstrate

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Requirement Due date

a more robust approach to evaluating what could have been done differently, so that any learning can be used positively to inform future care.  Improve plans to ensure that they include clear guidance for staff and consider analysing children’s routines when this is a concern, so that progress can be monitored. Additionally, monitor progress closely and escalate lack of services or issues of concern that hamper children’s progress.  If a child goes missing, an independent return home interview must be offered to the child to ensure that any reasons or triggers are identified. 15 March 2021 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC458811 5  Continue with the plan to decorate the young people’s bedrooms and repair some furniture. The registered person must ensure that— within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is

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Requirement Due date

made which includes— the date, time and location of the use of the measure; the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”)— has spoken to the user about the measure; and has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(iii)(vii)(b)(i)(ii)) 24 February 2021

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000.

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Phoenix Learning & Care Holdings Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: The Hub, Seckington Cross, Winkleigh, Devon EX19 8EY

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Inspector

Sarah Canto, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC458811 6 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC458811 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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