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 Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children's home

This is a privately run home. It is registered to care for up to three children who may experience emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children's home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since June 2020.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: Good

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

none Inspection report children's home: 1228091 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

20/08/2019 Full Good 19/03/2019 Full Good 21/11/2018 Interim Not judged 24/04/2018 Full Inadequate Inspection report children's home: 1228091 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff build positive relationships with children who have recently moved to the home, and help them to settle in. Children can identify the members of the staff team that they will turn to if they have any questions or worries.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Thorough pre-admission planning considers the needs of children who are moving into the home, and those of children who already live there. Leaders and managers consider whether they can meet a child’s cultural needs before offering a placement, and help children to access services.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager is proactive in making suitable arrangements for children’s education. A child who had missed out on educational opportunities before moving to the home now attends school regularly. Children are encouraged to develop their independence skills. One child is making progress in a personalised programme in preparation for leaving the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff support children’s health needs. They make sure that children attend appointments and monitor how children respond to changes in their medication. The manager works with placing authorities to ensure that children move to more specialist therapeutic placements to meet their emotional needs if services are not available locally.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy a range of activities, both at the home and in the community. During the inspection, children were having fun playing football in the garden. Children see the important people in their lives. The staff provide transport for children who live a long way from family members. Family members are welcomed when they visit their child at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home’s statement of purpose lacks the necessary information about how external stakeholders can access the provider’s policies. It does not provide the contact details to make a complaint with external agencies. However, the children’s guide does provide the relevant contact details if a child wants to make a complaint to an outside agency.

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

The staff have a good understanding of children’s risks and vulnerabilities and react appropriately. Children respond to guidance from the staff and learn to manage their feelings more positively. One child no longer needs extra staff to support him. Children who were previously at risk of involvement in anti-social behaviour have had no incidents since moving to the home. This means that children’s risks are reducing. Inspection report children's home: 1228091 4 The staff follow the procedures when a child goes missing from the home and ensure that independent return home interviews take place. Following any incidents in the community, they complete extra checks when children go out, to make sure that children are safe.

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

Physical intervention is used in the home to keep children and others safe. However, there have been occasions when the manager and the responsible individual have been involved in interventions. Suitable arrangements were not in place to ensure that debriefs were completed by someone independent of the incident. Some records have not had the necessary management oversight.

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

Allegations and complaints made by children are referred to the designated officer and managed appropriately. Children are informed of the outcome of their complaints.

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

The language used to describe incidents is not helpful for children to read later. For example, the specific wording of the child is used, but not the response of the staff involved. This has the potential for children to feel stigmatised.

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

Some damage in the home has not been repaired in a timely manner. A large stain was seen on the landing carpet. Panels needed replacing on the front door. The home environment needs to be improved to ensure that children live in a welcoming, well-maintained home.

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

Alarms are used on children’s bedroom doors to alert the staff if they leave during the night. Although consent is sought from the child’s placing authority, one child has an alarm in place when there is no specific safeguarding risk to justify its use. This is an intrusion on the child’s privacy.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home now has a registered manager. She empowers the staff team and supports them to develop professionally. Experienced team leaders are enrolled to complete a leadership and management qualification. One of the team leaders competently led the inspection in the manager’s absence.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff continue to access training to support their practice. Alternative methods of delivery have been used where face-to-face training has not taken place, for example by using demonstrations of approved restraint methods. The manager ensures that the rota is planned so that there are enough staff on shift who have received full training if physical intervention is required.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff say that they feel well supported in regular, reflective supervision. They discuss how their practice supports the children’s progress in their team meetings. The manager and responsible individual address any practice shortfalls appropriately. Inspection report children's home: 1228091 5 Children are regularly consulted about their care through meetings and consultations with the manager. They are praised for their achievements, both as individuals and in their children’s meetings.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The provider has developed good relationships with external professionals in health, education and social care. A commissioner was positive about the close working relationship and levels of communication she has with leaders and managers at the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The last review of the quality of care received by Ofsted lacked a broad range of feedback from children and external stakeholders. However, leaders and managers have responded to a requirement made to improve the quality of external monitoring reports. A new provider has been commissioned to provide independent scrutiny to support continuous improvement of care provided for children. Inspection report children's home: 1228091 6

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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 protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child's health. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, that the home environment is maintained and decorated to a high standard. 25 June 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may only use devices for the monitoring or surveillance of children if—

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Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is for the purpose of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the child concerned, or other children;

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Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is no more intrusive than necessary, having regard to the child's need for privacy. (Regulation 24 (1)(a)(d)) 25 June 2021

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Requirement Due date

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")—

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Requirement Due date

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)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, that when the manager or responsible individual are involved in a physical intervention, the debrief 25 June 2021 Inspection report children's home: 1228091 7 and oversight of the record is undertaken by an independent person. All records must be reviewed by a manager to ensure that any physical intervention used is necessary and appropriate.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that they include the opinions of children, the staff, and other stakeholders in the report of the quality of care review, in contributing to continuous improvement in the home. ('Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards', page 65, paragraph 15.4)  The registered person should ensure that the staff record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way, that is helpful to the child, if they choose to read their records at a later date. ('Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards', page 62, paragraph 16.4)  The registered person should ensure that the home's statement of purpose includes all necessary information as set out in schedule 1, including details of how external stakeholders can obtain the behaviour management and safeguarding policies, and contact details for complaints to external agencies.

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Recommendations

('Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards', page 14, paragraph 3.5)

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, 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 8

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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

Karen Willson, Social Care Inspector Elaine Allison, Social Care Inspector Manager Inspection report children's home: 1228091 9 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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