Children's Home run by Phoenix Children’s Homes Limited in Devon

Inspection report children’s home: SC403234 1 SC403234 Registered provider: Phoenix Childcare Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home provides care for up to two children who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. At the time of this visit, two children were living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is operated by a private provider of education and social care.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since September 2018.

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Information about this children’s home

Due to COVID-19 (coronavirus), at the request of the Secretary of State, we suspended all routine inspections of social care providers on 17 March 2020.

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Information about this children’s home

We last visited this setting on 21 and 22 October 2020 to carry out an assurance visit. The report is published on the Ofsted website.

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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

Date of last inspection: 17 December 2019

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: sustained effectiveness

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC403234 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

17/12/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness 25/06/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 31/01/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness 11/10/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report children’s home: SC403234 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from the positive, affectionate relationships they have with a stable staff team that supports them to make progress in all areas of their lives. Staff understand the children’s differing needs and work with them sensitively to help them engage in activities they find challenging. Children enjoy a range of activities including surfing, shopping, and caring for their pets. Staff ensure that children can care for their pets safely, and that the animals are well cared for.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is well maintained, homely and nicely decorated. The kitchen has recently been refurbished. Children’s rooms are spacious and personalised.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to keep in touch with their friends and family when it is in their best interests to do so. Friends and family members are encouraged to visit the home, and sleepover when it is appropriate for them to do so. Staff support children to visit their families and make these visits an enjoyable and positive experience.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy school and their attendance is good. Children’s health needs, including their emotional well-being and mental health, are well met. An in-house psychology team offers therapy to children and supports staff to respond to new or changing behaviours. Children are supported to attend routine health appointments.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff work creatively with other professionals, including the police, to educate children on the risks they may face. A social worker spoke warmly of the progress his young person has made since moving to the home, saying that they had ‘done fantastically well’ and that their life chances had been improved as a result of moving into the home.

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

Children say they feel safe living in this home. They respond to praise and encouragement from adults they have positive relationships with. There have been no incidents of physical intervention, or of children going missing since the last inspection.

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

Staff know the children well and understand their vulnerabilities, and how best to help them. Psychological assessments, completed by the in-house psychology team, inform detailed risk assessments that support staff to respond to children’s behaviours. Staff understand how to respond to safeguarding incidents and have responded appropriately, and sensitively, to a serious safeguarding incident.

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

Detailed behaviour plans, created with children, support staff to recognise and intervene to support children at an early stage. Children’s views influence how staff help them to respond to difficult and stressful circumstances. Incidents of self-harm have reduced in frequency and severity. Inspection report children’s home: SC403234 4

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is appropriately qualified and experienced for his role. The manager has a very good understanding of the home’s strengths and areas for development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The requirement made at the last visit has been met. The independent person now visits the home and does not conduct the visit virtually. The recommendation made has not yet been tested as there have been no incidents of physical restraint requiring a subsequent debrief.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff feel very well supported by the manager who is visible and available to them. Supervision takes place regularly, and training is tailored to the needs of the children living in, or moving into, the house. Staff described examples of how they applied strategies learned in training in their work with the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff either have the necessary qualification or are working towards it. For some staff, the pandemic has caused a delay in them progressing with their qualification because of training providers placing their staff on furlough. Inspection report children’s home: SC403234 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: SC403234 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Phoenix Childcare Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Support Hub, Unit 5, Chinon Court, Lower Moor Way, Tiverton, Devon EX16 6SS

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Inspector

Janet Fraser, Senior Her Majesty’s Inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC403234 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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