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

Inspection report children’s home: SC458811 1 SC458811 Registered provider: Phoenix Learning & Care Holdings Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to two children who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is operated by a private provider of education and social care. The home was registered with Ofsted on 28 March 2013.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager is absent from work. There is an interim manager in post.

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Information about this children’s home

Due to COVID-19, at the request of the Secretary of State, we suspended all routine inspections of social care providers carried out under the social care common inspection framework (SCCIF) on 17 March 2020. We returned to routine SCCIF inspections on 12 April 2021.

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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 requires improvement to be 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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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC458811 2

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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 children’s home: SC458811 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child was living in the home at the time of this inspection. The child has made excellent progress in education and has attained qualifications. He is now enjoying attending college full time. The child is the first to be asked to undertake work experience by a project-based education site. From the child’s starting point, this is impressive progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child has lived in the home for many years. A stable staff team has meant that he experiences consistent care. Some members of staff have been at the home since the child’s first day at the home. He has developed strong connections to the staff and refers to the staff team as family.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is moving towards adulthood and will soon move out of the home. He is worried about the future and does not feel ready to leave the home. The child’s views are listened to and, as a result, ongoing support from the staff team is being considered as part of the child’s future care plan.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child enjoys a range of activities facilitated by the staff team. These activities reflect the child’s interests and strengths and have increased his self-confidence and self-esteem.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Overall, the home environment meets the needs of the child. However, the home would benefit from some updated furnishings and decoration to create a more homely feel.

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improvement to be good

Since the last inspection, there has been one serious safeguarding incident in the home, resulting in police involvement. This has the potential to have a significant impact on the outcomes of children involved in this incident. Investigations are ongoing and the provider intends to conduct a comprehensive review of the situation.

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improvement to be good

Leaders and managers complete a comprehensive assessment of children’s needs in preparation for them joining the home. However, when more than one child has lived in the home, risk-management plans that enable staff to identify and manage risk have not been sufficient to ensure that children are consistently protected from harm.

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improvement to be good

Leaders and managers have responded to safeguarding incidents promptly and appropriately when incidents have happened, including missing-from-home incidents. Staff deliver consistent messages about unacceptable behaviour and physical restraint is not used. Inspection report children’s home: SC458811 4 However, leaders and managers have not provided staff with clear direction or strategies to enable them to meet the more complex needs of the child living in the home. Inspectors found that a therapeutic approach in line with the home’s statement of purpose is not being implemented consistently. This has affected the child’s ability to develop resilience and important self-care skills needed for adulthood.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is absent from work. An interim manager has been appointed during this period. The interim manager has been in post for a short time but has worked in the home for several years prior to this role. During this inspection, the interim manager presented as confident and efficient.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff team is extremely stable and well established. There is no use of agency workers. Feedback gained during this inspection highlighted a supportive and close- knit team. Changes in the staff team are rare. Any new starters feel welcomed. The interim manager and staff team are dedicated and committed to their roles.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The child is at the centre of practice. Staff spoke about the child with emotional warmth and positive regard. The child is listened to. The interim manager is a strong advocate on the child’s behalf. The feedback gained by inspectors from the child’s social worker also echoed this as a particular strength of the interim manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The system for recording is under review and is yet to be embedded. In the main, records are well recorded. The interim manager intends to review plans to ensure that staff are provided with clear direction to implement a consistent therapeutic approach. This is required to support the child’s needs effectively.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Team morale is good. The interim manager is ensuring that staff receive supervision, and appraisals are being progressed. The interim manager is valued and, as such, there is confidence that the home will continue to be managed effectively. Inspection report children’s home: SC458811 5

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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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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 and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

protect and promote each child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand and manage the impact of any experience of abuse or neglect;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop resilience and skills that prepare the child to return home, to live in a new placement or to live independently as an adult. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iv)(v)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to leaders and managers ensuring that staff have the skills to meet the specific needs of children in preparation for adulthood. This includes consistent therapeutic interventions, in line with the home’s statement of purpose. 24 January 2022 Inspection report children’s home: SC458811 6 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

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(v)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to leaders and managers ensuring that risk-management plans clearly identify strategies that enable staff to identify and manage risk to prevent children living in the home together from suffering harm. 24 January 2022

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that the home is well maintained, clean and well decorated throughout. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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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: SC458811 7

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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

Louise Bacon, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC458811 8 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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