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

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2604092 1 Registered provider: Phoenix Childcare Ltd

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is operated by a provider of education and social care. It is registered to provide care for up to two children. At the time of this inspection, one child lived in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager started on 1 March 2022 and has applied to register with Ofsted.

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Information about this children’s home

This assurance inspection was carried out due to information received by Ofsted from safeguarding notifications, regarding missing-from-home incidents.

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Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspector evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance 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’. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2604092 2

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Findings from the inspection

We identified the following serious and widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection:

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Findings from the inspection

 failure to ensure that risks posed to the child are understood and responded to effectively  care-planning and risk assessments fail to reflect fully the risks posed to the child  failure to act in a timely manner to safeguard the child.

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The care of children

Since the previous inspection, one child has moved on from the home in a planned way. Their move was progressed in a timely way.

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The care of children

One child moved into the home in July 2022. The home environment meets their needs, and they have personalised their bedroom. The child said that they like the adults who care for them. The manager described positive relationships developing between the child and staff.

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The care of children

Staff receive necessary training and support to help them understand the child’s needs. However, responses and interactions with the child are not meeting the child’s needs effectively. As a result, the child is not being helped to develop healthy routines and boundaries.

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The care of children

The child is regularly missing meals because they are not getting up or leaving their bedroom. At times, the child takes meals back to their bedroom. This is not helping the child to settle into their new home, and nor can staff be assured that the child is eating an adequate diet.

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The care of children

A suitable education provision has been identified. However, the child is not attending school. They remain in their room for extended periods of time. Staff check on the child regularly. However, the structure of the day is led by the child by too great an extent

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The care of children

The child has participated in some activities with staff, and their interests have developed. These activities are captured in memory books that the child enjoys looking at. The manager described that at these times, there is a positive impact on the child’s well-being. Further planning and proactive approaches are needed to ensure that more activities are progressed for the child.

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The care of children

The child has extensive use of their mobile phone. This is impacting on the child’s sleep. Records do not show staff intervening in the child’s night-time use of their phone. There are no plans in place to help manage this effectively. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2604092 3

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The safety of children

The child goes missing from home on a regular basis. When the child returns home, return-home interviews are completed and staff talk to the child. These conversations provide a greater understanding about risks posed to the child in the community. Information is shared with relevant professionals appropriately.

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The safety of children

When the child is missing, staff make attempts to locate the child. However, prompt action is not always taken to safeguard the child in the community. At times, this is because staff do not follow guidance set out in the child’s plans. As a result, there have been repeated delays in reporting the child missing to the police, and on two occasions, staff have not intervened effectively to reduce the risk of the child going missing from home.

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The safety of children

On one occasion, staff failed to seek advice when the child previously living in the home told them that they had been drinking alcohol when away from the home, and nor did they check on the child during the night to ensure that they were well and not adversely affected by the alcohol they had consumed.

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The safety of children

Risk assessments do not fully reflect risks posed to the child. For instance, following incidents, assessments have not been updated to include the risk of child exploitation, and any additional actions that should be taken. The manager told the inspector that the child smokes in the garden. The child has lighters and vaping items in their bedroom. There is no clear agreement and safety plan in place relating to the child’s smoking.

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The safety of children

It is positive to note that restraint is not used to manage children’s behaviour. When damage has been caused to the home environment, requests for repair have been made promptly to ensure that the environment provides a homely feel for the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Leadership at the home is not sufficiently well developed. When staff do not respond to the child effectively, the manager addresses this on both an individual and team basis. However, this has not achieved improved and consistent care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The child’s daily records lack detail, and at times staff fail to record key events that have happened. They do not provide information to support the child’s understanding about their daily life and how they have been helped. This limits the manager’s ability to review the quality of care provided and prevents the use of opportunities for learning and development that are needed to improve the child’s experiences.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The responsible individual told the inspector that there are no immediate plans to move another child into the home. This is because the child is not settled, and there is a need to develop the skills of the team to meet the child’s needs. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2604092 4 Leaders and managers told the inspector that following this inspection, they plan to meet with the child’s local authority and devise an action plan to respond to concerns that they, and the inspector, identified during this inspection.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

28/06/2022 Full Good 09/11/2021 Full Inadequate Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2604092 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 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

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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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

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare and are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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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;

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Requirement Due date

that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation (12) (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(e))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must take action to ensure that risks posed to the child are fully understood and 28 October 2022 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2604092 6 that staff use strategies that reduce risk and promote the child’s welfare effectively.

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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—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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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

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c)(f))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers should ensure that staff are provided with clear guidance and strategies that support the child to develop healthy routines.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, leaders and managers should review the quality of care regularly to ensure that staff have the skills necessary to meet the child’s needs, and to ensure that their experiences are continually improved. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2604092 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Phoenix Childcare Limited

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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 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2604092 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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