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

Inspection report for children's home: 2538055 1 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 operated by a provider of private sector social care for children. It is registered to provide care for up to two children.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has applied to register with Ofsted.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: sustained effectiveness

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 2538055 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

30/03/2022 Interim Sustained effectiveness 12/10/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 03/03/2020 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 2538055 3

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improvement to be good

The experiences and progress of children living in the home are mixed. Since the previous inspection, specific actions have been implemented to improve the care for one child. The child attends a suitable education provision and their recent school report indicates that they are doing well.

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improvement to be good

The child is receiving specialist help and care from staff, informed by the home’s psychologist. Staff have developed their skills to respond to the child in line with the home’s model of care. This is helping the child to develop strategies to manage their difficult emotions.

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improvement to be good

One other child has lived in the home for a short time. They are developing positive relationships and engage in activities, such as attending a gym, that promote a healthy lifestyle. The child has personalised their bedroom and feedback gathered during this inspection describes that they are happy living in their new home.

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improvement to be good

However, boundaries and care that are required to ensure that the child is always safe and well are not in place. The child spends most of their evenings in the community with friends. Despite risks of harm detailed in the child’s daily records, arrangements in the community lack robust management oversight to protect the child.

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improvement to be good

Shortly after moving into the home, the child’s full-time education arrangements broke down. Leaders and managers have advocated for the child to attend an alternative education provision, but this has not yet progressed. A lack of structured learning negatively impacts the child’s daily routine.

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improvement to be good

Despite daily records identifying risks posed to one child in the community, the manager did not demonstrate an in-depth understanding about these risks, nor were they reflected in the child’s plans. This prevents comprehensive assessment and planning to ensure that the child’s contact with their friends is positive and safe.

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improvement to be good

There are no well-established strategies in place to reduce harm. Staff repeatedly drop the child off in the evenings at locations where there are known concerns. Staff speak to the child about issues affecting their life, they arrange a time to collect the child, and message them when they are away from the home. However, these strategies are not always effective and cannot be relied on to keep the child safe.

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improvement to be good

In response to the child going missing from home, partnership working has strengthened the home’s protocols. There is not a consistent understanding across Inspection report for children's home: 2538055 4 the staff team about strategies agreed with partner agencies but reporting the child missing to the police in a timely way has improved. When the child returns home, risks identified when they were missing or in the community are not always promptly shared with relevant agencies to inform safety planning.

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improvement to be good

The independent person and manager have identified that restraint has not always been used as a necessary and proportionate response to one child’s needs. Learning from these incidents has been implemented and the use of restraint has reduced.

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improvement to be good

Language used to describe restraint as an early intervention is not helpful to ensure that staff have a clear understanding about the strict parameters within which restraint should be used. Conflicting information was provided to the inspector about restraint techniques agreed for use with the child.

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good

Children are provided with continuity of care from a permanent staff team. Staff training has developed their understanding about children’s specific needs. In addition, supervision is recorded effectively, showing that staff receive supervision that focuses on learning and development in line with the home’s model of care.

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good

Other records such as children’s plans are not completed effectively. They do not provide clear information about children’s needs or provide clear guidance to staff. This has contributed to an inconsistent understanding across the staff team about strategies used to promote children’s welfare. For instance, strategies used to manage a child’s internet use at night to improve their sleep pattern are not well understood.

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good

Management oversight is evident across records. This includes debriefs with staff following incidents to review the quality of care provided to children. However, leaders and managers have not assessed effectively the risks posed to one child to inform comprehensive safety planning.

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good

The inspector found that strengths and weaknesses relating to the management of the home were not identified by the manager. Actions discussed by the manager to address shortfalls in practice were therefore limited. Inspection report for children's home: 2538055 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

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)(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 children are fully understood and that effective action is taken to increase children’s safety in the community. 23 December Inspection report for children's home: 2538055 6 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;

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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;

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Requirement Due date

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met;

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Requirement Due date

and use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c)(f)(g)(i)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that managers have a consistent understanding about practice that promotes children’s welfare.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, practice should be informed by research relating to contextual safeguarding. 3 February 2023

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to the registered person ensuring that children’s plans fully reflect their needs and provide clear guidance to staff to ensure that care is consistent and effective. 3 February 2023 Inspection report for children's home: 2538055 7

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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 for children's home: 2538055 8

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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: 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 for children's home: 2538055 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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