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

Inspection report for children's home: 1255407 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 owned by a private provider and is registered to provide care for up to four children. At the time of this inspection, two children were living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been in post since January 2023.

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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: requires improvement to be good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: None Inspection report for children's home: 1255407 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

18/08/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 07/09/2021 Full Good 03/02/2020 Interim Sustained effectiveness 17/09/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 1255407 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children at this home are given responsive and nurturing care by staff who have a good understanding of their needs. This care has contributed to the children making progress in some areas.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff frequently tell children that they are loved and cared about. As a result, the children have begun to establish trusting and positive relationships with the staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Clear routines are in place for children, for instance, around mealtimes and bedtimes. This has given the children a sense of predictability and security. In turn, this has enabled staff to plan more activities for the children outside the home. This includes the children going on holiday together during the summer, which was a positive experience for them both.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children attend school regularly, and there has been an improvement in their attendance and punctuality since the start of the new term.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One education professional said communication between the home and school is excellent, and that the children now appear to be more settled. As a result, staff are now able to provide more structured support for their learning at home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s progress and achievements are celebrated. For example, milestones and achievements are added to an ‘achievement tree’ on the wall in the hallway, which the children have responded positively to.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff are flexible and proactive in ensuring the children have good- quality time with people who are important to them. Both children regularly have visits from family at the home, supported by staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The environment is warm and homely with photos of the children on the walls throughout the home. Both children’s bedrooms were recently redecorated in their choice of colour and the children have access to a large choice of age-appropriate toys, books and games.

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improvement to be good

The needs of the children are complex and, as a result, incidents do happen. Staff generally manage lower-level incidents appropriately, offering children support and reassurance. However, there continue to be a high number of incidents involving restraint, with 142 such incidents since the previous inspection. Inspection report for children's home: 1255407 4 Guidance for staff is not clear enough around the use of restraint and strategies that should be followed to de-escalate incidents. As a result, staff responses to children are not always consistent.

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improvement to be good

Records of restraint are detailed and debriefs with staff and children take place after each incident. Debriefs are reflective and of good quality but records do not always contain sufficient information about the circumstances of some holds.

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improvement to be good

The manager has identified that the level of restraint in the home is high and understands the potential emotional impact of this on the children.

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improvement to be good

Some action has been taken to review the home’s response to incidents, including the manager consulting with the organisation’s therapeutic services. However, at the time of the inspection, there had not yet been a consistent reduction in the use of restraint in the home.

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improvement to be good

When allegations are made against staff, appropriate safeguarding procedures are followed. Investigations carried out are robust and issues around poor practice are identified and appropriate action taken.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is run by an enthusiastic and proactive manager. Staff are positive about her support and leadership and said they enjoy working at this home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Management oversight of records is of good quality and includes reflection and analysis of patterns in incidents. Practice issues and training needs are identified and addressed in team meetings and individual supervisions. However, full supervision has not always been held regularly for all staff. The manager has identified difficulties with supervision taking place at the home during longer school holidays. A plan has been put in place for supervision to take place elsewhere in future when the children are at home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has a good understanding of the needs of the children and works well with other professionals to ensure they receive consistent and appropriate support.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

External professionals were positive about the care provided to the children and the quality of communication from the manager and staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive training specific to the needs of the children living in the home, for example, play therapy and attachment and trauma training. During the inspection, the staff were taking part in pre-arranged refresher training for physical intervention techniques. Inspection report for children's home: 1255407 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, The 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

Restraint in relation to a child is only permitted for the purpose of preventing—

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Requirement Due date

injury to any person (including the child);

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Requirement Due date

serious damage to the property of any person (including the child); or

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Requirement Due date

a child who is accommodated in a secure children’s home from absconding from the home.

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Requirement Due date

Restraint in relation to a child must be necessary and proportionate. (Regulation 20 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers should implement a robust and effective plan to reduce the use of restraint. 22 November

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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

treat each child with dignity and respect; 22 November Inspection report for children's home: 1255407 6 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. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that there is clear guidance for staff to de-escalate incidents and that this guidance is consistently followed. The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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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

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone;

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Requirement Due date

are provided with supervision and support to enable them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same;

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Requirement Due date

de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(iv)(x)(xi)) 22 November

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

Receive regular practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 33 (4)(b)) 22 November Inspection report for children's home: 1255407 7

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that, as appropriate, staff are able to access the specialist therapeutic services attached to the home to enable them to continue to develop their understanding of how children’s experiences impact on their behaviour, and the most effective strategies to support them. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.11)

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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: 1255407 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

Janet Jauregui, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 1255407 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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