Children's home run by Phoenix Childcare Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home: 2573614 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

This home is operated by a private provider of education and social care. The home was registered in March 2020, and provides care for up to two children. At the time of this inspection, one child was living in the home.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2573614 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/04/2022 Full Good 29/06/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2573614 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Care arrangements for one child ended because their future needs could not be met in line with their care plan. Positive relationships have continued and the child updates staff at the home about their life. Another child left the home and returned to their family successfully.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child has recently moved into the home. They are developing a sense of belonging in these early stages and building positive relationships with staff. The child’s social worker described them as happy and settled, and the child told the inspector that living in the home is good.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

They are enjoying many different activities, including attending community clubs. They are being supported to develop their interests and to build friendships. Their education needs are reviewed regularly, and support is identified to help them fulfil their potential.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Daily records show the child’s daily activities. They do not consistently show how staff respond to the child. This reduces oversight of quality of care. Reduction in oversight of quality of care does not help to ensure that care approaches are consistent and effective. Staff discussions demonstrate some knowledge of the home’s care model for responding to the child, but this is not yet embedded across practice.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Focused support that is informed by the home’s therapeutic team is provided to the child. This contributes to the child’s progress. In addition, staff support the child to develop skills that are needed for increasing independence. There is meaningful use of the home’s systems to monitor their progress and to identify any additional support needed.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s views are used to shape the home’s development, and they inform decision-making about children moving into the home. One child has directly contributed to the development of the children’s guide. This is to help other children understand what care will be like for them before they move into the home.

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

Careful recruitment processes are in place that reduce the risk of unsuitable persons working in the home.

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

Collaborative working with the child’s education provision is effective. Swift action has been taken to protect them from bullying. Their education experiences have improved and there is a notable improvement in their emotional well-being. Inspection report for children’s home: 2573614 4 Staff deliver focused interventions to help children to know how to keep themselves safe. Creative approaches are used to help children participate. These include specific interventions relating to healthy relationships and exploitation. In addition, staff have helped the child to stop smoking over the short period that they have lived in the home.

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

Risks in the community are understood and care planning reduces harm to the child when they spend time with their friends. The manager is informed about the areas in which the child spends time, they have established links with adults in the community, and they have clear expectations of staff to increase the child’s safety when they are away from the home.

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

The home has not established effective links with the child’s host authority. When managers have not been satisfied that appropriate action has been taken to safeguard the child, they have not escalated their concerns promptly to ensure that care planning reduces harm effectively. This relates to family time arrangements, implementing systems to ensure that the child’s internet use is safe, and to prevent the child from accessing a game unsuitable for their age.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home has been without a registered manager since January 2023. The new manager has previously worked in the home. They have applied to register with Ofsted promptly. They are managing the home effectively and efficiently.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

One complaint has been received over this period. Senior managers have taken action to investigate and respond to the complaint promptly. Learning to improve the child’s experiences was implemented.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Positive feedback received from staff shows that they enjoy working in the home and that they feel supported by managers. The manager has implemented additional systems to support the team’s development. They have created a guide to support staff in their roles that has been disseminated for use across the organisation.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff recruitment has been successful, and the home is fully staffed. This promotes continuity of care for the child. However, there are few experienced staff members working in the home. There is a need to develop staff knowledge and skills to ensure that consistent therapeutic approaches are embedded in line with the home’s statement of purpose.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive good-quality managerial supervision and reflective practice sessions. When practice issues arise, they are addressed by the manager promptly.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is informed about the need to complete a review of the quality of care and submit to Ofsted shortly. They discussed clear actions that they plan to implement to drive the home’s development and to continually improve children’s care. Inspection report for children’s home: 2573614 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

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans; and

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Requirement Due date

seek to develop and maintain effective professional relationships with such persons, bodies or organisations as the registered person considers appropriate having regard to the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the children’s home is to provide care and accommodation. (Regulation 5 (a)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must take effective action to resolve issues promptly when they consider that external agency responses are not adequate to safeguard the child. 26 January 2024

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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

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; and

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Requirement Due date

that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(b)(e)) 31 October 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2573614 6 In particular, the registered person must ensure that arrangements that reduce harm to children are explained and implemented when children move into the home.

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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: 2573614 7

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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: 2573614 8 regulates and inspects 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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