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

Inspection report for children's home: 1256771 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 offers care for up to three children. The provider states in the home’s statement of purpose that it provides care for children with social and emotional difficulties. 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’s post has been vacant since May 2022. A manager did apply for registration with Ofsted and was interviewed in 2023, but they subsequently withdrew their application. Currently, senior leaders are managing the home while they recruit a new manager.

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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: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 1256771 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

04/01/2023 Full Good 05/10/2021 Full Outstanding 10/12/2019 Full Outstanding 28/01/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children's home: 1256771 3

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improvement to be good

Children are making some progress in this home. One child, who previously found it difficult to attend school, has successfully started college and is making friends. Another child is receiving regular home tuition and is exploring additional vocational courses in line with their interests. However, when children are not receiving full- time education, they are not consistently supported to engage in suitable structured activities and routines that promote their development and learning.

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improvement to be good

Children’s healthcare needs are not consistently met. Children are not supported effectively to develop healthy sleep routines. In addition, children are not always provided with healthy and balanced meals, and children often opt to snack instead of participating in communal mealtimes. The advice and guidance that are provided to children by staff are not always helpful or well informed. As a result, children are not achieving positive health outcomes.

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improvement to be good

Children say that they enjoy living in this home and that they can talk to staff when they are upset or worried about something. Children said that they would improve the home by increasing their pocket money and installing an indoor swimming pool.

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improvement to be good

Children explained that they get to do a range of fun and enjoyable activities in the community, such as going to the cinema, spending time with friends and family, and going to theme parks. However, staff do not always consider children’s individual needs before arranging these activities. As a result, children’s experiences are not always positive.

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improvement to be good

Children spoke enthusiastically about spending time with their family members. A family member said that they enjoy their time with their child and that they have developed positive relationships with the staff. Despite this, the family member questioned how well staff are supporting their child to develop the life skills that they will need when they move out of the home. One child explained that they are being supported to cook their own meals and do their own laundry. There are also plans in place to support them to use public transport in the future.

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improvement to be good

Children benefit from a large communal space on the first floor, which includes a kitchen-diner, a lounge and an activities room with a pool table and a variety of board games. These spaces are suitably furnished and feel homely. However, staff office spaces are not in keeping with the homely environment, as they are cluttered and furnished with office equipment that would not usually be found in a family home. In addition, laminated operational guidance for staff is pinned to noticeboards, which further detracts from the homely environment. Inspection report for children's home: 1256771 4 All children have their own en suites, and their bedrooms are personalised with toys, photos and LED lights. However, children are not always helped to keep their rooms clean and tidy, and there are dirty plates, empty sweet wrappers and unwashed clothes on the floor. One child has not been supported to unpack all of their

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improvement to be good

belongings, which remain in boxes in the corner of their en suite.

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improvement to be good

Children’s care plans are not clear or accessible. It is difficult to gain a comprehensive overview of children’s needs or the strategies that staff require to support them. As a result, staff’s understanding of how to meet children’s individual needs is limited.

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improvement to be good

Staff do not always respond to children’s needs in line with their care plans or the ethos of the home. Moreover, it is not always clear what strategies staff have used to help children express themselves safely. As a result, learning opportunities for staff are missed, and instances where follow-up actions would be beneficial for children are not always identified.

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improvement to be good

Despite this, restraint has not been used in this home. In addition, there has been a recent improvement in how staff respond to the needs of children. Reflective practice sessions are now being used to inform children’s care.

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improvement to be good

Four concerns about staff have been raised by children since the last inspection, including one concern that was raised during this inspection. Concerns about staff are shared with the relevant professionals, including the child’s social worker and the local authority designated officer. Following one concern being raised, appropriate feedback was provided to the child to help them understand the actions of staff. However, in another instance, no feedback or reparation was offered to the child.

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improvement to be good

When children are at risk of going missing from home, leaders and managers implement safety plans to try and prevent missing-from-home episodes from happening. When children do go missing from home, staff follow the agreed protocols, including searching the local area, liaising with the relevant professionals, and trying to make contact with the child and their friends and family. Children are supported to reflect on their experiences when they have been missing from home, and their motivations for running away are explored. This helps leaders and managers to amend safety plans and determine whether children can be kept safe.

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good

There is not a registered manager in post at this home. The responsible individual and a registered manager from the provider’s sister home are currently sharing managerial responsibility, while a potential registered manager is recruited. Although leaders and managers are trying to ensure sufficient managerial support is provided to staff and children, there has been a detrimental impact of not having a full-time Inspection report for children's home: 1256771 5 registered manager in post. The current management team has identified areas for development, and some improvements to the quality of care being provided to the children are being made.

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good

There has been a recent improvement in how thoroughly leaders and managers consider the needs and risks associated with children before they move into the home. This has allowed leaders and managers to assess the impact of the new child moving into the home on the children already living there, and vice versa. Before children move in, leaders and managers arrange to meet the child and encourage them to visit the home to meet the staff team and the children who already live there. However, when barriers to children visiting the home are encountered, leaders and managers have not always made sufficient efforts to overcome them.

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good

Staff training compliance is high. Staff are provided with opportunities to complete training that supports them to meet the individual needs of the children. However, there is a lack of support and guidance available to staff to help them apply their knowledge to the day-to-day care of children.

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good

Staff are not offered regular supervision sessions, and the sessions that have been offered do not provide sufficient support to staff or encourage them to reflect on the care that they are providing. Leaders and managers have identified this as an area for development, and all members of staff have received a recent supervision session. Although in its infancy, this has allowed for some improvements to be made to the quality of care.

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good

The current management team is using team meetings to reflect on what is happening in the home and the care that is offered to children. This is helping leaders and managers support staff to develop their practices. A recent team meeting was also used to help staff be more mindful of the local community, as a complaint had been received. The response from leaders and managers to this complaint was appropriate, and no further issues have been raised.

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good

Feedback from staff is mixed. Staff are clear that although the current managerial arrangements are helping them, they would benefit from the guidance that would be offered by a full-time manager in post. Staff are not able to provide a comprehensive overview of the needs of children, although they are able to identify some of the most pertinent development areas for them.

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good

Professionals also highlighted the negative impact of recent staff and managerial changes, particularly on children’s experiences and the quality of communication. However, professionals could recognise the positive impact of the current managerial arrangements. Moreover, professionals were also able to identify some of the progress that is being made by their child.

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good

Leaders and managers intend to formalise the current managerial arrangements for the home so that staff and children are aware of when they will be present and able to provide support to them. Following the recruitment of a permanent manager, an application to register with Ofsted should be submitted in a timely manner. Inspection report for children's home: 1256771 6

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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

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; and

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that staff are able to respond to the needs of children effectively. Moreover, staff should be supported to develop their skills and identify when additional action may be required to keep children safe. 15 January 2024

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met; 15 January 2024 Inspection report for children's home: 1256771 7 children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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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

achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

understand the child’s health and well-being needs and the options that are available in relation to the child’s health and well-being, in a way that is appropriate to the child’s age and understanding; and

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Requirement Due date

take part in activities, and attend any appointments, for the purpose of meeting the child’s health and well-being needs. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that staff are able to support children to meet their individual health needs effectively. This includes ensuring that staff are able to provide children with well-informed advice, guidance and support about how their health needs can be met.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, the registered person should ensure that staff are able to identify when additional support services may be required to help children achieve positive health outcomes.

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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 work as a team where appropriate; 18 December Inspection report for children's home: 1256771 8 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; and

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Requirement Due date

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)(b)(c)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure effective oversight of the home, which helps staff to reflect on and develop the quality of care that they provide. Specifically, the registered person should ensure that all staff receive regular guidance and staff supervision sessions. Staff should be helped to understand the needs of children and the support that they require. The registered person should support staff to apply their training to the day-to-day care of children.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, the registered person should ensure that the manager swiftly submits a complete application to register with Ofsted.

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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.

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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 each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (1)(a) (2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered persons should ensure that children’s care plans are clear and accessible for staff. Moreover, the registered person should ensure that staff have a comprehensive understanding of these plans and are able to use them to inform the day-to-day care that they provide. 15 January 2024 Inspection report for children's home: 1256771 9

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the children’s home is a nurturing and supportive environment that can meet the needs of the children. The environment should be homely and domestic. In particular, staff should support children to maintain their bedrooms to a good standard of cleanliness. Moreover, children should be supported to feel comfortable enough in the home to unpack all of their belongings. In addition, the registered person should ensure that staff office spaces are tidy and present a homely rather than institutional appearance. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should ensure that when children are not in full-time education, they are supported to engage in suitable structured activities that promote their development and learning. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 28, paragraph 5.15)

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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: 1256771 10

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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

Martin Brown, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 1256771 11 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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