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

Inspection report 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 owned by a private provider and is registered to provide care for up to two children. At the time of the inspection, two children were living in the home, one having moved there in March 2022 and the other in September 2023. A third child lived in the home between October 2022 and 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 good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Date of last inspection: 22 November 2022

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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: 2538055 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

22/11/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 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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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Progress made by children living in this home is mixed. One child’s needs were complex, and their placement ended prematurely following an increase in violent incidents and the level of risk.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the end of this child’s placement, the home manager and senior management have reflected upon this period and some lessons learned have been applied to practice. For example, managers have considered the robustness of their planning before children move into the home. As a result, the home’s admissions documentation has been reviewed and expanded.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

At the time of the inspection one child had been living in the home only for a short period. This child’s move to the home was well planned. They were able to meet key staff and visit the home before moving in. The home manager consulted with their school, previous carers and social worker before a move was agreed. The needs of the other child in the home and the skills of the staff team were also considered.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

However, this child has since demonstrated a higher level of need than was reported prior to moving in. There have been several significant incidents in recent weeks. This has included damage to the property and altercations with the other child living in the home. Staff have generally managed these incidents well, providing a nurturing and supportive response to both children. Changes to staff shift patterns have also recently been put in place to provide additional support in evenings when most incidents have taken place.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child has made good progress during their time at the home. Staff have a good understanding of this child’s needs and provide them with skilled and nurturing care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

A professional told the inspector that with staff support, this child is now more able to manage and talk about any difficult emotions they are experiencing. This has resulted in the child talking to staff about their previous experiences and, overall, a significant reduction in incidents for them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have advocated strongly for appropriate support to be in place for this child’s education. As a result, they are now attending school regularly and are making excellent progress academically and socially.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children can personalise their bedrooms and contribute to the decor in communal areas of the home. However, recent incidents have meant that photos and other decorations around the home have been removed or damaged. Some items have been removed from the kitchen and locked away due to damage caused during incidents. At the time of the inspection, support plans and risk assessments had not Inspection report for children's home: 2538055 4 been updated to reflect the reasons for these items being restricted, the impact on children and the timescales for review.

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

One child is settled at the home and has developed strong and trusting relationships with staff. These relationships have contributed to this child’s feelings of security and an overall reduction in significant incidents. However, recent incidents involving the other child in the home have led them to express feelings of being unsettled and, at times, scared.

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

The manager advised the inspector that he is aware of the impact of ongoing incidents on both children and plans to keep this under close review in partnership with the local authority. At the time of the inspection a disruption meeting had been requested by the home, although a date had not yet been set.

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

When incidents do take place, staff generally manage them well, and children are given appropriate and empathetic responses. Five incidents of restraint have taken place. When restraint is used, this is in appropriate circumstances and to prevent significant harm or injury. Before any physical intervention is used, staff attempt to de-escalate incidents and distract children.

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

When allegations or disclosures are made by children, these are managed appropriately. Relevant safeguarding procedures are followed, and children are provided with support and reassurance.

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

Health professionals and staff have identified that one child’s health needs mean they should be supported to take part in regular exercise and to maintain a healthy diet. However, this is not yet being promoted consistently by staff.

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good

The home manager is child-focused and well regarded by his staff team. Staff told the inspector they enjoy working in this home and feel well supported by the manager and their colleagues.

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good

The manager advocates for children and effectively challenges other professionals. However, some delays from placing authorities in providing documentation relating to children’s needs could have been escalated more promptly.

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good

Management oversight on some records is of good quality. However, there is inconsistency, with the more recent records being found to be incomplete.

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good

Some records of incidents completed before the second child moved into the home show debriefs with children and staff taking place. Manager oversight on these records is clear, with issues regarding staff practice identified and followed up in supervision. Inspection report for children's home: 2538055 5 However, for more recent incidents debriefs have not always taken place, and risk assessments and support plans have not been updated following significant events.

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good

One child had no health or education plan in place and no physical intervention risk assessment, despite physical intervention having been used with them.As a result, guidance to staff on how best to support children and de-escalate incidents is not clear or specific.

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good

Staff at this home have a good understanding of the needs of the children living here and generally provide children with a good standard of care.

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good

Staff told the inspector that communication between the team is strong and that frequent conversations take place between staff and the manager, although these are not always documented.

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good

As a result of the skill of the staff team, the care and responses given to children have not yet been significantly impacted. However, the manager acknowledges that without clear guidance for staff moving forward, children are unlikely to receive effective, safe and consistent care in the long term. Inspection report for children's home: 2538055 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 health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

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;

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

understand and develop skills to promote the child’s well- being. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)) 10 January 2024

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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

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— 10 January 2024 Inspection report for children's home: 2538055 7 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)(b) (2)(c)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that management oversight is consistent and evidenced across records, that when incidents do take place, staff are promptly supported to reflect on and learn from them, and that care and support plans are regularly updated in line with this.

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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

In particular, the registered person should ensure that children’s plans are regularly updated and contain clear guidance for staff to ensure children receive consistent responses and care. 10 January 2024

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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; and

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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

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(i)(ii)) 29 November Inspection report for children's home: 2538055 8 In particular, ensure that the reasons for any restrictions preventing children accessing items in the home are fully documented and regularly reviewed.

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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

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other; 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)(a)(iv)(e)) 10 January 2024

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that challenge to external professionals is escalated promptly as required. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 11, paragraph 2.3)

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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 9

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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: 2538055 10 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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