Children's Home run by Phoenix Children’s Homes Limited in Plymouth

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2604092 1

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Phoenix Childcare Limited

Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is operated by a private provider and offers care for up to two children. The provider is registered to provide care for children with social and/or emotional difficulties. At the time of this inspection, no children were living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has applied to be registered with Ofsted.

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This monitoring visit

During the assurance inspection on 29 September 2023, Ofsted identified serious and widespread concerns in relation to the care and protection of the children living in the home. As a result, a compliance notice was issued under regulation 13 and a decision was made to restrict admissions to the home.

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This monitoring visit

The home has not had a registered manager since October 2021. Although managers have been recruited to the home, they have not been registered with Ofsted. However, the current manager has now applied to register.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have reflected on the shortfalls that were identified by Ofsted. Some actions have been taken to upskill the current manager and ensure effective oversight and monitoring of the care that is provided to children. However, the home’s development plan has not been updated. As a result, it is difficult for leaders and managers to accurately assess the progress that has been made since the last inspection.

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This monitoring visit

The home has experienced significant change, with one child moving out of the home and many of the staff leaving their positions. Leaders and managers made the decision for the child to move out, as they recognised that staff were not able to keep them safe. As a result, the move was quick and there was little opportunity for staff to support the move in a planned and positive way. However, the child was supported to look around her new home and meet the staff virtually. The child has remained in contact with the manager since they have left the home. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2604092 2 The home has recruited sufficient numbers of new staff. However, many of these staff members lack the experience and skills required to care for children with complex needs effectively. Leaders and managers recognise that the staff need time to complete a thorough induction, receive the necessary training and gain valuable

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This monitoring visit

experience of working with children. As a result, clear induction plans are in place that provide staff with the opportunities to work with the children in the provider’s other homes, while receiving training and mentoring.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers are aware of the risks associated with a largely inexperienced team of carers supporting children with complex needs. As a result, senior leaders are exploring how they can restructure the staffing in their homes to ensure that a good balance between experienced staff and inexperience staff is achieved. At the moment, there are not enough suitably skilled or experienced staff to meet the needs of children or deliver the offer of care as described in the home’s statement of purpose.

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This monitoring visit

Safer recruitment checks are in place to help leaders and managers determine the suitability of staff to work with children. However, leaders and managers were not able to demonstrate that appropriate checks had been completed on staff who have lived overseas. Leaders and managers took action to request this information during the inspection, although this should have been completed before staff worked with children.

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This monitoring visit

Staff supervision sessions and team meetings have not been used effectively to help staff reflect on the areas for development for the home. Although leaders and managers were able to outline their plans to do this, insufficient action has been taken to date.

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This monitoring visit

Staff training compliance is generally high. Some newer members of staff are partway through their induction programme, so some mandatory training remains incomplete. Leaders and managers are clear that the additional training needs of staff will be identified based on the individual needs of the children that move to the home in the future.

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This monitoring visit

Sufficient action has been taken to address the points raised on the compliance notice. However, more work is needed to ensure that the home has a suitably skilled and experienced workforce to meet children’s needs as outlined in the statement of purpose. As a result, the notice to restrict further admissions to the home remains in place. Ofsted will continue to monitor the home. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2604092 3

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

21/06/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 28/06/2022 Full Good 09/11/2021 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2604092 4

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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 with the given timescales.

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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

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

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

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that care is monitored effectively to ensure that the child’s daily needs are met.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, the registered person should ensure that staff are suitably skilled and experienced to meet the needs of the children and deliver on the care described in the home’s statement of purpose.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement has been partially restated from the previous inspection. 18 December 2023 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2604092 5 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

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;

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Requirement Due date

make decisions about the day-to-day arrangements for each child, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans, which give the child an appropriate degree of freedom and choice. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iv)(v)(ix)).

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Requirement Due date

This directly relates to the registered person ensuring that daily care supports the child to achieve healthy routines and positive activities, and that they are helped to increase their understanding of risks online.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement has been restated from the previous inspection. 18 December 2023 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2604092 6

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000.

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Phoenix Childcare Ltd

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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 - monitoring visit: 2604092 7 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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