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

Inspection report for children’s home: 2610709 1 Registered provider: Phoenix Childcare Ltd Full inspection 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 of social care. It provides care for up to two children. At the time of this inspection, one child was living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The home has been without a registered manager since May 2022. A new manager is in post and has applied to register with Ofsted.

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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: inadequate

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

A compliance notice was issued following a full inspection of the home on 1 and 2 August 2023, when it was judged inadequate. At a monitoring visit on 18 September 2023, the compliance notice was not met. A further compliance notice was issued. Inspection report for children’s home: 2610709 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

01/08/2023 Full Inadequate 12/07/2022 Full Good 27/04/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2610709 3

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improvement to be good

One child has lived in the home for a short period. They took part in this inspection and shared their views to help inform the home’s development. This included their views on the home’s children’s guide, to ensure that it is helpful for children.

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improvement to be good

Despite the manager’s efforts to gather more information about the child, the child’s life story is not well understood. This includes key events relating to the child’s family. This is needed to help support the child in the best way possible and to ensure that family-time arrangements are clearly defined.

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improvement to be good

The child is not attending an education provision and they do not have structured learning in place. They are eager to join a new school. Attending school will provide them with the opportunity to develop friendships, which they currently have few opportunities to do. The manager said an application for a local school has been completed by the child’s placing authority.

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improvement to be good

Staff organise daily activities for the child. They are helping the child to develop appropriate routines in preparation for them attending school. The manager is providing clear direction to staff to improve the child’s diet.

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improvement to be good

The child’s views indicate that they are settling into the home well. They are building positive relationships with the staff. However, staff do not always have the skills to support the child’s more specific needs, in line with the home’s statement of purpose. This includes having discussions with the child to help them express their feelings about their lived experiences.

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improvement to be good

The manager has strengthened safe recruitment procedures to reduce the risk of unsuitable people working in the home.

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improvement to be good

Since the child’s move into the home, there have been no incidents. Following this inspection, the manager updated the child’s plans to reflect their current needs and care approaches.

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improvement to be good

Risk factors relating to the child going missing were identified before they moved into the home. The child’s missing-from-home protocol provides clear direction to staff. The child describes positive care experiences that are helping to prevent incidents of them going missing.

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improvement to be good

In response to safeguarding concerns identified at the previous inspection, managers have not taken sufficient action to ensure that staff have the knowledge Inspection report for children’s home: 2610709 4 and skills needed to keep children safe online and to prevent children from harming each other when they live together in the future. The requirement made at the previous inspection relating to the protection of children is repeated.

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good

The home’s decor and furnishings provide a warm environment. New carpets have been fitted and the child has new bedroom furniture.

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good

Instability in management arrangements has negatively impacted the home’s development. The manager who was present at the monitoring visit has left the home. There is a new manager in post. They have applied to register with Ofsted.

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good

Staff feedback indicates that leadership and management of the home have improved. Managers provide regular supervision to staff, but discussions are not always recorded effectively, including when there are practice concerns.

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good

The manager understands the home’s strengths and the shortfalls that were identified at the previous inspection. Monitoring of the quality of care has improved. They have started to address some key issues, but improvements are not yet embedded in practice.

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good

Ofsted is satisfied that the compliance notice is met. Inspection report for children’s home: 2610709 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

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. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iv)(v)) 29 December

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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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 staff— 15 December Inspection report for children’s home: 2610709 6 help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

support each child’s learning and development, including helping the child to develop independent study skills and, where appropriate, helping the child to complete independent study;

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Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally;

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Requirement Due date

help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(v)(viii))

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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; manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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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;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action when there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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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; that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. 29 December Inspection report for children’s home: 2610709 7 (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(e))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered provider must ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

staff understand the risks posed to children by the internet and implement care approaches to keep children safe online;

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Requirement Due date

staff have the skills to manage children’s behaviour, to prevent them from harming each other when they live together.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

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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: 2610709 8

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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

Louise Bacon, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2610709 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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