Children's home run by Phoenix Childcare Ltd in North Devon

Inspection report for children’s home: SC408149 1 SC408149 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 owned by a private provider and is registered to provide care for one child with learning disabilities and/or social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

One child was living in the home at the time of the inspection, having moved here in March 2022.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager of the home registered with Ofsted in June 2019 and is suitably qualified.

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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 outstanding

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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: 1 February 2023

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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: SC408149 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

01/02/2023 Full Good 23/06/2021 Full Outstanding 08/01/2020 Full Good 29/01/2019 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: SC408149 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have established strong and trusting relationships with the child and provide them with empathetic and skilled care. As a result, the child has made good progress from a difficult starting point.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff provide the child with a wide range of activities and opportunities. This includes a recent holiday abroad, which was a positive experience for them. The child has photo albums of their holiday and other activities which they are pleased and proud with.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Previously, the child found it difficult to manage spending time outside of the home without the presence of staff. With careful support and planning from staff, they have started attending a youth club by themselves and, during recent school holidays, took part in some voluntary work with younger children in the local community.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have high aspirations for the child. They work closely with the child's college which helped a positive and well-planned transition from school to college. The child is attending college regularly and now walks to and from college by themselves.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One education professional reported that communication with the home is excellent and that daily discussions take place. This has meant that areas where the child needs additional support have been identified promptly and they have received consistent responses at home and at college.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

A parent said that they value the support from the home in promoting their relationship and supporting visits. They shared that their child was happy and settled living here.

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

Staff are skilled at modelling appropriate emotions and relationships for the child. As a result, the child is now more able to recognise their own feelings and understand the feelings of others. Recently, the child has been able to talk to staff when they are experiencing difficult emotions. This has enabled staff to support and reassure the child and prevent the situation from escalating.

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

Due to the trusting relationships, they have developed with staff, the child has recently been able to share some of their past experiences. The home’s manager and staff team have provided the child with appropriate support and reassurance and have taken appropriate safeguarding responses as required.

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

When incidents take place, staff respond in a patient and empathetic manner. However, strategies on how best to support the child when they are upset or angry Inspection report for children’s home: SC408149 4 do not include enough information. Managers are aware of this and are reviewing and developing these further with input from the organisations therapeutic service.

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

Restraint has not been used for several months although staff have used blocks and deflections when the child is behaving in a physical manner towards them. These strategies are in line with the child’s care plans and are clearly recorded.

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

The records of incidents are detailed, of good quality and include the child’s views. Management oversight is consistently robust, with reflections on practice and any lessons learned and actions clearly identified and acted upon.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The home is run by a dedicated, child-focused and inspiring registered manager. She is highly regarded by her staff team, who value her support, knowledge and guidance.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

She challenges external professionals effectively and robustly, and there are multiple examples of her advocating strongly on behalf of the child. For example, when there have been delays in services being provided to them, she has been persistent in escalating concerns to the local authority and the Children’s Commissioner.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has an excellent understanding of the child’s needs and risks. High quality care is underpinned by good-quality care plans and risk assessments. Staff are consistent at implementing these written plans which benefit the child. Supervision is reflective, and issues around practice are identified and addressed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has a clear understanding of the home’s strengths and areas of development for staff and for herself as a practitioner. For example, due to the complexity of the child’s needs, she has recently identified that additional specialist support and guidance are now needed to build on the current strategies being used.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff have been provided with additional training specific to the needs of the child, and specialist therapeutic input for staff is now in place on a consultatory basis. Staff make good use of this support in team meetings, reflecting on the child’s needs, their own practice and the strategies used to support the child. Inspection report for children’s home: SC408149 5

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that behaviour management strategies are reviewed and revised to ensure they are in line with children’s specific needs and that staff understand and apply these consistently. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.34)

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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: SC408149 6

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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

Janet Jauregui, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC408149 7 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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