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

Inspection report for children’s home: 2538055 1 Registered provider: Phoenix Learning & Care Holdings Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home can provide care for two children who may have emotional difficulties. At the time of this inspection, one child was living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in December 2022.

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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 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: 17 October 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: 2538055 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

17/10/2023 Full Good 22/11/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 30/03/2022 Interim Sustained effectiveness 12/10/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 2538055 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff have built trusting relationships with the child. When new members of staff start, the existing team works hard to support the child to build further safe relationships. There are plans in place to ensure that any challenges are overcome. New staff members work on shifts with existing staff members, this allows the child to feel safe and have confidence to build new relationships. Photos of each staff member on shift are on a weekly diary on the wall. The child knows who will be caring for them. Existing members of staff model how to respond to the child’s needs, this ensures new members of staff can adapt quickly to the child’s need and the child’s welfare is supported throughout this period of change.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff have worked hard to support the child’s educational achievements. The staff have not been satisfied that the child’s education needs are being met by the education provider in place. The staff have aspirations for the child, and have advocated for and worked hard with education providers to hold them to account. Any identified gaps in learning are met by staff with various educational activities. This included a PowerPoint presentation about an ant farm, designing a mood board for a gardening competition and making a cake for a competition. This creative and proactive approach have ensured that the child gets the education needed for their future.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Planning for the child’s independence is in line with their individual needs. The staff clearly record all progress, however small, through daily logs. This is then collated by the manager into specific areas, to inform further areas for the child’s development. All progress is monitored. This ensures that the child can feel empowered about the progress they have achieved and confident when working towards their next goal.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child has access to all health services they need, which includes access to services for their emotional well-being. When additional areas of support have been identified, these have been arranged. Medication is provided to the child if needed and effectively managed. The staff provide the child with a wide variety of meals. Staff eat with the child, akin to family mealtimes, and promote physical activity. There are clear routines in place. This ensures that the child has their overall care promoted.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There are plans to make sure that staff consistently respond to the child’s individual needs. Additional training has been commissioned and is under review so the child can be supported effectively to manage their behaviour. All the staff want professionals working with them to see the child as an individual and respect them. The staff talk with love and affection for the child, they do not want the child to be faced with challenges, they want them to progress and achieve in all areas of their live. Staff have aspirations for the child and want everyone else to share their goals. This ensures that the child is treated with dignity and respect that is sensitive to their identity and needs. Inspection report for children’s home: 2538055 4 Staff celebrate the child’s achievements. There are certificates on the fridge and photos around the house of activities that the child has tried and enjoyed. There is an

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

achievement tree which has green paper leaves added to it, describing what the child has done and progress they have made trying new activities, new foods or getting involved with inter-home competitions. The home recently won a gardening competition, which the child was supported to be involved with.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home has everything the child needs. Their bedroom is personalised with a colourful, hand-painted mural on one wall. There is space for eating, relaxing, playing and a large garden with play equipment. The child has no access to staff bedrooms, as these are locked. This does not create a full sense of a family home and the child’s limited access needs to be carefully considered in relation to their needs.

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

The home responds to any emerging risks to the child. Work is done around how to best meet the child’s safeguarding needs. Staff work hard to understand the child’s behaviours and external support is requested when needed. When there is a serious incident, the manager ensures that there is effective communication with professionals. Supervisions with staff take place to allow reflection and learn how to inform future practice. Incidents are analysed to help reduce the risk of further harm to the child and others.

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

There are regular team meetings, which include reflective sessions with a clinical psychologist. The staff are supported to understand the child’s experiences and how they can help to reduce actual harm. Team meetings are effectively used to ensure that all staff are aware of the plans and risk assessments in place. This means any area of vulnerability is managed well.

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

Restraints have been used when necessary. There are de-escalation techniques in the plans around restraints, which can be seen reflected in the record of incidents prior to restraint being used. When restraints happen, they are accurately recorded by staff involved. The records are reviewed and monitored by management to understand triggers and look for patterns. If the manager is the member of staff involved in the restraint, a manager from another home provides management oversight. There are debriefs recorded with the child. Some of these could be more reflective to support the child to increase their understanding of why the restraint has been used.

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

Concerns about staff practice are taken seriously. Leaders and managers alert all relevant professionals and family members as required. The manager follows advice set out by the local authority designated officer. The concerns are handled quickly and appropriately. During investigation processes, support is given to both the child and the person who is subject to the allegation.

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

The staff understand the risks around mobile phone and internet use. Searches of the child’s phone are undertaken daily. The child has been supported to understand why the staff do this and what they will look at. If anything of concern is found, it is logged on a Inspection report for children’s home: 2538055 5 record for managers to oversee to ensure that the plan remains effective at safeguarding the child. The staff know who the child is playing online games with and monitor the child’s use. The child has been able to tell staff when something has been shared online with them that is not safe or worries them.

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

The manager has established effective links with the local authority. Earlier this year, there was no allocated social worker for the child. The manager escalated this within the local authority, and a social worker was allocated. The robust challenge means the child has the appropriate professional support in place.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has developed a system to track patterns and trends around the child to inform how the staff work and respond to the child. The manager can monitor the quality of care being provided. The manager addresses any shortfalls in individual supervision and team meetings. The manager updates plans and risk assessments in response to the emerging needs of the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager uses team meetings to learn from the staff about how plans and interventions are working. Clinical reflection takes place alongside team meetings with a clinical psychologist. This allows the manager to identify strengths and areas of improvement to inform plans to improve the experiences of the child. Plans are developed to enable progress in line with the child’s care plan.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has advocated for the child in various areas of their life, education, family time and with children’s services. These effective challenges and timely interventions have brought about positive change for the child. The child is now spending more time with their birth family, their education needs are being promoted and they have a social worker.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff feel supported and managed effectively in the home. They know what they need to do and why they need to do it. Staff complete thorough and child-focused daily logs. They write in a child-focused way, that pulls out strengths about the child they care for. They recognise that plans change when the recording they make is reviewed by the manager. Staff recognise the work the manager does and how it impacts positively on the care they provide the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Safe recruitment is in place. The team is fully staffed. Staff supervision focuses on staff well-being, reflective practice and areas of staff development. There are single supervisions to support staff to reflect on specific incidents and to learn to inform better practice. This allows staff to feel supported and empowered in their roles, leading to effective care of the child. 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

Restraint in relation to a child is only permitted for the purpose of preventing—

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Requirement Due date

injury to any person (including the child);

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Requirement Due date

serious damage to the property of any person (including the child); or

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Requirement Due date

a child who is accommodated in a secure children’s home from absconding from the home.

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Requirement Due date

Restraint in relation to a child must be necessary and proportionate. (Regulation 20 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should implement a robust plan to reduce the use of restraint.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, conversations with the child should be reflective and focus on how the child felt and their views of the incident. 17 October 2024

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that the child is able to access any areas of the home. Any decision to restrict access to a particular room or rooms should be informed by a rigorous assessment of the individual child’s needs and kept under review. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 35, paragraph 3.10)

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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 7

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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

Hannah Spencer-Townesend, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2538055 8 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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