Phoenix Housing Support Cumbria Limited

Inspection report for supported accommodation provider – monitoring visit: Phoenix Housing Support Cumbria Limited 1 Phoenix Housing Support Cumbria Limited

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Registered provider: Phoenix Housing Support Cumbria Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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provider

The supported accommodation is operated by a private provider in the north of England.

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provider

The provider can accommodate up to two individuals in self-contained units where the accommodation is for the sole use of one person.

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provider

Up to 21 individuals can be accommodated in four shared or group living premises that accommodate looked after children and care leavers. At the time of the monitoring visit, 10 were children aged 16 or 17.

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provider

There is currently no registered service manager in post.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted carried out this monitoring visit in response to concerns around the management oversight of the service and concerns regarding insufficient staffing levels for children. An interim service manager is currently in place, but they have not yet submitted their application to register with Ofsted.

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This monitoring visit

As part of this monitoring visit the inspector visited two properties, spoke with three children and the interim manager. Children generally said that they felt happy and safe in their accommodation.

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This monitoring visit

The registered service manager, who was also the nominated individual, recently resigned. There has also been a high turnover of staff. This has led to disruption Inspection report for supported accommodation provider – monitoring visit: Phoenix Housing Support Cumbria Limited 2 affecting the management of the service and the support for children. Children said they felt ‘sad’ when staff had left the home and had not been able to say goodbye to them.

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This monitoring visit

Not all premises are sufficiently staffed to adequately support children and meet their needs. The interim service manager acknowledges that this is an ongoing issue and is currently employing agency staff to cover shortfalls. This affects the continuity of support for children, who said that they did not always know who staff were.

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This monitoring visit

The leadership and management team failed to take sufficient steps to prevent individuals, such as a previous director of the company, from having unsupervised access to the children’s properties. Furthermore, staff did not act in accordance with safeguarding policies and report their concerns to leaders or managers. This has placed children at risk of harm.

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This monitoring visit

Staff said that leaders and managers do not provide them with regular supervision. This means that staff do not always feel supported and that managers are unable to regularly review staff’s performance and development needs.

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This monitoring visit

Staff are unable to consistently access children’s case records. This means that staff are not always fully aware of children’s needs or risks. This impacts on staff’s ability to work as a team and limits their effectiveness when planning children’s support.

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This monitoring visit

The interim service manager has worked closely with children’s placing authorities throughout the recent period of staff change. This has improved communication and helped to maintain children’s placements.

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This monitoring visit

Children said that staff help them to prepare for independent living. This includes help with attending health appointments, employment and education. They also said that their properties were well maintained and provided a good environment for them to live in. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider – monitoring visit: Phoenix Housing Support Cumbria Limited 3

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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 Supported Accommodation (England) Regulations 2023 and the ‘Guide to the Supported Accommodation Regulations, including Quality Standards’. The registered person(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

*The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual for the purposes of the provision of supported accommodation, or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work for the supported accommodation undertaking in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work for the supported accommodation undertaking, if the registered person is satisfied that the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must take reasonable steps to ensure that any individual who is working at premises used as supported accommodation and who does not fall within paragraph (2)(a) and (b) is appropriately supervised while carrying out the individual’s duties. (Regulation 17 (2)(a)(b) (5)) 13 November 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 supported accommodation undertaking that puts children first and prioritises their wellbeing and development.

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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 supported accommodation undertaking has sufficient staff to support and accommodate children safely and effectively; 13 November 2024 Inspection report for supported accommodation provider – monitoring visit: Phoenix Housing Support Cumbria Limited 4 ensure that arrangements are in place for the supervision, training and development of staff. (Regulation 4 (1) (2)(d)(g))

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Requirement Due date

The protection standard is that children are enabled to feel safe and that their needs are met.

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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

are familiar and act in accordance with child protection policies;

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Requirement Due date

work collaboratively with other professionals and agencies, and share information where relevant to keep children safe;

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Requirement Due date

understand the relevant roles and responsibilities assigned to them by the registered person in relation to protecting children. (Regulation 5 (1) (2)(a)(f)(i)(iv)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that individuals do not have unsupervised access to children’s properties and that suitable measures are in place to prevent this. In addition, staff should report any concerns to leaders and managers. 13 November 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must appoint an individual to manage the supported accommodation undertaking if—

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Requirement Due date

there is no registered service manager in respect of the undertaking. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)) 13 November 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that the following items, which may be kept in electronic form, are stored in an accessible manner—

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Requirement Due date

other records. (Regulation 26 (g)(h)) 13 November 2024 Inspection report for supported accommodation provider – monitoring visit: Phoenix Housing Support Cumbria Limited 5 In particular, the provider should ensure that all staff have access to children’s records and that information is shared effectively across the team.

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to follow up information received by Ofsted and/or to ensure that the supported accommodation provider was complying with regulation.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider – monitoring visit: Phoenix Housing Support Cumbria Limited 6

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Supported accommodation provider details

Registered provider: Phoenix Housing Support Cumbria Limited

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Supported accommodation provider details

Registered provider address: Bourne Business Centre, Milbourne Street, Carlisle CA2 5XF

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Inspector

Helen Fee, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for supported accommodation provider – monitoring visit: Phoenix Housing Support Cumbria Limited 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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Inspector

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