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

Inspection report children's home: SC478152 1 SC478152 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 home provides care for up to four children and specialises in providing time-limited care for children who need this in an emergency. At the time of this inspection, there was one child living in the home.

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Information about this children's home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since June 2024.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children's home: SC478152 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/06/2024 Full Good 06/03/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 10/08/2022 Full Good 12/01/2022 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children's home: SC478152 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are focused on providing children with the skills they require in a relatively short period of time so they can safely move to a more permanent home. This includes supporting children to learn daily life skills, support children’s mental well-being, help children learn how to keep themselves safe and manage their emotions, promote children’s health and ensure each child has the right schooling that meets their needs and supports them to do well. The two children who have recently left the home made very good progress from their starting point. A parent stated that their child came on leaps and bounds while under the homes care, adding it was the best home they have ever lived in and wished their child was still there.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, staff have supported two children to move to more suitable accommodation to meet their needs and progress on their planned individual journeys. One child is currently living in the home. They have been sensitively welcomed to their new home and supported to quickly settle in and gain a sense of belonging. Staff swiftly built trusted and secure relationships with the child and take time to listen to the child to help gain an understanding of their needs, feelings and wishes. Moves in and out of the home are planned, bespoke and well managed to promote positive endings and provide the best chance of being successful for each individual child.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff remain in contact, when appropriate with children and their families who leave their care. Staff want to check the well-being and welfare of the child and show they care. A previous child stated that staff check in with them once a week, adding they think it’s nice and they like it.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are nurturing and respectful in supporting children with their identity needs. Staff are knowledgeable and can provide clear information well to answer any exploratory questions children ask. Staff are creative in their thinking and careful not to shame children. Staff have delicate and sensitive conversations with children to help them develop a positive sense of their own identity, boost their self-esteem and build emotional resilience.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand the importance of helping children to maintain appropriate time with their loved ones. Staff are mindful of the positive and negative impact this can have on children’s emotional well-being. Staff work positively with families and professionals to help ensure children enjoy valuable and meaningful time with the people who are important to them. One family member commented that staff regularly brought their child to see them despite them living a long distance from the home.

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

The good and secure relationships that staff form with children through investing time in them and listening to them, helps support staff to be able protect children and keep Inspection report children's home: SC478152 4 them safe from harm. The child living in the home said they feel safe. A previous child was also spoken with by telephone. This child said staff took time to get to know them, they understood them and kept them safe. Both children also expressed that they have staff they can trust and share their worries with. One child commented staff would sort out any concerns they took to them, so they didn't have to worry, and that they were amazing.

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

Staff consistently maintain clear boundaries for children that encourage positive behaviour and promotes children’s safety. When adverse incidents do occur in or outside of the home, staff quickly take action to protect children and help them to manage their own emotions safely. Records are comprehensive. Managerial oversight is robust, lessons learnt are shared and where needed changes to practice are put in place. Good practice is praised, and poor practice is challenged with additional training sourced to help staff improve and provide children with the best care and support. A social worker expressed that the reason this home was the longest placement the child has ever had, was due to the dedication of staff and their ability to stick to boundaries in the right way.

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

Restraint has been used to safeguard children from harming themselves or others. Records clearly describe what led up to the incident and the de-escalation techniques staff used prior to placing hands on a child, and evidence that physical intervention was only used as a last resort and for a minimal amount of time to keep everyone safe. The manager effectively evaluates each restraint that takes place, to help prevent similar incidents occurring in the future.

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

Staff understand children’s individual risks. Risk assessments reflect children’s current vulnerabilities. Clear guidance supports staff to know what action to take when a child is showing signs that they may be experiencing distress, to minimise the risk to each child and protect them from harm and prevent escalation.

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

When new staff join the team, thorough safer recruitment checks are performed to help the registered manager determine that staff are suitable to work with vulnerable children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The passionate and strong manager has developed a culture in the home that has been instrumental in positively changing the lives of the children they support. All staff embrace the manager’s vision and work hard to ensure that children achieve and experience positive outcomes. A social worker remarked that the manager is brilliant and wished she could place every child they support in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are happy in their roles and love working at the home. Lots of fun and laughter was observed between staff and the child during the inspection and many different activities took place. Staff speak with genuine pride and joy about how children have developed and progressed while in their care, and the positive difference they have made and continue to make in children’s lives. A previous child said that they absolutely loved living in the home, it is the best place they have ever been in and was just lush! Inspection report children's home: SC478152 5 There is good collaborative working between the home and partner agencies. The capable manager confidently challenges services when appropriate to ensure that the best possible outcomes for children are achieved. This has had a positive impact on children’s experiences and helped to improve and enhance their futures. One professional commented that the manager had been instrumental in helping to source an

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

alternative educational provision for a child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff spoke positively about their manager. Staff benefit from regular supervision and have regular access to an in-house therapy team to support their development and enhance their well-being. Training to develop good practice is reported to be of a high standard. Staff are encouraged to attain qualifications to aid their professional development so they can provide the best care to the children they support.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home has a warm, homely feel to it and provides a safe space from which children can grow and flourish. The manager ensures that the physical environment is maintained to a high standard. Any damage to the property is quickly repaired so the home does not lose its ambience. The home is set in a beautiful location and has panoramic views of the countryside. One child commented that they love horses and enjoy how they can look out of the window and see them every day in the fields. Inspection report children's home: SC478152 6

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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 children's home: SC478152 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

Gary Turney, social care inspector Inspection report children's home: SC478152 8 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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