Children's Home run by Phoenix Care & Education Limited in Cheshire West and Chester

Inspection report for children’s home: 2727794 1 Registered provider: Phoenix Care & Education Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned and managed by a small private provider. It offers care for up to four children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home and the manager registered with Ofsted in April 2023.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, four children were living in the home.

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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 for children’s home: 2727794 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

22/07/2024 Full Good 06/09/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 2727794 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

At the time of the inspection, four children were living at the home. One child is preparing to transition to semi-independence. The home presents as a nurturing and child-centred environment, and it is clear that staff are committed to providing consistent care and support.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive well-planned, individualised care that meets their needs effectively. Staff address the issues experienced by children by helping them to work through their problems, fears and anxieties.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is dedicated to supporting children’s educational development, with staff collaborating with external providers to meet individual needs. Delays in securing suitable educational placements for some children impact negatively on their engagement and daily routines, creating barriers to their overall development.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health needs are actively promoted. They are registered with a doctor, dentist and optician and are encouraged to attend routine health checks. They have detailed plans showing their assessed needs and how these can be met.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have access to a variety of activities in the home. Activities are well planned by staff to promote social interaction and enjoyment. Staff provide children with opportunities to enjoy new and existing hobbies and interests. Children spend time together enjoying new activities and experiences. As a result, they develop positive relationships with each other.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from warm, trusting relationships with staff, who know them well and are committed to their individual needs. Children generally make good progress in their emotional well-being and social development. Staff have high aspirations for children and work consistently to support their goals.

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

Children are kept safe and staff respond appropriately to safeguarding concerns, including when children go missing from the home. Risk assessments are in place and are regularly reviewed, and staff act quickly to protect children from harm.

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

Children’s risks are documented in safety plans that direct and support staff to safely manage these risks. The manager works closely with external professionals to manage and reduce children’s risks. Discussions with staff following incidents ensure that children’s risks are understood and responded to appropriately. Inspection report for children’s home: 2727794 4 Staff respond well when children go missing from the home, but there is a repeated pattern that has not yet been effectively addressed. There is limited evidence of exploration into the underlying causes or the use of new approaches.

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

There have not been any incidents of physical restraint during the review period. However, staff spoken with during the inspection demonstrated an understanding of the action they should take following an incident of restraint.

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

Staff responded with care and sensitivity when a child experienced a significant traumatic event. They offered consistent emotional support, remained present and attentive and ensured the child felt safe and always listened to.

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

Safer recruitment processes ensure that individuals are safe to work with children. New staff undergo a comprehensive and supportive induction programme, and their probation period is subject to regular reviews. All staff understand their responsibilities in raising and reporting any safeguarding concerns. This enhances the safety and well- being of children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The leadership team is visible, supportive and committed to providing a stable and child-focused environment. Staff feel well supported and are enthusiastic about their roles. Supervision and training are regularly delivered, and the home benefits from a positive team culture.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Current supervision records do not consistently evidence reflective discussion or demonstrate how staff are being supported in their professional development. The records also lack clear links to how staff are guided in delivering care aligned with the home’s trauma-informed model.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager demonstrates a strong commitment to driving forward improvements within the home. There are internal systems in place to monitor the quality of care and ensure the home runs efficiently. These systems enable the manager to have oversight of practice, though further integration of evidence-based approaches into daily care routines would further strengthen the home’s overall effectiveness.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and staff maintain good working relationships with external professionals, ensuring that children’s needs are met through collaborative partnerships. The home works effectively with local agencies, health professionals and other support services to ensure a holistic approach to each child’s care. Inspection report for children’s home: 2727794 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 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

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans; help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment;

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Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iv)(v)) 1 September 2025

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Recommendation

 The registered person should improve the quality of supervision records so that they clearly evidence reflective discussion and support staff’s professional development. Records should show how staff are being supported to deliver care that is consistent with the home’s trauma-informed model. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2)

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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: 2727794 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Phoenix Care & Education Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 22-24 Balfour Road, Bootle L20 4NZ

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Inspector

Mathew Morris-Jones, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2727794 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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