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

This children’s home provides care for two children who may have social and emotional difficulties or learning disabilities. At the time of this inspection, one child was living in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account good

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Overall experiences and progress of

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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Overall experiences and progress of

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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Overall experiences and progress of

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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Overall experiences and progress of

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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Overall experiences and progress of

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC408149 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

29/07/2024 Full Good 31/01/2024 Full Good 01/02/2023 Full Good 23/06/2021 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: SC408149 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home offers a warm, nurturing and sensory supportive space for the child. The child’s bedroom and the communal areas of the home are personalised, promoting a sense of belonging. The child has trusted and secure relationships with staff. Staff treat them with dignity and respect. Acceptance from the staff around the child’s identity has empowered the child to explore this further in the home and in the community.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The importance of routine and structure for the child is embedded in daily practice. This has been adapted for the child through the creation of visual planners to use, which the child responds well to. The staff offer a stable and loving home. The child said, ‘They love and care about me, they give me hugs to make me feel safe.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff recognise the importance of the child having a positive network of support for when they leave the home and move into adulthood. Staff have encouraged and nurtured time with family. They have supported the family in their understanding of the child and how best to communicate with them. This has enabled the child to have regular overnight stays and to develop a sense of belonging within their wider family network.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child who lives at the home was present for this inspection; they spent time with the inspector talking about their recent exams, their increased independence and plans for when they turn 18. The child and the inspector spent time looking at the memory books while discussing the child’s experiences. The child said, ‘We do fun activities, we have lots of laughs and jokes, I do lots of fun things and make happy memories.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There is a clear plan in place around developing the child’s independence. This considers their capabilities and limitations. The child is making good progress with this and said that they can now catch a bus on their own, cook and do their own washing. However, the plan is lengthy and covers many areas of independence, which makes it difficult to have a clear focus. In addition, it is not clear what support they will receive as an adult.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff ensure they obtain the child’s views, wishes and feelings about their life. They support the child to talk about things they may find difficult and help them to understand how to make positive choices. This is reflected in the way staff write about the child and in their ability to have meaningful conversations about a range of important topics.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Progress for the child is good. Staff support them with their education and ensure their health needs are being met. The child has recently completed their English and mathematics exams at college and can now, with support, make their own health appointments and order their medication. There are some current challenges with the Inspection report for children’s home: SC408149 4 child getting to college on time each day and staff are continuing to promote the importance of this.

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

Risks are understood by the team and are managed well. This helps the child to be safe. There has been a reduction in incidents during this period, both in terms of frequency and severity. This is a direct result of an improved understanding of the child’s communication needs. Staff have used research-informed practice to collaboratively develop creative strategies to support the child to understand and manage their own emotions and feelings in a positive manner. This has resulted in them gaining an increased sense of safety and well-being. However, plans written for staff on how to support the child do not clearly outline the use of this in practice.

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

Staff understand the risks that using the internet may pose for the child. They have well-developed strategies in place to monitor these and to support the child in learning how to keep themselves safe. There is a plan in place to reduce staff support, which is done on an ad hoc basis as determined by the staff. The current management of risk is not regularly reviewed to obtain the child’s views or considered alongside developing the child’s independence around the management of risk when moving into adulthood.

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

Overall, records of incidents are detailed and include the child’s views. Management oversight is consistently robust, with reflections on practice and lessons learned. Staff have used strategies to safeguard the child and prevent them from harming themselves. The use of these were proportionate but staff did not clearly document the specific strategies used within the body of the recording.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager of this home is described by the staff as ‘inspirational’. She is ambitious for the child in her care and has high aspirations for the child and staff. The manager leads by example, modelling exceptional care and practice while supporting the team to achieve the ambitious standards she aspires to. Staff feel valued by the leadership in the home and feel supported in their roles by a manager who leads with compassion and strength. Staff say that they feel happy in their roles and enjoy working in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Managers and staff receive regular and effective supervision; records of supervision are detailed and reflective. The manager uses this time to ensure staff are clear on their roles and responsibilities and to update them on key changes to all aspects of the child’s care, which ensures a consistent approach. The manager ensures that time is dedicated to discussing staff well-being, recognising the impact of the role on staff. The home’s workforce development plan outlines the training staff are due to complete. This does not have clear timescales for completion. Inspection report for children’s home: SC408149 5 The manager has involved the child in discussions related to their post-18 plans and has shared the child’s wishes and feelings relating to them. The manager has a good understanding of what the child needs and ensures that their views are shared with all relevant professionals. They are a strong advocate for the child and will provide

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

professional challenge when the response from external agencies is lacking, for example the manager persistently chasing completion of life-story work for the child. The manager continues to escalate the absence of a clear moving-on plan to ensure that they have adequate time to prepare the child and to support them to move on from the home successfully.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager regularly reviews the quality of care provided, seeking feedback from the child, staff and external professionals, which is used to improve practice. The manager has a good understanding of strengths and areas of development for the home and has a clear plan for how they can maintain the high quality of care they deliver. Inspection report for children’s home: SC408149 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that children’s home staff take reasonable precautions and make informed professional judgements based on the individual child’s needs and developmental stage about when to allow a child to take a particular risk. Staff should discuss the decision with the child’s placing authority where appropriate. Staff should assist the child to understand the risks and manage their risk-taking behaviour to keep themselves and others safe in preparation for them moving into adulthood. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.7)  The registered person should have a workforce plan with agreed timescales for completion. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.8)

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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 7

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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 EX16 6SS

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Inspectors

Carly Parry, Social Care Inspector Helen Cushnie, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC408149 8 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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