Children's Home run by Phoenix Adolescent Care Limited in Manchester

Inspection report for children’s home: 2711712 1 Registered provider: Phoenix Adolescent Care 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 is operated by a private company and provides care for up to 2 children who experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

There were 2 children living at the home at the time of this inspection. Two children have moved out of the home since the last inspection. Inspectors spoke to 2 children.

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Information about this children’s home

The new manager is suitably experienced and qualified. He has submitted an application to register with Ofsted.

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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: 2711712 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

19/08/2024 Full Good 14/11/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2711712 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are happy and settled at the home and make good progress. They have positive, affectionate relationships with staff who treat them with dignity and respect. Children feel able to share their views and are confident that staff will listen and act on what matters to them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to maintain relationships with family and friends, ensuring contact takes place safely. As a result, children enjoy positive and meaningful time with the important people in their lives.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health needs are well met. They are supported to attend routine health appointments. When one child asked for help to address substance misuse, staff acted promptly to secure specialist support from drug and alcohol services, resulting in improved health outcomes. Staff also use their positive relationships with children to have open and honest discussions about their feelings and emotional wellbeing.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff promote children’s independence, helping them to build self-esteem. One child is preparing for semi-independent living. Staff are working alongside the child to develop these skills safely in a planned, well-supported way.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children move into and out of the home with appropriate planning, taking account of available time frames and individual risks. Children’s views are sought and the impact on others living at the home is carefully considered. Staff strongly advocate for children when transitions are not well planned or do not progress at the child’s pace, helping to ensure that moves are in children’s best interests.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s education is supported. Where there are barriers, staff work with children, their placing authority and the virtual school to improve attendance. This has led to positive outcomes, including one child successfully completing their GCSEs. However, for children not currently in education, structure during the school day and opportunities for informal learning are not consistently provided.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home environment is warm and welcoming. The home has been extended and reconfigured to increase communal space for children. Children have their own bedrooms, which are personalised and provide a sense of individual space. However, some repairs relating to damage and general wear and tear remain incomplete and one child does not yet have the necessary furnishings to fully meet their individual needs.

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

Children are kept safe and rarely go missing from the home. Clear protocols guide staff practice when a child does go missing and staff act promptly to locate and support their safe return. Staff work effectively with complex safeguarding teams and the police to Inspection report for children’s home: 2711712 4 protect children at risk. When children return, staff ensure that they are welcomed back warmly and offered the opportunity for independent conversations. As a result, children’s risks are well managed and have reduced over time.

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

Staff understand children’s risks and act immediately when there are concerns for children’s welfare. Children’s risk management plans are individualised and up to date. They identify known vulnerabilities and clearly state the actions for staff to take so that they can care for the children safely and appropriately.

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

Staff know the children well and understand their behaviours, which results in very few incidents. Positive behaviour is consistently promoted and achievements are celebrated, supporting children’s self ‑ worth. When consequences are needed, these are discussed with children, are restorative where possible and are overseen by the manager to ensure that they are effective and proportionate.

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

Children know how to complain. When children have raised concerns, staff respond quickly and inform relevant professionals, including the local authority designated officer and social workers. Where relationships between children and staff have been strained, children have trusted people they can speak to. The manager listens to children and works to restore relationships.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is new to the home and is qualified and experienced. He has a clear vision for improving outcomes for children and the ongoing development of the home. He demonstrates a good understanding of children’s needs and is a strong advocate in ensuring that they receive appropriate support from external services.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are experienced and work well together. They value the manager’s support for their development and wellbeing. Team meetings are held regularly and are well attended, providing opportunities to share information about children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager supports staff through regular, practice ‑ related supervision and appraisal. As a result, children are cared for by staff who know them well and provide consistent care that supports their safety, emotional wellbeing and stability.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have the appropriate qualifications and skills to fulfil their roles. Training records confirm that staff training is current, with all staff either qualified or working towards a relevant childcare qualification. This ensures that staff maintain up ‑ to ‑ date knowledge and are competent in providing effective and safe care for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has reviewed and strengthened the systems used to monitor the home, which has helped to identify positive practice and areas requiring improvement. However, the manager’s oversight is not always consistent, particularly in relation to missing ‑ from ‑ home reports and the completion of room searches. Inspection report for children’s home: 2711712 5 Quality of care reports are completed within the required timescales and describe children’s progress. However, there is not a consistent evaluation of the quality of care or clear evidence of how this care improves children’s experiences and outcomes. Inspection report for children’s home: 2711712 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

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children; and

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand and manage the impact of any experience of abuse or neglect;

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Requirement Due date

provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(iv)(v)(vii)(c)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that all areas of the home environment are maintained to a suitable standard. Children’s bedrooms must be furnished to meet their particular needs and be free from any health and safety hazards. 19 March 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2711712 7 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;

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Requirement Due date

support each child’s learning and development, including helping the child to develop independent study skills and, where appropriate, helping the child to complete independent study;

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Requirement Due date

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)(ii)(iv)(v))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that children not attending education have a regular routine and education timetable, and are supported to complete educational activities while not in school. 19 March 2026

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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 children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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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

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that incidents are evaluated with scrutiny, taking into consideration any possible learning outcomes or to support the development of staff. 19 March 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2711712 8 The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (“a quality of care review”) at least once every 6 months.

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children;

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children. (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that when completing a quality of care review, it evaluates the impact that the care is having on children’s lives. 19 March 2026

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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: 2711712 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Phoenix Adolescent Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Flat 110, Victoria Mill, Houldsworth Street, Reddish, Stockport SK5 6AX

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Inspectors

Samantha Cooper, Social Care Inspector Sarah Jackson, Regulatory Inspection Manager Inspection report for children’s home: 2711712 10 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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Inspectors

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