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

Inspection report for children's home: 2538055 1 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 is owned by a private provider. It can provide care and accommodation for up to 2 children, who may have social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children's home

One child is living at the home, and they met with the inspector.

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Information about this children's home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since April 2026.

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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

Date of last inspection: 4 November 2025

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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: 2538055 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

04/11/2025 Full Good 16/07/2024 Full Good 17/10/2023 Full Good 22/11/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children's home: 2538055 3

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Summary of findings

The child is supported by nurturing, skilled and committed staff who know them well. Staff are aspirational for the child, advocating for them to ensure that their needs are appropriately met.

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Summary of findings

While the child continues to make progress, more timely pathway planning is needed to maximise their opportunities and support their preparation for adulthood.

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Summary of findings

Managers provide a supportive environment for the staff team, who feel valued and provide consistency and stability for the child.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are attuned to the child, know the child well and have developed positive and trusting relationships with them. They respond with patience, nurture and care, helping the child to feel emotionally safe, understood and valued. As a result, the child has made progress in their confidence to be able to talk about their feelings and emotions.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are ambitious for the child's education and work collaboratively with education professionals to secure positive outcomes. The child has completed work experience and sat their mathematics exam. Staff celebrate the child's achievements to help build their confidence and self-esteem. This positive reinforcement encourages the child to recognise their strengths and develop aspirations for their future.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is supported to spend time with family. Staff manage associated risks well and provide emotional support to the child. This helps the child to maintain important family relationships, develop emotional resilience and supports their identity. Staff explore opportunities for the child to meet other children to improve their emotional wellbeing and encourage their social development.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff provide enriching experiences for the child. They have recently been on a holiday abroad and enjoy activities, such as escape rooms, bike rides and swimming. Photographs in memory books contribute to the child's life story, capturing positive memories and providing them with a meaningful record of their time living at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand the importance of equipping the child with the independent living skills they will need when they reach adulthood. The child is learning to cook, do their washing and budget their money. The child cycles to the local shop to purchase items independently, which allows them to practise shopping and budgeting. This is helping the child to build resilience and confidence. Inspection report for children's home: 2538055 4

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

The child is safe living at the home. The child has trusting relationships with staff. Consequently, they are able to share any worries or concerns and know that staff will be receptive to helping them. Staff listen and respond with sensitivity and empathy, helping the child to feel safe, secure and supported.

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

Staff respond positively to the child's behaviour. They use therapeutic approaches and agree strategies to support the child when they present as distressed. This has helped the child to improve their emotional regulation. Clear and consistent boundaries provide the child with a sense of safety and security. Restorative approaches support the repairing of relationships, which minimises shame. Management oversight of incidents and team reflection help to identify triggers and support learning. As a result, both the frequency and duration of incidents have reduced.

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

Staff understand the risks the child may face online and take effective action to keep them safe. They understand that the child uses his technology to remain connected with friends and family. They use a variety of monitoring systems and maintain appropriate boundaries to manage the child's time online. Staff have supportive discussions with the child to help them understand online risks, and they respond promptly when concerns arise. This balanced approach helps the child to stay safe online while developing resilience and the skills needed to make safer choices independently.

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

Staff's response to historic disclosures is appropriate. The team provides consistent emotional support and reassurance to the child, helping them to feel safe, understood and supported.

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

Managers complete safer recruitment checks to ensure the staff are suitable to work with children, helping to promote the child's safety and protect them from harm.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is a dedicated practitioner who cares for the child and her staff team. She provides a supportive environment for staff, who receive regular supervision, team meetings and reflective practice sessions. Staff are happy working in the home because the manager is approachable and she inspires and motivates them. Consequently, staff are committed to fulfilling their roles and providing the child with consistency and stability.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager knows the home's strengths and areas for development and is committed to supporting positive outcomes for the child. This includes developing team skills, supporting new team members and driving practice improvements. They understand the child's experiences and recognise the importance of consistent and nurturing care in order to help the child make sustained progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is a strong advocate for the child and takes effective action to ensure they receive the support they need. She escalated delays in identifying a post-16 education Inspection report for children's home: 2538055 5 provision and obtaining an updated education, health and care plan. As a result, a suitable provision has been identified and there is a better understanding of the child's support needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers have not provided sufficient oversight and challenge to ensure that the child is effectively prepared for the future. The current staffing arrangements have not been reviewed to ensure that they remain necessary and proportionate to the child's current needs and level of risk. This limits the child's ability to develop the skills needed to support a successful transition to adulthood. Leaders and managers are not taking steps to address this. Inspection report for children's home: 2538055 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 care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children's home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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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

manage and review the placement of each child in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child's placing authority. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(ii)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that effective arrangements are in place to plan for and support the child's transition to adulthood. This includes regularly reviewing with the placing authority the rationale for the child's current staffing arrangements, taking account of their risks, progress and developing independence. Clear, achievable and time-bound goals must be identified, monitored and reviewed to ensure the child is supported to develop the skills required for adulthood.

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Requirement Due date

Where 2-to-one staffing arrangements remain necessary, the registered person must ensure that these are proportionate to the child's assessed needs and delivered in a way that promote, rather than restrict, opportunities for the child to develop independence skills. 20 September 2026 Inspection report for children's home: 2538055 7 The registered person must also ensure that any delay in the completion of the child's pathway plan is appropriately escalated to the placing authority to secure timely planning for the child's transition from the home.

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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: 2538055 8

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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

Carly Parry, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2538055 9 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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