Children's Home run by Pheonix Children’s Homes Limited in South Gloucestershire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2876455 1 Registered provider: Pheonix Children’s Homes Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned by a private provider. They provide care for up to 3 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, 2 children were living at the home. One child was staying away from the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in March 2026, when the home opened.

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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 requires improvement to be 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: not previously inspected

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2876455 2

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Summary of findings

Children benefit from individualised care from a team of staff who invest in building warm and trusting relationships with them. One child said they like living at the home and feel safe and cared for by the staff.

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Summary of findings

Safeguarding responses are generally effective. However, there are areas for improvement, particularly in understanding children’s vulnerabilities and how these may impact their relationships with one another. Staff responses have not always been effective in preventing the risk of harm. Learning has been drawn from incidents. However, further learning is needed to ensure that improvements are embedded into practice. Effective multi-agency working helps to ensure that risks for children are regularly reviewed.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff listen to children and invest time in building relationships with them. As a result, children are developing trust in the staff team. Staff regularly encourage children to take part in fun activities that support their socialisation and wellbeing, such as ice skating, swimming and golf. One child said they ‘love the home’ and described the team as caring, stating, ‘This is the first place that has felt like home for me.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff work proactively to ensure that one child’s educational needs are understood and met. When the child has not attended education, the team have offered alternative learning opportunities and encouraged the child’s engagement. Another child spoke enthusiastically about returning to school, shared their career aspirations and expressed a strong commitment towards their goals.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to spend time with their families because they recognise that this is important for their sense of identity and belonging. They work collaboratively with families to ensure that their time together is safe and meaningful. One parent spoke highly of the home, stating that communication with the team is good and they are happy with the care and support their child receives. Staff also encourage children to spend time with their friends.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff try to embed positive routines, structure and healthy lifestyle choices for children. However, recent incidents in the home have impacted these routines for children. Staff are aware of this and they are taking proactive steps to re-establish routines and boundaries. Overall, children are making progress from their starting points. However, this has the potential to be undermined by recent events and dynamics in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All moves into the home are well planned and centred around the individual needs of each child. Staff provide a warm welcome and support children to settle. Children Inspection report for children’s home: 2876455 3 personalise their bedrooms in line with their preferences and interests, helping them to feel valued and promoting a sense of belonging.

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improvement to be good

There has been a prolonged period of incidents in the home that have affected children’s safety. Although risks have been identified, strategies have not always been effective, resulting in children being harmed by one another. This highlights the need for stronger safeguarding practice, particularly in anticipating and managing risks posed by children’s relationships. The manager has demonstrated learning from incidents, leading to improved responses from the staff team and more effective risk management over time.

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improvement to be good

The staff understand children’s vulnerabilities and associated risks, and they are alert to any increase in these risks. Effective action is taken to escalate concerns to multi-agency professionals to ensure a collaborative response to risk management. The staff talk to children about risk and communicate clear expectations regarding behaviour. These conversations have not always had the desired impact, and children have not yet developed the skills and confidence to withdraw from harmful or damaging relationships.

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improvement to be good

When it became evident that staff could no longer safely meet the needs of children living alongside each other, the manager acted promptly to review practice and consider alternative strategies. When these were not effective and risks increased, the decision was made to separate the children. The manager and senior leaders continue to work collaboratively with professionals to identify a solution that promotes the safety and wellbeing of both children.

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improvement to be good

When children go missing from the home, the team is proactive in making efforts to help them return home safely. Restraint has been used for one child, and it has been necessary and proportionate. The team supports children to understand the rationale for restraint. Some of the language used in records can present as blaming or shaming children and does not represent the nurturing approach the team takes. The manager has recognised this, and she is supporting staff to adapt their language.

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improvement to be good

When staff recognise that children require specialist support, including mental health services or support with behaviours that increase risk, they promptly submit referrals in order to help children access specialist interventions.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

An experienced manager leads the home, and they understand its strengths and areas for development. As it is a new home, the staff have varying levels of experience. The manager and senior leaders ensure they provide a supportive environment through practice-based supervision, reflective practice and regular check ins. As a result, the staff feel supported by the manager and say they enjoy working in the home. This provides children with consistency and stability. Inspection report for children’s home: 2876455 4 When children share concerns about staff, leaders and managers record them and inform relevant professionals. Managers speak with children about their concerns and keep them updated in relation to outcomes. Managers ensure that children know how to make complaints, and staff support them to do this, which makes them feel listened to and heard.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers have worked hard through a challenging period in the home and they have remained focused on supporting children. The manager uses monitoring and review systems to evaluate the quality of care children receive and explores the impact this has on them. Management oversight is strong and reflective and identifies learning, which is shared with the staff to inform improvements in practice and strengthen their development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers and senior leaders have strong multi-agency working that has been effective in managing incidents and obtaining further support for children. Feedback from social workers is positive in respect of the care and support for the children, communication with the staff and how well they have managed incidents and safeguarding. Inspection report for children’s home: 2876455 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 protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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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 understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(ii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff understand the potential risks that may exist between children and within their relationships. Staff should be equipped with the knowledge, skills and confidence to identify emerging concerns, de-escalate incidents effectively and take timely action to manage risks to prevent children from harming one another. 11 October 2026

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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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

that staff— 11 October 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2876455 6 help each child to develop the understanding and skills to recognise or withdraw from a damaging, exploitative or harmful relationship. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff support children to develop the skills and strategies needed to establish and maintain safe and positive relationships. This includes helping children to recognise and withdraw from harmful relationships with others, particularly where children are living alongside one another in the home.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the responses to children, including following incidents, are carried out in ways that are consistently child centred and trauma informed. This includes avoiding any language or practice that places blame or shame on children, and instead promoting responses that are empathic, respectful and focused on understanding the child’s experiences and needs. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.28)  The registered person should ensure that children are supported to participate in consistent daily routines and shared activities that promote positive relationships, emotional wellbeing and a sense of belonging in the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 33, paragraph 7.3)

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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: 2876455 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Pheonix Children’s Homes 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: 2876455 8 and inspects 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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