Contents
Mission Statement / 4
Quality and Purpose of Care
Introduction to Phoenix House Children’s Home / 5
The ethos of the home / 5
Service outcomes and approach / 6
Outcomes Phoenix House seeks to achieve / 7
Phoenix House meets outcomes through / 7
Developing a quality service / 7
Facilities / 8
Diversity and Cultural Needs / 8
Care Planning
Criteria for admission / 9
Admission process / 9
Emergency admissions / 10
Reviewing arrangements for young people / 10
Discharge/Exit planning / 10
Views Wishes and Feelings
Consulting young people about quality of care / 11
Equal Opportunities / 12
Anti-bullying / 12
Representations and Complaints / 12
Advocacy / 12
Children’s Commissioner / 13
Participation / 14
Education
Education Support / 14
Employment Development / 15
Enjoyment and Achievement
The development of enabling skills / 15
Activities / 16
Health
Health care / 16
Positive Relationships
Working in partnership / 16
Promoting contact / 17
The development of positive values and pro-social behaviour / 17
Protection of Children
Safeguarding / 18
Behaviour support / 18
Approach to physical intervention / 19
Restorative Justice / 19
Fire, health and safety arrangements / 20
Food hygiene / 20
Missing child policy – responding to unauthorised absence / 20
Visitors / 20
E Safety / 21
Communications System / 21
CCTV / 21
Leadership and Management
Staffing structure / 21
Staff induction / 22
Staff training / 22
Staff monitoring systems / 22
Linkworkers / 23
Staff supervision / 23
External consultancy / 23
Contact Details
Inspection and monitoring (responsible body) / 23
Scope of responsibility / 24
Responsible body / 24
Review arrangements for Statement of Purpose / 26
Policy procedure and guidance / 28
Appendix A – Staff list
Appendix B – Structure chart
Location of Home
From the North
Travelling south on the A1, take the slip road signposted A189 Cramlington/ Blyth/ Ashington. At the roundabout take the third exit signposted A19. At the roundabout take the second exit signposted A189 north Ashington/Blyth. Take the slip road signposted A192 Cramlington/Morpeth. Continue following the A192, at the roundabout take the second exit onto Horton Road B1505 and continue on Horton Road which turns slightly to the left and becomes Bedlington Bank A193. At the roundabout take the second exit onto Ridge Terrace B133. Phoenix House is on your left hand side, situated within the grounds of St Benet Bishop Catholic Academy.
From Newcastle and the South
Travelling north on A1 take the slip road signposted A189 Cramlington/ Blyth/ Ashington. At the roundabout take the third exit signposted A19. At the roundabout take the second exit signposted A189 north Ashington/Blyth. Take the slip road signposted A192 Cramlington/Morpeth. Continue following the A192, at the roundabout take the second exit onto Horton Road B1505 and continue on Horton Road which turns slightly to the left and becomes Bedlington Bank A193. At the roundabout take the second exit onto Ridge Terrace B1331, Phoenix House is on your left hand side, situated within the grounds of St Benet Bishop Catholic Academy.
PHOENIX HOUSE CHILDREN’S HOME
MISSION STATEMENT
Phoenix House offers young people a family setting residential living experience where they can be healthy, safe from harm and are able to develop their confidence and well-being leading to fulfilling their potential.
Each young person will be respected, valued and nurtured to allow their individual talents, strengths and self-worth to develop during their time living in the home.
The staff team foster positive relationships with the young people through activities and shared daily life in a well maintained, safe and stimulating environment.
The staff team will be attentive to the needs of young people, and have high ambitions for their futures.
The staff team work closely with families and others who have a relationship with the young person, to achieve positive outcomes through shared responsibility.
Quality and Purpose of Care
Introduction to Phoenix House
Phoenix House is located on St Benet Biscop Catholic Academy Campus situated in the town of Bedlington, Northumberland. Phoenix House provides residential care for up to three young people. The home is line managed by Wellbeing and Community Health Services Group.
Phoenix House provides residential care for children with emotional and behavioural difficulties. The home provides placements for up to 3 young people of either gender. The age range on admission is 10 to 15, with young people living in the home up to the age of 17. The length of the placement will be dependent on the needs of the young person identified in the Care Plan and ongoing requirements of the young person.
Phoenix House endeavours to provide a safe environment for all of its residents, meeting their requirements through individually tailored packages; to address their presenting risks and/or social needs.
The ethos of the home
The practice in Phoenix House is underpinned by the philosophy of the Children Act 1989, the Care Standards Act 2000, and the Children’s Homes Regulations 2015.
We offer a listening, caring, family orientated environment with the emphasis on working with young people, their families and other professionals to address patterns of behaviour, through positive and constructive interventions by a skilled and committed staff group. The staff team ensure that they adopt good parenting responses to maintain the safe management of young people, whilst allowing them to take measured risks to develop as individuals.
Phoenix’s approach is designed to ensure that the young people in our care can feel supported to make positive choices and therefore access services who will address their emotional, social, educational and cultural needs. The staff team will address behaviour or circumstances that have led them to an admission to the Looked after Residential Services.
Phoenix House will ensure that young people are not discriminated against on grounds of their race, culture, gender, sexual orientation, faith or disability. Any form of discrimination will be challenged.
Young people will enter the Residential Looked after Service for various reasons:
§ Challenging behaviour
§ Family breakdown
§ Risks to themselves and others
§ Remanded by the courts to reside in the LAC Service
§ Actual abuse or serious risk of abuse
Young people are placed in the care of the Local Authority under the provision of the Children Act 1989, Section 20 or through:
§ Full Care Order, section 31
§ Interim Care Order, section 38
§ Emergency Protect Order
§ Remand
Many young people will have experiences of rejection, significant loss or change; some may have suffered some form of abuse: emotional, physical or sexual. The Phoenix House staff team have the skills and empathy to engage with young people through their understanding of child development and relationship skills.
Young people are actively encouraged to understand their behaviour and the impact it has on others and themselves, and the consequences of their actions in the immediate and longer term.
Risk assessment is one medium that informs our decision making for all young people accommodated. The risk management plans will take into account the young person’s wishes and needs whilst ensuring that all situations known are safe and in the young person’s best interest.
Service Outcomes and Approach
Phoenix House offers a group living environment. The social care approach by the Phoenix House Staff team is focussed on building resilience within each young person.
The essential building blocks of our approach and what we aim to achieve are:
Providing a positive stable environment, this offers the young person a sense of belonging and security. We draw on attachment theory to help us develop our understanding of the young person’s significant relationships and patterns of behaviour. We use the concept of a “secure base” within resilience theory to develop an environment which creates security and predictability for the young person. Phoenix House aims to provide the young person with the ability to develop healthy relationships with others, to feel valued and reassured by the home and its staff. We do this by providing:
§ Reliable and predictable care routines.
§ Clear and understandable rules and boundaries.
§ Safe care, informed by risk assessment, which helps the young person understand their strengths and limitations.
§ Regular opportunities to engage in joint activities.
§ Planned time and space for the young person to discuss their experiences, wishes and feelings.
Individual work with the young person to plan and monitor interventions to meet their developmental needs, as identified within the Children’s Home Regulations 2015.
Outcomes Phoenix House seeks to achieve
Through a committed and well trained staff team we aim to provide residential care through a stable environment which supports young people; their individual rights, their individual needs and encourages them to make positive choices to reach their potential.
Phoenix House meets the outcomes through:
§ Delivering service through a diverse, caring and skilled staff team.
§ Offering opportunities for young people to access external services supporting their health, social and educational needs.
§ Providing a positive group living experience, allowing young people to develop relationship and social skills.
§ Enabling either a return home or to develop skills for the young person to have accommodation choices in the future.
§ Working alongside families, education, health, IRO, Social Worker, youth justice and other bodies involved with the young person to gain an understanding of their needs and plan for appropriate intervention.
§ Providing clear care plans for young people throughout their stay in conjunction with their social worker and family.
§ Involving the young person in taking an active part in their care planning process.
§ Acting as “good parents” during the young person’s stay.
§ Protecting the young person’s rights: to choice, privacy, independence, respect, dignity, partnership and liberty, whilst developing their understanding of responsibility.
§ Providing a quality and best value service within the expected standards and regulations, as required of the monitoring bodies.
Developing a Quality Service
Northumberland County Council is committed to providing the highest possible standard of care for children and young people who, for whatever reasons, are unable to live with their family for any length of time.
It is recognised that the quality of care provided in a children’s home relies on the commitment and ability of the staff to care in a positive and creative manner, which will enable young people to fulfil their potential.
Facilities
Phoenix House was originally The Caretakers House; situated on the St Benet Biscop Catholic Academy Campus. The original house was extended to its side and rear elevations and fully renovated; to create a fresh, spacious and family orientated environment.
The home benefits from having its own, respectably enclosed space on The Campus; with a private parking area to the front of the property, and a spacious garden to the rear. The external areas are well maintained; with plans being progressed to develop an allotment area and an outdoor living space. The home strives to create a family atmosphere within the parameters of a residential home; the décor and furnishings are kept to a good standard through a planned maintenance programme.
All bedrooms are single occupancy with quality bedroom furnishings and benefit from having en suite facilities. Young people are supported to personalise their own bedroom following their admission to the home.
The communal living areas are well furnished and comprise; a spacious kitchen, lounge, games room, dining room, utility room, family bathroom and toilet facilities.
In addition, there are adequate office areas.
Diversity and Cultural Needs
All children and young people in Phoenix House will be supported to follow their chosen religion and beliefs.
Where necessary, staff will actively seek any information/advice, which will help the young person follow their chosen faith.
Staff, their parents and carers when making decisions on this sometimes sensitive subject will guide children and young people.
Where possible, representatives of a young person’s religion or belief can be invited to visit the young person if they request a visit.
All reasonable steps will be taken to enable young people to attend religious services of their choice and to provide opportunities to follow the customs of their religion (e.g. festivals, prayers, clothing and diet).
Young people will be actively encouraged to embrace the diversity of others. Staff will explore ways of developing a multi cultural and diverse ethos within the home through various approaches and opportunities.
All staff will be encouraged to attend training to develop diversity and cultural awareness.
Northumberland Children’s Services – Community and Well-being Group is committed to ensuring that all our staff are aware of the issues of power and inequality in our society and the part they play in creating discrimination and disadvantage. We are aware that this can be particularly damaging for young people living in children’s homes.
Northumberland Family and Children’s Trust supports the United Nations Convention ‘The Rights of the Child’. Its three main principles are:
§ Non-discrimination
§ Keeping the young person’s best interests in mind
§ Hearing the young person’s views
These principles are enshrined within the Children Act 1989 and underpin good practice. We aim to ensure that the young people always have the right to dignity, privacy and humane care.
With rights come responsibilities, and so young people are encouraged to take as much responsibility for their behaviour as they can. Behaviour that creates victims or disturbance is not condoned and is managed in an appropriate manner.
Northumberland County Council’s policy on Anti-Discriminatory practice applies to all children and staff resident or working in Phoenix.
Care Planning
Criteria for Admission
Young people will usually be between 12 and 15 years of age at the time of admission. (Exceptionally and subject to assessment of need, slightly younger or older young people may be admitted).
Admissions will usually be on a planned basis; there will, however, be circumstances that may require a young person to be accommodated on an unplanned/emergency basis as an appropriate response to the needs of the young person. In the event of an emergency admission, a review of arrangements and longer term planning will take place within a maximum period of 72 hours.