Children's home run by Physis Quantum Limited in Shropshire

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged requires improvement at the full inspection. At this interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has improved effectiveness . One young person lived here on a single occupant until January 2017. Staff and the manager made a considerable difference to her life. They prepared her well for independent living back in her home local authority area. A new young person was admitted at the end of January. Staff and the manager have given her a good welcome and this has enabled her to settle from her first day.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff and the manager have upskilled significantly since the last inspection. They have become more resilient and insightful. The manager and home’s assigned therapist work well together to ensure that the staff team is fully supported to cope with, and rise above, the demoralising effect that young people’s emotional and behavioural difficulties can have on them. Staff therefore continue to empathise and work therapeutically with young people. They do not give up, even when young people exhibit strongly rejecting, manipulative and unresponsive behaviour. As a result, young people make good overall progress, because they experience consistently good care and a secure platform from which to move into independent living.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

One young person has left the home. Staff helped her learn to save, manage her medication and hold down a job. They supported her to resume studies and retake her exams, achieving functional skills passes in English, mathematics and information technology. Staff ensured that she could cook, budget, launder and live actively and healthily. They helped her to use social media and the internet safely. Most importantly, staff helped her transfer her job and engage with medical and mental health service support in the area of her semi-independent flat. Staff and the manager worked extremely well with her, her family and her personal adviser, to provide a smooth transition. Staff visited the new accommodation with her beforehand and helped her to mark the occasion of her move with a leaving party. Staff gave her the bedroom furniture and possessions from her room and helped her set up her new flat. She took her memories books and was given gifts and

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

cards. All staff members’ efforts have helped the young person to have a safe and meaningful start to adult life. A new young person came as an emergency admission only days after the previous young person left. Before the new admission, the manager held a team-building and reflection session that helped the whole team to debrief and regroup after the previous young person’s move. The manager obtained full and accurate information about the new young person’s needs and ensured that staff were ready to provide a warm welcome. The manager also returned to the home late in the evening in order to be there when the new young person arrived. These practices mean that staff were ready to meet the new young person’s needs effectively from the outset.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The new young person is engaging fully in a wealth of opportunities because staff provide a safe and stimulating environment. For example, staff and the maintenance man helped her personalise her bedroom with a large wooden name plaque, decorated with numerous colourful paints and beads. She is learning to swim and ride a bicycle. She is engaging fully in school and undertaking extra tuition to help her catch up. She is going to the gym and receiving help to reduce her smoking. Staff are researching her Romanian cultural background with her and they are adapting meals using Romanian recipes. She told the manager, ‘I love the home, my bedroom and how it is all decorated.’

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff are competent and confident about how to address young people’s emotional and behavioural difficulties. They constantly give young people clear, sensitive messages that the young people are valued and can talk to staff about anything and everything. Staff ensure that young people’s physical health and emotional health are prioritised early. Staff organise all health checks and enlist specialist help when necessary to provide young people with professional advice and support, including about sexual health and drug misuse. Staff do not expect young people to ‘talk or tell’ without first creating an atmosphere and relationships that are conducive to this. As a result, young people quickly start to feel secure. They do not run away, even when there are ongoing legal proceedings or uncertainties about how long they can stay. The new young person wrote on her health plan, ‘I feel like I can talk to the adults if anything is missing or going wrong.’

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager is effective in monitoring the quality of care that young people receive. She is very well organised and is quicker than before at reviewing staff practice and providing advice. For example, she is quick to review staff’s key- working sessions and significant conversations with young people. She is quick to respond when young people give their views and wishes. She makes sure that strategies and ideas for helping young people are implemented quickly. For example, she ensured that, within a few weeks of the young person’s arrival, staff had explained to the new young person what a ‘soothe box’ is for. She ensured that a box was purchased ready for the young person to decorate and fill with items that she chooses to help her relax and become calm.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager has a good understanding of child protection procedures and ensures that all staff do too. Any allegations made about staff, however apparently small, are referred initially to the local authority designated officer (LADO) in the local authority where the home is situated. For example, a young person alleged that she had been pushed out of the office. The LADO decided that an internal investigation of the matter would suffice. The investigation was robustly conducted to a conclusion that the member of staff and the young person were satisfied with.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff continue to lock away the kitchen knife block as a matter of routine, even though the manager is confident that the present young person does not require this in order to stay safe. The young person’s placement plan states that bedroom door alarms are routinely used, when actually their use is kept under review and at present is not deemed necessary on safeguarding grounds.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager has successfully prioritised staff support and retention since the last inspection. She undertakes good supervision, appraisal, group support and training of staff. Although small, the staff team has remained committed and is now more resilient, skilled and happy to stay. The manager has also ensured that young people’s records are more helpful and meaningful to them. Young people are now in possession of their own care, health and education plans as well as their praise books and key sessions. Now the manager is focusing on increasing the staff team size and on achieving a full home with a well-matched group of young people who can progress well together.

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Information about this children’s home

This home is run by a privately owned limited company. It offers care for up to three children and young people. There is a specialism to care for children and young people who are victims of child sexual exploitation.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 09 August 2016 Full Requires improvement 10 November 2015 Full Good 10 April 2015 Registration Not applicable

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Recommendation

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendation:  Ensure that staff continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. When there are safeguarding concerns for a child, their placement plan, agreed between the home and their placing authority, must include details of the steps that the home will take to manage any assessed risks on a day-to-day basis. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5)

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What the inspection judgements mean

At the interim inspection we make a judgement on whether the home has improved in effectiveness, sustained effectiveness, or declined in effectiveness since the previous full inspection. This is in line with the ‘Inspection of children’s homes: framework for inspection’.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people living in the children’s home. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the difference that adults make to the lives of children and young people. They read case files, watched how professional staff work with children, young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care given to children and young people. Whenever possible, they talked to children, young people and their families. In addition the inspectors have tried to understand what the children’s home knows about how well it is performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the children and young people whom it is trying to help, protect and look after. This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service 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’. the guidance ‘Raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

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, work- based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It inspects services for children looked after and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

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Information about this inspection

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

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Information about this inspection

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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