Children's home run by Quantum Care UK Limited in North Northamptonshire

Inspection report children’s home: SC459934 1 SC459934 Registered provider: Quantum Care UK 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

The home aims to provide children with quality care in an environment and atmosphere that reflects many of the positive aspects of a family home. The home has been without a registered manager since December 2017.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: 17 January 2018

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC459934 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

17/01/2018 Full Good 31/01/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 01/06/2016 Full Good 17/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC459934 3

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improvement to be good

The home has been without a registered manager for over nine months. However, the continuity provided by the deputy manager in the absence of a registered manager has proved invaluable to the children and staff. Since the last inspection, two children have moved into the home and one child has moved out. Each of the moves has been managed well.

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improvement to be good

Both children speak positively, and with pride, about their home and the care that they receive. Parents and professionals are complimentary about the positive changes that they observe in the children and value the level of commitment and communication that they have with the staff. The warm rapport and trust that exist between the staff and children is reflected in their interactions.

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improvement to be good

Despite having a lengthy journey, one child has been able to continue attending the same school and has maintained their 100% attendance record. Another child, with the support of staff, is successfully increasing the length of her school days. A headteacher praised the staff for their commitment to supporting the child and the school throughout this gradual process.

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improvement to be good

The children attend various leisure activities to encourage them to have active and healthy lives. The staff ensure that the children have access to specialist medical professionals. This includes support for matters such as cessation of smoking and emotional well-being.

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improvement to be good

The children have daily chores, and the completion of these tasks assists them to achieve their chosen reward. Some tasks form part of their placement goals. These are aimed at assisting children to increase their levels of independence and equipping them with life skills that they will require when they move on, and in later life.

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improvement to be good

The children are consulted regularly, both informally and formally. Their views and opinions are used to create menus, a timetable and activity planners. The house is full of pictures of the children, their artwork and their choices, including the personalisation of their bedrooms and the decor of the home.

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

The use of physical intervention is rare. The staff know the children well and use positive relationships with children to help them address any concerning behaviours, worries or fears. These strategies are successfully used to de-escalate any challenging behaviour. Inspection report children’s home: SC459934 4 Missing-from-home episodes have significantly reduced in frequency and duration. A child, with a history of going missing, spoke proudly about the fact that she had, ‘not run away for months’. This is a major achievement for her, and this progress has been recognised and rewarded. Children say that they feel safe and cared for and this means that they do not feel the need to run away.

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

Children described various ways in which the staff have helped them to explore any negative behaviour or emotions that they experience. The children are willing to participate in conversations and key-work sessions, some of which are used to discuss incidents and significant events. These open discussions are enabling the children to take responsibility for their actions. They also provide children with an opportunity to express their views, particularly when they believe that their actions have been misrepresented and/or misunderstood. Staff now analyse significant events, including missing-from-home episodes, and analyse the follow-up conversations to assist them in identifying triggers and patterns. These actions address both of the shortfalls identified at the last inspection.

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

The staff training programme ensures that staff remain up to date with current practice and potential risks. Staff ensure that they incorporate this learning into their work with the children, and when updating the children’s risk assessments. Staff are not risk averse and use assessment to enable children to have increased levels of family contact, and have experiences that children living away from home often miss out on.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The home has been without a registered manager since December 2017, and this has affected the overall judgement. No requirement has been made in response to this shortfall as the organisation has recently appointed a manager and an application for registration is being processed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The deputy manager has worked at the home for several years. She has provided continuity for the staff and children. She possesses a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the home and has compiled a detailed development plan that incorporates the children’s views. Her collaborative approach reflects the staff’s feedback about the deputy’s open-door policy.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The staff team remains largely unchanged. Children say that because the staff are from a range of backgrounds and are different ages, this provides them with, ‘a family of staff’. Two new staff have joined the team. They described their induction process as thorough and informative. They found the combination of supervision and mentoring sessions helpful to their development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The staff successfully pursue placing authorities and other professionals for appropriate responses to care-planning-related issues. This ensures that they are advocating for the children in matters such as increased family contact, emotional well-being support Inspection report children’s home: SC459934 5 services and independent missing-from-home interviews.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Parents say that they feel that they can work positively in partnership with the staff because the staff are respectful and recognise the importance of the role of family in the children’s lives. A professional described how they have learned from the staff team’s ability to quickly build relationships with the children. Collectively, this approach is helping children to develop improved relationships with their family members, teaching staff and other professionals.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the differences made to the lives of children and young people. They watched how professional staff work with children and young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care provided. Wherever possible, they talked to children and 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.

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Information about this inspection

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 children’s home: SC459934 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Quantum Care UK Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Fifth Floor, 80 Hammersmith Road, London W14 8UD

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Inspector

Sonia Hay, social care regulatory inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC459934 7 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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