Children's home run by Physis Quantum Limited in Shropshire

Inspection report children’s home: SC487794 1 SC487794 Registered provider: Physis Quantum 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 run by a privately owned limited company. It offers care for up to three young people. The home specialises in caring for young people who have been, or are, at high risk of child sexual exploitation.

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Information about this children’s home

The home does not have a registered manager.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 11 to 12 February 2020

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC487794 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

09/01/2019 Full Outstanding 15/03/2018 Interim Sustained effectiveness 30/10/2017 Full Outstanding 16/03/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC487794 3

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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, 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

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5 (c)) 20/03/2020

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Recommendations

 A record of supervision should be kept for staff, including the manager. The record should provide evidence that supervision is being delivered in line with regulation 33(4)(b). (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.3)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

At the time of this inspection, there are two young people living in this home. Both are making good progress. Young people attend the school owned by the provider and are working hard to achieve good outcomes. One young person is excelling emotionally and socially. She attends group dance lessons and has been offered a job to teach younger pupils how to dance. Previously, she did not have the confidence to do this.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is beautifully decorated and maintained to a high standard. Young people’s photos are dotted around the home. Games are easily accessible and soft furnishings such as throws, cushions and teddies create a tactile and nurturing environment.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff and young people enjoy positive and caring relationships. Young people attend weekly therapy sessions. Staff have regular consultations with the home’s therapy team Inspection report children’s home: SC487794 4 to ensure that staff provide responsive care to young people that is underpinned by the home’s therapeutic model of care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Managers and staff listen to young people’s views. Young people know how to complain, and any complaints are taken seriously. As such, young people feel listened to and valued.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Leaders and managers ensure that a good matching process is followed when considering new young people who may come to live in the home. The process has been improved further, following a review of two young people’s recent experiences.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help young people to develop their independence skills. Staff teach young people life skills that will prepare them for when they leave the home. Staff help young people to participate in a range of different activities. This expands their experiences and promotes their hobbies and interests.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff promote relationships between young people and their families, when appropriate to do so. Young people’s families have confidence in the care that staff provide and have positive relationships with staff.

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

Staff respond appropriately when young people go missing, and they follow clear protocols. They contact the police, search the local area and try to re-establish contact with the young people. When young people return home, they are warmly welcomed and offered comfort, food and a hot drink. However, independent return home interviews have not consistently been offered to young people. There is not sufficient evidence to show that managers challenge the local authorities about this.

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

Generally, staff can de-escalate incidents without physically restraining young people. Leaders and managers have done a considerable amount of work, reviewing the handling of some challenging incidents. This has resulted in them changing the provider who delivers the physical intervention training to staff. The new training programme is more in line with the therapeutic approach of the home. Staff have had the opportunity to reflect on incidents and consider lessons learned to improve future practice.

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

Young people feel safe living in this home. This is because staff provide consistent boundaries allowing young people to live in a predictable and stable environment.

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

Since the last inspection, new staff have joined the home. Recruitment checks have been appropriately undertaken. This ensures that staff are safe to work with young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is in a period of transition. The registered manager has recently left, and a knowledgeable and skilled interim manager is in post. Staff have felt a period of unsettlement with the recent changes. However, they have continued to offer consistent Inspection report children’s home: SC487794 5 care to young people which has reduced the impact of these changes on young people. The interim manager has previously worked at the home as the deputy manager and knows the young people and staff well.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Senior leaders have a good oversight of the home, allowing them to identify emerging concerns and make any necessary changes. The interim manager has completed an excellent review of the home and has accurately identified the strengths and areas of development. A development plan is in place to drive improvement.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff enjoy working in the home and helping young people to make progress and achieve the best possible outcomes. Managers and staff demonstrate a good knowledge of young people’s starting points and what they have accomplished since living at the home. Staff understand young people’s likes and dislikes and this helps them to provide individualised care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff attend a range of different training courses. Training is underpinned by the home’s therapeutic model of care, focusing on young people’s individual needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have regular supervision and attend regular consultation meetings and ‘team around the child’ meetings. These are beneficial for exploring young people’s needs and reflecting on the needs of the staff. However, supervision arrangements could be strengthened by managers ensuring that staff in their induction period have more frequent supervision, as outlined in the home’s statement of purpose.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff and managers have developed positive relationships with other professionals to ensure that young people’s needs are met. However, at times managers have not challenged social workers to ensure that they provide copies of young people’s most recent review reports. The positive communication and frequent information sharing between managers and social workers has reduced the impact that this has on young people.

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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: SC487794 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Physis Quantum Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: c/o DPC Stone House, 55 Stone Road Business Park, Stone Road, Stoke-On-Trent, Shropshire ST4 6SR

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Laurence O’Dwyer

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Inspector

Lisa O’Donovan, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC487794 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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