Children's home run by Physis Quantum Limited in Shropshire

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC487794 1 SC487794

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Physis Quantum Limited

Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is operated by a privately owned company. It provides care for up to three children. The home specialises in caring for children who have been, or are, at high risk of child sexual exploitation.

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Information about this children’s home

There has not been a registered manager in post since 2 January 2020. A new manager was appointed to the home in August 2022. The new manager is yet to have their fit person interview to register with Ofsted.

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Information about this children’s home

A new responsible individual has been in post since March 2022.

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Information about this children’s home

Ofsted imposed a three-month condition in September 2021. This is because there was no manager in post, an insufficient number of staff in post, and there was no in- tention to accommodate children. This means that the provider must inform Ofsted three months prior of their intention to accommodate children.

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This monitoring visit

The purpose of this visit was to review the safety of children following information received by Ofsted from a health professional. The information included that the provider was refusing to support a child to return to their placement at the home following a hospital stay due to an incident of self-harm. The information stated that the provider had cited they had inadequate staffing to support the child’s return.

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This monitoring visit

The home currently has a condition of registration that the provider must inform the regulator three months prior of their intention to accommodate children. The information that the home was accommodating children also indicated a breach of the conditions of registration because children have been living at the home since 6 September 2022. As Ofsted had not been informed of the intention to accommodate Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC487794 2 children, the regulator has been unable to carry out checks prior to children moving into the home.

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This monitoring visit

During the visit, the inspector found that the manager and staff do not have the skills to identify when a child is at risk of harm. A child with a known history of self- harming behaviours, including overdose, was able to access five packets of paracetamol and take an overdose of the tablets while shopping with staff. This was despite there being a two-to-one staff-to-child ratio. This incident resulted in the child being admitted to hospital. The provider served immediate notice to the child while she was in hospital as they did not have the staff to meet her needs. The manager failed to inform Ofsted of this significant incident.

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This monitoring visit

Staff do not have the skills to identify when a child is at risk of harm. After one child went missing from the home, police found an empty bottle of vodka and a note to staff stating she was planning to cause harm to herself in her bedroom. Staff did not identify this as a concern, despite it being recorded in the child’s plan that she had previously consumed alcohol and taken substances when she has been missing from care. The manager informed the inspector that the bottle of vodka must have been left behind from a child who lived in the home previously, despite the fact the home had been closed for a significant period and undergone refurbishment. This lack of professional curiosity has left children at risk of harm.

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This monitoring visit

Risk management and care planning arrangements do not accurately reflect children’s risks and needs in an individualised and person-centred manner. This is because care plans contain duplicate information. The manager and responsible individual told the inspector that this is because the children’s needs are similar. Furthermore, risk management plans do not include any guidance or strategies for staff to follow regarding a child who is at high risk of child sexual exploitation. The plans for another child, who is at high risk of substance misuse, do not contain any strategies for staff to follow should she present under the influence of alcohol or drugs. This does not provide Ofsted with reassurance that children receive care that is tailored to their needs and staff have been provided with the guidance to protect children from harm.

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This monitoring visit

Impact risk assessments for children are poor. The manager has failed to adequately assess the children’s needs and risks before they moved into the home. As a result, the care planning arrangements for children are inadequate.

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This monitoring visit

There has been an insufficient number of staff at the home. The staff team is relatively new to the organisation and there has been staff shortages due to a high number of staff absences. This means that staff who have recently started in the organisation have been required to lead shifts in the home. At the time of this visit, one member of staff from another home in the organisation and an agency worker who has not worked at the home before were caring for a child. The child informed the inspector that she did not know who these staff were. The members of staff on shift had not read the child’s risk assessment and were not aware of all her known Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC487794 3 risks. This means that children are being looked after by staff who do not know them well. In addition, placing authorities are not provided with an accurate reflection of the staffing arrangements in the home.

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This monitoring visit

Staff have not received the appropriate training to meet the needs of the children. No staff have completed safeguarding training, medication training or training in the use of restraint. Only one member of staff has completed self-harm awareness and no staff have completed ligature cutting training. Only three members of staff have completed child sexual exploitation training and only one has completed training in online safety.

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This monitoring visit

The management oversight of the home is inadequate. When the manager evaluates incidents, they fail to capture any lessons learned to inform their future practice.

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This monitoring visit

The manager did not know which members of agency staff were coming to work in the home on the day of the visit. She did not know what staffing levels had been agreed with the local authority for the child who is currently in hospital.

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This monitoring visit

The disorganised approach to the recording and reporting systems has negatively impacted on the manager’s oversight of the home. The manager explained this is because the organisation has changed its recording systems. At the time of the visit, the records did not contain accurate information, and, in some cases, the manager had difficulty obtaining records because they were stored electronically. This does not help the manager to identify shortfalls and take timely action to address them. As a result, children’s records do not accurately reflect their lived experience at this home.

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This monitoring visit

The independent visitor has failed to identify the shortfalls from this visit. In addition, they have failed to ensure that the home is operating in accordance with the condition of registration. This does not provide the manager and responsible individual with an understanding of the action they need to take to address the shortfalls.

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This monitoring visit

The manager has not considered all known local information and has failed to consult with all professionals when considering the location of the home. At the time of the visit, the manager told the inspector that the location risk assessment had not been reviewed for over 12 months. This could potentially impact on children’s welfare and safety.

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This monitoring visit

The manager does not evaluate the effectiveness of the quality of care and consider a plan of action to make improvements to the care provided to children, as part of their quality of care review monitoring. This is a missed opportunity to ensure that the manager has oversight of the effectiveness of the quality of care that is provided to children. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC487794 4 Partnership working with external agencies is not effective. The manager does not always share information with agencies. For example, one placement manager said that the staffing arrangements are not clear. Another social worker said that when their child was reported missing, staff found her with three unknown males in a car at a layby close to the home. Staff failed to use professional curiosity to seek further information relating to these unknown males, despite knowing that the child is at

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This monitoring visit

risk of child sexual exploitation and going missing from care. This does not help professionals to understand how staff are supporting the child’s welfare and well- being.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 11/02/2020 Full Good 09/01/2019 Full Outstanding 15/03/2018 Interim Sustained effectiveness 30/10/2017 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC487794 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, 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

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the provider ensuring that all staff understand the children’s risk assessments. This includes ensuring that children have person-centred and individualised risk assessment plans. 11 December 2022

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; 11 December 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC487794 6 ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(d)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the provider ensuring that there are enough staff who have the required skills and training to care for the children. This includes ensuring that there is oversight of all incidents, including the day-to-day care arrangements and management of the home.

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the provider carrying out an impact risk assessment before children are admitted to the home. This includes ensuring that children have person- centred plans that are individualised to the child.

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Requirement Due date

This is a repeat requirement. 11 December 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must provide a copy of the statement of purpose to HMCI and make a copy of it available upon request.

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Requirement Due date

keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and

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Requirement Due date

notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (2) (3)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the provider ensuring that the home operates in accordance with its statement of purpose.

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Requirement Due date

This is a repeat requirement. 11 December 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC487794 7 A person may only manage a children’s home if—

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Requirement Due date

having regard to the size of the home, its statement of purpose, and the number and needs (including any needs arising from any disability) of the children—

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Requirement Due date

the person has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills to manage the home effectively and lead the care of children. (Regulation 28 (1)(b)(i))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the provider ensuring that they have appointed a manager who has the required skills, training and experience to manage the home. 11 December 2022

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Requirement Due date

If the registered provider is an individual, the individual must undertake such continuing professional development as is necessary to ensure that the individual has the skills needed for carrying on the children’s home. (Regulation 29 (1))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the provider ensuring that the responsible individual has oversight of the quality of care and management arrangements at the home. 11 December 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(e))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the provider ensuring that Ofsted is informed of all serious incidents relating to children in a timely manner. 11 December 2022

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must produce a report about a visit (“the independent person’s report”) which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether—

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Requirement Due date

children are effectively safeguarded; and

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Requirement Due date

the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person’s report may recommend actions that the registered person may take in relation to the home and timescales within which the registered person must consider whether or not to take those actions. (Regulation 44 (4)(a)(b) (5)) 11 December 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC487794 8 This specifically relates to the provider ensuring that the independent person reviews the safeguarding arrangements for children. This includes ensuring that the provider is operating in accordance with the home’s registration and conditions.

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children;

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children. (Regulation 45 (2)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the provider ensuring that the manager provides a clear review of the quality of care that addresses the shortfalls identified as part of the manager’s monitoring. 11 December 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must review the appropriateness and suitability of the location of the premises used for the purposes of the children’s home at least once in each calendar year taking into account the requirement in regulation 12(2)(c) (the protection of children standard).

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Requirement Due date

When conducting the review, the registered person must consult, and take into account the views of, each relevant person. (Regulation 46 (1) (2))

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Requirement Due date

The provider must ensure that they have carried out a review of all known local risks and risks associated to children. This includes consultation with professionals to consider the suitability of children being placed at the home. 11 December 2022

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that all children’s records that are kept electronically are easily accessible to anyone with a legitimate need to view them and, if required, be reproduced in a legible form. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 14.2) Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC487794 9

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC487794 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Physis Quantum Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: DPC, 55 Stone House Road Business Park, Stone Road, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire ST4 6SR

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Inspector

Sam Dulay-Kainth, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC487794 11 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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