Children's home run by Physis Care Service Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2754135 1 Registered provider: Physis Care Service Ltd

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

A private company owns this children’s home. It is registered to provide care for up to two children who may have emotional and social difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home and manager registered with Ofsted in February 2024.

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Information about this children’s home

The home was judged inadequate at a full inspection on 8 April 2025. Serious and widespread failures were found in relation to safeguarding practice and the leadership and management of the home. As a result, Ofsted issued two compliance notices under regulation 12 (the protection of children standard) and regulation 13 (the leadership and management standard).

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit examined the progress made in meeting the compliance notices raised at the full inspection. While there have been some small improvements, there was insufficient action taken to fully address the steps outlined in the compliance notices. Consequently, there continue to be significant concerns in relation to the safeguarding of children and the leadership and management of the home.

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This monitoring visit

When children have gone missing, staff do not take action to keep them safe from harm. For example, one child had been missing for over 24 hours and had requested to return home in the early hours of the morning. However, it was 10 hours before staff left the home to collect them. During this time, the child was approached by an adult in the community, which left them feeling afraid. This poor response and lack of action from staff placed the child at additional risk of harm.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders do not provide effective oversight when incidents with children have occurred. In reviewing missing-from-home incidents, the manager does not consider Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2754135 2 all information available or identify any shortfalls in staff’s safeguarding practice. Furthermore, children do not routinely receive independent return home interviews each time they go missing, and staff have failed to chase these adequately. This is a lost opportunity to obtain additional information to help safeguard the children, and staff do not learn or make changes to reduce children’s risks.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders do not respond appropriately when children make allegations against staff. Following a recent allegation raised by a child, the manager did not complete a full or thorough investigation before deciding to allow the member of staff to return to work. Also, the child was not spoken to as part of the investigation. Consequently, the member of staff returned to work and no learning was identified to improve their practice. Following this incident, the local authority made the decision to move the child from the home.

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This monitoring visit

Staff do not communicate effectively with education professionals to ensure that children attend education regularly. Despite taking action to support one child to re- engage with their education, the child was not at school during the inspection. Staff were not aware that the child should have been in school as they had not checked the child’s timetable effectively.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders’ oversight and monitoring of the care that children receive is poor. The registered manager did not put in place plans to address the shortfalls identified in the compliance notices and where action has been taken, insufficient improvements have been made.

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This monitoring visit

There has been little progress in developing staff skills to provide good-quality care following the last inspection. Uptake of refresher training is poor in areas where there were shortfalls in staff practice identified at the last inspection. There is little management oversight of staff training to ensure it is completed in a timely manner. This does not ensure that staff are well equipped to support improvements in care and keep children safe.

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This monitoring visit

Despite the widespread shortfalls, children have been supported to understand risks in relation to fire safety. External fire awareness training has been provided, which the children engaged with. However, children have continued to smoke in their rooms and the impact of this work, in reducing risks, is ineffective. Furthermore, managers have not taken further action to reduce these risks.

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This monitoring visit

Since the last inspection, the home’s environment has been improved to make it more appealing to the children. However, it still retains an institutional feel, with excessive signage displayed throughout the home.

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This monitoring visit

Requirements made at the last inspection are outside the scope of this visit. These will be reviewed at the next inspection. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2754135 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

08/04/2025 Full Inadequate 21/08/2024 Full Good 14/05/2024 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2754135 4

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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, The 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

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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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

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies; and

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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)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure staff are clear about the risks to children who are missing and at risk 12 June 2025 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2754135 5 of exploitation and the action they must take to safeguard them.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person should take immediate action to reduce risks in relation to children and others coming to harm from fire, including risks arising from children smoking in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person should ensure that appropriate action is undertaken when children raise allegations, apply professional curiosity in understanding what has happened and, where appropriate, seek external advice. Any learning from the investigations should be used to improve staff practice and reduce the risk of further harm to children.

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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

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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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)(a)(c)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure they implement systems that provide them with clear oversight of children’s care, including risks to children, children’s plans 12 June 2025 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2754135 6 and the progress children are making, and that they take action to improve children’s care.

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Requirement Due date

Staff should be supported to develop the skills needed to provide safe, good-quality care to children. Staff should receive appropriate training that meets the children’s specific needs.

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

protect and promote each child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

treat each child with dignity and respect;

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Requirement Due date

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand and manage the impact of any experience of abuse or neglect;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop resilience and skills that prepare the child to return home, to live in a new placement or to live independently as an adult;

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Requirement Due date

provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably;

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Requirement Due date

provide to children personal items that are appropriate for their age and understanding; and 12 June 2025 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2754135 7 make decisions about the day-to-day arrangements for each child, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans, which give the child an appropriate degree of freedom and choice;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(ix)(c)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should provide children with the support and skills needed to help them to progress, which includes the development of clear routines, boundaries and opportunities to promote their well-being.

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Requirement Due date

The home environment should be developed to provide a homely feel that is not institutionalised. It should provide age-appropriate items that reflect the children’s interests and help them to engage.

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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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

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

support each child’s learning and development, including helping the child to develop independent study skills and, where appropriate, helping the child to complete independent study;

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Requirement Due date

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment; 12 June 2025 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2754135 8 promote opportunities for each child to learn informally;

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Requirement Due date

maintain regular contact with each child’s education and training provider, including engaging with the provider and the placing authority to support the child’s education and training and to maximise the child’s achievement;

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Requirement Due date

raise any need for further assessment or specialist provision in relation to a child with the child’s education or training provider and the child’s placing authority;

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Requirement Due date

help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible;

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Requirement Due date

help each child who is above compulsory school age to participate in further education, training or employment and to prepare for future care, education or employment; and

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Requirement Due date

help each child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(ix)(x))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person should seek to understand the barriers to children making progress in education and take action needed to support them. This includes supporting children to re-engage in education and implementing positive routines to support this.

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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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

that staff— 12 June 2025 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2754135 9 meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

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Requirement Due date

encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone;

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Requirement Due date

strive to gain each child’s respect and trust;

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Requirement Due date

understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children;

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Requirement Due date

that each child is encouraged to build and maintain positive relationships with others. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(viii)(ix)(b))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person should seek to improve the relationships between staff and children. They should seek to reduce barriers that prevent children from speaking openly about their feelings so that staff can better support them. This includes equipping staff with the skills to better understand and respond to children.

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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

In particular, the registered person should ensure that an adequate assessment is undertaken before children move into and on from the home. This should determine whether the home can suitably meet children’s needs and ensure that any risks identified are adequately mitigated. In addition, this includes staff having the appropriate skills, training and competencies to meet children’s needs. 12 June 2025 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2754135 10 The registered person should ensure any presenting risks of a child moving into the home are assessed in relation to other children already living in the home, to determine whether it is appropriate for them to live together.

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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: 2754135 11

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Physis Care Service Ltd

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Inspector

Louise Naylor, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2754135 12 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 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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Inspector

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