Children's Home run by Pathway Care Solutions Ltd 04004053 in Nottingham

Unique reference number SC029504 Inspection date 20/11/2013 Inspector Judith Longden Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 11/03/2013 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Brief description of the service

This is a home that provides for young people with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. It is registered to accommodate up to four children and young people. It is run by a private company.

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The inspection judgements and what they mean

Outstanding : a service of exceptional quality that significantly exceeds minimum requirements Good : a service of high quality that exceeds minimum requirements Adequate : a service that only meets minimum requirements Inadequate : a service that does not meet minimum requirements

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Overall effectiveness

The overall effectiveness is judged to be outstanding .

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Overall effectiveness

This home provides outstanding care that is comprehensively planned and based on individual needs. Young people are involved in their care and the running of the home. Excellent inter-agency work ensures young people's health and education needs are met.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people thrive in this home. Their progress and development is recorded and evidenced and there is clear evidence of the impact the home has had in this progress. Relationships between staff and young people are excellent and staff have high aspirations for all young people in their care.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people are kept safe and feel safe in the home and community. Staff demonstrate an excellent understanding of safe working practice. Behaviour is well managed and boundaries are consistently followed.

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Overall effectiveness

The management of the home is very strong. The manager understands the strengths and areas of development for the home and has an excellent development plan in place to ensure the home continues to progress. Staff receive a range of training and are supported to continue to deliver an excellent service. No requirements or recommendations are made as a result of this inspection.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Outcomes for young people are outstanding . Young people make excellent progress in achieving positive outcomes in all areas. Progress and achievement is recorded monthly for each individual. These records indicate the activity or achievement, the impact and provide a context for the achievement. This provides evidence of the young person's starting point and the journey they have made. For example, one young person on an activity holiday participated in the high ropes, the impact being that they developed confidence and worked as a member of the team. The context states that previously they would not engage in group activities and had been scared of heights. This level of detail enables young people to understand their own progress and growth and further enhances their confidence and self-esteem.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people are supported to understand their culture, family history and the reasons why they are in care. Staff work in a sensitive and considerate way to enable young people to explore what being in care means. The home promotes images of positive role models of celebrities who have been in care and those who have also had issues with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. This enables young people to develop a sense of self-worth and aspire to achieve in the future.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people enjoy very good health. They discuss various health issues with staff and understand health risks such as smoking and drug use. As a result they take responsibility for their own health. Young people benefit from meals that are healthy and varied and also enjoy the occasional treat. One young person said, 'staff help me to eat healthy foods, but I do like a takeaway pizza on a Saturday sometimes.’ Young people participate in activities such as walking and bicycle rides which further promotes their health.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people enjoy a wide range of stimulating activities in the home and the community. Staff work hard to develop good relationships with community groups and encourage young people to visit places of worship such as temples and the synagogue to develop an understanding of the varied cultures in their community. They also attend community festivals, such as the Caribbean carnival. As a result, young people develop an understanding of others and feel they are an integral part of their community.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people make excellent progress in their education attendance and attainment given their starting points. Most young people achieve 100% attendance and their achievements in education are celebrated with certificates and awards. Young people attend various courses and work experience during the holidays to keep them engaged in worthwhile activities. Young people who have left full-time education are undertaking courses in topics such as construction and decorating to provide them with additional skills. One young person said they had been able to help the maintenance people lay the new flooring as he had completed the relevant course. This means young people benefit from education that prepares them for adulthood.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people benefit from excellent contact with their parents, family and friends as appropriate. Arrangements are set out in the young person's plan and staff facilitate and support contact as required. Young people are encouraged to make and sustain friendships with their peers and staff welcome friends to the home to share activities. Young people complete a number of chores within the home which enables them to develop skills for living independently. They are encouraged to make their own appointments and make decisions for themselves. As a result they receive care to prepare them for adulthood.

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Quality of care

The quality of the care is outstanding .

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Quality of care

Young people benefit from very good care management procedures. Individual care plans identify the needs of the young person and how these can be met. Young people identify targets to achieve and how they can be helped to achieve these. For example one young person wrote, 'I will try and eat more fruit, as I want to lose weight.’ They also identified that going shopping helps them with their mathematics. Daily records identify that the daily care reflects the aims of the placement. Young people are encouraged to reflect on their plans and progress and as a result they are involved in their care.

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Quality of care

Staff have established very good relationships with parents and involve them in the care provided. Parents of one young person are engaged in delivering training for the staff team on the issues they face as parents. This develops the staff team and enables them to continue to provide excellent care.

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Quality of care

Young people engage in regular house meetings which provides an opportunity to discuss plans, meals, activities and any issues they have. It is also an opportunity for staff to praise young people for their progress and good behaviour. Young people who find it difficult to engage in the whole group are supported to share their views in smaller groups to ensure their voice is still heard. Young people have begun to complete their own handover sheet to raise issues for discussion at the daily staff handovers. Young people help with the routines of the home and have been involved in the redecoration of a number of rooms. This means they are fully involved in the running of the home. Young people are aware of the complaints procedure and are confident in making a complaint if required.

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Quality of care

Young people benefit from excellent relationships with staff and interact well with each other. On occasions where there is conflict and tension from group living they are encouraged to take responsibility for their actions and resolve the conflict themselves. This enables them to develop skills in relationships and their behaviour improves as a result. One young person explained how they were going to apologise to another young person for the way they behaved, 'in order to make things better'.

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Quality of care

Young people benefit from excellent health care plans that focus on meeting their holistic health needs. Young people have access to various medical professionals including drug and alcohol support workers and mental health workers. This ensures young people receive the varied support they need to achieve good health and emotional well-being. Staff are trained in first aid and in the safe administration and recording of medication. Young people are supported to explore health topics such as relationships, sexual health, smoking and alcohol consumption. Healthy living, diet and exercise is encouraged. As a result the physical, emotional and psychological health of young people is promoted.

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Quality of care

Staff have high aspirations for all young people and encourage them to explore a range of education and training options available. Staff attend education meetings and join parents in attending the parents evenings at school. As a result young people are supported to achieve their educational potential.

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Quality of care

Young people live in a home that provides ample space for shared activities and quiet areas for young people to be on their own. The home is well decorated and maintained and is close to local amenities and leisure facilities providing a range of opportunities for young people.

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Quality of care

Staff support and encourage young people to engage in a wide range of leisure pursuits that are both enjoyable and challenging. This includes activities such as a group holiday abroad. Staff identify any risks associated with an activity and plan accordingly. A proportionate approach to risk assessment means risk does not prevent young people from enjoying activities and new experiences.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The service is outstanding at keeping children and young people safe and feeling safe.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people are supported to develop socially acceptable behaviour. Staff implement a positive behaviour management strategy based on establishing positive relationships and consistent boundaries. One parent identified that their child's behaviour had improved because of the consistent boundaries. Negative behaviour is discussed with young people and they are encouraged to identify ways to make amends through restorative actions rather than punitive sanctions. For example, young people may identify they should write a letter of apology or help repair any damage. This means young people accept responsibility for their behaviour and learn the consequences of their actions.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Staff are trained in the use of physical intervention and use a variety of techniques to diffuse situations. Incidents are well recorded and staff are supported through a robust debrief process. This enables them to identify where they may have acted in a different way to the situation. This supports them to develop further intervention techniques. One member of staff said, 'the manager talks restraint through with us to explore different options and think if we could have done anything differently to try and improve how we work for future incidents.' This has resulted in a decrease in restraints.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The home has excellent policies and procedures in relation to bullying. Young people are encouraged to talk about the issues through house meetings and key-work sessions. Staff identify the issues and tensions of group living and address any concerns before they escalate. As a result young people are protected from bullying. Young people say they feel safe and well cared for. One professional said, 'out of all homes I visit in (the area) this is the best. The young person I visit loves being here, and says they feel safe and looked after.'

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Safeguarding children and young people

The home has an excellent range of robust policies and procedures for safeguarding practices in respect of child protection, handling allegations and recruitment. Staff are trained in safeguarding and are clear on their role in the safeguarding process. Staff also benefit from training in areas such as self-harm, child sexual exploitation and missing from care. This enhances their knowledge and enables them to provide further safe care for young people. Robust procedures and policies in relation to missing from care ensure a co-ordinated approach to any absence from the home. Staff have an excellent relationship with the local police and work in partnership to protect young people who are absent. Staff work with young people on their return to identify the reasons for their absence and to develop strategies to prevent them from repeating this behaviour. As a result the incidents of young people absent or

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Safeguarding children and young people

Regular fire drills are held and fire alarm systems are checked as required. There is a comprehensive fire risk assessment and health and safety assessment for the building and equipment. Regular maintenance checks are performed. This ensures the building is safe and appropriately secure.

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Leadership and management

The leadership and management of the children's home are outstanding .

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Leadership and management

Young people live in a home that has demonstrated continued improvement in the quality of care, outcomes, safety and welfare of young people. The home has addressed the recommendation made at the last inspection in respect of the use of an alarm system. There is a clear policy on how it is used and its purpose. This ensures the privacy of young people is not affected by improper use of the system. No requirements or recommendations are made as a result of this inspection.

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Leadership and management

The home is provided by an organisation with a number of homes in the area and is managed by a qualified and skilled manager. The manager undertakes additional tasks such as visiting other homes to monitor the quality of the service provided. This means the manager continues to develop skills and knowledge. Staff are inspired and motivated to continue to improve the service delivered to young people. The manager understands the strengths and areas for development for the home and has an exceptional development plan in place. This documents the plans and goals for the coming year with a monthly account of the progress made towards each target with substantial evidence to support this. Parents and placing authorities are asked for their input into the development plan and young people are fully consulted as to the future progress of the home and service. The home has a good Statement of Purpose and young person's guide. This ensures staff and young

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Leadership and management

people are clear about the aims of the home and the service and facilities provided. Young people receive care from a motivated staff team with a variety of skills, experience and qualifications. Staff are given additional duties such as devising the rota to develop skills in managing and running a home. The staff rota ensures young people's needs are met through the provision of sufficient staffing.

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Leadership and management

Staff receive a very good induction and continue to develop their knowledge and skills through a wide range of training opportunities. Where training courses are not available in a timely manner, the manager sources other means of training such as utilising the skills of colleagues or professionals who visit the home and through the use of relevant materials and resources. This means staff improve their competency and ensure young people's needs continue to be met. The manager also displays relevant articles and guidance such as the Ofsted 'Guide to Outstanding Homes'. This ensures that staff are up to date with current issues and developments.

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Leadership and management

Staff receive good quality and regular supervision and feel supported by the manager. All staff receive mid-year performance reviews in addition to annual appraisals. The manager said, 'we prioritise supervision, it is what keeps things together when things get difficult, staff need to know their feelings and views are important.' Regular team meetings are held to develop good practice and raise any issues or concerns. This means that staff feel supported to continue to provide an excellent service for young people.

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Leadership and management

The home implements a range of rigorous monitoring activities to examine the quality of the service provided, the progress of young people and ensure young people are kept safe. The registered provider undertakes visits to the home in accordance with regulations and carries out checks to ensure that the welfare of young people is monitored. The registered provider consults with young people to identify any areas for development to improve the quality of care provided. The manager monitors records kept by the home and consults with young people to identify any concerns, patterns or trends. Monitoring reports are completed regularly and forwarded to Ofsted as required. All significant events relating to the protection of young people in the home are notified as appropriate and actions taken as required. As a result, the welfare and protection of young people is effectively monitored.

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About this inspection

The purpose of this inspection is to assure children and young people, parents, the public, local authorities and government of the quality and standard of the service provided. The 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 relevant regulations and meets the national minimum standards.

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About this inspection

The report details the main strengths, any areas for improvement, including any breaches of regulation, and any failure to meet national minimum standards. The judgements included in the report are made against the Inspections of children’s homes – framework for inspection and the evaluation schedule for the inspection of children's homes.

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