Children's Home run by Positive Pathways Limited in Birmingham

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged Good at the full inspection. At this interim inspection Ofsted judge that it has sustained effectiveness .

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff at this home impact positively on young people’s lives. They continue to make good progress, underpinned by high quality support and consistency from staff. Professionals describe the home as ‘warm and welcoming’ and young people report that staff are kind and approachable. Young people develop positive relationships with staff that help build emotional maturity and resilience. New admissions are carefully planned. As one placing social worker commented, ‘The best welcome and introduction to a new placement I have ever seen in twenty five years ‘. Young people report they feel involved and that views are valued. They speak warmly of staff and feel they are able to make meaningful contributions to the running of the home. There has been one complaint received since the last inspection. This has been appropriately resolved by the manager with the young person. Young people continue to make good progress in education and training. Staff

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

effectively communicate with education colleagues to ensure there is consistency of approach and learning opportunities are maximised. Young people show emotional resilience and are coping well with new challenges that promote their personal development. This is reflected in the progress observed by professionals working with them. Young people are supported in preparing for adulthood. Staff are encouraging and persistent. This means young people are better prepared for the extra responsibilities that come with living independently. As one young person commented, ‘Staff have taught me to do things like cook, wash and how to manage my money. I feel much more confident now to live on my own ‘. The home is comfortable and generally well maintained however one of the communal rooms has damage to walls and ceilings that have not been repaired within a reasonable time frame. Since the last inspection a new manager has been appointed. He has submitted his

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

application to Ofsted for registration. Young people feel he is making a real difference to their lives. As one commented, ‘He listens and then does something about it ‘. He promotes calm and nurturing environment. The manager has responded promptly to the shortfalls identified at the last inspection. He has begun to evaluate the quality assurance processes. Placement planning and risk assessment recording have been revised to strengthen their effectiveness. He has established a good understanding of the home’s strengths and identified areas for future development. His role has been strengthened by the appointment of a deputy manager. There remains a stable staff team in place. Young people say they feel safe and are confident that staff will respond appropriately to protect them. Since the last inspection staff have received additional training to reflect the presenting needs of young people living there. This

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

improved awareness is now reflected in more robust risk management strategies and in the individual work undertaken with young people. A strength of the home is effective behaviour management. This means that staff identify problems early and step in to prevent escalation. Since the last inspection there have been no physical interventions and the use of sanctions has continued to remain low as staff promote positive behaviour. As one social worker observed, ‘Staff are brilliant, they set clear boundaries and expectations and as a result young people make significant progress ‘. There are no incidents of young people going missing. There are robust procedures in place should an incident occur. Staff are vigilant to presenting risks and have clear strategies in place to address them. Partnership working is strong. Social workers and professionals from specialist services commend the consistency and commitment of staff members. This

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

partnership working helps young people overcome difficulties that previously impacted on their development. Young people’s relationships with family members are actively supported. Staff ensure that family members are regularly updated about a young person’s progress. The manager and staff recognise the importance of young people maintaining relationships with family members in a safe and positive manner. The three requirements made at the last inspection have all been met. One requirement has been made as a result of this inspection to ensure the home provides a comfortable environment and that is well maintained.

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Information about this children's home

This home provides care and accommodation for up to three young people with emotional and/or behaviour difficulties. The service is operated by a private company.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

05/02/2015 CH - Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Statutory Requirements

This section sets out the actions which must be taken so that the registered person/s meets 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 with the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

6: The quality and purpose of care standard

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the quality and purpose of care standard the registered person must ensure that they

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Requirement Due date

2(b(vii)) provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably. This is with specific regard to damage to the ceiling and walls in the quiet room and the fitting of a curtain pole in one young person’s bedroom. 31/03/2016

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What the inspection judgements mean

At the interim inspection we make a judgement on whether the home has improved in effectiveness, sustained effectiveness, or declined in effectiveness since the previous full inspection. This is in line with the Inspection of children's homes: framework for inspection.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people living in the children's home. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the difference adults make to the lives of children and young people. They read case files, watched how professional staff work with children, young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care given to children and young people. Wherever possible, they talked to children, 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 who it is trying to help, protect and look after. This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This 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 Children's Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards. the guidance raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted, which is available from Ofsted's website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

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, workbased learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It inspects services for looked after children and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

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Information about this inspection

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

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Information about this inspection

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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