Children's home run by Pathway Care Solutions Ltd in Bolton

Good

The children's home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Staff have a nurturing and warm approach to young people. One young person stated: ‘Staff have helped me from the start.’  Young people make good progress in their education, because of staff’s tenacity in ensuring that the right educational package is identified.  There continue to be no incidents of young people going missing from the home or physical intervention to manage challenging behaviour. Staff are well trained in all aspects of safeguarding and protecting young people.  Staff have a good mixture of experience and skills, each bringing something different to the team.  Partnership working is excellent. Collaboration with other agencies is providing additional learning opportunities for staff and ensuring that information is appropriately shared in order to protect young people.  Two recommendations are made relating to record keeping and the clarity of risk assessments.

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendations:  Staff should continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5)  All children’s case records must be kept up to date. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.3)

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Information about this children’s home

This home is registered to care for four young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties. It is owned and managed by a private organisation.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 23/02/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 22/09/2015 Full Good 06/01/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness 06/08/2014 Full Good

p.5

Good

Staff work very hard in securing the right educational package for young people, ensuring that they have opportunities to learn in an appropriate environment and achieve their potential. Young people increase their hours of education and improve attendance, because staff and education providers work together to ensure that they receive good levels of support. Education providers supply regular updates on progress, informing staff of the achievements of the young people.

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Good

Young people enjoy varied activities such as bike riding, go karting, computer games and going to the cinema. Staff encourage physical activities to help young people to lead healthy lifestyles. Good health is also supported by the provision of a varied range of healthy meals. Young people do not always choose these options, but regular discussions with staff help them to understand the benefits of regular and nourishing meals. Therapeutic support from various health professionals provides young people with opportunities to discuss their feelings, and to identify strategies to understand and cope with past issues. This helps them to improve their self-esteem and emotional well-being.

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Good

Good relationships with neighbours and the local community are maintained through regular contact and events. One young person organised and hosted a summer event in the large garden, gaining support from local businesses for the provision of prizes and funds. Neighbours and friends from the community attended, having much fun raising money for a local homeless charity chosen by the young person. In addition to ensuring that young people make a positive contribution to their community, young people’s confidence is enhanced.

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Good

Young people live in a home that has recently undergone significant improvements in decor and furnishings, providing a warm, welcoming environment. This, alongside friendly, caring staff, helps young people to settle into the home and form good relationships with staff. For one young person, new to the home, the opportunity to participate in the annual summer holiday has helped them to forge positive relationships with staff and other young people.

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Good

Transitions to and from the home are very well planned. Young people have the opportunity to visit and stay for meals before moving in. Young people learn a range of practical and social skills to prepare them for independence. Staff advocate strongly for young people when moving on from the home. For example, one young person was able to stay in placement while beginning his apprenticeship, enabling him to manage one transition at a time. This ensured a positive move from the home, when the time came. Staff think creatively when considering how to consult young people. Surveys and residents meetings are not always popular, so staff ensure that regular key-work sessions and consultations with individual young people create an opportunity for them to share their views and make decisions about the operation of the home and their own care. The quality of key work is very good, providing an opportunity for

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Good

staff to discuss with young people, in planned and unplanned sessions, their achievements, plans and any concerns.

p.7

Good

Care plans provide staff with information on the goals and aims of the placement and how best to care for the young people. Routines, displayed in the office, act as a constant reminder to all staff of the young people’s daily activities. Detail in these care plans and routines is generally good. However, some information regarding changes in contact arrangements is not clearly identified in one young person’s record. Staff interviewed during inspection were aware of these changes, but the incorrect information in the plans may cause confusion to other staff. A recommendation is made in respect to keeping all care records up to date.

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Good

One young person, who recently moved on from the home, summed up their experience: ‘It was difficult at times, but overall it was a good place to live.’

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Good

Young people are encouraged to behave positively. An effective reward programme for undertaking various tasks and behaving appropriately is in place. Clear and detailed behaviour support plans provide a host of proactive and reactive strategies for staff to respond to any negative behaviours in a meaningful and positive way, helping young people to recognise their poor actions and improve their behaviour. There have been very few incidents since the last inspection. These have been managed very effectively by staff using de-escalation techniques, without resorting to physical intervention. Indeed, there has been no physical intervention for some time. Decisions to involve the police to support incidents are carefully considered, ensuring that young people learn from their actions without criminalising them unnecessarily.

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Good

Sanctions are rarely used. When they are, they are appropriate and discussed with the young person involved. If they do not wish to comment or discuss at the time, staff ensure that their views are listened to later, through such forums as key work. Young people understand the complaints process and have a number of independent people to speak to.

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Good

There have been no missing or absence from home issues since the last inspection. This is due, in part, to staff working hard with young people, building trusting relationships and balancing the need to respect their independence and free time with the need for safety. Staff work with young people to produce safety protocols that are continually reviewed to ensure the safety and protection of young people.

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Good

The majority of staff have undertaken a range of safeguarding training, including on understanding radicalisation, sexual exploitation and female genital mutilation. Clear procedures, understood by staff, mean that any allegations are dealt with appropriately.

p.8

Good

Regular safety checks on fire systems and a number of fire drills ensure that young people are kept safe. In the event of a young person refusing to evacuate, this is discussed through key-work sessions, ensuring that they are aware of the dangers of fire. Recruitment practice is sound. Recruitment checks are performed and recorded, either by the home or by the human resources department.

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Good

The quality of young people’s risk assessments varies. Examples of excellent work include the assessment of risk from the internet. Detailed analysis of triggers, with joint intervention work with other agencies, ensures that this area of risk to young people is exceptionally well managed. Other areas of risk, such as lone working and self-harm, are less detailed. For example, one young person’s assessment provides detail on the type of self-harm and reasons for it, but lacks clarity on how staff should respond. Although incidents are rare and staff have responded appropriately in the past, this lack of clarity in the risk assessment may compromise the safety of young people in the future. Similarly, the lone-working risk assessment does not provide detail on how to manage or reduce the risks associated with this practice. A recommendation is made to ensure that all risk assessments provide sufficient detail and clarity to keep young people safe.

p.8

Outstanding

The home is extremely well managed by an experienced, qualified registered manager and assistant manager, who demonstrate a passion and drive for continued improvement. An excellent improvement plan acts as a steer for this passion. The plan identifies targets for improvement and provides a monthly review of progress, with reams of evidence to support this.

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Outstanding

The manager and assistant manager have been tenacious in ensuring that young people receive appropriate transitions from the home, affording one young person the opportunity to settle into his apprenticeship before moving on. All staff act as advocates for young people, ensuring the best and most appropriate support. For example, in their education and health, when services do not match the high standards set by the manager and staff they challenge effectively, ensuring that young people receive the best support. Excellent work in partnership with others and attendance at various networking meetings enable managers to share information effectively, helping to keep young people safe. These professional networks also afford staff additional training opportunities, broadening their knowledge and skills in working with young people. Other professionals speak very highly of the team. One commented, ‘I am very

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Outstanding

impressed with staff commitment and resilience.’

p.9

Outstanding

A recent influx of new staff has brought new skills and experiences to the team, which, alongside the existing core staff, mean a wealth of diverse skills and abilities. Staff enthusiastically learn from each other. The manager commented that the more experienced staff ‘impart their wisdom’ to new staff. Staff are either qualified to the appropriate level, are currently undertaking the relevant course or are new to the service. This means that young people receive support from suitably qualified staff.

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Outstanding

Staff support is first-rate. Regular supervision provides an opportunity for staff to reflect on their progress, discuss their relationships with young people and challenge themselves with regard to their ongoing development. Group supervision and team meetings offer a forum for healthy debate and group learning. Training is varied, ensuring that staff with diverse learning styles benefit from the courses. Staff benefit from support from the therapeutic team, discussing strategies for helping young people and also offering one-to-one support for staff following incidents or concerns.

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Outstanding

External and internal monitoring is robust. The independent visitor attends monthly, providing an account of progress and identifying any shortfalls in the home. The manager acts swiftly to address any concerns raised. The registered manager’s own review of care and progress provides an in-depth account of progress and areas for further action. A detailed statement of purpose and young people’s guide ensure that stakeholders and young people clearly understand what the home provides and what staff hope that young people will achieve.

p.9

Outstanding

Staff clearly enjoy working here. One summarised their feelings, saying: ‘I have been here for 16 years, and every day that I walk through the doors I am happy to be here.’

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What the inspection judgements mean

The experiences and progress of children and young people are at the centre of the inspection. Inspectors will use their professional judgement to determine the weight and significance of their findings in this respect. The judgements included in the report are made against ‘Inspection of children’s homes: framework for inspection’. An outstanding children’s home provides highly effective services that contribute to significantly improved outcomes for children and young people who need help and protection and care. Their progress exceeds expectations and is sustained over time. A good children’s home provides effective services that help, protect and care for children and young people and have their welfare safeguarded and promoted. In a children’s home that requires improvement , there are no widespread or serious failures that create or leave children being harmed or at risk of harm. The welfare of looked after children is safeguarded and promoted. Minimum requirements

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What the inspection judgements mean

are in place, however, the children’s home is not yet delivering good protection, help and care for children and young people. A children’s home that is inadequate is providing services where there are widespread or serious failures that create or leave children and young people being harmed or at risk of harm or result in children looked after not having their welfare safeguarded and promoted.

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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 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

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Information about this inspection

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 0300 123 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, work- based 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

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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