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

Good

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

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The children’s home’s provision is good because:

 Young people make good progress living here, especially with their education, confidence and development of social skills.  Transitions into and out of the home are a real strength, providing a positive experience for young people at a challenging time.  Parents and professionals speak highly of the staff in terms of their ability to keep young people safe. Staff are well trained in all aspects of safeguarding and protecting young people and understand the individual needs, vulnerabilities, and behaviours of each young person.  Professional engagement is a strength recognised by other professionals who state that communication is of a high standard.  Staff bring a range of skills and experience to the team and work very effectively together.  One recommendation is made relating to record keeping.

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendation:

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Recommendations

 Case records must be kept up to date and signed and dated by the author of each entry. (‘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 privately owned and is registered to care for four young people with learning disabilities.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 21/03/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 10/11/2015 Full Good 25/02/2015 Interim Improved effectiveness 01/10/2014 Full Good

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Good

Young people make good progress because of living here and because of the very good care that staff provide. For some young people, progress is excellent in areas such as their attendance at education, independence and their improved confidence and self-esteem.

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Good

Young people who attend school achieve good and improving levels of attendance and achieve well. For some, given their starting points, this progress is excellent. Young people who find it difficult to attend school off-site receive education from alternative providers. This ensures that all young people receive the education package that is appropriate to their needs.

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Good

The therapy team works closely with staff, providing opportunities for young people to explore their emotions, attachments and family history. Primary health care needs are addressed, ensuring that minor ailments are treated appropriately and regular check-ups are performed. Staff have worked hard with one young person in supporting them with overcoming their concerns about the dentist. This has meant that she has received the treatment required and she is rightly proud of her demeanour during treatment.

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Good

Young people enjoy a range of activities in and out of the house. These include trips to the cinema and to local parks, cycling, arts and crafts, and board games. Some young people access the local community youth club. Recent refurbishment of the home’s conservatory into a ‘youth club zone’ provides a new resource for young people, not just at this home but also across the organisation’s local homes. This increases opportunities for young people to socialise and develop their skills in interaction.

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Good

Young people develop a wide range of independence skills, performing tasks within the home, such as preparing and cooking meals and gardening. They increasingly take responsibility for their personal routines, which not only increases their skills but also their confidence and self-esteem.

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Good

For some young people their contact with family increases in regularity and improves in quality. This is due in part to the hard work from staff in engaging effectively with parents and maintaining good levels of communication with family members. Parents report their positivity about the care provided and the progress their child makes. One said: ‘He has come on loads due to the level of support and care provided here.’ A significant amount of refurbishment and decoration means that the home presents as warm and welcoming, and it has a family atmosphere. Numerous rooms provide opportunities for young people to socialise or relax on their own. Very strong positive relationships between staff and young people further enhance this welcoming atmosphere.

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Good

Transitions are a real strength of this home. Well-planned and executed moves, both in and out of the home, ensure that young people experience smooth transitions. A detailed checklist provides a wealth of information for staff to follow ensuring that they all understand what needs to be done when supporting a young person in a move. Young people receive information about the home, including photographs, prior to moving in. Key workers visit them and they visit the home and take part in activities, establishing relationships at an early stage. When young people are ready to move on from the home, several key work sessions and detailed planning, involving the young person, ensures that this important move is as smooth as possible.

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Good

Care plans provide staff with information on the aims of the placement and how best to care for the young people. These plans clearly reflect the young person’s voice throughout. Detail in these care plans is generally good. However, some information lacks clarity, is missing, or is out of date. Although the majority of these errors and omissions were rectified during inspection, a recommendation is made to ensure that all records are kept up to date.

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Good

Weekly and monthly reviews of targets identify the progress that each young person makes towards their goals. Records of effective key work, complete with photographs of activities, provide good evidence of progression and learning. Key work is used effectively to address concerns, such as sexualised behaviour and racist remarks, helping young people to develop appropriate life skills.

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Good

Young people participate in regular meetings with staff to share their views and make choices about their care and the home. These are not always as a group but often as individuals. This means that young people may miss discussions and sharing of ideas. This is in the process of review by the registered manager.

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Good

Parents and professionals speak highly of the staff in terms of their ability to keep young people safe. This is due, in part, to the high levels of supervision of young people and the understanding of their individual vulnerabilities. The majority of staff have undertaken a range of safeguarding training including:  safeguarding young people with learning disabilities  understanding radicalisation  understanding child sexual exploitation  understanding female genital mutilation.

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Good

Clear safeguarding procedures, which are understood by staff, mean that any allegations made are dealt with appropriately, protecting all concerned.

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Good

Young people do not go missing from this home. Staff understand the process and procedures to follow should such an event occur. A range of risk assessments for individual young people ensures that activities are safe while also allowing young people the freedom to explore new challenges and experiences. Detailed compatibility risk assessments ensure that any potential new young people are appropriately matched to the existing group. This promotes good relationships within the home, and this in turn prevents bullying.

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Good

Regular safety checks on fire systems and a number of fire drills ensure that young people are kept safe. Recruitment practice is sound, with appropriate checks performed and information stored in the home. This means that young people are protected from unsafe persons working with them.

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Good

Staff manage incidents of negative behaviour effectively, and restraint is used as a last resort, in order to protect young people from harm. Recording of incidents is generally good, although in some instances records are maintained in various places, making it difficult to follow a significant incident through from start to finish. Reviews of incidents with those staff and young people involved afford an opportunity for reflection. This could be extended to the whole team to provide learning opportunities for all staff.

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Good

This home is well managed. The registered manager holds the appropriate level of qualification and is experienced in residential care. She is ably supported by a deputy manager who is increasingly taking responsibility in areas such as monitoring. They clearly understand the strengths and areas that need to be developed, and a detailed improvement plan ensures that these areas are progressed in order to continue to provide good outcomes for young people.

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Good

External and internal monitoring of the service is effective. Regular visits from an independent person provide scrutiny of the care and safety of young people. The registered manager swiftly addresses any issues raised by these visits, ensuring ongoing improvement in the service for young people. This regular review is complemented by the manager’s own robust internal monitoring.

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Good

A recently updated statement of purpose accurately reflects the service provided, and this enables placing authorities and parents to identify whether this is the right placement for young people.

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Good

Staff from placing authorities speak favourably of the professional engagement of managers and staff and their good communication. This is echoed by parents who state that communication is excellent. Complaints are rare and are managed swiftly and courteously by the manager, ensuring that good relationships continue.

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Good

The staff team is diverse, bringing a variety of skills and experience to the home. Staff are either qualified to the appropriate level, are on the relevant course, or are new to the role. This means that all staff will be appropriately qualified within the required timescales. There is some deployment of staff from other homes, which provides additional staffing to meet the needs of young people without the need for agency staff. This is not having a detrimental effect, as the young people really enjoy having these staff in their home. Staff really enjoy working here. One said: ‘I love it here, every day is different.’ Staff participate in team challenges, encouraging them to develop projects as a team, creating some healthy competition between staff while improving the provision.

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Good

Staff feel supported by their colleagues and managers. Morale is high and is maintained, with staff recording positive comments about their colleagues on a regular basis in a designated book. A recent restructuring of the leadership provides staff with additional support from seniors. Staff benefit from a range of training provided, both online and through workshops. Supervision is regular and of reasonable quality. Records of supervision show discussions around the young people, professional practice and areas for development, although actions resulting from these discussions are not always evident. The registered manager is currently reviewing the supervision and appraisal process and recording formats.

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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’.

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What the inspection judgements mean

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 children looked after is safeguarded and promoted. Minimum requirements 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

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What the inspection judgements mean

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 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, work- based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It inspects services for children looked after 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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