Children's Home run by Pathway Care Solutions Group Limited in Cornwall

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC482275 1 ‘ ‘

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Information about this children’s home

This home is part of a large organisation. It is currently registered to care for up to four children and young people who may have some level of emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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This monitoring visit

A recent interim inspection judged this home to have declined in its effectiveness. Shortfalls identified at that inspection led Ofsted to put a restriction in place to prevent more young people from moving in. In addition, Ofsted served two compliance notices in respect of leadership and management and the protection of children. Leaders and managers have failed to ensure that compliance had been achieved and concerns remain in place.

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This monitoring visit

During this inspection the inspector found children’s bedrooms presenting as neglectful. One bedroom had broken crockery and cups strewn across the floor, rubbish and dirty dishes that had accumulated and dirty bed linen on unmade beds. A number of items were identified in the bedroom which are deemed to increase risk. The newly appointed manager took action straight away to address the shortfall.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers had failed to escalate concerns identified at the last inspection effectively in respect of allegations made against staff. One matter had been referred to the designated officer but not reported fully. The other matter had not been addressed. Children who have made allegations have not been formally spoken with about their concerns or reassured by leaders and managers that their concerns were being taken seriously. Concerns have not been explored effectively, and as a result it is unclear whether practice is safe.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have failed to ensure that staff have the skills, knowledge Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC482275 2 and training that they require to keep children safe and meet their needs. Some steps have been taken to arrange training, and staff have been asked to complete some online training. This has not yet been fully completed by all staff. The lack of knowledge, specifically in respect of children who are abused and exploited, is noticeable in care planning and the care children receive. As a result, the needs of the children and risks for them are not fully understood by the staff.

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This monitoring visit

Some practice changes have been made to try to reduce risks for children. For example, a decision was made that phone chargers should be kept in the office to reduce the risk of online abuse for one child. These arrangements have not been effective, as staff have not enforced these rules consistently and some are confused about what is being asked of them. This has led to periods of increased risks that could have been avoided.

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This monitoring visit

The organisation has taken steps to ensure that the managerial arrangements in this home are addressed. They have reached a decision to make changes to the registered person in order to provide a leader with a track record of managing and overseeing good and outstanding homes within this organisation. In addition, they have taken steps to secure the management infrastructure in the south west to bring much needed support to this home. These arrangements are in their infancy and time will be required for the managers to make the changes needed to ensure that children living in this home are safe and are making good progress.

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This monitoring visit

The newly appointed permanent manager was able to demonstrate a sound understanding of good care during this inspection. The inspector observed him take responsibility for a decision he made that had created anger for one resident. He was able to calmly communicate that he had made the decision to ensure their safety. This, along with the response from staff, helped the incident to calm the resident and for the plans in place for the day to continue.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 22/03/2017 Interim Declined in effectiveness 15/11/2016 Full Good 08/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 08/07/2015 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC482275 3 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC482275 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, 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

6: The quality and purpose of care standard (1) The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who— (a) understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children; (b) 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

(2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— (a) understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose; (b) ensure that staff— (i) understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose; (ii) protect and promote each child’s welfare; (iii) treat each child with dignity and respect; (iv) provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background; (v) help each child to understand and manage the impact of any experience of abuse or neglect; (vi) 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; (vii) provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably; (viii) provide to children personal items that are appropriate for their age and understanding; and

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Requirement Due date

(ix) 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; (c) ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to— (i) meet the needs of each child; and (ii) enable each child to participate in the daily life of the 14/05/2017 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC482275 5 home; and (d) ensure that any care that is arranged or provided for a child that— (i) relates to the child’s development (within the meaning of section 17(11) of the Children Act 1989) or health; and (ii) is not arranged or provided as part of the health service continued under section 1(1) of the National Health Service Act 2006(a), satisfies the conditions in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

(3) The conditions are— (a) that the care is approved, and kept under review throughout its duration, by the placing authority; (b) that the care meets the child’s needs; (c) that the care is delivered by a person who— (i) has the experience, knowledge and skills to deliver that care; and (ii) is under the supervision of a person who is appropriately skilled and qualified to supervise that care; and (d) that the registered person keeps the child’s general medical practitioner informed, as necessary, about the progress of the care throughout its duration. 8: The education standard (1) 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

(2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— (a) that staff— (i) help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans; (ii) 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; (iii) understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers; (iv) help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment; (v) promote opportunities for each child to learn informally; (vi) 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

14/05/2017 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC482275 6 (vii) 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; (viii) 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; (ix) 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; (x) help each child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child’s relevant plans; and (b) that each child has access to appropriate equipment, facilities and resources to support the child’s learning. 11: The positive relationships standard

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Requirement Due date

(1) The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on— (a) mutual respect and trust; (b) an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and (c) positive responses to other children and adults.

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Requirement Due date

(2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— (a) that staff— (i) meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans; (ii) help each child to develop socially aware behaviour; (iii) encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding; (iv) help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone; (v) communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding; (vi) help each child to understand, in a way that is appropriate according to the child’s age and understanding, personal, sexual and social relationships, and how those relationships can be supportive or harmful; (vii) help each child to develop the understanding and skills

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Requirement Due date

to recognise or withdraw from a damaging, exploitative or harmful relationship; (viii) strive to gain each child’s respect and trust; 14/05/2017 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC482275 7 (ix) 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; (x) are provided with supervision and support to enable them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same; (xi) de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children; (xii) understand and communicate to children that bullying is unacceptable; and (xiii) have the skills to recognise incidents or indications of bullying and how to deal with them; and (b) that each child is encouraged to build and maintain

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Requirement Due date

positive relationships with others. 12: The protection of children standard (1) 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

(2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— (a) that staff— (i) 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; (ii) help each child to understand how to keep safe; (iii) have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm; (iv) manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other; (v) understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person; (vi) take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and (vii) are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies; (b) that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each

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Requirement Due date

child effectively from harm; (c) that the premises used for the purposes of the home are located so that children are effectively safeguarded; (d) that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health; and 14/05/2017 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC482275 8 (e) that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. 13: The leadership and management standard (1) The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that— (a) helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and (b) promotes their welfare.

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Requirement Due date

(2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— (a) 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; (b) ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate; (c) ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; (d) ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child; (e) ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child; (f) 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; (g) demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on— (i) research and developments in relation to the ways in

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Requirement Due date

which the needs of children are best met; and (ii) feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and (h) use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. 14/05/2017

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Requirement Due date

33: Employment of staff In order to meet this requirement, the registered person must— (1)(a) ensure that each employee completes an appropriate induction; (b) ensure that each permanent appointment of an employee is subject to the satisfactory completion of a period of probation; and (c) provide each employee with a job description outlining the employee’s responsibilities.

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Requirement Due date

(2) The registered person must operate a disciplinary procedure which, in particular— (a) provides for the suspension from work of an employee 14/05/2017 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC482275 9 if necessary in the interests of the safety or welfare of children; and (b) provides that the failure on the part of an employee to report an incident of abuse, or suspected abuse, whether past or present, in relation to a child to the appropriate person is a ground on which disciplinary proceedings may be instituted.

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Requirement Due date

(3) For the purposes of this regulation, ‘the appropriate person’ is the registered person, an officer of HMCI, an officer of the local authority in whose area the home is located or a police officer.

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Requirement Due date

(4) The registered person must ensure that all employees— (a) undertake appropriate continuing professional development; (b) receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and (c) have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. 35: Behaviour management policies and records In order to meet this requirement, the registered person must prepare and implement a policy (‘the behaviour management policy’) which sets out— (1)(a) how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home; and (b) the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home.

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Requirement Due date

(2) The registered person must keep the behaviour management policy under review and, where appropriate, revise it.

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Requirement Due date

(3) The registered person must ensure that— (a) within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes— (i) the name of the child; (ii) details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure; (iii) the date, time and location of the use of the measure; (iv) a description of the measure and its duration; (v) details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure; (vi) the name of the person who used the measure (‘the user’), and of any other person present when the measure 14/05/2017 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC482275 10 was used; (vii) the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and (viii) a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure; (b) within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the

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Requirement Due date

registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (‘the authorised person’)— (i) has spoken to the user about the measure; and (ii) has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and (c) within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure.

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Requirement Due date

(4) Paragraph (3) does not apply in relation to restraint that is planned or provided for as a matter of routine in the child’s EHC plan or statement of special educational needs.

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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: SC482275 11

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Pathway Care Solutions Group Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 1 Merchants Place, Bolton BL2 1BX

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Inspector

Tracey Ledder, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC482275 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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