Children's home run by Pathways Care Group Limited in Runnymede

Inspection report children's home: SC429369 1 SC429369 Registered provider: Pathways Care Group Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children's home

This children's home is run by a private company. The home is registered to provide a service for up to four children who have learning difficulties and/or emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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good

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

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good

Date of last inspection: 14 February 2017

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: Sustained effectiveness

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Key findings from this inspection

This children's home is good because Inspection report children's home: SC429369 2  Children make good progress.  Children who are new to the home receive good support to help them to feel welcomed, and therefore they settle quickly.  Staff work effectively to make sure that children are kept safe.  Staff have good relationships with parents, carers and a range of other professionals.  Staff ensure that care planning is individualised and enables them to focus on each child‟s areas of need.  Children attend education placements regularly and are making good progress.  Children receive support to learn independence skills relevant to their age and understanding.  The manager and staff ensure that there is a wide range of activities for children to take part in, both at the home and in the local community.  The manager and staff ensure that contact with family members is encouraged and supported.

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Key findings from this inspection

The children's home's areas for development

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Key findings from this inspection

 The manager and staff do not receive regular supervision in accordance with the home‟s supervision policy.

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Key findings from this inspection

 The manager and staff share one computer. This impedes the staff‟s access to online training to enhance their skills and personal development.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Communal areas in the home are in need of repair and a deep clean.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Confidential information pertaining to children and staff is not securely stored.

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Key findings from this inspection

 The actions to promote continued improvement are not identified in the manager‟s six-monthly review of the home.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Poor staff retention has the potential to limit the children‟s ability to forge lasting relationships with the adults who care for them.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Senior managers do not visit or contact the home on a regular basis.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children's home: SC429369 3 31/05/2016 Full Good 09/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 15/10/2015 Full Requires improvement Inspection report children's home: SC429369 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

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who understand the children‟s home‟s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children and 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

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 6(1)(a)(b)(2)(c)(i))

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Requirement Due date

This is with particular reference to the worn and broken kitchen, the cleanliness of the home, the lack of equipment in the sensory room, and the lack of play equipment and the uneven paving slabs in the garden. 31/08/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must ensure that all employees receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33(4)(b)) 08/06/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which must be kept securely in the children‟s home during the period when a child to whom the case records relate is accommodated there. (Regulation 36 (1)(2)(c)) 08/06/2017

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Recommendations

 Those with a leadership and/or management role should be visible and accessible to staff and able to deliver their leadership and/or management responsibilities. Any registered manager employed in the home should have sufficient capacity to ensure that the Quality Standards are met for each child in the home. ('Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards', page 52, paragraph 10.7) In particular, the responsible individual should visit the home and consult with the Inspection report children's home: SC429369 5 registered manager and staff team on a regular basis.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff can access appropriate facilities and resources to support their training needs, and should understand the key role that they play in the training and development of staff in the home. ('Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards', page 53, paragraph 10.11) In particular, provide appropriate computer access to enable staff to complete online training.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should monitor and review patterns and trends of turnover of staff, whether agency or directly employed, and be able to understand and where possible, address any negative trends. ('Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards', page 54, paragraph 10.19)

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Recommendations

 The registered person is responsible for deciding what each review should focus on, based on the specific circumstances of the home at that particular time and any areas of high risk to the children that the home is designed to care for, such as missing or exploitation. The review should enable the registered person to identify areas of strength and possible weakness in the home‟s care, which will be captured in the written report. The whole review process and the resulting report should be used as a tool for continuous improvement in the home. ('Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards', page 65, paragraph 15.4)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from being cared for by staff who help them to develop constructive and positive relationships at the home. The staff understand children‟s needs well and use this knowledge to provide consistent care. One professional commented, „They are a great staff team that ensures that the children‟s emotional well-being is at the core of everything that they do.‟ A parent echoed these views, and said, „They [the staff] have been a great support for us. I don‟t know what I would do without them. They even bought me a card and some flowers for my birthday.‟

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager ensures that arrangements for dealing with the administration of medication are robust and safe. Children have clear health plans and are registered with relevant primary healthcare services. Staff understand the importance of good health and they support the children to attend all of their health appointments. One healthcare professional said, „We work in partnership with the home to ensure consistency of care and that the progress of children is good.‟

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to maintain contact with their families and carers in accordance Inspection report children's home: SC429369 6 with their care plans. Staff clearly understand the importance of the contact and support arrangements that take place in and out of the home. One parent said of their child, „They [the staff] support contact so that I can see him whenever I or he wants to.‟

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive support from staff to achieve short-term and long-term goals in developing independence and life skills relevant to their age, level of understanding and ability. This means that children learn some of the essential skills that will support their day-to-day needs and a successful transition into adulthood. For some children, these steps are small but highly significant. For example, some children learn how to dress themselves and brush their teeth. Other children develop their independence skills further, for example in the preparation of meals and learning the green cross code.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All children are engaged in full-time education. Communication between the home and school is exceptional. One teacher said, „Staff come in with the children every morning and give us a handover, which is excellent.‟ The teacher also said of one child, „He has improved immensely on his independence skills. He can now cook and clean for himself, which is great.‟ This represents good progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are creative when planning activities for the children in the wider community. During the inspection, the inspector accompanied one child, who loves everything pirate- related, on an activity to the local park, treasure hunting. Staff hid coins in various places and the child hunted for the treasure, showing such excitement when he found the coins, placing them into his pirate wallet. The member of staff cheered and praised him every time he „struck gold‟. This activity was both enjoyable and educational for the child as he also learned road safety on his walk to and from the park.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff highlight and celebrate children‟s progress. Staff regularly award certificates, and they hang records of the children‟s achievements on the walls with pride. The staff include certificates in the children‟s memory books and boxes. Photos and pictorial celebrations of achievement include a day at the supermarket, developing positive relationships in the community, playing at the fair, celebrating Eid, and hugs with staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children who are new to the home are welcomed and experience carefully planned support. The registered manager and staff continually assess how children are settling and what support they need. There is a strong focus on making sure that children are well matched. This helps children to stay safe and to develop positive relationships with staff and other children.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff know how to help vulnerable children, who have complex needs, to reduce the behaviours that can place them at risk. In most instances, these behaviours have reduced. Staff work effectively with other professionals such as the police and social workers. The staff are proactive in seeking the views of other professionals for advice and guidance when and if required. Inspection report children's home: SC429369 7 The manager ensures that individualised risk assessments help to inform staff about the issues pertinent to each child. These risk assessments are frequently monitored and updated so that they remain relevant.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff are trained in the appropriate use of physical restraint, which they only ever use as a last resort to safeguard children. The home‟s records of physical restraint and incidents are exceptional. The records reflect all of the actions that staff take to safeguard children. There has been a reduction in the number of physical restraints since the last inspection and a noticeable drop in the number of incidents. Positive praise is used constructively to reward children for their individual achievements, which has led to an increase in positive behaviours. Sanctions for negative behaviours have not been used since 2015.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff understand, identify and manage risk well. Effective planning minimises risks and helps to keep children safe. Children do not go missing from the home. This reduces other risks, including the risk of child sexual exploitation. Staff are knowledgeable about these issues and the additional vulnerabilities that children who have learning disabilities and complex needs may have. Staff have good relationships with children‟s social workers, school staff, health professionals, parents and carers. Staff share information appropriately, which helps to build pictures of children‟s lives and identifies any concerning patterns or potential safeguarding issues.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff support children when they become anxious or aggressive. A professional said, „The proactive approach of staff who anticipate potential issues results in improvement in the children‟s behaviour and a reduction in their levels of anxiety.‟ A teacher commented, „The staff are friendly and they understand the children, how they express themselves and what to do if they [the children] have a meltdown.‟

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Children have formed positive relationships with staff and their peers. There have been no incidents of bullying in the home. There have been no complaints received from children since the last inspection. The staff have received two compliments. One compliment came from a health professional who wanted to thank the staff for the work that they are currently undertaking with one of the children. When the children were asked if they felt safe, the inspector received a „thumbs up‟.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The registered manager has been in post since August 2015 and is currently undertaking his level 5 diploma in leadership and management in health and social care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Monitoring and review systems are generally good. They help the manager to understand most of the service‟s strengths and weaknesses. Most importantly, they help him to track the progress that children make. Reports by the manager now demonstrate the difference that the home makes to children. However, the actions to promote continued improvement are not identified. As a result, it is unclear what plans are in Inspection report children's home: SC429369 8 place to develop practice or how the manager is going to improve the quality of care for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Monthly monitoring reports provided by the independent visitor give a review of the home‟s performance and children‟s progress, and how the staff promote and protect children's safety. Regular consultation with parents, carers and other professionals takes place to ensure that their views are considered. A parent said of their child‟s accommodation, „The staff even made sure his bedroom was the same as his bedroom at home, including the bedding, the curtains and some of his toys.‟

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager ensures that staff receive training to develop the skills and competencies necessary to meet the complex needs of the children they care for. However, appropriate systems are not in place to ensure that important training is accessible regularly. This is because the manager, staff and children share one computer. This restricts continued learning and could have an impact on the staff‟s ability to complete their level 3 childcare qualification within the timescale. Staff do not have an individual email address to complete and receive online training or confidential information. The manager and deputy manager share one email address, which restricts the manager‟s ability to share confidential information with senior management.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager ensures that children receive the support outlined in the home‟s statement of purpose. The statement of purpose provides clear information about the level of service provided as well as clear information for stakeholders about the aims and objectives of the home and the facilities offered. This helps the children, parents and social workers to be clear about what the home provides. The children‟s guide provides information that is appropriate to the children‟s levels of understanding.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager has formed positive relationships with a range of agencies, including the police, education professionals, health professionals and placing authorities. A teacher reported, „I am kept fully informed and up to date with all of the information that I will need to teach the children during their day.‟ This ensures that there is good collaboration with key professionals.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager is committed to making continued improvements to the home. However, this has not always been possible to achieve due to budget restraints and the approval required from senior management. This has had an impact on the appearance of some of the communal areas, which look worn and tired. The dining room, which is the „heart of the house‟, appears unkempt and unloved. The sensory room needs a lot of attention to meet the children‟s sensory needs and to make it a place in which the children want to spend time. Equally, the garden has very little play equipment, and appears unkempt and unloved. The paving slabs are uneven and could be hazardous to both children and staff. The manager has worked hard to improve the decor himself. However, professional workers are required to carry out some major tasks for improvement and to raise the standards. These shortfalls do not have a direct impact on the welfare and

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Inspection report children's home: SC429369 9 safety of the children, who continue to make good progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager is not ensuring that staff receive regular supervision, nor is he receiving regular supervision himself. This has not had a negative effect on staff, who confirm that they feel well supported by the manager. However, it does mean that the manager and staff are not afforded opportunities to reflect on their practice, and that their performance is not being fully overseen.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Private and confidential information pertaining to the children and staff is not securely filed and locked away. The staff office does not have sufficient storage facilities to ensure that visitors to the home do not have sight of personal information about the children and staff, which is openly visible.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The current staff team is very stable. This stability provides children with consistency and the ability to build trusting relationships. Staff recruitment procedures are generally effective. However, staff retention is proving difficult. Staff commented that they felt that staff turnover and retention is „appalling‟ and that „there are no incentives whatsoever once you gain your qualification‟. The manager confirmed that new staff initially start on a zero-hour contract, which then goes to a permanent hours contract once staff have passed their probation. This has not had a negative impact on the children to date, but it has the potential to prevent the children from building trusting long-term relationships with staff in the future.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Senior managers do not maintain regular contact with the registered manager or the home. Emails from the registered manager to senior management, at times, go unanswered. This has an impact on the manager, staff and children receiving vital information pertaining to the day-to-day running and the upkeep of the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

There are three requirements and four recommendations set as part of this inspection. However, the areas for improvement do not impact on the quality of care.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the difference made to the lives of children and young people. They watched how professional staff work with children and young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care provided. Wherever possible, they talked to children and 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.

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Information about this inspection

Using the 'Social care common inspection framework', this inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, and to consider how well it complies with the Children's Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the 'Guide to the Inspection report children's home: SC429369 10 children's homes regulations including the quality standards'. Inspection report children's home: SC429369 11

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Children's home details

Registered provider: Pathways Care Group Limited

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Children's home details

Registered provider address: 238a, Station Road, Addlestone KT15 2PS

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Inspector(s)

Cathy Russell, social care inspector Inspection report children's home: SC429369 12 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector(s)

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Inspector(s)

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Inspector(s)

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