Children's Home run by Pathway Care Solutions Ltd in Nottinghamshire

Inspection report children’s home: SC382994 1 SC382994 Registered provider: Pathway Care Solutions II 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 home provides placements for up to five young people who have learning disabilities. The home is owned and managed by a private company.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: Improved effectiveness

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Key findings from this inspection

This children’s home is outstanding because:

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Key findings from this inspection

 All young people make tremendous progress from their starting points and this is noted by a number of external agencies and parents. Inspection report children’s home: SC382994 2  The contribution that young people make to their own care and the running of the home is excellent. They are fully involved at all stages of their placement and play an active role in meetings that concern them.  Staff tenacity has enabled young people with complex needs to have improved life chances.  Staff and managers learn from previous inspections and incidents. This improves safeguarding practice in this home and across the organisation.  The registered manager continues to develop the home, striving for continued improvement. The changes she makes improves the management of this home and other homes in the organisation.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

08/03/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 29/11/2016 Full Good 02/03/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 02/12/2015 Full Outstanding Inspection report children’s home: SC382994 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

All young people make tremendous progress because of living here. This is not just evident since the last inspection, but from the young people’s individual starting points. This progress is noted by parents and external agencies. One health worker said: ‘(name’s) quality of life has improved beyond belief.’ A parent commented: ‘I do not know where we would be without them, they have turned her life around 360 degrees. I cannot fault them.’ Progress for all young people in education is excellent. For some, this is demonstrated by being in full-time education and taking GCSE examinations; for others, it is achieving other awards for their learning, such as a qualification in animal care. Other young people, while unlikely to attain such levels of academic achievement, nonetheless make huge progress in their educational journey given their starting points. Excellent joint working and a consistent approach between the staff and education providers provides a

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

strong foundation for the continuing improvement of educational outcomes. Young people enjoy a huge range of activities that promote their interests, keep them healthy, and improve their social skills. These include training and playing for a football team, bowling, music workshops, going to the gym, swimming, tennis, cinema, trips to the seaside and reading. Other activities, such as going to the library, baking, preparing snacks and shopping, help young people learn independence skills. For one young person, simply being able to access community facilities is huge progress from his starting point. Young people also take part in community events such as a run for charity, and host events for others to attend. This promotes community links and helps young people develop an awareness of the world around them and others in need. Staff work extremely hard to ensure that young people benefit from contact with those

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

people who are important to them. This includes family, previous carers and friends. Staff ensure that arrangements for contact are safe while ensuring that contact is an enjoyable time for young people. Young people now eat healthier meals and their weight is improving as a result. For some young people, levels of medication have substantially reduced since living here. Effective work in partnership with specialist health teams, such as mental health, ensures that young people receive all-round healthcare to meet their complex and varied needs. Young people and staff enjoy fantastic relationships and the house is one that is full of laughter and chatter. Positive relationships that are built here provide a strong foundation for young people to be able to forge relationships with peers and appropriate adults in the community. For example, one young person has become a mentor for a young person who has recently moved into another children’s home nearby, enabling

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

them to settle swiftly and to access community facilities. This also promotes the self- esteem and confidence of the mentor. Inspection report children’s home: SC382994 4 Detailed and individualised care plans clearly identify the needs of the individual and action to take to help young people’s progress. Regular reviews of these plans ensure that they remain up to date and relevant. Young people play an active role in the devising and reviewing of their plans. Highly effective key work with young people, either in groups or as individuals, helps them to address their needs and make progress towards the targets for their care. The recording of key work is brought to life with photographs and comments from the young person, and this helps young people to understand the benefit of such sessions. Young people have a wealth of forums to share their views and express their feelings. They play an active role in their reviews, and staff ensure that young person are well

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

prepared beforehand and offer the opportunity to debrief following reviews and any other important meetings about their care. Regular house meetings provide the opportunity for young people to have a say in how the home is run. Young people know how to make a complaint and feel these are responded to by staff. A number of the young people are preparing to move on from this home. Staff ensure that plans for moves are detailed and in the young person’s best interests. Where other agencies are slow to respond to the needs of the young person, staff offer effective challenge, ensuring that young people receive the best service from all concerned. Several improvements to the fabric of the home and the garden mean the home is welcoming and well decorated. The garden provides space for play and learning, with a herb garden and wildlife area.

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

Motivated and enthusiastic managers and staff ensure that learning is implemented to improve the safety and welfare of young people. Shortfalls identified in previous inspections and learning from an allegation have proved to be the catalyst for improved practice, not just in this home but also across the organisation. This is evident in the establishing of an external resource providing an additional route for staff to raise any concerns about colleagues or practice, and the total revision of incident recording and review of restraint practice. Incident records now provide a clearer picture of the incident and the need for any intervention. Debriefs with staff and young people promote reflection and identify learning from incidents, improving future practice. Staff have tenaciously sought a sensory assessment for a young person, which has identified a number of sensory needs. Staff learning from this assessment, in addition to

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

training in interventions specific to the young people living in the home, has meant a significant decrease in the number of physical interventions since the last inspection. Positive behaviour is encouraged with excellent use of rewards, and sanctions are rarely used. When sanctions are used, they are recorded in good detail and the effectiveness of the measure is thoroughly reviewed, identifying good learning for young people about the consequences of their behaviour. Self-harming is now rare, with incidents decreasing significantly. Any incidents are thoroughly debriefed with staff, identifying why the incident may have happened, how Inspection report children’s home: SC382994 5 staff may have dealt with it differently, and how they feel. Discussions with the young person explore alternative options, developing a way forward to prevent future occurrences. Learning from incidents is disseminated to all staff through team meetings,

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

handovers, and supervisions. An extensive range of risk assessments ensures that young people remain safe while enjoying life as a teenager. For example, one young person has recently been given a mobile phone. The increased risks this poses have been discussed with her in key work and thoroughly detailed in an assessment. This helps the young person take responsibility for her own safety. No young people have been missing from this home. All have a detailed protocol and risk assessment covering such a prospect. Staff are regularly quizzed in supervision about a range of topics, including how to respond if a young person goes missing. This ensures that staff remain abreast of action to take in a number of situations. Young people say that they feel safe and that bullying is not an issue. Bullying, relationships, and safety issues feature in house meeting discussions and in key work. An advocate also visits regularly. This ensures that young people have varied avenues to

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

raise any concerns. Young people play an active role in staff recruitment and the registered manager is continuously reviewing this to ensure that it remains a positive role and not tokenistic. Recruitment processes are thorough, ensuring that all relevant information about potential staff is gathered. This helps protect young people. Regular building, health and safety and fire checks ensure that the building is safe. Young people and staff participate in fire drills, with different scenarios such as blocked exit routes. This ensures that everyone is aware how to evacuate safely.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager is appropriately qualified and extremely passionate about the care, welfare, and progress of young people. She excels in the revision and continuous development of practice and the recording mechanisms that provide a solid framework to support these practice improvements. These are frequently shared across the organisation, disseminating good practice. The registered manager understands the strengths and areas to develop in the home. An excellent improvement plan identifies numerous targets for the development of the home. Monthly reviews, supported by evidence, identifies the enormous progress the staff, young people, and leaders make. Monitoring is highly effective; regular visits by the independent person help provide a detailed account of the progress young people make and any areas to address. Shortfalls are actioned swiftly. An excellent evaluative review by the manager identifies progress

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

and the impact of the home on young people’s development, month by month and from the commencement of their journey with the home. The statement of purpose provides a very good overview of the service, its ethos, and practice. The young people’s guide is prepared for each individual young person, Inspection report children’s home: SC382994 6 providing them with a clear understanding of how the home operates. Staff benefit from a range of support through team meetings, supervision and annual appraisals. Young people contribute to appraisals, sharing their views on staff, helping them to develop their skills and interactions. The range of training is excellent. This is provided through workshops, both internal and external, and by online training courses. Courses include safeguarding for young people who have learning disabilities, sensory needs, radicalisation, sexual exploitation and attachment and trauma. The deputy

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

manager is trained to deliver courses to staff on administering insulin. This ensures that staff understand this process from the moment they commence work, ensuring that the young person who has diabetes is supported swiftly and appropriately. Excellent work in partnership with a range of other professionals ensures that holistic care is provided to help young people continue to achieve excellent outcomes.

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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 children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’. Inspection report children’s home: SC382994 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Pathway Care Solutions II Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Acorn Care and Education Ltd, 1 Merchants Place, River Street, Bolton BL2 1BX

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Inspector

Judith Longden, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC382994 8 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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