Children's Home run by Positive Pathways Limited in Birmingham

Inspection report children’s home: SC410539 1 SC410539 Registered provider: Positive Pathways Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home provides care and accommodation for up to three young people with emotional and/or behaviour difficulties. The service is operated by a private company.

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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 outstanding

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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: 28 November 2016

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: sustained effectiveness

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

None. Inspection report children’s home: SC410539 2

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people admitted to the home settle well. They begin to make good progress from an early stage in their placement.  Staff have skills in developing positive relationships with young people. They offer emotional warmth and consistent care and boundaries, and this makes young people feel safe and cared for.  Risks for young people are understood. Risk assessments are clear, contain good detail and identify strategies for managing risks.  Young people become increasingly independent during their placement. Staff understand young people’s need for independence and free time, and manage the risks associated with these well.  Skilled staff understand and manage incidents of challenging behaviour. They rarely use physical intervention, because they have the skills to de-escalate and calm young people without resorting to physical means.  The registered manager and staff are ambitious and have high aspirations for

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Key findings from this inspection

young people, and they show tenacity in helping them to achieve their individual goals.  Young people benefit from a stable, qualified and experienced staff team. This has enabled them to develop trusting and respectful relationships.  Managers understand the progress that young people are making and the reasons why progress falters. They are focused and committed to helping young people to progress and move on positively.  Staff recognise the importance of family contact, and they help young people to develop and maintain positive relationships with family and friends. The children’s home’s areas for development:

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Key findings from this inspection

 Managers have not ensured that an incident of physical intervention was thoroughly recorded.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

28/11/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 31/05/2016 Full Good 16/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 24/08/2015 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC410539 3

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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 registered person must ensure that within 24 hours of the use of a measure of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child within the home, a record is made which includes, the details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure, details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure and the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the method. (Regulation 35(3)(a)(ii)(v)(vii)) 29/01/2018

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people enjoy living at a home where staff are passionate and committed to making a positive difference in young people’s lives. Young people admitted to the home settle quickly, and they develop close and positive relationships with staff and positive relationships with each other. Young people told the inspector that they are happy with every aspect of the care that they receive and do not wish to change anything. Observations of interactions between young people and staff evidence warm and supportive relationships which are characterised by mutual respect and understanding.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are highly attuned to the individual needs of each young person and have a very good understanding of what works well for them. Staff deliver care in a way that recognises young people’s individuality. Young people’s written plans clearly evidence that young people’s specific needs are considered and addressed. Each young person is valued for who they are, and their individual traits are viewed positively by staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Education is supported and promoted at the home. Where young people do not have an identified education provision, staff work alongside the placing authority to arrange one. Staff have developed strong links with young people’s schools to ensure positive communication, and a joined-up approach is in place to provide young people with support and consistency. Staff also support young people’s learning at the home through reading and educational activities. One young person’s attendance and engagement with their education have improved significantly through staff perseverance and encouragement. Another young person has made above-expected levels of progress, achieving 12 months’ progress in the last six months. As his headteacher commented, ‘This home is making a positive difference (to the young person’s life).’ Inspection report children’s home: SC410539 4 Young people are very healthy. They follow a healthy diet and are involved in physical

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

activity on a regular basis. When necessary, they are helped to improve personal hygiene and to take care of their personal appearance. Staff make sure that young people are registered with doctors, dentists and opticians. Young people attend their routine health appointments with good support and encouragement from staff. Young people have access to the specialist services that they need to promote their physical, emotional and psychological well-being. Staff are tactful but clear when they give young people advice about healthy living. Staff research and obtain helpful information to guide young people. As a result, young people are beginning to make positive choices about healthy eating and stopping smoking.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people express views informally about their care on a daily basis. There are also more formal systems in place, such as young people’s meetings, monthly questionnaires and key-worker sessions, to ensure that young people have opportunities to voice their opinions. Young people’s meetings are used as a forum to educate young people in a range of areas. For example, the local police community liaison officer recently joined young people to share the dangers of knife crime. Young people are supported to attend, and even chair, some meetings in respect of their care planning. Young people state that they feel listened to and involved in decisions at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people know how to complain, and they feel that they will be listened to if they do complain. Three complaints have been made by young people since the last inspection. These have all been resolved with the young people satisfactorily and the outcome appropriately recorded.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager ensures that young people have the opportunity to develop new skills, with good support and encouragement from staff. For example, some young people prepare their own meals and wash laundry, and one young person is successfully undertaking work experience. One young person received an award at his local authority’s awards ceremony for the progress that he had made in his education, behaviour and independence skills. Staff ensure that young people successfully learn to recognise risk and are encouraged to take age-appropriate decisions.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand the importance of contact with family and friends. The manager works closely with placing authorities to promote contact with family and friends that is positive and safe. This is regardless of how far from their family the young people are placed. It ensures that young people continue to build relationships and attachments with those significant to them. One contact supervisor recently wrote to the home about a young person’s progress. She said, ‘I have noticed a remarkable change in his behaviour. Positive relationships with siblings developing, which in the past have been very chaotic.’ For some young people who have previously had fractured relationships with family members, this has been a significant improvement.

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

Young people say that they feel safe at the home and safe with the staff who look after them. Young people say that they are able to talk to staff if they are concerned or upset, Inspection report children’s home: SC410539 5 and that appropriate support is provided. In the words of one young person, ‘You can rely on staff. I know they care.’

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

Risks for young people are well understood and managed with the support of personalised risk management plans. These written plans guide staff to effectively understand young people’s specific vulnerabilities and the challenges that they present. Staff understand that risk is dynamic. They are responsive to young people’s changing needs. Risks are well managed, with clear plans in place for issues such as missing from home incidents, child sexual exploitation and self-harm.

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

Incidents of young people being missing from the home are decreasing. Staff have developed effective, agreed strategies with placing authorities, families and the police to make coordinated efforts to locate young people. Independent return interviews have not been consistently offered by one placing authority’s commissioned service. This has been challenged by the manager, and these are now undertaken by his social worker. Any serious concerns are escalated to multidisciplinary strategy meetings. This ensures that all safeguarding professionals are working together to assess and minimise risk.

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

Staff undertake individual work with young people on the dangers of ‘missing’ incidents and associated risks. These key-working sessions are used proactively to help young people to reflect on their risk-taking behaviour. This ensures that young people are supported to access specialist support and information to help them to make the right choices to keep themselves safe.

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

Staff support young people to develop coping and distraction techniques to manage incidents of self-harm. Consequently, incidents of self-harm have reduced.

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

Staff model and promote acceptable behaviour. Individual behaviour management plans help staff to identify the triggers to negative behaviour and the strategies for managing these behaviours. Staff use key-working sessions to effectively support young people to manage their own behaviour. There is a consistent approach to behaviour management throughout the whole staff team, and this helps young people to behave appropriately. There has been one incident of restrictive physical intervention since the last inspection. This evidences the strength of the relationships that staff have with young people. However, staff’s record of the intervention did not capture the details leading up to the behaviour, their attempts to de-escalate the situation or its effectiveness. This does not allow managers to be assured that the restraint was necessary and proportionate.

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

Young people are able to raise with staff any concerns that they may have. They are confident that staff will listen to their concerns and complaints and deal with them appropriately. This helps young people to feel safe and secure, and protects them from the risk of harm.

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

Although none of the young people placed at this home are considered high risk in respect of radicalisation and extremism, staff help them to be informed about events in the news, and have discussions around issues as they arise naturally in conversation. All staff have undertaken training around radicalisation and extremism, and are therefore aware of any Inspection report children’s home: SC410539 6 risks in these areas.

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

Most young people access the internet through the home’s laptops, which have relevant safety settings. One young person does have access to a smartphone. Staff undertake work with all young people on internet safety and how to keep themselves safe online. All staff have completed appropriate training to raise their awareness, and are well supported by the management team.

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

Some young people have medication that is prescribed. There are good systems in place to store medicines safely and to record their administration. There has been one error since the last inspection. This was appropriately addressed, and staff completed refresher training.

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

Young people benefit from living in a home that has a safe and secure environment. Regular health and safety checks ensure that the equipment works well and that fire drills are regularly completed. There is a detailed location risk assessment that identifies risk factors in the surrounding area and indicates how these will be managed.

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

The manager ensures that young people are protected by the organisation’s recruitment practices. Staff are vetted and assessed as suitable before any appointment is confirmed. This ensures that the organisation’s recruitment procedures promote the safety of the young people by preventing unsuitable adults from working with them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager is experienced and suitably qualified. He has been in post since November 2015. He demonstrates a very high level of ambition and commitment to his role. He is supported by an experienced and enthusiastic deputy, who is currently undertaking his level 5 leadership and management award.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The staff team is enthusiastic and demonstrates high levels of commitment to ensuring that young people progress and achieve. Young people benefit from a stable staff team. The staff are mainly experienced and qualified. Those who are unqualified are within regulatory timescales to obtain their qualification. Good staff morale is evident, with staff consistently reporting that the home is a good place to work.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff report that they feel supported in their roles. They report that managers are approachable and freely give advice and support, and that communication with the wider organisation is good.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff all receive regular supervision to support young people. They benefit, as staff have opportunities to reflect on young people’s welfare and progress. All staff complete the home’s induction and core training. Staff also have opportunity to undertake additional training to address young people’s specific needs, for example to raise awareness of young people’s mental health needs. This means that staff have the necessary understanding and skills to meet young people’s needs. Managers and staff show an excellent understanding of the progress that young people are Inspection report children’s home: SC410539 7 making at the home and have taken steps to address issues where young people are unsettled. There is a high level of commitment to developing and improving the service, and managers are keen to listen to suggestions and advice. Expectations of staff are high, and this is communicated effectively to the staff team. Aspirations for young people are

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

high and staff are committed to helping young people to achieve as much as they are able.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager understands the strengths and areas for development of the home, and he has an ambitious and realistic plan in place to ensure that the service progresses. There is an up-to-date workforce plan. This includes team development, additional training for staff and the involvement of young people in the development of the home. Young people benefit, as the care that they receive and the environment that they live in continue to evolve and improve.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Monitoring activity at the home is exceptional. The registered manager’s internal quality review demonstrates an excellent evaluation of the home’s previous six months and identifies actions to sustain continuous improvement. The monthly independent visitor provides rigorous external scrutiny of the service provided by the home. The registered manager values the suggestions made by the independent visitor and sees them as an opportunity to improve the service to young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The home is achieving its aims and objectives as set out in its statement of purpose. This is kept up to date and provides useful information to families and placing authorities about the service. The company’s website similarly describes the service and is easy to navigate.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager and staff understand that the views of each young person are very important. The young people, their parents and professionals are asked for feedback on the service to enable the continuous development of the home. Young people engage well in their meetings with their key workers to ensure that they fully take part in the day-to-day care at the home and its development. The young people’s guide has recently been revised with the support of the young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Issues relating to tolerance, equality and diversity are embedded in the home’s practice. The registered manager and deputy provide strong role models for staff and young people. Young people are helped to understand and tolerate each other’s differences and are educated about different cultures and religions. Talking about difference is built into everyday interactions between young people and staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Multi-agency working is embedded into practice, and the records evidence that partner agencies are communicated with regularly and consulted about young people’s plans and progress. The registered manager promotes positive partnership working with external agencies to benefit young people. As one headteacher informed the inspector, ‘The manager is very approachable. He is solution focused and very professional.’ Staff are proactive in their efforts to engage the relevant agencies as and when required. For example, the local police community support officer regularly visits the home to meet the manager and young people. This partnership approach promotes young people’s safety and welfare.

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Information about this inspection

Inspection report children’s home: SC410539 8 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 whom 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: SC410539 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Positive Pathways Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 1556 Stratford Road, Hall Green, Birmingham B28 9HA

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Inspector

Anne Daly, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC410539 10 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

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Inspector

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Inspector

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