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

Inspection report children’s home: SC382994 1 SC382994 Registered provider: Pathway Care Solutions 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

The home is operated by a private company. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to five children or young people who have learning disabilities.

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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: outstanding

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC382994 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

31/05/2017 Full Outstanding 08/03/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 29/11/2016 Full Good 02/03/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC382994 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The highly dedicated staff team provides exceptional care that promotes excellent outcomes for all children. Staff use their knowledge and skills to meet the needs of the children in a nurturing manner. Staff morale is remarkably high at this home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff pride themselves on maintaining long-term placements. Children form strong attachments to staff and to each other. There is a strong family feel to this home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff work incredibly hard with a range of other agencies and with parents in order to secure improved outcomes for children. Feedback from stakeholders is very positive. A parent referred to staff as being ‘amazing’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children’s emotional health and well-being needs are well understood. A therapist told the inspector, ‘The staff team is really amazing with the young person. They have been highly committed.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

From their starting points, children make exceptional progress in all areas of development.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff pride themselves on promoting good educational outcomes and they have supported children to maintain long-term educational placements. Some children have been supported back into education after long periods of not engaging in any education.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff are highly creative and flexible in the way that they work with children. They utilise a number of theoretical approaches in the delivery of day-to-day care. Children are respected and valued by staff. Their views are fully considered and staff advocate strongly on their behalf.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff monitor and track progress. Staff are alert to any behavioural triggers and respond accordingly to stabilise children. This has ultimately led to positive outcomes, such as a reduction in medication for one child and healthy weight loss. Over time, there is a reduction in children’s challenging behaviours.

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

Staff work tirelessly to ensure that children are safe. Highly effective plans and risk assessments contribute to a reduction in risky behaviour. Staff work hard to respond to known risks and they manage behaviour effectively. Incidents do reduce over time. Children are supported wherever possible to take safe and appropriate risks in line with their care plans and development needs.

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

Children do not go missing from the home and are at low risk of child sexual exploitation. Staff maintain their training and remain alert to the possibilities of this and other risks. Inspection report children’s home: SC382994 4 Staff undertake a broad range of safeguarding training. Safeguarding continues to be a thread throughout staff supervision and team meetings. The staff team experienced a difficult period where risks were heightened for one child. The team pulled together to ensure that the risks were minimised as much as possible for both children and staff. The commitment of the team was exemplary.

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

The use of physical intervention is monitored effectively. Staff use a number of strategies to manage behaviour, and physical intervention is used as the last resort by staff. Over time, there is a distinct reduction in physical interventions with children as they become better able to self-regulate.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The home is led by a very experienced, strong manager. She has utilised her knowledge, skills and experience to promote positive outcomes for children in the home. The manager leads an excellent staff team with a shared ethos. The assistant manager is equally well equipped to manage this service effectively. The managers are passionate, confident and ambitious for the children in their care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The managers understand the potential barriers for children looked after and for those who have additional learning needs, and they act as hugely positive advocates for them. They challenge placing authorities and other agencies to ensure that children’s needs are prioritised.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Gathering user feedback is a strength of the service. Feedback from parents, agencies and from children is unanimously positive about what the service does well and children’s achievements.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff provide children with a nurturing environment. Children form positive relationships. Staff and managers display a real passion for their work in supporting children in all areas of their lives. One young person said, ‘I have formed really good bonds with staff and I am really going to miss it here.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff include families and support them in making contact arrangements as positive as possible for children and families. One child said, ‘That’s what I love about this place. Staff are there for my family as well as me.’

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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 differences 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 Inspection report children’s home: SC382994 5 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: SC382994 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Pathway Care Solutions Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 1 Merchants Place, River Street, Bolton, Lancashire BL2 1BX

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Inspector

Bev Allison, social care regulatory inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC382994 7 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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