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

Inspection report children‟s home: 1277045 1 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

This children‟s home is registered to care for up to four children. It is a part of a large national organisation.

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Information about this children’s home

The home has a registered manager in post.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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inadequate

There are serious and/or widespread failures that mean children and young people are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded, and/or the care and experiences of children and young people are poor, and they are not making progress.

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inadequate

Date of last inspection: this is the first inspection since the home was registered on 3 August 2018.

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Recent inspection history

This is the home‟s first inspection. Inspection report children‟s home: 1277045 2

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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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The positive relationship standard

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

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The positive relationship standard

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

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The positive relationship standard

meet each child‟s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child‟s relevant plans;

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The positive relationship standard

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

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The positive relationship standard

encourage each child to take responsibility for the child‟s behaviour, in accordance with the child‟s age and understanding;

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The positive relationship standard

help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone;

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The positive relationship standard

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;

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The positive relationship standard

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;

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The positive relationship standard

help each child to develop the understanding and skills to recognise or withdraw from a damaging, exploitative or harmful relationship; 15/04/2019 Inspection report children‟s home: 1277045 3 strive to gain each child‟s respect and trust;

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The positive relationship standard

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.

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The positive relationship standard

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;

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The positive relationship standard

de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children. (Regulation 11(1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vii)(viii) and (ix)(x)(xi))

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The leadership and management standard

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children‟s home that—

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The leadership and management standard

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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The leadership and management standard

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

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The leadership and management standard

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;

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The leadership and management standard

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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The leadership and management standard

ensure that the home‟s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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The leadership and management standard

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) and (2)(a)(c)(e)(h)) 15/04/2019

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The education standard

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are 15/04/2019 Inspection report children‟s home: 1277045 4 helped to do so.

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The education standard

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff help each child to achieve the child‟s education and training targets, as recorded in the child‟s relevant plans;

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The education standard

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;

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The education standard

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers;

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The education standard

help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment;

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The education standard

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally;

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The education standard

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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The education standard

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;

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The education standard

help each child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child‟s relevant plans; and

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The education standard

that each child has access to appropriate equipment, facilities and resources to support the child‟s learning. (Regulation 8(1)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(viii)(x) and (b))

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Behaviour management policies and records

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—

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Behaviour management policies and records

the name of the child; 15/04/2019 Inspection report children‟s home: 1277045 5 details of the child‟s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Behaviour management policies and records

the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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Behaviour management policies and records

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Behaviour management policies and records

details of any methods used, or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Behaviour management policies and records

the name of the person who used the measure (“the user”), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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Behaviour management policies and records

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Behaviour management policies and records

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

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Behaviour management policies and records

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”)—

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Behaviour management policies and records

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Behaviour management policies and records

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Behaviour management policies and records

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. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii) and (c)(iv))

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Fire precautions

The registered person must ensure, by means of fire drills and practices at suitable intervals, that persons working at the home and, so far as is reasonably practicable, children are aware of the procedure to be followed in case of fire. (Regulation 25(1)(d)) 15/04/2019

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Fire precautions

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children‟s home at least once each month. The independent person must provide a copy of the independent person‟s report to— (a) HMCI; 30/04/2019 Inspection report children‟s home: 1277045 6 (Regulation 44(7)(a)) In particular, ensure that these reports reach Ofsted in a timely manner.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Staff were unable to manage the difficult behaviour and the negative influence children had on one another following a third child being admitted to the home. There was a significant deterioration in the progress made by children and their experiences became increasingly negative and unacceptable. Some difficult behaviour not displayed by children for some time re-emerged.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

In response to trying to manage some of these difficulties, more than 30 adults have worked in this home in less than six months. Children are struggling to build trusted and secure relationships with those who look after them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Daily care planning does not sufficiently consider the age and ability of children. Care is not carefully planned with clear expectations and boundaries to meet children‟s identified needs. On occasion, too much emphasis is given to children‟s wishes and children are allowed to make poor choices in relation to their daily routines and diet. This inappropriate approach to care-giving does not help children to feel safe and secure or sufficiently promote their physical well-being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Arrangements and planning to engage the children in educational activities when they have been excluded from education or cannot attend for other reasons have been inconsistent and had limited success. The current manager has campaigned for and has secured an imminent return to full-time education for the children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The staff support and promote children to visit and speak to family and friends when it is safe and appropriate to do so. The home is appropriately situated. It is light, airy and spacious, with an ample and safe outside area for children to play. Children‟s bedrooms are personalised and offer a warm and cosy space.

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

Staff have been unable to protect the children from the negative impact that they have had on one another. The use of police and significant numbers of other adults to try and manage their behaviour reinforces to children the staff team‟s inability to keep them safe and one child continues to try to control staff.

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

Risk assessments do not sufficiently consider all known and potential risks. Those completed prior to a child moving in did not identify their strengths and challenges or consider the emotional needs of the children already living in the home. One child had to move out, as staff were unable to manage the dynamics and behaviour of the three Inspection report children‟s home: 1277045 7 children placed together. This child is now living at a distance from previous long-term foster carers, the school they attended and their area of origin.

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

On occasion, staff have physically restrained children inappropriately to manage their behaviour, and unrecognised and potentially dangerous techniques have been used. Physical restraint records are insufficient. Justification for restraints is not always clear, and on one occasion, an injury to the child was not recorded. Staff are not offered opportunities to discuss and explore incidents. Consequently, opportunities to improve practice, apply effective de-escalation techniques and to avoid the need for restraint are missed.

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

Until recently, staff used sanctions that were punitive and ineffective and that were contrary to the therapeutic approach as described in the home‟s statement of purpose. Following a training session for some staff, this was recognised, and the manager has ensured that the practice has ceased.

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

Staff receive a suitable level of allegations management training and have responded effectively when allegations are made by children.

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

There has been a small number of occasions when children have gone missing from the home. Independent interviews of children have not always taken place, and there is no evidence of the manager or staff challenging the placing authority to ensure that interviews are undertaken to ensure the child‟s welfare.

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

Records of fire drills are unclear. Not all staff have practised an evacuation from the home so that they know what to do in the event of an emergency.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

A registered manager is in post and is studying for a suitable management qualification.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Until very recently, the senior leadership team has not provided enough support, guidance and supervision to the manager and staff team. This has led to staff, many of whom are new to their role, making poor judgements about children‟s care and ineffectively managing children‟s behaviour.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The registered manager‟s oversight and monitoring of practice and written records is poor. This lack of analysis of practice means that staff have not been given the opportunity to reflect on their work and to improve.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The home‟s workforce development plan is out of date and it is not clear what training staff have attended. In recognition of recent difficulties, the organisation has arranged a week of training for all staff. This will include both essential and specialist training based around the presenting needs of the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Prior to this inspection, the senior leadership team had recognised many of the Inspection report children‟s home: 1277045 8 shortfalls identified. Recent audits of the home by both internal and external practitioners included scrutiny of staff practice and records. These audits informed a development plan which is in the process of being implemented. In addition, two consultants have been appointed to work with the home to secure improvements.

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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 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: 1277045 9

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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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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Patricia Gregory

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Inspector

Janice Hawtin, social care inspector Inspection report children‟s home: 1277045 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 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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