Children's home run by Pathway Care Solutions Ltd in Nottingham

Inspection report children’s home: SC428700 1 SC428700 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 privately run. The home provides care for up to four children or young people on a short-, medium- or long-term basis depending on the needs of the young person. The home provides a holistic, safe, stimulating and supportive family environment where children and young people can live, learn and develop. The registered manager is suitably qualified and holds a level 5 diploma in leadership and management.

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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 requires improvement to be good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

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

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC428700 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/07/2018 Full Good 27/06/2017 Full Good 31/01/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 14/06/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC428700 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, the 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 protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm;

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Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are located so that children are effectively safeguarded. (Regulations 12(1)(2)(a)(i)(vi)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that there are enough staff in the home to be able to collect children at night so that they return safely with a member of staff. 26/08/2019

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— 15/09/2019 Inspection report children’s home: SC428700 4 that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose. (Regulation 14(1)(a)(b)(2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that impact risk assessments accurately reflect the current compatibility of the children in the home and assess the risk relating to the location of the home. The registered person must ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

the privacy of children is appropriately protected. (Regulation 21(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that when room searches take place the children are made aware, and that whenever possible they have given permission for the search. Ensure that children are consulted so that they understand the reason for the room search and why any items have been removed. 25/08/2019

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Recommendations

 When establishing the home, the registered person must ensure that it is suitably located so that children are effectively safeguarded and can access services to meet needs identified in their relevant plans (see regulations 12(2)(c)). Under regulation 46, the registered person should review the appropriateness and suitability of the location and premises of the home at least once a year. The review should include the identification of any risks and opportunities presented by the home’s location and strategies for managing these. Providers should refer to the non-statutory advice about the location assessment process. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.1) In particular, ensure that the location risk assessment includes all forms of exploitation, risks relating to county lines, risks posed by the nearby motorway and risks associated with local shops.

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Recommendations

 Homes must also meet children’s basic day-to-day needs and physical necessities. Staff should seek to meet the child’s basic needs in the way that a good parent would, recognising that many children in residential care have experienced environments where these needs have not been consistently met – doing so is an important aspect of demonstrating that the staff care for the child and value them as an individual. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.7) In particular, ensure that children and young people are provided with appropriate clothing where it is a necessity, such as their school uniform and basic clothing items. Inspection report children’s home: SC428700 5  The following elements of the workforce plan should be included in the Statement of Purpose: (in accordance with Schedule 1 (paragraphs 19 and 20)) the staffing structure; experience and qualifications of staff. (‘Guide to the children’s homes

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Recommendations

regulations including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.10)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have built positive relationships with staff. This enables them to feel safe and secure. A child who was recently admitted to the home has already said that he wants to remain at the home. It is evident that he can invest in the home as a result of these positive relationships.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All children know how to complain. All complaints and allegations are investigated, and outcomes shared with the children. This ensures that their voices are heard, and changes are implemented when needed.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Education is promoted and when satisfactory arrangements are not in place, this is challenged effectively. The manager has actively sought a range of post-16 educational providers in order to give one child different options based on his interests. This ensures that children have the opportunity to reach their full potential and to develop their social networks in a positive way.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s emotional and physical health needs are being met. A nurturing, therapeutic model is embedded in staff practice. The children engage better and reflect on their actions, resulting in a gradual reduction in negative behaviour. Additionally, the staff have access to specialist support that offers consultation, guidance and training where needed. This enhances the support children receive.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are welcomed into the home. Unplanned endings are well managed and the welfare of the child remains the focus. Children have maintained positive relationships with staff, making their moving-on experience more successful.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Friends are welcome to visit the home and are invited on activities. This enables children to develop social skills and to feel a sense of inclusion.

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improvement to be good

Children say that they feel protected from harm and abuse. Concerns relating to bullying, self-harm and sexualised behaviours are addressed and acted upon. Key-work sessions address the vulnerabilities and risks of each child.

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improvement to be good

The manager attends strategy meetings for the children. However, the plans in place to Inspection report children’s home: SC428700 6 reduce actual harm when children are missing from care do not adequately safeguard them. For example, children return by taxi unsupervised, due to a lack of staffing, including when they are under the influence of alcohol and other substances.

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improvement to be good

Children are provided with opportunities to take age-appropriate risks and have free time in the community. However, there are no risk assessments for when children do not answer their phones and their whereabouts are unknown. This puts the children at further risk.

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improvement to be good

Close partnership-working with the police helps to reduce risks through the sharing of information. This is underpinned by well-documented missing-from-care profiles that are shared with the police. Work is undertaken to explore reasons for behaviours to prevent criminalisation. This includes the use of youth offending teams, and drug and alcohol services.

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improvement to be good

Appropriate incentives are in place that promote engagement and safe behaviour. This encourages the children to make positive choices. For example, a weekly financial incentive to come in on time has reduced missing-from-care episodes.

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improvement to be good

Room searches are completed to help protect the children. There is no evidence to show that children are aware of these room searches, or that permission to undertake them has been sought. This impacts on children’s long-term trust, and means that there are missed opportunities for positive work to be undertaken.

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improvement to be good

Safe recruitment and robust checks for all new staff take place prior to employment. Good induction processes are in place and staff receive additional training that is relevant to the presenting needs of the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has high aspirations for the home and the children in her care. She is passionate and committed, and has embedded a therapeutic model of care. Children live in a nurturing environment where they develop positive attachments with staff. All the children feel a sense of permanence.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff turnover is low and the staff team is well established. The staff are encouraged to enhance and develop their skills. Internal opportunities for promotion in the home maintain stability for the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision which is reflective. The emotional well-being of the staff is supported to enable them to provide good-quality care. Team meetings occur monthly and include regular team-bonding activities that maintain good morale and support the emotional well-being of the staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager must have oversight of the incidents that occur and evaluate the impact of these incidents on the children. This includes ensuring that staff are following correct procedures and are reviewing risk management strategies. This will support the staff to Inspection report children’s home: SC428700 7 safeguard the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The management team needs to be more mindful of the impact that a new admission may have on the children living at the home. The location of the home should also be considered and assessed against the presenting behaviours of the child. The location risk assessment lacks detail about known risks, such as criminal exploitation, sexual exploitation and county lines, and the strategies that need to be used in order to manage these risks

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children are provided with many opportunities and new experiences; for example, one child is having his first holiday. However, essential clothing and other items should be provided, in line with good parenting. There is a shortfall in challenging the local authority about this matter.

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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: SC428700 8

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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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Inspectors

Cath Sikakana: social care inspector Debra Boldy: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC428700 9 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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