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 Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is run by a private provider. It is registered to provide care for up to four children who may have social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered since April 2018.

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Information about this children’s home

Due to COVID-19, at the request of the Secretary of State, we suspended all routine inspections of social care providers carried out under the social care common inspection framework (SCCIF) on 17 March 2020. We returned to routine SCCIF inspections on 12 April 2021.

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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 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

23/07/2019 Full Good 10/07/2018 Full Good 27/06/2017 Full Good 31/01/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC428700 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make progress and speak positively about their care. One child said they love living at the home because they are helped and supported with their mental health and are learning how to become more independent.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Admissions are well planned, and the continued matching of children’s needs while in placement takes place. As a result, children settle into the home well. They have long, settled periods and enjoy living with each other.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children become independent and self-sufficient. Independence plans and regular key-work sessions take place to ensure that children have the practical skills and emotional resilience to prepare them for transitions into adulthood. Children have a good understanding of budgeting, make their own appointments, and travel independently to see significant others or return from school. Detailed quality reports track children’s progress and milestones. A current pathway plan for one child’s imminent move is yet to be shared by the placing authority with the home. This does not provide assurance around how the child’s imminent transition is being managed.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s views are important. They participate in regular children’s meetings and have an open dialogue with staff. Children know how to make a complaint but do not feel a need to as their requests are responded to. Room searches take place with children’s consent, which ensures that they understand the intentions for these.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children lead healthy lifestyles. They eat nutritious home-cooked meals and access a range of leisure-time activities. Children develop their own identity, and staff celebrate their individuality. Children engage in hobbies and youth clubs, which creates permanence in their local area.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children and staff share a strong ethos around education. The manager advocates for children and proactively challenges decisions made around their educational opportunities. Learning continues for children who are not attending school. They access online lessons and have structured in-house education timetables while appropriate provisions are sourced. Children enjoy their education and complete their homework. Incentives which motivate children to achieve in specific subjects are used successfully. One child, who is completing a performing arts course, has starred in a lead role at their college pantomime, which the manager stated was ‘truly amazing’.

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

Children feel safe in their home. Good risk management supports children to take age-appropriate risks. Children learn about stranger danger and how to stay safe online, which supports their use of the internet and mobile phones. Individual safety Inspection report children’s home: SC428700 4 and risk management plans track children’s changing needs. These documents are fully updated in a timely manner. Staff understand the contents of children’s plans, which guides the support children receive and reduces their risk of harm.

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

The model of care practised at the home is naturally applied. Staff are creative in providing sensory stimuli in the home and encourage children to access therapeutic services. Children learn about their behaviours and the reasons for these through ‘repair together’ approaches and reflective key-work sessions. Behavioural incidents are infrequent, and sanctions are not imposed. Children’s self-injurious behaviours reduce while living at the home.

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

Children have trusting relationships with staff, who they reach out to at times of crisis. A prompt response to serious disclosures ensures the involvement of partner agencies and that children receive the correct support. The manager recognises the significance of these events and ensures that staff also receive therapeutic post- incident debriefs. Effective support is available for children and staff when traumatic events occur.

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

The locality risk assessment provides a detailed review of the surrounding area. Following incidents in the community, the manager seeks reassurance from local police regarding the suitability of the home’s location. Senior managers provide a transparent review of practices. This ensures that opportunities to safeguard children are not missed.

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

When children’s whereabouts become unknown, staff initiate missing-from-care protocols and search for children. Staff welcome children on their return and talk about their feelings and personal safety. The manager recognises the importance of independent return home interviews and makes requests for these to take place. One child did not speak with a person independent to their care about their experiences for six weeks. Therefore, a timely opportunity was missed for them to reflect and share their views.

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

Children take medication to support their health needs. Incidents relating to children accessing medication with the purpose to cause themselves harm are not directly linked to medication stored in the home. There is a multifunctioning cupboard to hold medication, and the arrangements regarding accessibility and accountability for holding the medication keys are unclear. This does not demonstrate best practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager’s passion and child-centred approach disseminates to the team. The effective working relationships between the home and deputy manager provide clear leadership and structure in the home. Staff are energetic. They have created a positive working culture and a warm, nurturing environment for children to live in. The premises are well maintained and used to their maximum potential. In addition to the communal living areas, children benefit from an extra cinema room and Inspection report children’s home: SC428700 5 resource room. The refurbished garage enables one child, who is taking steps towards independence, to experience a more ‘independent flat’ style of living.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has not kept the home’s statement of purpose under close review. The change to who provides therapeutic support does not reflect the current arrangements. Therefore, accurate information about the home is not available to the regulator and stakeholders.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Recruitment checks ensure that staff are suitable and safe to work with children. New staff undertake a structured induction programme which explains the expectations of their role. The manager frequently supervises staff to ensure their knowledge of key policies and risk management plans for children who live at the home. Discussions around significant events occur both individually and as a group in consultation with a therapist. Team members feel supported and confident as a result.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has not been regularly supervised. Although the frequency has recently improved, it does not negate the prolonged periods when this has not been the case. The manager’s reflective practice, personal development and performance feedback are not therefore evidenced due to a lack of formal supervision records.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff learn and develop in their roles. They complete level 3 diplomas and undertake mandatory training. Informal learning opportunities occur during team meetings. Discussions take place around contextual safeguarding in response to incidents that have occurred. This enhances staff’s knowledge and understanding of risks for children. The availability of specialist training related to children’s individual needs means that staff have a good understanding of the children they care for. However, not all new staff have prioritised training relating to some of the children’s known risks, such as self-injurious behaviour and ligatures. The requirement from the monitoring visit is therefore reissued.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Guidance around whistle-blowing is clear for staff. The manager consults with local authority designated officers and shows an appropriate response to work practice concerns. Internal investigations are thorough; the outcomes of which ensure that practices within the home improve.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The views from professionals, children and their families are actively sought and welcomed. The manager discusses these with the staff team. An independent person provides constructive challenge through monthly visits, and the manager conducts a thorough service analysis each month Staff receive guidance on improving their practice, praising children and keeping the progress of children under review. Inspection report children’s home: SC428700 6

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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 must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

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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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to staff receiving training around self-harm and ligature risk. 25 February 2022

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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.

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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

plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child’s placing authority. (Regulation 14 (1)(a) (2)(b)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to children having an up-to-date pathway and transition plan to support their move from the home. 25 February 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees— 25 February 2022 Inspection report children’s home: SC428700 7 receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the manager receiving regular supervision.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the statement of purpose accurately reflects the arrangements for therapeutic support and identifies who is the responsible individual. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 5, paragraph 3.6)  The registered person should ensure that the home’s medication policy is fully applied in relation to the safe storage and access to medication, the medication cabinet keys and the daily recording of which member of staff on duty is accountable for these. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 35, paragraph 7.15)  The registered person should ensure that independent return home interviews are completed within an appropriate time frame. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30)

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, 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: Atria, Spa Road, Bolton BL1 4AG

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Inspector

Alexandra Howitt, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC428700 9 to 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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