Children's Home run by Pathways Care Group Limited in Southend on Sea

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1256660 1

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Pathways Care Group

Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home provides care for up to five children who may have learning disabilities and emotional and behavioural needs. This is one of several children’s homes operated by this private provider.

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Information about this children’s home

There has been no registered manager since October 2021. There is a newly appointed manager of the home who has applied for registration with Ofsted.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit was undertaken to monitor the provider’s compliance with the regulations following a complaint received by Ofsted.

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This monitoring visit

Three children are living at the home. Two of the children have lived harmoniously together for many years and a further child moved into the home within the past year.

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This monitoring visit

One child’s placing local authority and other associated professionals are fully aware that the home is not able to meet the child’s needs. Partner professionals are very positive about the staff. The child’s placing local authority independent reviewing officer said that despite the injuries that the staff have received, the staff do not lose sight of the vulnerable child and do the best that they can. However, despite the staff’s training, resilience and good intentions, they are not equipped to manage the child’s highly complex behavioural, sensory and communication needs.

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This monitoring visit

The home changed a communal lounge into a child’s bedroom. This better met this child’s needs. The child will not tolerate curtains in their bedroom, therefore the provider installed privacy screening to the windows. However, this has not been installed on all window panes and therefore it is possible for people to see into this Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1256660 2 room. This is particularly relevant as the room is at the front of the house on a busy road and is overlooked by the houses opposite. The child has direct access to the garden from their bathroom via fire exit. As a result, the staff are unable to prevent the child from running out and around the garden naked irrespective of the weather conditions. This garden is overlooked by a number of houses. It is of concern that, on the inspector’s arrival, this child’s bedroom door was propped open while the child was in a state of undress. The building and day-to-day care arrangements do

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This monitoring visit

The building has sustained damages which require repair. One child’s bathroom has faeces splattered in areas over the wall and door. Several areas of the home are now locked to safeguard one child. This means that the other children are now unable to enjoy the same homely quality of accommodation as they previously did. Neither can they move about and relax in their home freely.

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This monitoring visit

The poor matching of the children is having a detrimental impact on other children who live at the home. There have been a significant number of serious incidents in which the staff have experienced assaults and sustained injuries from one of the children. The staff have protected the other children from physical harm in these incidents. However, the children are distressed to see the staff they care about hurt, and they are disturbed by some of the behaviours displayed. The psychologist working with the children compared it to the children living in a domestic violence situation.

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This monitoring visit

Since the last inspection, the manager has ensured that clear risk assessments and missing-from-home guidance are in place for staff to follow should a child go missing.

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This monitoring visit

The staff feel valued and well supported by the new manager. He has ensured that there are consistently suitable staffing levels which can respond flexibly to unexpected events or opportunities at the home.

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This monitoring visit

Some requirements set at the last inspection are restated. This is because there is either not sufficient evidence that the requirement has been met or because they were not reviewed as part of this monitoring visit. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1256660 3

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 03/06/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 21/04/2021 Full Inadequate 27/02/2020 Interim Improved effectiveness 08/04/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1256660 4

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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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

treat each child with dignity and respect;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(iii)(c)(i)) 4 April 2022

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— 25 April 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1256660 5 that staff—

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Requirement Due date

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the children’s individual behaviour support plans are accurate and provide suitable guidance to staff.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

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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

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

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(b) (2)(f)) 25 April 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; 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—

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Requirement Due date

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)) 25 April 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that— the privacy of children is appropriately protected; 25 April 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1256660 6 children can access all appropriate areas of the children’s home’s premises; and any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area of the home’s premises—

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Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard each child accommodated in the home. (Regulation 21 (a)(b)(c)(i))

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Requirement Due date

If the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (1) applies to the home—

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Requirement Due date

the registered person must ensure that the requirements of that Order and any regulations made under it, except for article 23 (duties of employees), are complied with in respect of the home. (Regulation 25 (2)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that staff practise night emergency evacuations and guidance is sought from the fire officer in respect of the use of the fire exit adjacent to a child’s bedroom.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 25 April 2022

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording and that records management systems are effective. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1256660 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Pathways Care Group

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Minton Place, Victoria Street, Windsor SL4 1EG

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Olubunmi Fabusuyi

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Inspector

Joanna Heller, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1256660 8 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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