Children's Home run by Pathway Care Solutions Ltd 04004053 in Nottinghamshire

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1212117 1 Registered provider: Pathway Care Solutions Ltd 04004053

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is registered to care for three children who may have emotional or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The provider has requested two variations, to care for children with learning disabilities and to change the name of the children’s home.

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Information about this children’s home

Although there has been no registered manager since September 2020, a manager has recently been recruited and has submitted their application to Ofsted.

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This monitoring visit

Following the last inspection, a condition was set by Ofsted stating that a monitoring visit must be completed prior to any child being cared for in this home. The condition was set because there were serious concerns relating to the protection of children, the reporting of incidents, staffing and the leadership of the home.

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This monitoring visit

The manager and responsible individual have carried out a learning review following the concerns raised at the last inspection. Information relating to previous incidents at the home has now been recorded and shared with relevant placing local authority social workers. The manager states that they understand reporting processes and why these are important to keep children safe.

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This monitoring visit

The manager recognises the serious shortfalls from the last inspection and is working hard to improve standards of care for children. Electronic recording systems have been improved to ensure that children’s documents are stored appropriately.

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This monitoring visit

Although inductions for staff and the deputy manager have not yet been completed, there is a plan to address this. There is a small staff team in place, and some of these staff have experience of caring for children with learning disabilities. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1212117 2 Recruitment checks for staff meet requirements. Staff have undertaken relevant training.

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This monitoring visit

The manager acknowledges that children who previously lived together in this home were not well matched. The manager plans to care for one child for several months before taking on any additional children. There is a plan for any new child to have an organised transition into the home. For children who have left the home, not enough has yet been done to explain to them why their placement ended.

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This monitoring visit

Since the last inspection, the home has been renovated to a good standard and a sensory room has been created.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted has agreed to vary the remit of the home to enable the provider to now care for children with learning disabilities. The name change has also been agreed. The requirements will remain in place and will be reviewed at the next inspection. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1212117 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/10/2021 Full Inadequate 14/05/2019 Full Good 17/07/2018 Full Good 03/08/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1212117 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

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child’s needs;

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans; and

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Requirement Due date

seek to develop and maintain effective professional relationships with such persons, bodies or organisations as the registered person considers appropriate having regard to the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the children’s home is to provide care and accommodation. (Regulation 5(a)(b)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This particularly relates to information-sharing with placing local authorities. Managers must be transparent with the local authority at the earliest opportunity if they are unable to meet the needs of children and keep them safe. This is necessary to avoid unplanned placement endings for children. 28 May 2022

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so. (Regulation 8 (1)) 28 May 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— 28 May 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1212117 5 mutual respect and trust;

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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—

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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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Requirement Due date

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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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop the understanding and skills to recognise or withdraw from a damaging, exploitative or harmful relationship;

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Requirement Due date

strive to gain each child’s respect and trust;

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Requirement Due date

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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Requirement Due date

are provided with supervision and support to enable them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1212117 6 the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same;

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Requirement Due date

de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children;

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Requirement Due date

understand and communicate to children that bullying is unacceptable; and have the skills to recognise incidents or indications of bullying and how to deal with them; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child is encouraged to build and maintain positive relationships with others. (Reg 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(iv)(vi)(vii)(viii)(ix)(x)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to staff being qualified, experienced and able to understand and safely manage children’s behaviour. Staff must be able to defuse children’s escalating behaviour effectively.

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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 that staff—

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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

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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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 designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health; and 28 May 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1212117 7 that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Reg 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(v)(b)(d)(e))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to staff being able to care for children safely. When children’s behaviours are escalating and they are putting themselves and staff at risk, interventions must happen to ensure the safety of everyone. Children should only live together if it is safe for them do so. Risks for children and staff should be regularly reviewed.

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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 work as a team where appropriate;

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

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

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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)(a)(b) (2)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f)) 28 May 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. 28 May 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1212117 8 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, asset out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

that the child’s placing authority is contacted, and a review of that child’s relevant plans is requested, if—

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Requirement Due date

the registered person considers that the child is at risk of harm or has concerns that the care provided for the child is inadequate to meet the child’s needs. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(e)(i))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy ("the behaviour management policy" which sets out—

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Requirement Due date

how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home. (Regulation 35 (1)(a)(b)) 28 May 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(e)) 28 May 2022

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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: 1212117 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Pathway Care Solutions Ltd 04004053

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Atria, Spa Road, Bolton BL1 4AG

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Inspector

Andi Lilley-Tams, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1212117 10 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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