Children's Home run by Positive Pathways Limited in Birmingham

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC410539 1 SC410539 Registered provider: Positive Pathways Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home provides care for up to three children with social and emotional difficulties and/or learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in November 2018.

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This monitoring visit

On 6 July 2022, Ofsted issued a notice restricting accommodation at this home. This is because external agencies were investigating two significant child protection concerns. These investigations remain ongoing.

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This monitoring visit

This home had a full inspection on 12 and 13 July 2022. The judgement was inadequate. Inspectors found significant shortfalls in safeguarding practice and the leadership and management of the home. In relation to these concerns, Ofsted issued compliance notices under regulation 12 (the protection of children standard) and regulation 13 (the leadership and management standard).

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This monitoring visit

During the full inspection, inspectors identified serious and widespread shortfalls in relation to the registered manager’s capability regarding the safeguarding arrangements for children. The registered manager failed to respond when staff reported safeguarding concerns to them. They did not take effective action to protect children from harm. As a result, Ofsted issued a notice suspending the registered manager’s registration and a compliance notice in relation to regulation 28 (fitness of manager).

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This monitoring visit

On 31 August 2022, Ofsted undertook a monitoring visit. The purpose of the visit was to review the progress of the provider and the manager in meeting the compliance notices. The inspectors found that the compliance notices were not met, and progress was slow. Therefore, they were reissued and the notice restricting accommodation remained in place. In addition, the notice suspending the registered manager’s registration remained in place. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC410539 2 On 27 September 2022, a further monitoring visit was undertaken. The inspector found that the provider has been adhering to the restriction of accommodation notice and the manager has adhered to the suspension notice. The inspectors found that sufficient action had been taken to meet the compliance notices.

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This monitoring visit

No children are living in the home. The home is being renovated. As a result, the home is not fit for children to live in.

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This monitoring visit

There is no staff team to care for children, although the provider is planning to recruit a new staff team. Furthermore, the registered manager remains suspended by the organisation.

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This monitoring visit

The responsible individual has undertaken a comprehensive and thorough review. This includes the events leading up to, during, and after a serious allegation made by a child. They have reflected on the many shortfalls in the children’s care. They have formulated an action plan to prevent future failings.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders have reviewed some of their systems, such as their monitoring and audit tools. They have also reviewed and improved their policies and procedures in relation to safeguarding children. However, their effectiveness is not yet known. There is a training plan in place for all staff across the organisation. This includes training for all leaders and managers in relation to safeguarding children.

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager has undertaken some training arranged by the provider. They have demonstrated sufficient knowledge of safeguarding practice. However, some gaps remain in relation to their ability to lead a staff team that is able to keep children safe and their ability to monitor and review the care children receive. Nevertheless, their reflections indicate that they no longer present a risk to children. As a result, the notice suspending their registration as a manager is no longer in place.

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This monitoring visit

Requirements raised at the full inspection have not been reviewed and are restated. This also applies to one recommendation. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC410539 3

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 12/07/2022 Full Inadequate 22/02/2022 Full Good 28/11/2019 Full Good 16/07/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC410539 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

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)(d))

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Requirement Due date

The registered persons should ensure that managers and staff understand their roles and responsibilities in relation to reporting safeguarding concerns about children to external professionals, such as the local authority designated officer. In addition, the registered persons should ensure that managers and staff understand the roles of external professionals when safeguarding children.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 20 November 2022

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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 requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe; 20 November 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC410539 5 have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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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

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

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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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 effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(e))

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Requirement Due date

The registered persons must ensure that managers and staff receive adequate training in order to develop their knowledge and understanding of how to keep children safe. This must include their understanding of what constitutes professional curiosity and professional boundaries and how they contribute to keeping children safe.

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Requirement Due date

The registered persons must also ensure that staff undertake adequate training which will provide them with the knowledge and understanding of the risks posed to vulnerable children. This includes, but is not limited to, child sexual exploitation, child criminal exploitation and substance misuse.

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Requirement Due date

The registered persons must review their safeguarding policies and procedures to ensure that they set out clear guidelines about how managers and staff should keep children safe and how they should respond to child protection concerns. In addition, the organisation’s safeguarding policies should provide clear expectations on professional boundaries. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC410539 6 The registered persons should also ensure that there are effective measures in place to keep children safe when online.

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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

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

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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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

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;

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

The registered persons must ensure that there are effective management systems in place to undertake robust audits and monitoring within the home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered persons must ensure that leaders and managers understand the quality of care provided to children and their experiences and take swift action to address any identified shortfalls.

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Requirement Due date

The registered persons must ensure that the registered manager undertakes training to develop their knowledge and understanding of how to keep children safe. In addition, the 20 November 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC410539 7 registered persons should ensure that staff have the skills and abilities to meet children’s needs.

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Requirement Due date

No measure of control or discipline which is excessive, unreasonable or contrary to paragraph (2) may be used in relation to any child.

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Requirement Due date

The following measures may not be used to discipline any child—

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Requirement Due date

any measure involving punishing a group of children for the behaviour of an individual child. (Regulation 19 (1) (2)(j))

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Requirement Due date

The registered persons should ensure that children’s behaviour is responded to in a way that does not have a negative impact on other children living in the home. 20 November 2022

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Requirement Due date

the privacy of children is appropriately protected;

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Requirement Due date

children can access all appropriate areas of the children’s home’s premises; and

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Requirement Due date

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;

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Requirement Due date

is kept under review and, if necessary, revised; and

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Requirement Due date

allows children as much freedom as is possible when balanced against the need to protect them and keep them safe. (Regulation 21 (a)(b)(c)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person should ensure that children’s liberty is not restricted unnecessarily. Bedroom door alarms should be thoroughly risk assessed and only used if proportionate to any risk identified. 20 November 2022

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Requirement Due date

A responsible individual must— 20 November 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC410539 8 have the capacity, experience and skills to supervise the management of the home, or the homes, in respect of which the responsible individual is nominated. (Regulation 26 (7)(b))

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider should ensure that the responsible individual has the skills to oversee and supervise the management and operation of the home in an effective manner.

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Requirement Due date

A person may only manage a children’s home if—

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Requirement Due date

having regard to the size of the home, its statement of purpose, and the number and needs (including any needs arising from any disability) of the children—

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Requirement Due date

the person has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills to manage the home effectively and lead the care of children. (Regulation 28 (1)(b)(i))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered manager ensuring that they undertake training to develop their knowledge and understanding of how to keep children safe. In addition, the registered manager should undertake training that equips them with the necessary skills to lead and manage a staff team. This includes demonstrating that they have the ability to ensure that staff have the skills to safely care for children. 20 November 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

The registered persons should ensure that systems are implemented to improve the recording practice in the home, particularly when there are safeguarding concerns about children. The registered persons should ensure that children’s records, including their risk assessments and safety plans, contain accurate and up-to-date information which is legible. 20 November 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must use reasonable endeavours to ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month. 20 November 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC410539 9 The independent person must produce a report about a visit (“the independent person’s report”) which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether—

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Requirement Due date

children are effectively safeguarded; and

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Requirement Due date

the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person’s report may recommend actions that the registered person may take in relation to the home and timescales within which the registered person must consider whether or not to take those actions.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must provide a copy of the independent person’s report to—

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Requirement Due date

upon request, the local authority for the area in which the home is located;

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Requirement Due date

the registered provider and, if applicable, the registered manager; and

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Requirement Due date

the responsible individual (if one is nominated). (Regulation 44 (1) (4)(a)(b) (5) (7)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the capability of the independent visitor, particularly their ability to identify shortfalls in the care that children receive and to make recommendations for improvement.

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that improvements are made to provide children with a more homely environment. In particular, ensure that any damaged furniture in children’s bedrooms is removed and replaced. Additionally, ensure that any home improvements are completed to an adequate standard. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.7) Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC410539 10

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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: SC410539 11

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Positive Pathways Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Park Business Centre, Hastingwood Industrial Park, Wood Lane, Erdington, Birmingham, West Midlands B24 9QR

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Inspector

Sarah Berry, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC410539 12 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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