Children's Home run by Positive Pathways Limited in Birmingham

Inspection report for children’s home: 1234430 1 Registered provider: Positive Pathways Limited Full inspection 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/or emotional difficulties and/or learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The home has been without a registered manager since 31 August 2022.

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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: requires improvement to be good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 1234430 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/06/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 24/01/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 06/01/2020 Full Good 02/01/2019 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: 1234430 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

At the time of the inspection, three children were living in the home. Children are settled and are contented living there. Two children who had previously lived at the home have successfully moved on in line with their pathway plans.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children form trusting relationships with the manager and the staff team. A social worker said, ‘[Name of staff] has worked so hard to get through to my young person, and he [the child] is very appreciative of their relationship. He feels he is able to trust her and share all of his feelings with her, which is very positive.’ A child also said, ‘Relationships are good; we do things together.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children respect each other’s differences. Staff have helped children to develop a better understanding about children with autism spectrum disorder. This keeps children informed about other children’s needs. As a result, children have positive group-living experiences.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff promote children’s health. Children are fit and well. Staff lead by example and encourage children to have healthy, balanced diets. Children also attend routine health appointments. As a result, children maintain good health.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children attend education placements that are suitable to meet their individual needs. When difficulties arise, the manager works in partnership with the education staff and virtual school to supply alternative arrangements. This ensures that children’s opportunities for learning continue.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s meetings are held every month. Children take part and share their views and feelings with each other. During one meeting, children discussed activities, use of the bathroom and menu choices. Staff are good at encouraging children to be sensitive to each other during these discussions. This helps children to recognise each other’s needs and share their experiences.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are helped to stay connected with those who are important to them. Staff are on hand to provide support with travel and transport arrangements if necessary. As a result, children’s bonds with family and friends are improving.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have access to a range of activities of their choice in and around their local community. Staff encourage children to engage with their preferred hobbies, such as running and swimming. Children told the inspector they have been to a theme park. A social worker said, ‘The staff also organise fun activities for the young people at the setting and have taken them to places such as theme parks and trampoline centres, which my young person has really enjoyed.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is kept to a good standard. Communal rooms are spacious and welcoming. Inspection report for children’s home: 1234430 4

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

Children are settled and feel safe living in the home. They do not exhibit challenging behaviour. Staff are attuned to each child’s needs. They work exceptionally well with children to implement the behaviour management plans to support their individual needs. As a result, there has not been any use of physical intervention since the last inspection.

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

Staff have received safeguarding training. However, the training did not include topics around contextual safeguarding. Staff took action when a child returned home with bruising that was said to be a result of play-fighting. Although staff did key- work sessions to help keep her safe, they did not identify that this could be peer-on- peer abuse. Additionally, although staff acted to support the child, the social worker was not informed of the incidents. This is a missed opportunity to identify patterns and trends that may be signs of emerging risks.

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

Staff follow missing-from-home procedures to ensure that children are helped to return home safely. One child has been absent without authorisation several times. Return home interviews have helped staff understand the triggers and reasons for the absences. The child has talked about how staff can help, and this has resulted in episodes of absence reducing.

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

Risk is managed well. Managers ensure that all children’s risks are considered before new children are placed in the home. This ensures that children already living in the home and the child preparing to live there can safely live in the same environment. As a result, children live in harmony with each other.

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

Staff implement fair and proper boundaries. One child has received two consequences that are fair and proportionate. When risk reduces, staff review safety plans. For example, one child adhered to her boundaries, and as a result, staff no longer undertake a search of her bedroom. This shows the child’s progress in keeping safe.

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

Professionals speak well of how staff keep children safe. A social worker said, ‘My impressions of the setting are that they are able to promote the safety of the young people at the home, and they do this through the number of staff that they have on at each time. The staff are very knowledgeable about my young person’s diagnosis of autism and recognise his triggers and the things that cause him anxiety. They work hard to ensure triggers are reduced, and they ensure that they reach out for the appropriate support from different services.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home has been without a registered manager since 31 August 2022. A replacement manager was appointed, but she left in September 2022. As an interim manager, the responsible individual was in day-to-day charge until another Inspection report for children’s home: 1234430 5 manager was appointed in December 2022. The new manager has submitted her application to register with Ofsted.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The new manager is passionate and dedicated in raising standards and improving the care that children receive. Effective monitoring by the manager ensures that all staff receive regular feedback about their practice, performance and development. This helps to improve the quality of care provided to children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is aware of the strengths and areas for development in the home. Staff are positive about the new management arrangements and speak well of the manager and leaders.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive a range of mandatory training that is undertaken both face to face and online. Further training is provided to meet children’s additional needs, for example training on sensory processing and foetal alcohol spectrum disorder. This ensures that staff have the knowledge to care for children living in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager knows and understands each child’s needs. She actively challenges professionals when they are not providing a good enough service. A social worker said, ‘My young person entered care last year and a lot of things have been missed. The staff are understandably very anxious and worried about things not being completed. I have to reassure them often that I am a new worker and I am doing all that I can.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Partnership working is a strength. The managers and staff work closely with external agencies to prioritise the needs of children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The independent visitor completes monitoring every month. There have been changes to the independent visitor since the last inspection. The monthly reports that are completed by the independent visitor are now more effective at helping the manager make improvements.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has met the requirements from the previous inspection. Inspection report for children’s home: 1234430 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(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

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered manager ensuring that staff have an awareness of contextual safeguarding and take any necessary action. 2 June 2023

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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 for children’s home: 1234430 7

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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

Michelle Spruce, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1234430 8 regulates and inspects 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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