Children's home run by Positive Pathways Limited

Inspection report for children's home: 2557914 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 who may have social and emotional difficulties and/or a learning disability.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been in post since March 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: requires improvement to be good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 2557914 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

20/07/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 05/05/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 2557914 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, one child has moved out of the home and one child has moved in. At the time of this inspection, three children were living in the home. The manager carefully considers the needs of children before they move into the home. They meet children’s previous carers to understand the children’s needs. They spend time getting to know children’s personalities. The manager also considers the needs of children already living in the home. They ensure that there are clear plans in place before children move in. As a result, children settle and quickly form positive relationships with staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s placement plans identify their needs and what action is being taken to meet them. The manager updates children’s plans regularly to reflect their changing needs. This helps staff to understand how to care for children. As a result, children receive consistent care, and they feel safe and cared for.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children trust staff and confide in them. They feel able to talk to staff about personal and sensitive issues. Staff support children to develop their sense of gender identity. This support has been crucial given the complexity of some children’s needs. As a result, children feel valued and safe. This helps them to feel comfortable to explore who they are and who they want to be.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff support children well when they move out. One child recently moved into semi-independent provision. Staff supported the child to decide where they wanted to live. They enabled the child to express their views, wishes and feelings. This contributed to professionals’ decision-making. The child’s social worker said there was excellent partnership working with the staff. As a result, the child’s transition was very successful.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Two children regularly attend school. One child is not attending any form of education. This is because some external professionals have not considered the child’s learning needs. The manager has been tenacious in escalating their concern about this with professionals. The manager advocates to ensure that children receive support for their emotional well-being. As a result, children learn in a positive and supportive environment.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help children to communicate their wishes and feelings. They encourage children through carefully organised and structured programmes to engage with them. One child who did not previously engage well with staff has developed excellent relationships. Staff have worked closely with external agencies to adapt their approach. This child is now able to identify and express their needs. As a result, they are more able to contribute to decision-making about their future care. Inspection report for children's home: 2557914 4 Staff have important conversations with children. They focus on subjects pertinent to children’s needs, for example, their emotional well-being and relationships in the home. As a result, children learn how to keep themselves safe and healthy.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home has a warm and homely feel. However, some repairs are required in children’s bedrooms. The manager took immediate action to rectify some of this during the inspection. In addition, the garden is not secure, as the fence needs repairing.

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

The manager and staff are aware of their safeguarding responsibilities. They take immediate action to protect children. The manager ensures that all risks are carefully monitored. They consider new information and implement appropriate strategies. This helps to ensure that all children living in the home are safe. Since the last inspection, there have been no allegations or complaints. There is a low frequency of safeguarding incidents.

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

Risk assessments contain detailed information about risks to children. They include safety plans which the manager formulates with external agencies. Children’s risk assessments clearly outline the strategies to keep children safe, including when they spend time in the community. However, the rationale for having alarms on children’s bedroom doors is unclear. There are some discrepancies in when staff update risk assessments, as information is sometimes recorded in different places. However, this has not had a detrimental impact on children’s safety.

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

The manager has not always shared important information with children’s placing authorities. This relates to potential risks to children in the home, such as their behaviours. This has led to staff activating alarms on children’s bedroom doors overnight to keep them safe. However, the manager has not shared their rationale for using the alarms with all children’s placing authorities. This impacts on social workers having oversight of children’s experiences and any potential risks to children living in the home.

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

Missing-from-home incidents have reduced. When children do go missing, staff respond immediately. They follow detailed missing-from-home plans. Staff search for children in the places they frequent. Children remain in contact with staff and tell them where they are. Staff do their utmost to persuade children to return home and they receive a warm welcome when they do. Staff do not hesitate to contact the police if they have concerns that children are not safe.

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

Staff are safely recruited. However, on one occasion, the responsible individual did not evidence their decision-making in relation to the recruitment of a senior member of staff. The responsible individual rectified this during the inspection. Inspection report for children's home: 2557914 5

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and deputy manager are committed and passionate about providing good care to children. They work well together and strive to achieve positive outcomes for children. They are proud of the positive changes in the home in the last 12 months. They show commitment and determination to continue driving forward improvements.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff team has been stable for three years. As a result, children receive consistent care. The manager has a good understanding of the team’s strengths and areas for development. They respond quickly to address any shortfalls in staff practice. As a result, staff continuously improve their practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers know the strengths and areas for improvement in the home. They have an array of monitoring tools which assist them in reviewing the quality of care. Regular audits of the home are positive. They show an improved picture of the home since the last inspection.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision. The manager ensures that there is a teaching element during each session. This helps staff to reflect on their practice. Staff say supervision is a valuable learning experience. This helps to improve the care children receive.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and staff work closely with external professionals. This enhances the quality of care children receive. The manager invites professionals to attend staff meetings. One professional coached staff on different approaches to use to gain children’s trust. This professional said staff had a ‘real impact’ on one child. They said that staff were ‘attuned’ to children’s needs and ‘genuinely care’. As a result, children become more self-aware, and their emotional stability has improved.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive training pertinent to children’s needs. Some of this is online training, such as training for caring for children who may display sexually harmful behaviours. There is no system to monitor the effectiveness of this training. As a result, managers cannot be certain that all staff have the skills to meet children’s needs. Some training was out of date. However, this is due to be held soon. Inspection report for children's home: 2557914 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, The 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. (Regulation 5 (a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that managers share pertinent information about children’s risks with their placing authorities, especially when potential risks to children result in implementing strategies to monitor their movements. 15 November

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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 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

In particular, that managers demonstrate they have reassured themselves that staff have the knowledge and skills following training to carry out their role, especially regarding training in relation to sexually harmful behaviours. 15 November Inspection report for children's home: 2557914 7

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that repairs are promptly undertaken so that children are provided with a safe and homely environment. This relates in particular to children’s bedrooms and the garden fence. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.7)  The registered person should ensure that managers and staff adhere to the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of ensuring that children’s records are clear, accurate and objective. This also applies to the home's recruitment records. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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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: 2557914 8

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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: 2557914 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 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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