Children's Home run by Positive Pathways Limited in Birmingham

Inspection report for children’s home: SC410545 1 SC410545 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 privately owned home provides care for up to two children with complex needs.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager is suitably experienced and holds the relevant qualification. The manager registered with Ofsted in May 2023.

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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: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC410545 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

09/08/2022 Full Good 14/07/2021 Full Good 13/11/2019 Full Good 12/06/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC410545 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Two children live in the home. One child has lived there for almost three years. The child said that they ‘love the home and the staff’ team. Children feel welcome when they move in. One child made a welcome video for children to watch prior to them moving in. This is a child-centred way of introducing children to the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, one child has left the home in line with their care plan. The child’s social worker said that the child now lives independently and the care and support they received helped them to successfully move on.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home environment is safe, clean and tidy. Children are able to personalise their bedrooms. Children have useful tools in their bedrooms to help them to regulate their feelings. For example, one child has an affirmation board, which staff contribute to. Another child has a tent, which is their ‘calm place’. Children’s bedrooms are a safe haven for them to relax and feel comfortable. As a result, they are able to safely make sense of their feelings and emotions. However, parts of the home’s décor need repainting, such as the banister on the stairs and some woodwork.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff form nurturing and trusting relationships with children. As a result, children are able to talk about their worries and concerns. Children experience stability for the first time in their lives.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand each child’s preferred method of communication. As a result, children can participate fully in their daily lives. This includes using software that translates language into simple pictorial terms. This helps children to communicate.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children know how to make a complaint, and staff consistently advocate for children. This ensures that children are listened to and receive support to make choices in their lives.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children who live in the home develop a sense of pride. Staff support children to develop their self-care skills. This helps children to become more independent and increases their self-esteem and confidence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have good attendance at school. Staff helped one child to transition to secondary school in a planned way. The manager and staff maintain good communication systems with education professionals. This helps them to understand the children’s needs and behaviours.

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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. Safeguarding incidents are few, and staff take immediate action when they do occur. Safeguarding Inspection report for children’s home: SC410545 4 reporting and recording are good. The manager reinforces expectations of safety to the staff team. Staff follow detailed guidance contained in children’s risk assessments to keep children safe.

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

Staff help children to understand measures that are in place to keep them safe. Each child has a child-friendly version of their placement plan. This contains information about what staff might do if a child is at risk.

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

Staff respond promptly when children share sensitive information that may compromise their safety, such as if concerns arise when children are online or during mobile phone checks. The registered manager works well with relevant professionals to ensure that there is a coordinated approach.

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

Staff go above and beyond to support children when there are worries about their welfare. Staff have meaningful conversations with children to provide reassurances, and ensure that the conversations are non-judgemental. Staff complete direct work sessions with children on issues that are pertinent to their safety. As a result, children understand what it means to feel safe and how they can keep themselves safe.

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

The registered manager prioritises children’s safety. Staff have good oversight of all incidents of self-harm. Staff support children to develop safer ways of managing their feelings. One child is now able to talk to staff when they are feeling anxious. As a result, incidents of self-harm have reduced.

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

Staff encourage positive behaviour. Children understand the boundaries and expectations in the home. Incidents for one child have significantly reduced. However, there has been one physical intervention since the last full inspection. This was necessary to keep the child safe. The registered manager carried out the physical intervention. However, oversight and review of the incident were not undertaken by a senior staff member.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is suitably qualified and experienced. Staff are very positive about the manager and describe her as dedicated, supportive and approachable. There is a stable staff team. They are passionate and committed to providing children with good standards of care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager and staff work closely with external professionals. This enhances the quality of care that children receive. Professionals spoke highly of the quality of care that children receive, and describe children as thriving and consistently making progress. Professionals said that the manager and staff communicate well and advocate to promote the welfare of safety of each child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There has been an improvement in the quality of the home’s records. Records provide relevant details about the children’s journey living in the home. The registered manager and staff record information sensitively. They consider children’s Inspection report for children’s home: SC410545 5 feelings and record in a child-friendly way. This will help children to undertsand their life story in the future.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has developed a good monitoring system. The system identifies shortfalls in care practices and the action required to rectify each concern. The registered manager encourages reflective practice in team meetings and staff supervision. This is having a positive impact on the quality of care that children receive.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders’ oversight of the home has improved. Senior managers report that they support the registered manager through supervision and reflection sessions. However, records of these audits were not available.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff receive training. However, some staff have not completed refresher training in physical restraint, fire safety awareness, and medication practices. This does not ensure that all staff have an up-to-date knowledge in these key areas.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The organisation has a plan to train all staff in a new therapeutic model of care. The registered manager has completed this training and plans to upskill the staff team in the core values. Inspection report for children’s home: SC410545 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 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 have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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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)(c)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered persons should ensure that staff receive training that is pertinent to the needs of children they intend to care for.

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers should ensure that they have effective systems in place to consistently monitor and review the quality of care that children receive.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 14 April 2024

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the children’s home is a nurturing and supportive environment. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9) Inspection report for children’s home: SC410545 7  The registered person should ensure that any incidents of restraint during which the registered manager is involved are subject to scrutiny by senior management. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.36)

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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: SC410545 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: SC410545 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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