Children's Home run by Clear Path Care Limited in Staffordshire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2729569 1 Registered provider: Clear Path Care 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 is privately owned and provides care for up to three children who experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home was registered with Ofsted in December 2023. This is the home's first inspection. The manager resigned in April 2024. This inspection was supported by the responsible individual. The home's deputy manager is due to take over as manager and is planning to apply to register with Ofsted.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, three children were living at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2729569 2

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improvement to be good

Children settle quickly at this home and build trusting relationships with the staff who care for them. All three children were spoken to during this inspection and said that they like living at the home. Children make progress at this home, however, there have been shortfalls in response to children’s risks and in the leadership and management of the home, which have impacted on children’s experiences. The home is currently being managed by the responsible individual, supported by an experienced deputy manager. They have a clear plan for how they will further improve the quality of care and address the shortfalls at the home.

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improvement to be good

Children live in a home that is warm and welcoming. High-quality soft furnishings and decor contribute to a nurturing atmosphere. Children enjoy spending time together in the home and say that they think living there is great. Children’s artwork is on display and they have been supported to personalise their bedrooms. As a result, children feel a sense of belonging and feel valued at the home.

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improvement to be good

Staff foster positive relationships with children’s families and support children to spend time with people who are important to them. A child’s parent said that the home is ‘second to none’ and that staff have ‘worked wonders’ for their child.

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improvement to be good

Education is planned for all children and is appropriate to their needs. Two children who were frequently missing school are now receiving a reduced timetable of tuition at the home. Managers advocate well for children’s educational needs and appropriately challenge to ensure that they are met. As a result, a child who was previously not attending school is now sitting exams and there is a plan for him to go on to college.

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improvement to be good

Professionals comment on the positive impact living at the home has had for their children. A social worker said they could not ask for more from the home and that it is an incredibly positive place for their child. They said the child is settled and that he has told them that he has never felt so at home and cared about.

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improvement to be good

Children are regularly consulted on their views about their care. Records of consultations are clear, however, they do not always include responses to children’s requests. As a result, a child’s request has been repeated across several meetings. Managers plan to monitor meetings, speak with children themselves and ensure that children receive responses to their requests.

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improvement to be good

Leaders and managers do not always ensure that risks are suitably considered when children move into the home. As a result, a child who was at risk of exploitation was Inspection report for children’s home: 2729569 3 allowed to travel independently by train and staff did not physically check where the child was. This put the child at risk of significant harm. Practice has improved and staff are now accompanying the child on the train, however, initial assessment of risk needs to be improved to ensure that children are safeguarded effectively.

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improvement to be good

Children’s plans and risk assessments do not include all the steps that staff need to take to keep them safe. As a result, staff have not always taken appropriate action when children are at risk. For example, staff have not always searched for children when their whereabouts are not known. Although managers have addressed this and staff practice has improved, children’s plans did not reflect all the relevant information. Plans for how to manage vaping were not consistent across documents, which has the potential to cause confusion for staff. Managers took immediate action to update missing-from-home plans when the shortfall was identified.

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improvement to be good

Managers have not always had good oversight of records when children have gone missing from home. As a result, reports of children going missing do not always include all the information relating to the incident. For example, when an independent person has spoken to a child after an incident, the details of that discussion have not always been recorded. This impacts on the manager’s ability to evaluate the incident effectively. However, incidents of going missing are rare and have reduced for all children.

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improvement to be good

Staff focus on a restorative approach when supporting children and the use of consequences is rare. However, when consequences have been used, the records are not always complete. Managers have not always reviewed the effectiveness of consequences or added to the record that they have spoken to the staff member who has given the consequence.

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improvement to be good

Staff carry out direct work with children to increase their understanding of risks and how to keep themselves safe. Records of these discussions are clear. Discussions are well planned and include clear targets. As a result, children’s risks are reducing and incidents are rare.

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improvement to be good

Staff are proactive in ensuring that children’s health needs are managed well. All children are in good health. Children are registered with local medical practices and attend routine appointments. A child whose vaccinations were overdue has now had these.

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improvement to be good

Staff understand how to manage medication and systems for managing medication are effective. Robust and regular audits help ensure that managers have effective oversight of medication. When there was a recording error, this was identified quickly and additional checks were put in place. Competency assessments ensure that staff understand how to administer medication safely. As a result, there have been no errors in medication administration.

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improvement to be good

Children’s plans are insightful and include creative strategies for staff to use to support children. For example, a child’s plan has been updated to include how they express themselves through music and how staff should respond to the music. A method of Inspection report for children’s home: 2729569 4 communication has been explored with a child and a visual aid has been introduced to support them to express themselves.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The registered manager resigned in April. The responsible individual is currently in day- to-day charge. There is a plan for the deputy manager to take over as manager of the home and apply to register with Ofsted. The deputy manager and responsible individual have a good understanding of the home, staff and children. Staff recognise the change in direction under their leadership and say that they feel well supported. Audits of the home have taken place since the manager left and an action plan has been put in place in response to shortfalls that were identified. Progress has been made. However, there remain some shortfalls that still need to be addressed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff supervisions have not always taken place in line with the home’s policy. There have been periods when management oversight of the matrix has been poor and, as a result, opportunities for staff development have been missed. Practice has improved and all staff have had recent supervision. However, this is not yet embedded in practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Management oversight of records relating to incidents and consequences is poor. As a result, the manager has not identified areas of staff practice that could have been improved. For example, staff did not respond to a parent during an incident, in line with the ethos of the home or the child’s care plan. This was not addressed by the manager. There was no debrief with the child after the incident. This was mitigated by comprehensive planned discussions with children and follow-up conversations which have taken place between the deputy manager and the parent involved in the incident.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The induction for new staff is clearly planned and covers relevant information. Staff benefit from comprehensive training. However, the manager has not prioritised staff training effectively and not all staff have completed training in line with set timescales. For example, not all staff have completed training related to criminal exploitation and substance misuse, despite these being highlighted as initial risks for children. All training has now been scheduled for staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Documents introduced by the responsible individual are high quality and show effective evaluation. The workforce development plan sets clear targets for staff and is comprehensive. It shows good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the team and has a clear plan to develop staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The responsible individual uses external consultation to develop practice in the home and seek guidance. This means that the home is continually developing. Inspection report for children’s home: 2729569 5

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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

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

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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(v)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that children’s plans include clear guidance on the steps for staff to take to keep children safe.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that staff always take action to locate children, including searching for them when their whereabouts are not known. 10 July 2024

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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— 10 July 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2729569 6 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 person must ensure that staff complete training in areas of specific risk for children and that training takes place in line with the company’s set timescales for completion.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must also ensure that all staff receive regular practice-related supervision.

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so ("the authorised person")—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(vii)(b)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that they speak to the member of staff who has implemented a measure of control, including consequences, and ensure that the record includes a review of the effectiveness of the measure. 10 July 2024

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that children see the results of their views being listened to and acted on after consultation on their views about their care. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 22, paragraph 4.11) Inspection report for children’s home: 2729569 7

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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: 2729569 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Clear Path Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 42 Hunslet Road, Burntwood WS7 9LF

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Inspector

Laura Norcop, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2729569 9 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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