Children's Home run by Pathways Care Group Limited in Walsall

Inspection report for children's home: 2622077 1 Registered provider: Pathways Care Group Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned and operated by a private company. It is registered to provide care for up to four children with social and emotional needs.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in May 2024. She holds a social work degree and is undertaking a level 5 diploma in leadership and management for residential childcare.

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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: 2622077 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

19/07/2023 Full Good 02/08/2022 Full Outstanding 06/12/2021 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children's home: 2622077 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, two children have moved into the home. One child moved out for one month before moving back in. Four children were living at the home at the time of the inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Careful consideration of need before one child moved in helped them to settle quickly. The second child did not settle, and after one month moved out of the home. The responsible individual and registered manager reflected with the staff team and looked at what lessons could be learned. This learning was shared with the placing authority. Before the child moved back into the home, action was taken by all partnership agencies to support the child’s care and safety.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The new registered manager is using her knowledge of education to ensure that children have access to appropriate education. Her drive and perseverance have helped all the children to make good progress, especially those who have been struggling to attend and engage with education for a significant period. All children are now accessing education and have plans and aspirations for their futures. One child has started a specialist provision on a reduced timetable. Attendance and progress are good and there are clear plans to increase their timetabled hours. Two children have just finished exams and have college placements or interviews for September. Another child is being tutored online while waiting to start at a new school that they recently visited.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health needs are met. Staff encourage children to attend routine appointments. When children have specific health needs, staff ensure that they have access to specialist health professionals. Staff help children to understand their conditions and treatments. As a result, children have a good understanding of how they can lead a healthy lifestyle.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to see the people who are important to them. Family time is well planned between the registered manager and other professionals. When a child wants more time with their family, the registered manager liaises with professionals to see if this is possible. When necessary, the registered manager encourages children to talk to their independent advocates. In addition, staff encourage children to form positive friendships with their peers. Staff also support children to understand healthy relationships through regular key-work sessions. As a result, children make and maintain positive relationships, which gives them a sense of belonging and identity.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is a safe and welcoming environment. The registered manager consults with the children about their home. The children are all happy with their bedrooms, which have been decorated and personalised. The registered manager has also developed spaces for children to socialise or have time on their own. For example, the second staff office has been made into a games room and the garden now has a trampoline and a gazebo with chairs, a table and fairy lights. Inspection report for children's home: 2622077 4

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

Staff have a good understanding of the risks posed to individual children. Children’s risk management plans are clear, and staff understand how to support children should incidents occur. The staff know children well and use their understanding of each child to help them reflect on their feelings. This helps children to manage their emotions and learn about risk. For two children, incidents have reduced significantly. However, they were unsettled by another child and the stress of school exams. This resulted in two missing-from-home incidents. Staff talked to the children and helped them understand their anxieties and this has helped them settle again.

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

Staff have a good understanding of how to support children when they go missing. They know the signs that children might be planning to leave the home. They encourage children to consider their options and understand the risks. When necessary, the registered manager has increased staffing numbers, to ensure sufficient staff to meet the needs of all children. The need for incidents to be reported to the police has reduced due to staff staying with children and encouraging their safe return to the home. However, records do not consistently show if a local authority independent return interview has been requested or taken place and what learning has been taken from discussions.

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

Staff have positive relationships with the children. When children struggle with their emotions, staff respond with empathy and this helps children to calm. There has only been one occasion when staff have had to physically intervene as a last resort. This intervention was low level and proportionate, and records were completed for management oversight. This ensures that staff practice is reviewed to ensure that children are safeguarded effectively.

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

Consequences are rarely used. However, when they are, the registered manager has not recorded her evaluation of their appropriateness and effectiveness.

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

Allegations against staff are managed well and all relevant professionals are notified. When children make an allegation, the staff and the manager give children a lot of reassurance about what happens next and feed back the outcome of any investigation appropriately. As a result, children feel listened to and valued, and this contributes to them feeling safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is committed to supporting children to achieve positive outcomes. She is child-focused and knowledgeable about the needs of the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Priority has been given to recruiting and developing the staff team. This work is ongoing. The registered manager is building the confidence of a new staff team by sharing her knowledge in regular team meetings and reflective supervision sessions. She is also introducing routines and systems that promote the consistency of staff practice and Inspection report for children's home: 2622077 5 develop secure relationships between staff and children. This is having a positive impact on children’s progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has a range of systems to oversee the quality of care. Oversight of staff practice is clear, and it is evident that this leads to challenge, discussion and shared learning. The manager understands the home’s strengths and areas for development. She has produced a thorough development plan and worked with all staff to introduce personal development plans. The requirements and recommendations raised at the last inspection have been met.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff speak positively of the support they receive from the registered manager, who ensures that staff receive good-quality supervision each month. This gives staff the opportunity to discuss professional and personal issues, their training and development needs and how they are supporting children. Between formal supervision sessions, the registered manager is visible and available.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff complete training relevant to the children’s needs. In addition, the responsible individual and registered manager are proactive in using upskilling sessions to promote reflection and discussion on current patterns or trends and teambuilding.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager and staff team have developed good relationships with relevant professionals, including social workers, school staff and family members. As a result, there is good communication between them that promotes a collaborative approach to progressing children’s care plans. Inspection report for children's home: 2622077 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that when a child returns to the home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission, the responsible local authority must provide an opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview. Homes should take account of information provided by such interviews when assessing risks and putting arrangements in place to protect each child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30)  The registered person should ensure that any consequences used to address poor behaviour should be restorative in nature, to help children recognise the impact of their behaviour on themselves, other children, the staff caring for them and the wider community. In some cases it will be important for children to make reparation in some form to anyone hurt by their behaviour and the staff in the home should be skilled to

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Recommendations

support the child to understand this and carry it out. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.38)

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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: 2622077 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Pathways Care Group Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Pathways Care Group, Minton Place, Victoria Street, Windsor SL4 1EG

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Inspector

Dawn Bennett, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2622077 8 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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