Children's Home run by Coastal Path Care Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2752994 1 Registered provider: Coastal 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

The home is managed by a small private company. It provides care for up to two children who may have social and emotional difficulties. At the time of this inspection, one child was living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The home and manager registered with Ofsted in January 2024. This is the home’s first inspection.

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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

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2752994 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child moved into the home in February 2024. Since moving in, they have made good progress in relation to their starting point. They have developed positive relationships with staff and benefit from well-tailored plans that promote their needs effectively. The child said, ‘I feel safe living here. It’s been the best care home I have lived in. The staff are really kind and caring.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child arrived at the home without any formal education in place. Previously, they had not been in education for some time and so re-engaging with education needed to be supported in a sensitive way and at the child’s pace. The manager and staff spent time helping the child to settle into the home and build up trusting relationships. The manager also worked closely with the placing authority and virtual school to secure part- time home tuition. This ensures that the child’s gradual re-engagement in learning is promoted.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff promote the health needs of the child effectively by ensuring that they have access to the services they need to stay healthy. They support the child to attend their health appointments and encourage them to be active and lead a healthy lifestyle. Medical consent is in place and staff are familiar with the health responsibilities and decisions that are delegated to them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child enjoys positive activities with staff. They enjoy going to the gym, cinema, pleasure beach and bowling. They also enjoy having hair and beauty treatments. Staff also ensure that the child benefits from a homely and comfortable living environment. At the time of this inspection, the child was having their bedroom redecorated and had chosen new wallpaper.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child has recently turned 16 but does not yet have a pathway plan in place to promote their readiness for independence and adulthood. Additionally, the child’s local authority care plan has not been updated with the new placement address. Both plans have been requested by the registered manager and they have escalated their requests with the placing authority.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff provide the child with effective support through one-to-one discussions. They provide the child with advice, guidance and emotional support. The child said, ‘I have people that I can trust and rely on. Staff help me when I’m upset. It’s nice having people who care about me.’

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

The child is kept safe and says that they feel safe living at the home. They have developed a strong sense of personal safety. The child said, ‘I actually do feel safe in this house.’ Inspection report for children’s home: 2752994 3 Staff take their safeguarding roles and responsibilities seriously and prioritise the child’s safety. Clear risk management plans ensure that staff are familiar with the child’s specific needs and vulnerabilities. They provide staff with clear strategies to help them keep the child safe from harm.

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

There has been a steady reduction in incidents since the child came to live at the home. Staff use de-escalation techniques to manage behaviours that challenge. They anticipate incidents and take action to prevent behaviours from escalating. The use of restraint is always a last resort that is only ever used to protect the child from harm.

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

There have been no allegations of abuse or complaints from the child. There have been no incidents involving the child going missing from the home. There has been one third party complaint. The manager investigated and took action to prevent similar complaints being made. The complaint was unrelated to the child or their care.

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

Staff are trained in child protection so that they know how to deal with allegations and report suspected abuse. Staff are vigilant to the possibility of harm occurring. Staff support the child’s positive behaviour and help them manage their difficult feelings and behaviours safely. The child is able to share their concerns and anxieties with staff and ask for their support when they need it.

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

Staff provide a loving, positive and nurturing environment for the child. The child is developing trusting relationships with staff and is receptive of the help and support provided to them by staff. Staff are subject to safer recruitment checks. This ensures that staff are selected and vetted carefully to protect children from unsuitable individuals.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A stable staff team provides the child with consistency and stability in their life. The child is beginning to develop a sense of permanence, safety and belonging. The child said, ‘I never want to leave. It’s a nice area and it’s quiet.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager ensures that staff benefit from relevant training to enable them to meet the specific needs of the child. Regular child-focused staff meetings and performance- related supervision help staff to reflect on their practice and review the child’s progress and experiences.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The child benefits from an experienced and qualified registered manager who demonstrates effective and strong leadership of the day-to-day operation of the home. The manager and the responsible individual are both visible and influential people in the child’s life. The child said, ‘They are like my dads.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager makes effective use of the independent person’s external monitoring to understand the strengths and weaknesses of the care provided for the Inspection report for children’s home: 2752994 4 child. This means that they can quickly address any identified shortfalls to secure continuing improvement.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and responsible individual maintain professional oversight of staff’s practice and ensure the views of the child are central to the day-to-day running of the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2752994 5

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff consistently pursue full-time education for children. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 28, paragraph 5.14)  The registered person should ensure that an updated care plan and pathway plan are in place to promote the specific needs of children. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 56, paragraph 11.2)

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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: 2752994 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Coastal Path Care Limited

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Inspector

Anthony Kyem, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2752994 7 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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