Children's Home run by Pathway Care Solutions Ltd in Cornwall

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1277045 1 Pathway Care Solutions Ltd

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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 part of a large, national organisation. It provides care for up to four children who may have learning difficulties and experience social and/or emotional difficulties. At the time of the inspection, two children were living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

There has been no registered manager since July 2023.

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This monitoring visit

During the assurance inspection on 10 July 2024, Ofsted identified serious and widespread concerns in relation to the care and protection of the children. As a result, a compliance notice was issued under regulation 13 and a decision was made to issue a notice restricting admissions to the home. The purpose of this monitoring visit is to review the adherence to the notice of restriction and progress made with the compliance notice.

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This monitoring visit

The home does not have a registered manager. Although managers have been recruited to the home, they have not been registered with Ofsted. The current manager intends to apply to register for this home and a second home within the organisation.

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This monitoring visit

Managers from other homes within the company have supported the staff team and provided mentoring and role modelling of care. New monitoring systems have been put into place, meaning that leaders and managers have started to monitor care more effectively and started to track patterns, for example noting which members of staff are working when an incident occurs. These systems are not yet embedded. For instance, the time of day when incidents occur is not noted to see if there are particular times that are unsettling for the children.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have considered staffing carefully and analysed the skills and experience of the current staff team. Rotas have been created to ensure experienced staff are paired with newer members of staff, so the children experience more Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1277045 2 consistent care. Six new people will be joining the team and safer recruitment processes are under way. However, the home is not sufficiently staffed to care for more than two children, and the restriction notice remains in place.

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This monitoring visit

The number of incidents of restraint has significantly reduced. The acting manager or deputy has reviewed the incidents of restraint and the learning from these has been identified. Team meetings have increased with two taking place over the last month, which helps the team to provide more consistent care to the children. With the new staff yet to arrive, providing consistent care is an ongoing development.

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This monitoring visit

Staff are following children’s plans and have some common words or phrases to help children with personal care needs. This needs to be embedded with new staff members so that all staff provide the same, consistent ways of managing personal care.

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This monitoring visit

Safer recruitment processes for new staff and agency staff are more robust. The acting manager has changed the recruitment agency and is assured of the background checks and gaps in employment history for agency staff working at the home.

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This monitoring visit

The in-house therapy team has provided bespoke training based on the needs of the two children. All staff have enrolled in accredited training for autism, but this has not yet started. The impact of this training on the quality of care provided to children is yet to be tested.

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This monitoring visit

Significant changes to the physical environment have been made. The home has benefited from new flooring, a new bathroom and a refresh throughout. The children have been involved in choosing some of the soft furnishings and planting flowers of their choice. This gives the home a cared for feel and has created calmer spaces for the children to relax.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have taken action to make progress with the compliance notice, while there is continued improvement needed and a requirement remains, the compliance notice is met. Two requirements from the previous inspection have been met. Progress has been made in respect of the other requirements, but they are not met and therefore have been restated. Recommendations from the last inspection were not considered at this inspection. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1277045 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

01/05/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 21/08/2023 Full Good 21/09/2022 Full Good 12/10/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1277045 4

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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 with 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

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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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

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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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)(a)(c)(e)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that there are suitable systems in place to monitor and review care in the home, particularly incidents of restraint. The registered person should ensure that any learning identified is shared with the staff team and that any changes required in response are made in a timely way. In addition, they should ensure that a stable and skilled staff team provides 29 September Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1277045 5 consistent support to children to enable them to make progress in line with the home’s statement of purpose.

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

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Requirement Due date

encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone;

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Requirement Due date

communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(xi))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that staff have the skills and support to help children manage their relationships with each other positively, and that, where necessary, they can intervene to stop others being harmed. 29 September

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and 29 September Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1277045 6 children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that there are clear plans for one child’s support needs with toileting and that these are well understood by staff.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that children’s plans clearly outline how to promote and support their communication, including and tools or resources that are required. Those tools should be available around the home to support children to express themselves. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 22, paragraph 4.6)  The registered person should ensure that conversations with children after incidents reflect on what has happened and are considered by the manager for the learning identified. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 50, paragraph 9.60)  The registered person should ensure that they speak with staff after incidents of restraint in the home to reflect on practice and identify any training needs. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 49, paragraph 9.56)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure children’s memory books are kept up to date to ensure the detail of events and outings is not lost. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.5)

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1277045 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Pathway Care Solutions Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Maybrook House, Third Floor, Queensway, Halesowen B63 4AH

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Inspector

Nickie Doney, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1277045 8 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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