Children's Home run by Positive Pathways Limited in Birmingham

Inspection report for children’s home: SC410539 1 SC410539 Registered provider: Positive Pathways Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home provides care for up to three children who have had adverse childhood experiences that have led to associated trauma and presenting complex behaviours. This home is privately owned.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in June 2024.

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Information about this children’s home

Three children lived at the home at the time of the inspection. Children were spoken to during the inspection.

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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: 18 December 2023

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC410539 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

18/12/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 12/07/2022 Full Inadequate 22/02/2022 Full Good 28/11/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC410539 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children are looked after by managers and staff that are kind, supportive, patient and caring. The children told the inspector that they feel like staff and managers genuinely want them to do well and provide them with everything that they need, just as parents would do in a good family home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff develop positive relationships with the children. This has helped the two children who have recently moved in to settle promptly. All children make progress from their starting points. For example, staff role model positive parenting. This has helped one child to rebuild relationships with close family. The child and family now look forward to spending quality time together. Another child was supported to sit all their examinations and has progressed to college, where they are pursuing their chosen career pathway.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All three children have education placements and staff work well with teachers. Consequently, they have a sound understanding of children’s barriers to learning. When children do struggle with their school routines and learning, staff, managers and teachers quickly review children’s plans and provide individualised support to re-engage children with their learning. The children feel that teachers and staff have their best interest at heart and are developing aspirations for the future.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have opportunities to express their wishes and feelings through quality time spent with staff, discussions and children’s meetings. The children told the inspector that they feel that staff listen to their views, and this makes them feel valued. Children are involved in making decisions about their daily routines and care planning.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children live in a warm and welcoming home environment and are given opportunities to make their bedrooms their own. During the inspection visit, the home was beautifully decorated for Halloween, and the children were looking forward to celebrating this event with staff. Some areas within the home do need improvement. For example, the flooring in the kitchen, the ceiling in the second lounge and some panels on the garden fence are all in need of repair.

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

Since the last inspection, there have been some serious and complex safeguarding incidents. However, staff and managers have worked well with partner agencies such as social workers, teachers, police and designated officers to address presenting safety issues and have managed to keep the children safe.

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

Staff and managers, with support from specialist services, have completed a significant amount of ‘keeping safe’ work with children. The children reflect on incidents that have Inspection report for children’s home: SC410539 4 occurred, and learn from behaviour and understand the importance of keeping themselves safe. Consequently, there has been a reduction in risk-taking behaviors.

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

When children go missing from home, staff follow procedures in place to keep them safe. Staff search local areas, notify relevant professionals and ensure that children receive return home interviews. However, there were two occasions where staff did not continue to follow a child when they boarded a bus, as this was not part of the protocol in place. This is a missed opportunity to prevent children from going missing. There have only been two incidents where physical restraint was used by staff to keep children safe. Staff use other de-escalating techniques to try and defuse situations. However, physical restraint was necessary to keep the children safe.

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

The safer recruitment processes in place for both permanent and temporary staff are robust and ensure that only safe adults care for the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is managed by experienced managers who are supported by inspirational leaders, whose focus is to provide good-quality care for children. Managers advocate for children to receive the right level of support from partner agencies, so that children are settled and making progress. The managers have effective monitoring and reviewing systems in place, which means any shortfalls are quickly identified and addressed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Since the last inspection, there has been a high level of staff turnover. Managers use staff from external agencies to support agreed safety plans put in place by the children’s local authorities. The managers do try to use the same staff whenever possible to give the children consistent care. Managers have now recruited a full staff team, which will bring consistency for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers use staff meetings to train and upskill staff. Meetings are used to revisit various in-house policies and procedures, and use reflection to scrutinise practice to continuously improve care afforded to children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff say that they feel supported by managers. Staff receive quality supervision, which gives them opportunities to continuously develop their careers. Staff receive mandatory and specialist training required to meet the children’s needs. One member of staff, however, has not yet completed their relevant level three qualification within the required timescales. Inspection report for children’s home: SC410539 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

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home,

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform;

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

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Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) (“the Level 3 Diploma”); or

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Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma. (Regulation 32 (2)(a)(b) (3)(b) (4)(a)(b)) 31 March 2025

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that, for children’s homes to be nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of their children, they will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. In particular, the registered person should ensure that all maintenance jobs are actioned promptly. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. In particular, they should Inspection report for children’s home: SC410539 6 review procedures in place regarding following children when they leave home without authorisation and board buses. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, paragraph 9.5, page 42)

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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: SC410539 7

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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

Rumbi Mangoma, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC410539 8 inspects 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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