Children's Home run by Positive Pathways Limited in Birmingham

Inspection report for children’s home: SC410545 1 SC410545 Registered provider: Positive Pathways Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned by a private company and is registered to provide care for up to two children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager is suitably qualified.

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Information about this children’s home

At time of the inspection, two children were living in the home.

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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: 6 February 2024

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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: SC410545 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

06/02/2024 Full Good 09/08/2022 Full Good 14/07/2021 Full Good 13/11/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC410545 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Both children living in the home were spoken to during the inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have affectionate relationships with staff. Children say they feel safe and enjoy living at their home. One child said that they would rate their home ‘10 out of 10’. Staff develop positive relationships with the children and understand their needs. This means that children have detailed support plans.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand the importance of education, and children attend school or college full time. Staff helped one child to feel confident to complete their exams by supporting them with their revision. The child now attends college, which they enjoy. A teacher said that the manager and staff attend all meetings and communicate well. This helps staff to understand how to support children’s education.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy visiting their families and friends. Staff support visiting arrangements and make sure that these are safe for children. One family member said that staff keep them updated with information and they can see how happy the child is with staff. Staff will speak to social workers about the arrangements if these are not safe. One social worker said that staff have the skills to help children understand risks.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive individual care and support from staff who know their needs well. Staff organise multi-agency support for children. This is helping one child to learn about sexual health and how to live safely in the community. Another child is being supported to learn about their emotions and how to manage these effectively. Children make decisions about activities, celebrations and their home with support from staff. This is helping to create an inclusive and nurturing home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is comfortable. Staff support children to design their bedrooms. The communal areas have been redecorated and are well furnished. Photos of the children and children’s crafts are on display in the communal areas. There is a large well- maintained garden, which has a basketball hoop and garden furniture for children to use to relax.

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

Children have lived in their home between two and three years. Staff provide children with consistent boundaries. One child said they do not like boundaries but know that these help to keep them safe. Staff create routines that help children to attend school, college and take part in activities. One child is a member of a football academy, which they attend weekly.

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

Staff support children to make complaints. This approach helps children to feel listened to. Staff support children to take part in meetings about their futures to help them to share their views. If concerns are raised about the manager, a senior manager reviews Inspection report for children’s home: SC410545 4 these. This helps children to know that their complaints and allegations are taken seriously.

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

Children have detailed support plans. The manager updates plans when children’s needs change. The clinical psychologist provides guidance for staff to support the children’s needs effectively. Staff support children to understand their emotions and help them with their confidence. Staff receive training to keep children safe, such as learning about the risks of social media. This is helps staff to teach children about internet and mobile phone safety.

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

Staff know how to support children when they go missing from home. Since the last inspection, there have been two occasions when children have been missing. Staff followed the home’s guidance effectively. When children return home, staff support them to share their experiences. This approach identified children requiring further support. As a result, staff obtained support, which helped the children to feel safe. An independent reviewing officer said that staff understand risks and how to support children’s needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and staff work hard to create a safe and nurturing home. The manager is a strong advocate for children and is responsive to their needs. Staff feel valued by the manager, who they view as a positive role model.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers have clear expectations about training and supervision. This means that staff receive a detailed induction and training plan that aids development. There is a clear structure for supervision and appraisals, which are child and staff focused. Team meetings also enhance staff learning and practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Diversity, equality and inclusion are a strength of leaders and managers. There is a diverse team of staff who care for the children. This helps children to learn about diversity, equality and inclusion. Staff support one child to understand written words by using symbols. Staff use these symbols in recording their conversations with the child. Children enjoy different celebrations and learning about the history of their community.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers work hard to develop clear monitoring systems. This includes senior managers visiting the home and speaking to children. The manager has created a review system to check children’s education and health. The manager reviews all discussions between children and staff. This helps the manager to understand children’s views and identify further support. Routines to maintain the physical environment of the home are an area for development. Inspection report for children’s home: SC410545 5

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that everyone working at the home understands their roles and responsibilities when the manager is absent from the home. This specifically relates to the routines for maintaining the physical environment of the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 10.20)

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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: SC410545 6

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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

Siân Heffey, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC410545 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 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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