Path 4 You

Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Path 4 You 1 Path 4 You Registered provider: Path 4 You Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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provider

A private provider operates this service. The provider can accommodate up to 29 individuals in nine shared or group living homes that are limited to accommodating looked-after children or care leavers.

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provider

At the time of the inspection, 12 children aged between 16 and 17 years were in placement.

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provider

The manager, who is also the nominated individual, registered with Ofsted in May 2024.

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provider

Inspection dates: The inspection was announced on 21 October 2024 and started that day. The inspectors were on site from 23 to 25 October 2024.

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Outcome

Inconsistent quality of service delivery adversely affects some children’s experiences, and this may limit their progress. Leaders and managers must make improvements.

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Summary of findings

Some children are positive about their experiences and progress; however, most children are not in education, training or employment.

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Summary of findings

Some staff understand children’s needs well, but not all staff have the necessary skills and experience to support them.

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Summary of findings

The children’s living environments are maintained to a good standard. Children speak positively about their accommodation. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Path 4 You 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Some children make progress because of the support that they receive from the staff team. Most staff build positive relationships with children and have a good understanding of their needs and vulnerabilities. This helps staff to identify when children need more support. One child said, ‘I have a positive relationship with [name of staff]. He is good and helped me learn how to use the washing machine and wash my clothes.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Children’s records are not always up to date and do not consistently capture their progress. For example, staff do not ensure that children’s support and independence plans include all relevant information about the children’s experiences and goals.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Children’s progress in education, training or employment varies. For some children, this has deteriorated since they came to live in this service. Staff do not always review children’s educational achievements or work with then to identify potential barriers to their learning, and they do not consistently help children to access employment or training opportunities. This is a missed opportunity to support children’s development towards independence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Children do not always understand the day-to-day routines in the provision because the children’s guide is only available in English. When children speak English as an additional language, staff do not work with them to ensure that they understand the content of this document. This does not help children to settle into their home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

The use of closed-circuit television across the service is invasive and not proportionate to potential risks to children. Managers do not review the use of this surveillance. For example, children’s lounges, dining areas and kitchen spaces are covered. This does not create a welcoming, supportive and nurturing supported accommodation environment.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Staff ensure that children’s physical and mental health needs are met, and they support children to attend relevant health appointments. When children experience periods of crisis and suffer a decline in their mental and emotional health, managers respond appropriately. In these circumstances, they provide a temporary increase in staff support for children to meet their needs. This leads to better placement stability.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Children’s placements are well planned. When making decisions, managers consult with children and consider the needs of children moving in along with the needs of children already living in the accommodation. Children are given the opportunity to visit the supported accommodation premises and meet the staff before they move in. These coordinated arrangements support children’s stability in their accommodation.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Children’s accommodation is welcoming, comfortable and decorated to a good standard. Children take pride in their homes, and staff encourage them to Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Path 4 You 3 personalise their environments to suit their preferences. This important investment shows children that they are valued.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Staff encourage and help children to maintain positive relationships with those who are important to them. They understand how these relationships support children’s journey into adulthood and promote their emotional well-being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Professional feedback is unanimously positive about this service. All staff, including the registered service manager, have positive relationships with other professionals. These relationships have helped to ensure that information about children is shared so that children’s needs are known and that they can access the additional services that they may need.

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How well children are helped and protected

Staff work closely with other professionals, including social workers and local police teams, to discuss and explore any emerging themes or patterns in children’s behaviour that may place them at an increased risk of harm. Staff also use this time to examine their own practice and consider what they can do differently or better to support the children. Although this approach helps to inform children’s individual pathway plans, their risk assessments do not always reflect these known or emerging risks.

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How well children are helped and protected

The registered person has prepared missing-from-care protocols in case children go missing from the service. However, when one child went missing, staff did not implement these or escalate their concerns to the local authority, local service or the police within the required time frames. This caused an unnecessary delay in locating the child.

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How well children are helped and protected

Children are not always supported to take age-appropriate risks as part of their journey towards independence. For example, knives and cleaning products are locked away, and not all children are provided with a door key to access their own accommodation. This does not help children to gain the independent living skills that they need.

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How well children are helped and protected

Children said that they feel safe and that staff help them to stay safe. Staff receive a wide range of safeguarding training to support children effectively. This training includes how to support children in crisis, manage challenging behaviours and de- escalate potentially volatile situations.

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How well children are helped and protected

Children understand their rights and know how to make a complaint. The registered service manager ensures that any concerns are quickly investigated and addressed. Staff are supported to reflect on their practice to ensure that this continues to develop. This assures children that any issues they raise are taken seriously.

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How well children are helped and protected

Leaders and managers follow safer recruitment procedures. They ensure that they carry out all relevant employment checks and that staff working directly with Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Path 4 You 4 children are subject to Disclosure and Barring Service checks. This helps to ensure that children work with staff who are deemed suitable.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The registered service manager has yet to embed effective monitoring systems to sufficiently scrutinise the service and identify areas for development. Currently, these monitoring systems do not help leaders and managers to evaluate children’s experiences or the quality of support provided by the service to ensure that this reflects the statement of purpose.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Staff say that the registered service manager supports them in their role. They benefit from regular reflective discussions and team meetings regarding children’s progress. However, the registered service manager does not ensure that all staff receive regular formal supervision to discuss their practice or identify their learning needs. The ineffective monitoring systems mean that the registered service manager is not fully aware of staff’s professional development or the additional skills they need to better support children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Leaders and managers do not notify Ofsted of all serious incidents. This means that the regulator cannot review if managers and staff have taken appropriate action to protect children from harm or if they have taken steps to manage and reduce risks to children’s safety.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The registered service manager is a good advocate for children. When children are incorrectly placed and need more support than the service can provide, she professionally challenges commissioning teams and social workers. This helps to ensure that children live in residential services that meet their individual needs. In addition, the registered service manager works with independent advocacy agencies so that children can express their views and wishes outside of the service. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Path 4 You 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 Supported Accommodation (England) Regulations 2023 and the ‘Guide to the Supported Accommodation Regulations, including Quality Standards’. The registered person(s) must comply within 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 supported accommodation undertaking that puts children first and prioritises their wellbeing and development.

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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 supported accommodation undertaking in a way that is consistent with the ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the undertaking’ s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills appropriate for the work that they are to perform;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that arrangements are in place for the supervision, training and development of staff. (Regulation 4 (1) (2)(a)(c)(g))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that internal monitoring systems support managers to evaluate and continually develop the service. 29 November

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Requirement Due date

The accommodation standard is that children experience a comfortable and secure living environment.

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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

only use devices for monitoring or surveillance in communal areas and then only if—

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Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is for the purposes of 29 November Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Path 4 You 6 safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children,

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Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is no more intrusive than necessary, having regard to each child’ s need for privacy. (Regulation 6 (1) (2)(c)(i)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that the use of monitoring or surveillance is reviewed regularly.

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Requirement Due date

The support standard is that children receive individual and tailored support that meets their needs.

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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

keep the child’s support under review, taking into consideration the plans for support, and relevant plans, to ensure that the child’s needs continue to be met and that the child is kept safe;

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Requirement Due date

before a child arrives or upon a child’s arrival, ensure that the child is given a written guide, in an accessible format, containing information about—

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Requirement Due date

what services and facilities are available that take account of children’s needs arising as a result of cultural differences or disability;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that children are supported to access education, training or employment. (Regulation 7 (1) (2)(c)(j)(iv)(m)) 29 November

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy setting out—

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Requirement Due date

the steps taken, and to be taken, to prevent children accommodated by the supported accommodation undertaking from going missing, and

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Requirement Due date

the procedures to be followed, and the roles and responsibilities of persons working for the supported accommodation undertaking, in relation to a child who is, or has previously been, missing. (Regulation 21 (1)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that all staff implement the procedures to be followed when a child goes missing. 29 November Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Path 4 You 7 The registered person must notify the CIECSS and any relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation or child criminal exploitation;

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child and the registered person considers that incident to be serious. (Regulation 27 (3)(a)(b)) 29 November

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that staff take reasonable precautions and make informed professional judgements based on the child’s individual needs, circumstances and level of autonomy, when identifying a particular risk or following a particular course of action. In particular, staff should ensure that children’s risk assessment documents are up to date and address any known vulnerabilities, and that they detail what action staff should take to address the risk. (‘Guide to the Supported Accommodation Regulations, including Quality Standards’, page 21)

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children 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 Supported Accommodation (England) Regulations 2023. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Path 4 You 8

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Supported accommodation provider details

Registered provider address: 61 St. Dunstans Close, Worcester WR5 2AJ

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Supported accommodation provider details

Registered service manager: Kerry Harris

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Inspectors

Patrick McIntosh, Social Care Inspector Steve James, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Path 4 You 9 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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