Children's home run by Northern Community Pathways Children’s Residential Services Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home: 2784656 1 Registered provider: Northern Community Pathways Childrens Residential Services 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

The home is owned and managed by a private provider. It provides care for two children who may have social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in July 2024.

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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: 2784656 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff set high expectations for the child. They provide the child with structure, strong boundaries and consistent and nurturing care. The child responds to this positive approach. They are settled, happy and making progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child’s health needs are being met. Staff are proactive and consistent in their approach to help the child to enjoy a healthy lifestyle. This has led to the child enjoying a healthy diet and improved self-care routines. Staff understand the child’s emotional and mental health needs. They work collaboratively with mental health professionals to ensure that the child is receiving the right support.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is making progress in their education from their starting point. They are receiving a combination of home tuition and informal learning for their education because a suitable school placement in the local area has not yet been secured. Staff are committed to providing the child with structure to their school day and to providing them with lots of opportunities and activities for informal learning.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is provided with a range of activities in line with their hobbies and interests. They are supported to attend a local youth club and horse-riding group lessons, which provide the child with the opportunity to develop friendships in the local area.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have built positive relationships with the child’s family. They support the child to spend time with their family in line with the child’s plan. One parent said, ‘Staff are great, they work with me, I feel listened to and that makes me feel valued. This is the happiest I have seen [name of child].’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is consulted with regularly about the care they receive. Staff talk to the child about a range of topics specific to their needs, and they ask the child how they are feeling. The child’s wishes and feelings, and the actions staff take to respond, are captured in records.

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

The child responds to the high level of supervision they receive, which has meant that the risks to the child have reduced since they moved into this home. Staff understand the child’s individual vulnerabilities and risks, and they understand the importance of using their relationship with the child to help the child to feel safe and secure.

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

Risk assessments are detailed and they are kept under review by the manager. They identify all known risks to the child and they provide staff with clear steps to follow to mitigate some of those risks. Inspection report for children’s home: 2784656 3 The child does not go missing. There is a clear plan in place should this happen, and staff are clear about their responsibilities to find the child as quickly as possible.

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

Incidents are rare. When they do happen, staff respond to the child and manage the situation well. When the child shows unwanted behaviour, staff use distraction techniques well and they use their relationships with the child to promote positive behaviour. There have not been any incidents leading to the child being held and consequences to behaviour are rarely used.

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

Staff understand the child’s vulnerabilities when they are accessing the internet. There are appropriate safeguards in place to ensure that the child is better protected, and staff educate the child about online safety.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is ambitious about the quality of care that children experience. He has a child-centred approach and role models positive practice to the staff team. The manager values his staff and provides them with effective leadership and support.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The systems in place to monitor the quality of care provided to children and staff development are effective. The manager has good oversight of the home. He knows the strengths of the home and he has a clear vision for the development of the staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision that is reflective, and discussions are centred on the children. Team meetings happen regularly, and they provide staff with the opportunity to discuss changes to the children’s plans. Staff feel supported by the manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive a good range of training. This includes training in areas specific to the child’s needs. Records show that training is kept up to date and under review for all staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and staff place an importance on multi-agency working. They have built positive relationships with other professionals involved with the children. One professional said, ‘Staff have built positive relationships with [name of child]. Their approach is child centred and they understand their needs.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is a strong advocate for the child. He confidently challenges others to ensure that the child’s needs are met. This proactive approach has strengthened the relationship between the child’s family, staff and the child. Inspection report for children’s home: 2784656 4

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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: 2784656 5

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Northern Community Pathways Childrens Residential Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Northern Community Pathways Childrens Residential Services Ltd321 Red Bank Road, 321 Red Bank Road, Bispham, Blackpool FY2 0HJ

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Inspectors

Rachel Webster, Social Care Inspector Angela Ross, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2784656 6 and 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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