Children's home run by Pathway Care Solutions Ltd in Bolton

Inspection report for children’s home: SC008810 1 SC008810 Registered provider: Pathway Care Solutions Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home is operated by a private provider. It is registered to provide care for up to four children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

Since the last inspection, one child has moved out of the home and one child has moved in. At the time of this inspection, three children were living at the home.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.1

good

Date of last inspection: 10 October 2023

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC008810 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/10/2023 Full Good 24/05/2022 Full Good 05/05/2021 Full Good 10/06/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC008810 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All three children living in the home were seen and spoken to by the inspector.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive individualised care. Staff understand children’s needs and respond with emotional warmth and nurture. Children thrive in a familial environment and enjoy sibling-type relationships with their peers. Children and staff spend time together as a family. For example, they go on holidays and have meals out together. Children like living at the home and have trusting and meaningful relationships with staff.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children do well in education considering their starting points. Staff support children with reading and homework, which helps them to make good progress. Staff are creative in their approach to home learning when children are unable to attend school. One child, who found school difficult, has been supported to return to full-time education.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are in good health. Staff encourage them to live healthy lifestyles through being active and eating healthy meals. Children who previously chose a small range of foods are now enjoying a wider and more varied diet, which promotes their overall health and well-being.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to maintain relationships with those who are important to them. Staff regularly transport children a considerable distance and plan fun activities to ensure that children’s time with their families is a positive experience. For some children, this has strengthened their relationships with family members, allowing them to spend more time together. This helps to reduce children’s feelings of loss and promotes their sense of identity.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s wishes and feelings are regularly sought and considered. They have a genuine say in their day-to-day care. This is reflected well in children’s personalised bedroom decor, their activities and choices. For example, one child asked for a sensory room. This has been designed by the children and recently created in the home. This helps children to feel heard and valued.

p.3

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

Children have low level risks which are well managed. Staff keep children safe and respond well if they show signs of distress. Staff use a trauma-informed approach, ensuring that firm boundaries are implemented with empathy, care and understanding. Strategies to manage behaviour are effective, which means when children are distressed, it rarely escalates into an incident, and staff do not need to hold children to keep them safe.

p.3

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

Staff help children learn how to keep themselves safe. They have regular discussions with children about their feelings and emotions, which helps children to process their Inspection report for children’s home: SC008810 4 experiences. Children can now recognise and talk about their feelings and have learned to regulate their emotions. This has resulted in a reduction in behaviours that children previously found difficult to manage.

p.3

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

Children know how to make complaints and feel able to share their concerns with staff. Staff talk to children about how to raise a concern through the home’s child-friendly and accessible complaints process.

p.4

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

There is a system in place to ensure that staff are safely recruited to work at the home. However, there is a shortfall in employment history for one member of staff. This is an area for development.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager strives to provide children with positive care and experiences. She sets high expectations for staff and challenges poor practice. There is a consistent staff team. When staffing levels are low, the manager and staff work additional shifts, which ensures that temporary workers are not needed. This provides children with continuity of care and security.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There are effective monitoring and quality assurance systems in place. The manager knows what is happening in the home daily. Regular internal and external audits are carried out. Areas of shortfall are addressed, and learning is used to improve practice and processes. This helps to maintain good standards of care.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are well trained. Most staff are up to date with their core training, such as safeguarding and first aid. Staff also receive training in relation to children’s specific needs, such as autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Monthly team meetings provide an opportunity for the team to bond and develop. Important topics, such as safeguarding and the care of children, are discussed. Staff also receive regular supervision. However, where some children have required more support than others, staff are not routinely encouraged to reflect on how their care of children affects their own feelings and behaviours. This has contributed to some staff feeling depleted and weary. At times, this has a negative effect on the morale of the team. Inspection report for children’s home: SC008810 5

p.4

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that good employment practice is maintained. They must ensure that recruitment, supervision and performance management of staff help to safeguard children and minimise potential risks to them. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1)  The registered person should ensure that supervision enables staff to reflect and act on how their own feelings and behaviour may be affected by the behaviour of the children they care for. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 39, paragraph 8.15)

p.5

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: SC008810 6

p.5

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Pathway Care Solutions Limited

p.6

Children’s home details

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

p.6

Inspector

Emma Dacres, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC008810 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

p.6

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7