Path 4 You

Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: Path 4 You 1 Path 4 You

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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provider

A private provider owns and operates this service. The service offers accommodation for up to 29 children and young people in nine shared premises that are limited to looked-after children and care leavers.

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provider

At the time of the visit, the service was providing support for 12 children aged 16 and 17.

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provider

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

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted carried out this visit in response to third-party concerns about the premises, suitability of placements and staff’s ability to keep one child safe and meet their needs. The requirements and recommendations from the inspection in October 2024 were also considered.

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This monitoring visit

Systems are in place to ensure that children’s readiness for supported accommodation is assessed at the point of referral. The needs of the individual child are considered alongside the needs of the children living in the accommodation. This provides a platform for children’s positive experiences.

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This monitoring visit

Three premises were visited. Overall, children’s accommodation is welcoming and homely. Children take pride in their homes, and staff encourage them to personalise their accommodation. However, outstanding repairs and poorly maintained external areas detract from the quality of accommodation.

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This monitoring visit

Some progress is noted in relation to the use of closed-circuit television (CCTV). However, in one premises, CCTV in communal areas is not based on an assessment Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: Path 4 You 2 of risk and limits children’s rights to privacy. This was raised as a requirement at the last inspection and is repeated.

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This monitoring visit

Children speak positively about their experiences. They said that they feel safe and well supported by staff. Staff are well equipped to meet children’s known and emerging needs and behaviours. For example, training in behaviour management helps staff to support children when they are at their most vulnerable.

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This monitoring visit

Children’s support plans and risk assessments lack detail and are not kept up to date. This means that staff do not always have the most relevant information to enable them to fully understand and respond to children’s holistic needs. In addition, there is little evidence that staff are carrying out needs-specific work that enables children to understand and manage their needs, behaviours and risks. This was raised as a requirement at the last inspection and is repeated.

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This monitoring visit

Overall, positive relationships exist between children and staff. However, there have been occasions when children’s discriminatory behaviour has placed a strain on these relationships. Staff make every effort to challenge this type of behaviour. However, a lack of direct support and challenge from leaders and managers has sometimes made this an unnecessarily difficult task.

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This monitoring visit

Missing-from-care protocols are in place for children. However, these are not always implemented in a way that protects children from the risk of harm. For example, on one occasion, staff failed to report a child’s absence to the police in a timely manner, potentially delaying the child’s return and placing them at unnecessary risk of harm. This issue was also identified at the last inspection and is a repeated requirement.

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This monitoring visit

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. This was raised as a requirement at the last inspection and is repeated.

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This monitoring visit

There is now a process in place to ensure that Ofsted is kept informed when serious incidents occur. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: Path 4 You 3

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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 work effectively as a team, where appropriate, to meet the needs of children. (Regulation 4 (1) (2)(a)(b))

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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 of the service. 17 March 2025

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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

ensure that the premises used as supported accommodation—

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Requirement Due date

are adequately maintained so as to provide a welcoming and homely environment within both individual and shared living spaces; 17 March 2025 Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: Path 4 You 4 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 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)(b)(viii)(c)(i)(iv))

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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

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

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that children’s records are updated to reflect their individual needs, risks and behaviours, and their progress. 17 March 2025

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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. 17 March 2025 Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: Path 4 You 5

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that the behaviour management policy outlines the service’s approach to supporting children and young people to maintain a reasonable standard of behaviour. Specifically, leaders and managers should support staff to manage and challenge discriminatory behaviour. (‘Guide to the Supported Accommodation Regulations, including Quality Standards’, page 56)

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to follow up information received by Ofsted and/or to ensure that the supported accommodation provider was complying with regulation.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: Path 4 You 6

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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 Virginia Vickers, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: Path 4 You 7 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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