Children's Home run by Positive Pathways Limited in Birmingham

Inspection report for children's home: SC410545 1 SC410545 Registered provider: Positive Pathways 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 by a private company. It provides care for up to two children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

There has been no registered manager since January 2025.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, two children were living at the home. Both children spoke to the inspector during the inspection.

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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 requires improvement to be 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: 5 November 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

05/11/2024 Full Good 06/02/2024 Full Good 09/08/2022 Full Good 14/07/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: SC410545 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s education is valued and supported by staff. One child attends school full time and is making good progress in line with their needs. Another child is in college and is making excellent progress with aspirations to attend university. Staff are proactive in working with education professionals when children are experiencing difficulties. This ensures that children are provided with the appropriate support.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand children’s equality, diversity and inclusion. Staff support children to develop their personal interests. One child enjoys playing football and going to watch their favourite football team. Another child enjoys baking and arranged a cake sale to raise money for a charity. Children enjoy celebrating each other’s achievements and special occasions. This creates a supportive and inclusive living environment.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have warm and trusting relationships with each other and staff. This creates a nurturing home environment. Staff support children to develop friendships outside of their home. For example, one child enjoys going to a swimming club and community activity centres. Staff support children to visit their family members. A family member said that staff support the child’s family relationships.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to share their views, wishes and feelings. This helps to develop children’s confidence and independence. For example, children are supported by staff to attend meetings with external professionals. One child was supported to organise and facilitate a meeting with external professionals about their future plans. In addition, one child has an advocate in place to support their engagement with their own care planning. As a result, children feel valued and involved in making decisions about their lives.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is comfortable and well maintained. There are photos of the children in the communal areas. Children’s bedrooms are designed to reflect their individual diversity. When children have sensory needs, their bedrooms are thoughtfully planned. One child told the inspector how much they liked their bedroom. The garden is spacious and a relaxing area for children to play.

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

Children’s support plans reflect their needs. These are reviewed and updated as children’s needs change to ensure that staff are provided with effective guidance. Staff support children to understand any risks detailed in their plans through discussions and planned educative work. For example, staff are helping one child to explore their feelings and mental health needs.

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

Staff are proactive in supporting children to learn about internet safety. When children have mobile phones, staff complete regular checks to ensure that their phone use is Inspection report for children's home: SC410545 4 safe. Staff help children to understand the risks of speaking to individuals who they do not know. When staff identify risks, they support children to understand these by completing educative work.

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

When children go missing from their home, staff effectively follow children’s support plans. Staff use professional curiosity to explore children’s relationships with their external peers. This helps children to understand the responsibility of staff to keep them safe. Staff consult with social workers and the police when they are concerned about children’s safety in the community. This ensures that all risks to children are understood by professionals.

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

Allegations and complaints are taken seriously by senior leaders and managers. There is appropriate consultation with the local authority designated officer, ensuring that all necessary steps are taken to keep children safe. When allegations and complaints are made against external professionals, senior leaders and managers are proactive in addressing these.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

There has been no registered manager since January 2025. A senior leader and manager are providing daily support to the children and staff team. Staff report that having no permanent manager is creating instability for them. Despite this, staff continue to be committed to providing good care to the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff are not trained to use the home’s therapeutic model that is recorded in the home’s statement of purpose. Leaders and managers accept this shortfall and acknowledge that staff require specialist training regarding the model of care. Staff have completed their mandatory training and understand how to support children and keep them safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Management oversight is not consistent when reviewing incidents and learning for staff. Leaders are aware that this is a shortfall and plan to make improvements to monitoring systems to allow staff opportunities to learn from incidents. Effective monitoring and review systems are in place to review children’s progress, staff development and the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The safe recruitment of staff is prioritised by leaders and managers. There are clear systems in place to ensure that staff recruitment is safe. Leaders and managers recognise this is the first stage of developing a staff team that can help to keep children safe. Inspection report for children's home: SC410545 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 Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the 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 provider must appoint a person to manage the children’s home if—

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Requirement Due date

there is no registered manager in respect of the home; and

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Requirement Due date

is not, or does not intend to be, in day-to-day charge of the home.

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Requirement Due date

If the registered provider appoints a person to manage the home, the registered provider must, without delay, give HMCI notice of—

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person so appointed; and

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Requirement Due date

the date on which the appointment takes effect. (Regulation 27 (1)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii) (2)(a)(b)) 15 July 2025

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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 children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— 15 July 2025 Inspection report for children's home: SC410545 6 lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to leaders and managers ensuring that staff are trained and deliver the home’s therapeutic model of care to children.

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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 7

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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 8 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.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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