Children's Home run by Brighter Pathways NW Ltd in Cheshire West and Chester

Inspection report for children’s home: 2811131 1 Registered provider: Brighter Pathways NW Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is privately run and provides care for up to two children who experience emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, one child was living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

This is the home’s first full inspection since registering with Ofsted in February 2025.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2811131 2

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improvement to be good

Since the home registered, two children have moved into the home. These moves were well planned but the provider decided to serve notice on one child’s placement after a few days as they felt they were unable to keep the child safe. The manager has reviewed the child’s move in and out of the home and has submitted a formal complaint to the placing authority. One child has recently moved into the home, and they have settled in well. They said they like living in the home.

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improvement to be good

The child’s health needs are met and they are enrolled in college ahead of the new term in September.

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improvement to be good

The child’s views are sought on a regular basis and staff listen to what they say. Staff encourage the child to discuss their own care planning and to contribute to their plans.

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improvement to be good

Direct work is individualised to the needs of the child, and topics cover a variety of different areas, including online safety. This demonstrates that the child is being supported to learn what it means to keep themselves safe online and promotes positive relationships.

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improvement to be good

The child’s time with family is promoted by staff. Recently, the child celebrated their birthday and staff planned for the child to spend time with their family. This is something that has not happened for some time. Consequently, the child is rebuilding relationships with people who are important to them.

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improvement to be good

The child’s individual hobbies and interests are well catered for. They enjoy a wide range of activities, such as go-karting, the cinema and going on trips to local shops and parks.

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improvement to be good

Children’s records are not always clear and include conflicting information in relation to their overall care. This does not enable staff to provide children with the care to meet the child’s specific needs.

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improvement to be good

Safeguarding practices require improvement. On one occasion, staff were unable to de- escalate incidents effectively in line with the child’s individualised plan. As a result, staff relied on the police to manage this incident. The manager has not evaluated this incident to identify any learning effectively. Inspection report for children’s home: 2811131 3 Staff understand the child’s risks. Individualised risk assessments are in place and provide staff with strategies to manage risk. However, the manager has not ensured that these contain all accurate information.

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improvement to be good

Restraint practices used in the home are minimal and are used as a last resort. Following a restraint, the child and the staff involved are given the chance to reflect on the incident. However, the recording of restraints is not always completed in line with regulation. During the inspection, one record of restraint could not be located and another did not contain information about the hold used and the duration.

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improvement to be good

The manager and the staff have built effective links with local community support officers and safeguarding leads. The manager regularly reviews the home’s locality assessment to reflect the work carried out with the local community.

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improvement to be good

Due to the high staffing levels, there have been no incidents of the child going missing from the home. One professional spoke about how this is significant progress as it was previously an ongoing concern. Staff understand what action to take if an incident were to occur.

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improvement to be good

The recruitment of new staff is not robust. Due to issues with the manager’s recording systems, it is unclear if overseas checks were completed on two bank staff. This does not demonstrate safer recruitment.

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

The manager is suitably experienced and qualified. She demonstrates a child-centred approach. Staff say that the manager is supportive and that she has created a culture of openness, trust and mutual respect.

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

Staff say their induction was detailed and informative. They have regular supervision and daily handovers support them to work well together. Regular team meetings are an opportunity to share information. The manager ensured that she met with staff to reflect on one child’s placement ending to consider any lessons learned.

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

Recording systems are chaotic, which means that the manager could not locate all requested documents. The current systems do not enable leaders and managers to review the quality of care or identify any changes that are required to keep children safe.

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

External monitoring is in place. However, the monthly monitoring reports have not always been shared with the regulator. When these have been sent, there is conflicting and inaccurate information. This means the regulator has not had full oversight of the home since it opened.

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

Rotas are planned to ensure that sufficient staff are available. During a period of crisis, the manager needed to increase the staffing levels with the use of agency staff. Inspection report for children’s home: 2811131 4 However, the manager has not ensured that the rota contains the full names of all the staff who were working in the home during this time.

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

Leaders and managers do not ensure that all staff are suitably skilled or trained to meet the needs of all children. Not all staff have received training specific to the child’s needs. This includes training on matters such as gangs, knife crime and substance misuse.

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

Feedback from other professionals was positive. They said that there was good information-sharing from the manager and that the child has matured since moving into the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2811131 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 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—

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that all staff have training on substance misuse, gangs and knife crime.

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Requirement Due date

This also relates to ensuring that electronic recording systems are robust and that all documents are in place on a system that is accessible. 26 September

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— 26 September Inspection report for children’s home: 2811131 6 that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure the effective induction of each child into the home;

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Requirement Due date

manage and review the placement of each child in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child’s placing authority. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that children have a positive experience of arriving at and leaving the home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home,

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character;

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform;

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Requirement Due date

the individual is mentally and physically fit for the purposes of the work that the individual is to perform; and

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. 26 September Inspection report for children’s home: 2811131 7 For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may permit an individual to start work at the home despite the fact that the requirement in paragraph (3)(d) has not been met if—

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Requirement Due date

the registered person has taken all reasonable steps to obtain full information about each of the matters in Schedule 2 in respect of the individual, but the enquiries in relation to any of the matters in paragraphs 3 to 6 of Schedule 2 are incomplete;

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information in respect of the individual has been obtained in relation to the matters in paragraphs 1 and 2 of Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c)(d) (3)(a)(b)(c) (7)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that all staff are recruited in line with safer recruitment, that all staff have overseas checks completed when they have lived abroad and that all Schedule 2 documents are on file.

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure (“the user”), and of any other person present when the measure was used; 26 September Inspection report for children’s home: 2811131 8 the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”)—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(viii)(b)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that any restraints that take place are documented fully with the date, time and location of the hold, the description of the measure and the duration of the hold.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c)) 26 September

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Requirement Due date

Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the records are kept up to date. (Regulation 37 (1) (2)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring the home’s roster contains full names of all staff working in the home. 26 September

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month. 26 September Inspection report for children’s home: 2811131 9 When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person—

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Requirement Due date

if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires; and

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Requirement Due date

to inspect the premises of the home and such of the home’s records (except for a child’s case records, unless the child and the child’s placing authority consent) as the independent person requires.

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Requirement Due date

A visit by the independent person to the home may be unannounced.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must produce a report about a visit (“the independent person’s report”) which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether—

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Requirement Due date

children are effectively safeguarded; and

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Requirement Due date

the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person’s report may recommend actions that the registered person may take in relation to the home and timescales within which the registered person must consider whether or not to take those actions. (Regulation 44 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3) (4)(a)(b) (5))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that the independent visitor sends in the monthly report in a timely way and that it contains accurate information.

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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: 2811131 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Brighter Pathways NW Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Office 3, 3rd Floor, 21 Old Hall Street, Liverpool, Merseyside L3 9BS

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Inspector

Judith Birchall, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2811131 11 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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