Children's home run by G & S Path to Progression

Inspection report for children's home: 2808705 1 Registered provider: G & S Path to Progression

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is privately owned and provides care for one child who experiences social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home and the manager registered with Ofsted in April 2025.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager is suitably qualified. At the time of this inspection, one child was living in the home.

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Inspection dates: 27 to 29 August 2025

The inspection was paused for one day to allow the registered manager and responsible individual to manage an urgent matter.

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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: 2808705 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

In the short period of time the home has been open, some children have been supported to make progress from their individual starting points.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have benefited from staff helping them with educational activities when they are not in a formal educational setting. This is supporting children to prepare for mainstream schooling as well as developing their confidence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported by patient and nurturing staff, who know the children well and understand their needs. Children are being helped to establish routines through staff providing clear and consistent boundaries. This is helping children feel safe, protected and cared for.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s plans comprehensively illustrate their needs and what they want to achieve by living in the home. The plans capture a sense of the child and are focused on their intended outcomes. Children are encouraged to have purposeful conversations with staff so they can be supported to progress their individual goals. Plans are frequently updated to reflect any emerging risks and ongoing needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are in good physical health and are registered with an optician, dentist and GP. Children are referred to specialist services when specific vulnerabilities are identified, such as substance misuse. Staff consult with specialist services when necessary to ensure children’s emotional needs are met.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have been supported to develop their interests and are actively encouraged to take part in activities that promote their health and well-being, such as swimming, ice skating, trampolining and going to the gym. This has helped children to develop confidence and improve their self-esteem.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s identity is sensitively considered and promoted by staff. For example, one child was supported to take part in activities that reflect their sexual orientation by celebrating Pride. This supports children to develop a positive sense of self.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are actively encouraged to engage in household tasks to develop their independence skills. Children are supported to personalise their bedrooms so they feel a sense of permanence and belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s records are child focused. They comprehensively and sensitively illustrate their day-to-day lived experiences. This will ensure that in later life, should children want to access their records, they will have a detailed understanding of their history.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When children have planned moves from the home, staff create thoughtful transition plans. One child received a beautifully created video compilation of their time living in Inspection report for children's home: 2808705 3 the home. This ensures children have a positive ending to their experience in the home and helps to promote stability in their new provision.

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

Children have detailed individual risk assessments that describe children’s vulnerabilities, triggers to behaviours that challenge and strategies to de-escalate and reduce harmful behaviour. Any emerging risks are well managed by staff.

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

Some children have been helped to reduce behaviour that is harmful to themselves and others through receiving stable, encouraging and thoughtful care. Children are helped by staff to reflect on their behaviour and to think about coping strategies and different approaches so they can make more positive choices.

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

Staff promote positive behaviour through praising and rewarding children’s achievements, no matter how small. Consequences for harmful behaviour are discussed so children are helped to understand what might happen if harmful incidents continue.

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

Children’s plans help staff to understand what makes children feel happy, sad, frustrated and distressed. The plans illustrate what children find helpful when they need support.

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

When children go missing from home, robust procedures are followed by staff. Children benefit from staff who are tenacious and persistent in their endeavours to contact them throughout their time missing from home to check their welfare and encourage them to return home. When children return home, they receive appropriate care and attention.

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

Children with court-ordered restrictions are sensitively supported to understand why staff are not always able to do what they want.

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

Incidents of restraint are proportionate and only used when necessary to safeguard children. Physical interventions are comprehensively recorded with effective management oversight. Debriefs are consistently undertaken to support staff to reflect on the intervention and with children to help them understand their triggers and the consequences of harmful behaviour.

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

When formal police intervention has been required, this has been proportionate to the incident to ensure the safety of children and to promote the welfare of staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The suitably qualified registered manager has high expectations and is highly ambitious for children. She is creating a reflective learning environment for staff to develop their skills and confidence to meet the individual needs of children. The registered manager is a strong advocate for children and respectfully challenges services that are not delivering interventions in line with children’s plans. Inspection report for children's home: 2808705 4 When children are struggling to settle in the home, the registered manager is proactive in engaging the placing local authority to ensure a timely review of the child’s plan and to consider next steps. Effective communication between the registered manager and children’s professional network is promoting a collaborative approach to ensure children receive the best possible care and experience.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager welcomes feedback to inform continuous improvement and a learning culture in the home. There is appropriate professional challenge, scrutiny and oversight from the responsible individual and independent visitor.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff have access to a comprehensive programme of learning and development that ensures they are equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to care for children with complex social and emotional difficulties.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Robust recruitment processes ensure that only suitable staff are appointed to work in the home.

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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: 2808705 5

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: G & S Path to Progression

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Inspector

Nicki Shaw, His Majesty’s Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2808705 6 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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