Children's home run by Positive Pathways Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2557914 1 Registered provider: Positive Pathways Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home provides care for up to three children who may have social and emotional difficulties and/or a learning disability.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, three children were living in the home. Two of them spoke with the inspector. One child declined to speak with the inspector but was given the opportunity to do so.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been in post since March 2021.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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inadequate

There are serious and widespread failures that mean children and young people are not protected and their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded.

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2557914 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

28/08/2024 Full Good 19/09/2023 Full Good 20/07/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 05/05/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2557914 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Children’s experiences and progress are significantly affected by shortfalls in how well they are helped and protected and the oversight of leaders and managers.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Staff have failed to provide children living in this home with clear and consistent boundaries and routines in line with their care and support plans. As a result, children are using their mobile phones throughout the night, which has impacted negatively on their sleep patterns and daily routines. Staff have not taken action to address this or to help children make positive changes to their routines. This does not support children to make progress and actively participate in daily life.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Staff and managers do not consistently encourage children to engage with their education. One child does regularly attend college. However, one child’s school reported that their attendance at school has significantly reduced during the time they have lived at the home and that, since the start of term, they have been regularly late for school. The manager and staff have given conflicting reasons for this child’s non-attendance, which demonstrates an insufficient understanding of the child’s educational needs and barriers. One child has had a tutor in place for a short period. Staff have not provided this child with enough support or encouragement around their education. As a result, the child has not yet met with the tutor despite them attending the home on a daily basis. This does not provide children with the support they need to engage with and achieve in their education.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Staff support for children’s health needs is mixed. They take children to important health appointments. When one child received a diagnosis of a significant infection, staff ensured that they received treatment. However, this information was not shared with the local authority in a timely way. Additionally, staff did not ensure that they gained follow- up test results for this child. This means that staff do not always know if children need treatment, and they do not ensure that children are always getting the right help and support that they need with their health.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Children are supported to spend time with their family. However, when significant changes are made to time with family, staff do not ensure that children are spoken with about this. This does not give children the opportunity to discuss their feelings. Children’s telephone contact with their family is not monitored in line with their risks. This does not ensure that communication with family members is consistently safe and positive for children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Two children said they like living in the home. One child has lived in the home for 18 months, which has provided them with some stability. This child said that the staff are nice and that they feel listened to. Another child had recently moved in and said that staff had made them feel welcome. However, this child said they were unable to name Inspection report for children’s home: 2557914 4 any of the staff members and could not say who they would speak with if they had any worries.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The home environment is generally well-maintained, and during the inspection, areas of the home were being repainted. One child’s bedroom was not maintained to a good enough standard. The child did not have sheets on their bed, the room was not sufficiently clean, and the floor was covered in items, which made the bedroom hazardous to navigate. The responsible individual took some action to address this during the inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

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

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Staff and managers do not take effective action to safeguard children. When there are serious safeguarding concerns, managers do not follow appropriate procedures.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

When children go missing from home, staff do not always follow the guidance in their care and support plans. Staff are not proactive in trying to locate children. On two occasions, a child who was missing shared their location, but staff did not attempt to find them and support them to return home. This has led to a child being missing for longer than they may have otherwise been and being exposed to increased risk of harm. During one of these incidents, a child was missing from home overnight and was at significant risk.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The risks to children when they go missing from home and the risks relating to exploitation are not well understood by staff and managers. Children are usually spoken with when they return home. However, the manager and staff do not show sufficient curiosity about where children have been and who they have been with. When one child shared information with staff about where they were while away from the home, this information was not followed up or shared with the local authority. As a result, risks for this child were not fully understood or explored, and this limited the effectiveness of any measures taken to safeguard them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Risk management plans do not include all the known concerns or up-to-date information. This has meant that staff have not identified potential triggers for a child to leave the home without permission, such as meeting with a friend they have gone missing with previously. As a result, children are not kept safe from potential exploitation.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Actions taken by staff and managers to keep children safe online are inadequate. Two children have unrestricted access to mobile phones and the internet. One staff member said, ‘I think they are addicted to their phone and the internet.’ One child was known to have previously been at risk through their social media use. Despite this, the manager and staff did not put safeguards or additional support in place for this child regarding their phone use. As a result, this child was then exposed to further online harm. When this was discussed with managers during inspection, there was a delay in them taking urgent action to address this shortfall. Inspection report for children’s home: 2557914 5 Another child is using their phone and communicating with unknown people online during the night. This is despite their care plan stating that they should hand their phone in to staff each night and have weekly phone checks. Staff have not adhered to this

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

guidance. The manager has not taken sufficient action to address staff practice and the concerns for this child’s phone use.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

When one child made an allegation against a staff member, this was taken seriously. However, the manager did not ensure that all the relevant information regarding the incident was shared with external agencies as part of the investigation into staff conduct. Additionally, the child was not informed of the outcome of their allegation. This does not ensure that children receive the support that they require when raising concerns.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Children’s plans provide clear guidance to staff on how to support children who self- harm, but staff do not follow these plans consistently. When one child had a piece of broken glass, staff did not intervene in line with the child’s plan. This led to the child injuring themselves and requiring hospital treatment. The management oversight of this incident did not identify shortfalls in staff practice.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

When children are distressed, staff do not always have the skills and ability to help them calm down. During one incident, staff contacted the police to intervene, placing children at risk of criminalisation. Following incidents, restorative practice is not used to repair relationships in line with the home’s statement of purpose. Additionally, management oversight does not identify areas for improvement.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers do not have effective oversight of the home. They do not identify shortfalls in staff practice that leave children at risk of harm. Management oversight of incidents is often delayed and lacks analysis.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager does not show a sufficient understanding of children’s individual needs and risks or of the signs that children may be at risk of harm. During the inspection, a staff member shared information relating to a child’s significant risks that managers stated they were not aware of. This means that staff are not provided with important information and guidance to help them care for children safely. The manager has not identified what action staff need to take to mitigate and manage risks. This has left children at risk of harm.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

When significant incidents take place, managers do not ensure that all the relevant information is shared with the local authority and other professionals or with Ofsted as required. This does not ensure effective partnership working to safeguard children. This has led to missed opportunities to develop plans to keep children safe and reduced opportunities for external scrutiny of the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders do not ensure that managers and staff have the required skills and knowledge to provide safe and effective care to children. Staff have attended some relevant Inspection report for children’s home: 2557914 6 training, but this is not always evident in staff practice. For example, some staff are trained in de-escalation techniques, but they have not consistently used these to reduce risks to children or staff. On one occasion, this led to a staff member being held by the throat by a child, despite other staff members being present.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The home has a stable staff team. Staff say that they feel well supported by managers and enjoy working in the home. Staff and management practice is not always in line with the home’s ethos. This is not identified and addressed by leaders and managers. Team meetings and staff supervision regularly take place. They identify where children need to make progress. However, managers do not identify what action staff need to take to help children progress. When children move out of the home, these endings are discussed with staff, but they are limited to a focus on the child’s behaviour, rather than staff practice. This is a missed opportunity for learning and ensuring improvements are made to the care that children experience. Inspection report for children’s home: 2557914 7

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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

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;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

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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

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home.

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Requirement Due date

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; 23 November 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2557914 8 use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(c)(e)(f)(g)(i)(ii)(h))

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Requirement Due date

Leaders, managers and staff must have the required experience, skills and knowledge to provide safe and effective care to each child.

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must ensure that staff have all the important information they need to safely care for children.

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Requirement Due date

Children’s care plans must reflect known and emerging needs and must be followed by all staff.

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Requirement Due date

Leaders must ensure that managers and staff have the skills to recognise and act appropriately when a child may have been harmed or is at risk of harm.

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Requirement Due date

Leaders, managers and staff must ensure that they record and effectively communicate all significant events and concerns effectively with children’s families (where applicable) and local authorities.

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Requirement Due date

Leaders must ensure that the manager and staff have the knowledge, skills and experience as outlined in the statement of purpose.

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must ensure that external agencies are provided with all relevant information when children make allegations. Children should understand how their concerns are being investigated and the outcome.

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Requirement Due date

The manager should ensure that attempts are made to repair relationships after incidents.

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must ensure that there is effective and timely monitoring and oversight of the quality of care children receive and take action when needed to bring about improvement.

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— 23 November 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2557914 9 that staff—

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Requirement Due date

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies.

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm;

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Requirement Due date

that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(e))

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must ensure that staff, including managers, have the skills to recognise when a child may have been harmed or be at risk of harm.

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must ensure that all staff, including managers have sufficient knowledge and understanding of their role and responsibilities in protecting children.

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Requirement Due date

Children must have clear plans that reflect their risks, needs and expectations on staff to manage those risks. Managers and staff should follow children’s care plans. Children’s records must include their known and emerging risks and vulnerabilities.

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Requirement Due date

Staff should be supported to understand children’s behaviours and strategies should be in place to reduce the risk of any harm Inspection report for children’s home: 2557914 10 to the children. These strategies should be clear in their plans and evident in practice.

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

support each child’s learning and development, including helping the child to develop independent study skills and, where appropriate, helping the child to complete independent study;

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Requirement Due date

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment;

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Requirement Due date

maintain regular contact with each child’s education and training provider, including engaging with the provider and the placing authority to support the child’s education and training and to maximise the child’s achievement;

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Requirement Due date

raise any need for further assessment or specialist provision in relation to a child with the child’s education or training provider and the child’s placing authority;

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Requirement Due date

help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(vi)(vii)(viii)(x)) 23 November 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2557914 11 In particular, the manager and staff must support children to attend their educational provision. They must also support children to overcome any barriers to learning.

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Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child’s needs;

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans; and

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Requirement Due date

seek to develop and maintain effective professional relationships with such persons, bodies or organisations as the registered person considers appropriate having regard to the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the children’s home is to provide care and accommodation. (Regulation 5 (a)(b)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the manager must challenge the placing authority when children do not have up-to-date plans or an educational provision. They must liaise with other professionals to ensure that children’s health and educational needs are met. 23 November 2025

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose; 23 November 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2557914 12 ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

protect and promote each child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand and manage the impact of any experience of abuse or neglect;

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Requirement Due date

make decisions about the day-to-day arrangements for each child, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans, which give the child an appropriate degree of freedom and choice. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iv)(v)(ix))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the manager and staff should have an understanding of and apply the model of care as set out in the home’s statement of purpose.

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Requirement Due date

The manager and staff should also ensure that children have consistent routines and boundaries in line with their care plans.

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Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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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: 2557914 13

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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

Jenny Smith, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2557914 14 and inspects 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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