Pathway 360 Care Limited

Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Pathway360 Care Limited 1 Pathway 360 Care Limited Registered provider: Pathway 360 Care Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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provider

This supported accommodation service is owned and managed by a private provider.

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provider

The service can accommodate up to 14 children and young people, in four shared or group-living homes that are limited to accommodating looked-after children and care leavers.

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provider

At the time of this inspection, this service was providing supported accommodation for seven children.

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provider

The service was registered in May 2024. There is a nominated individual in post and a newly appointed manager. At the time of the inspection, the manager had not submitted their application to register with Ofsted.

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provider

Inspection dates: The inspection was announced on 6 October 2025 and started that day. The inspector was on site from 8 to 10 October 2025.

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Outcome

Inconsistent quality of service delivery adversely affects some children’s experiences, and this may limit their progress. Leaders and managers must make improvements. The next inspection will be within approximately 18 months.

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Summary of findings

Although staff understand children’s needs, the support plans and risk assessments for some children do not provide staff with the strategies they need to better support children.

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Summary of findings

Leaders and managers do not always fully consider children’s needs before they are accepted to move in. A small number of children who require higher staffing levels and have complex needs have been inappropriately placed with the service. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Pathway360 Care Limited 2 There are weaknesses in the compatibility and matching of children living together, quality assurance systems, some safeguarding communication, quality of accommodation and the involvement of children in their support plans.

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Summary of findings

Leaders and managers are aware of the work needed to improve systems underpinning the service and took steps to address shortfalls in the accommodation during the inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Children were positive about the support that they receive and the relationships that they have with other children and with staff. They said they were happy and had staff they could talk to.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

The accommodation provides private areas for children, supporting their need for personal time and their own space. There are also spaces to socialise, promoting interaction and relationship-building among children. However, in one house, the communal bathroom and bedroom doors are institutional in appearance. This detracts from the overall homely environment and may impact the children’s sense of comfort.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Most children are settled in their homes and are supported by staff who know them well. Leaders and managers review both the quality and frequency of this support. Support plans are in place. However, some are generic and do not provide staff with clear strategies to follow and do not feature the voice of the child. Without input from the children, it is unclear whether their preferences, needs or concerns are being considered in their support planning.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Leaders and managers do not consistently demonstrate thorough consideration of children’s individual needs before they move in. In a minority of cases, children with complex needs who require high levels of staffing have been placed in the supported accommodation. The service is not suitably equipped to meet these children’s needs, and this has compromised the quality of care and support they receive.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Children access the health services that they need. The staff ensure that all children are registered with local health services when they move in. Staff facilitate initial health appointments, such as with a dentist. Managers and staff work closely with children and their social workers to help children to access other services, such as mental health services, when needed.

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How well children are helped and protected

Children engage in one to one sessions to identify and manage personal risks. Despite staff efforts, some children continue to exhibit harmful behaviours that affect others in the home. Leaders and managers have reviewed and continue to review children’s placements to ensure that the service can meet the children’s individual needs and safeguard all children. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Pathway360 Care Limited 3 Children’s behaviours are in the main managed well by staff. However, some staff shared their concerns about the appropriateness of some children being placed in the supported accommodation. They have experienced verbal abuse and threats and intimidation, and have locked themselves in the office to keep safe from one child. They routinely call the police to manage children’s behaviours. In some of these incidents, police support is appropriate. However, this is symptomatic of staff not

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How well children are helped and protected

having the skills to support children with the most complex behaviours, and the appropriateness of these placements.

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How well children are helped and protected

All children have a risk assessment. However, the most relevant and current information is lost in the volume of information contained in these extensive documents. These plans are not always helpful to children as they do not provide the staff with clear strategies to support the children. This hinders the staff’s understanding of how to respond to and support the children when they are upset or anxious. Furthermore, there is a missed opportunity for children to be involved in discussions about their support, as not all children contribute to their assessments.

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How well children are helped and protected

Leaders and managers record safeguarding concerns, complete investigations and share these in a timely manner with the children’s social workers. However, leaders and managers have failed to notify Ofsted of two serious incidents that have occurred. This prevents Ofsted having oversight of how the provider responds to these situations to protect children from harm.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

There have been three different registered service managers since the provider was registered in May 2024. There is a new manager in post. They have yet to submit their application to register with Ofsted.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Leaders and managers have systems in place to monitor, review and evaluate the service and outcomes for children. However, leaders and managers recognise that these systems have not been effective, which has led to inconsistencies in the effectiveness of auditing and reporting. Managers are developing these systems and new recording templates. These remain in their infancy and further time is required to embed them in practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Leaders and managers recognise that their staffing model is, at times, for some children excessive, and that not all children placed are ready to live in supported accommodation. Before some children move in, leaders and managers have not fully considered their needs and the appropriateness of them being ready to live in supported accommodation. Consequently, some children’s placements have ended with immediate effect and these children have experienced a further move Staff’s views are varied. All staff are committed, enthusiastic and dedicated to supporting the children. Some staff spoke of receiving a satisfactory level of support from their managers. However, others described significant strain due to the changes in managers and the challenges that they have faced supporting some children with complex behaviours. These factors have contributed to low morale among certain staff members. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Pathway360 Care Limited 4

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

External professionals involved in the children’s lives gave extremely positive feedback. They recognised how the children benefit and gain greater independence because of the support and encouragement that the staff provide. One social worker said, ‘I can confidently say that this is the best supported accommodation provider I have worked with.’ Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Pathway360 Care Limited 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 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 registered person must notify the CIECSS and any relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child and the registered person considers that incident to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 27 (3)(b)(f)) 9 January 2026

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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

promote children’s positive self-esteem and sense of belonging within the local community, and discourage stigmatisation of children;

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Requirement Due date

are designed and furnished so as to meet the needs of each child individually and all children collectively;

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Requirement Due date

are suitable for the purposes of supported accommodation and are accessible, safe, secure and well-maintained;

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Requirement Due date

offer a comfortable, positive and nurturing environment, while respecting children’s need for privacy;

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 6 (1) (2)(b)(ii)(v)(vi)(vii)) 9 January 2026 Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Pathway360 Care Limited 6 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

ensure that children are encouraged and enabled to take a lead role in determining the support they receive and to participate in and influence how the supported accommodation operates;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that plans for support are based on initial referral information, are meaningful and are created in full consultation with the child, taking account of relevant plans for the child;

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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. (Regulation 7 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c)) 9 January 2026

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Requirement Due date

The protection standard is that children are enabled to feel safe and that their needs are met.

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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

work collaboratively with children to help them understand how to keep safe, by offering guidance and support on how to minimise any potential risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

support children to maintain appropriate and safe relationships with family, friends and other people who are important to them. (Regulation 5 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(f)(iii)(v)) 9 January 2026

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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 9 January 2026 Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Pathway360 Care Limited 7 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 arrangements are in place to manage referrals of children to the supported accommodation undertaking and admissions of children to premises used as supported accommodation, including, where relevant, emergency referrals and admissions. (Regulation 4 (1) (2)(a)(f))

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, 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 Supported Accommodation (England) Regulations 2023. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Pathway360 Care Limited 8

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Supported accommodation provider details

Registered provider: Pathway 360 Care Limited

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Supported accommodation provider details

Email address: nadinebottomley@pathway360care.co.uk

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Inspector

Linda Bond, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Pathway360 Care Limited 9 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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