Pathways Support Services

Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: Pathways Support Services Pathways Support Services

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Registered provider: Pathways Support Services Ltd

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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provider

This supported accommodation service is owned and operated by a private provider. It offers accommodation for up to 12 children in 12 single-occupancy premises.

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provider

At the time of this visit, three children aged 16 and 17 were receiving support.

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provider

The service has a registered service manager and nominated individual. Both have held these roles since the service registered with Ofsted in March 2024.

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provider

The inspector was aware during this visit that a serious incident that occurred at the setting is under investigation by the appropriate authorities. While Ofsted does not have the power to investigate incidents of this kind, actions taken by the setting in response to the incident were considered alongside other evidence available at the time of the monitoring visit to inform the inspector’s judgements.

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This monitoring visit

Staff feel supported by leaders and the manager following a significant incident on 9 October 2025.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders, the manager and staff respond and take action following serious incidents involving children. However, children’s records, such as those relating to safeguarding and missing-from-care incidents, are not maintained in central documents that can be accessed, reviewed and evaluated by all staff, including leaders and placing local authorities. The lack of centralised plans and records for children prevents the staff from having instant access to significant information about the children as it emerges. This also prevents children from having access to meaningful documents that illustrate their progress and experiences of living in the premises. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: Pathways Support Services Children who are ready for supported accommodation are accepted into the undertaking. However, leaders and the manager have failed to ensure that decisions

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This monitoring visit

made about managing children’s referrals and admissions into the service are recorded.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and the manager take effective action when children go missing from home. They notify the police and local authorities and take appropriate action to ensure the children’s safety. While the staff follow the Philomena Protocol, children do not have individual missing-from-care protocols tailored to meet their needs. The lack of individual guidance for staff hinders their ability to provide bespoke support to keep children safe. This also prevents leaders and the manager from evaluating and amending children’s plans to ensure that their emerging risks and changing needs are captured.

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This monitoring visit

The arrangements to safeguard children who make allegations are not effective. Leaders and the manager did not follow their child protection procedure and ensure that the relevant safeguarding agencies were notified when one child made an allegation about a member of staff from a health service. This prevents independent safeguarding agencies from carrying out their investigations to ensure that children are safe.

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This monitoring visit

The manager and leaders had failed to adhere to safer recruitment practices to ensure that staff are suitable to work with children. Staff references are not consistently verified, and they do not evidence why staff’s previous employment with children or vulnerable adults ended.

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This monitoring visit

While staff respond to children’s changing needs, leaders and the manager have failed to ensure that the staff are equipped to meet the children’s individual needs at the point of their referral into the service. Leaders and the manager have failed to ensure that the staff receive suitable training so that they can manage allegations effectively, understand and respond to all types of exploitation, including why children may go missing from home, and support children who misuse substances or experience mental health difficulties.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and the manager have failed to operate the undertaking in line with the regulations. The manager has failed to finalise and submit the quality of support review to Ofsted by the deadline of April 2025. In addition, leaders and the manager have failed to notify Ofsted of all the premises that they use to accommodate children in their undertaking. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: Pathways Support Services

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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 leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the supported accommodation undertaking that 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

implement recruitment practices that ensure staff are suitable to work with children and to keep them safe from harm;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that arrangements are in place for the supervision, training and development of staff. (Regulation 4 (1) (2)(e)(g))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must comply with all items in Schedule 1 of the regulations. They must review staff training to ensure that the learning and development of staff and leaders align with the requirements of each child at the point of admission. 30 November 2025

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Requirement Due date

*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

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)(c)) 30 November 2025 Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: Pathways Support Services Specifically, the registered person must have a system in place to ensure that all children have personalised support plans based on their individual needs and risks. The system must ensure that the children’s plans are reviewed when their needs change and that the plans provide staff with sufficient information on how they must respond to meet any changing needs to reduce the likelihood of risk.

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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

are familiar and act in accordance with child protection policies;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of abuse, neglect, exploitation or any other harm, and act to reduce such risk;

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Requirement Due date

understand the relevant roles and responsibilities assigned to them by the registered person in relation to protecting children. (Regulation 5 (1) (2)(f)(i)(ii)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that any allegation made by a child is referred to the appropriate agencies so that child protection investigations can be carried out. 30 November 2025

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) in relation to each child accommodated by the supported accommodation undertaking which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 2,

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 24 (1)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that all children’s records are kept up to date and stored in an accessible format and location, allowing staff, placing local authorities and children to access them whenever needed. 30 November 2025 Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: Pathways Support Services The registered person must maintain a system for monitoring and improving the quality of support provided by the supported accommodation undertaking by completing a review (“a quality of support review”) at least once every six months, which must take into account—

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Requirement Due date

the views of children, including any feedback and complaints received;

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Requirement Due date

feedback from individual children on the impact the supported accommodation has had on the child’s life, especially regarding how well prepared the child felt for transition into supported accommodation and how well prepared the child feels for transition out of supported accommodation;

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Requirement Due date

feedback from each child’s accommodating authority, staff and any relevant persons;

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Requirement Due date

any relevant research and developments in relation to the way in which the needs of children are best met.

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Requirement Due date

After completing a quality of support review, the registered person must produce a written report setting out the actions the registered person intends to take as a result of that quality of support review.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must provide a copy of the review report to the CIECSS within 28 days beginning with the day on which the report is completed, and make a copy of it available on request to each child’s accommodating authority. (Regulation 32 (1)(a)(b)(c)(d) (2) (3)) 30 November 2025

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Requirement Due date

If premises are no longer used, or intended to be available for use, as supported accommodation by the supported accommodation undertaking, the registered person must give notice in writing to the CIECSS no later than 10 working days after the registered person becomes aware of the decision to cease use of the premises.

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Requirement Due date

Where additional premises are acquired, commissioned or arranged, or the supported accommodation undertaking intends to acquire, commission or arrange additional premises, and the supported accommodation undertaking intends to provide supported accommodation at those premises, the registered person must give notice in writing to 30 November 2025 Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: Pathways Support Services the CIECSS as soon as it is reasonably practicable to do so, of the following—

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Requirement Due date

the characteristics of the children for whom it is intended the supported accommodation undertaking will provide accommodation at the premises, including the age range, number and sex of the children;

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Requirement Due date

the category or categories of supported accommodation to be provided at the premises. (Regulation 34 (2) (3)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to follow up information received by Ofsted and/or to ensure that the supported accommodation provider was complying with regulation.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: Pathways Support Services

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Supported accommodation provider details

Registered provider: Pathways Support Services Ltd

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Supported accommodation provider details

Registered provider address: 17E Vyse Street, Birmingham, West Midlands B18 6LE

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Supported accommodation provider details

Registered service manager: Chantell Berchell

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Inspector

Virginia Vickers, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: Pathways Support Services 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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