Children's home run by New Path Care Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2824161 1 Registered provider: New Path Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is run by a private provider. It offers care for up to three children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, two children were living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in July 2025.

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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: 2824161 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to build positive links in their community, helping them to feel confident and included. One child recently enjoyed a birthday celebration with family, friends, staff, neighbours and other professionals after making their own invitations and delivering them to neighbours with staff support. In addition, the same child is raising money for charity and has been helped to design a poster to promote their fundraising. These experiences help children to develop social skills, to feel proud of themselves and to grow in their confidence and emotional well-being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand the importance of children’s relationships with their family and actively support family time. Families are welcomed into the home so that children can spend quality time with them in a comfortable environment. When family visits take place away from the home, staff ensure that distance is never a barrier to maintaining meaningful connections. This commitment helps children sustain positive relationships with those who matter most to them, promoting emotional stability and a sense of belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child recently moved into the home without an up-to-date local authority plan, which means staff do not yet have all the information they need to fully understand and meet their needs. The child also said that they do not want to live at the home, impacting on how settled they feel. Despite this, leaders gathered information from professionals and family members and completed a detailed impact risk assessment. The child also met with the manager before moving into the home, where they asked questions about the home. This enabled the child to feel more prepared for the transition.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children who have been out of education are supported to return to learning. Since moving into the home, one child has been helped to re-establish routine through structured learning activities, daily support with tutoring and encouragement to build independence. Leaders have also secured a suitable school place, which shows clear progress for the child from their starting point. However, a second child, who is new to the home, does not yet have consistent structure or routine in place, and despite staff securing a college placement for them, they have not attended regularly.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from behaviour support plans that are clear, updated regularly and tailored to their individual needs. These plans set out known risks and provide practical strategies for responding to low mood, frustration or anger, as well as the approaches to avoid due to them not being helpful. Staff use their therapeutic training to follow these plans consistently, helping children to feel understood and supported. As a result, children are better able to regulate their emotions and incidents in the home remain rare. Inspection report for children’s home: 2824161 3

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

Responses to children vary, and reflect their differing levels of risk and need. While staff provide strong and proactive support to one child, practice is not consistently effective for another.

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

For one child, staff do not demonstrate a sufficient understanding of the risks they are exposed to in the community. Despite concerns being raised about the child travelling to a particular area, staff continue to facilitate this by providing lifts to transport links. The child frequently returns home late, and although staff apply consequences such as restricting outings the following day, these strategies have limited impact. The child anticipates these consequences and continues the behaviour, which weakens boundaries and reduces the effectiveness of care planning. This increases the child’s exposure to potential harm and disrupts their engagement in positive routines, affecting their overall safety and stability.

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

In contrast, when another child goes missing from the home, staff respond promptly and effectively. Although this child has frequently gone missing, these incidents have recently reduced due to the staff team’s consistent and proactive approach. Staff initiate searches without delay and work closely with external agencies to support the child’s safe return. This practice helps the child feel protected and valued and contributes to the development of stronger, more-secure relationships with the adults caring for them.

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

When children make an allegation, they are listened to and their concerns are taken seriously. In one incident, a child reported that a staff member used an unapproved technique. Leaders and managers acted promptly, informing parents and referring the concern to the local authority designated officer. Children receive clear outcomes so that they understand what has happened, which helps them feel safe and reassured.

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

Although the investigation was thorough, records did not clearly capture the shortfalls identified. However, this was addressed in team meetings, enabling staff to reflect on their practice, and refresher training in physical intervention was delivered to strengthen safeguarding arrangements .

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

When concerns arise about alcohol or drugs misuse, staff work closely with children to help them understand how these substances can affect their health, safety and emotional well-being. Through open conversations, education and reflective sessions, staff explain the risks and encourage children to make safer choices. This approach not only addresses immediate concerns but also builds trust and gives children the confidence and knowledge to make informed decisions in the future.

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

Room searches are carried out when there are concerns about a child’s safety and are completed sensitively and proportionately. While records are kept, they do not always clearly state the reason for the search; this needs to be strengthened to ensure transparency and accountability. Children are supported to understand why the search has taken place. Inspection report for children’s home: 2824161 4

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is managed by an experienced manager and supported by an experienced responsible individual and a consistent staff team. This stability means that children are cared for by familiar adults who know them well and who provide consistent, nurturing support. Children are developing their relationships with staff, helped by the continuity and consistency in the staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff say that they enjoy working at the home and feel well supported by a knowledgeable and approachable management team. They talk about strong teamwork, clear communication and a shared commitment to providing consistent care for children. Staff describe a positive working environment where their views are valued and where they feel confident in their roles.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers and staff maintain excellent communication and strong relationships with other professionals, including police community support officers and missing-from-home coordinators. They keep family members well informed about children’s progress and ensure that they attend relevant meetings, promoting good multi-agency working and consistent support for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has formal supervision arrangements in place for staff; however, these sessions do not currently provide clear opportunities for reflective practice or discussion about the day-to-day work with children. Despite this, induction records show that professional development is considered, and this continues through ongoing training. Regular team meetings provide opportunities to discuss and review incidents to embed learning and to revisit key policies, such as the allegations procedure, helping to strengthen staff’s understanding over time.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive training precise to children’s needs, including understanding the impact of alcohol and other specific risks. Staff have completed, or are actively working toward achieving, the relevant qualification. The manager ensures that any gaps in staff’s knowledge are quickly identified and that training is put in place so that staff have the skills they need to care for children effectively.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Learning is reinforced through team meetings, where key topics such as managing allegations, behaviour management, conflict management, missing-from-home protocols, safeguarding and staff conduct are revisited. Staff also have access to a learning file with guidance on emerging issues. This ongoing training ensures that staff are well equipped to respond to children’s needs, make informed decisions and provide safer, more-consistent care. Inspection report for children’s home: 2824161 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

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. (Regulation (5)(a)(b)(c)) 25 January 2026

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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: 2824161 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: New Path Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: c/o Stuart McBain Ltd (Accountants), Unit 14, Tower Street, Brunswick Business Park, Liverpool L3 4BJ

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Inspector

Nicola Forrester, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2824161 7 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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