Pathways Support Services

Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: Pathways Support Services 1 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, two children aged 16 and 17 were receiving support.

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provider

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

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This monitoring visit

A monitoring visit was conducted on 15 October 2025, following a significant incident on 9 October 2025. Significant shortfalls were identified in recruitment practice and in children’s support plans and records pertaining to children’s individual needs and risks. Consequently, two compliance notices were issued under regulations 4 and 7 of The Supported Accommodation (England) Regulations 2023.

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This monitoring visit

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the provider’s progress in meeting the steps identified in these notices.

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This monitoring visit

Inspectors spoke with the nominated individual and the registered manager. No children have been accommodated since the last monitoring visit, and no new staff have been employed.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have developed an action plan to improve recruitment practice. The effectiveness of these changes cannot be tested, because no new staff have been recruited. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: Pathways Support Services 2 The provider has reviewed the recruitment practice of the current staff team. The gaps that were identified have been followed up so that references have now been verified. The reasons why a person’s employment or position ended have now been explored.

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This monitoring visit

The newly developed training matrix will support leaders and managers to ensure that all staff are up to date with all relevant training. Leaders and managers have completed a training needs analysis for all staff. They have used this to allocate one day a week to staff to complete the outstanding training. Weekly team meetings are held to review staff’s learning from these courses and to identify further learning opportunities. Staff supervision session records now contain a section for staff to reflect on their learning and development needs.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have reviewed children’s support plans to ensure that they now reflect their identified needs. These plans are updated as and when new information is shared. However, the plans do not identify agreed actions for staff to take to meet the children’s cultural needs.

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This monitoring visit

The additional requirements made at the previous monitoring visit were not considered during this monitoring visit. These have been restated. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: Pathways Support Services 3

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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 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.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement is restated. 16 January 2026

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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. 16 January 2026 Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: Pathways Support Services 4 (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.

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Requirement Due date

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))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement is restated. 16 January 2026

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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 16 January 2026 Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: Pathways Support Services 5 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 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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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that specific actions for how staff will meet the individual and identified needs of the children are included in their support plans. The registered person should also ensure that all staff are aware of the child’s plan for support and that all the young person’s needs are being met through the support package; this should include a child’s identity needs. (‘Guide to the Supported Accommodation Regulations, including Quality Standards’, page 35).

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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 6

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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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Inspectors

Amanda Cooper, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: Pathways Support Services 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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