Children's Home run by Pathway Care Solutions Group Limited in Rotherham

Inspection report for children’s home: 2593651 1 Registered provider: Pathway Care Solutions Group Limited

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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 4 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, 4 children were living at the home, and they were spoken with as part of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The home was registered in July 2020 and the manager registered with Ofsted in January 2026.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2593651 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

26/08/2025 Full Good 13/05/2025 Full Inadequate 21/10/2024 Full Good 08/08/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2593651 3

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Summary of findings

Children are making progress in this home. They are supported by staff who prioritise building positive relationships. The children and staff have access to specialist clinical support to help embed the therapeutic model of care.

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Summary of findings

The children say they like living at the home and they feel safe. Professionals who work with children and staff say that they feel children are safe and making progress. Where there are identified risks, the managers take action to reduce these and promote safety.

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Summary of findings

Children who have now left the home have a positive experience of moving into the home. Where possible, transitions are well planned and considered.

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Summary of findings

There is an experienced manager in post. Staff say they feel well supported. Some review and monitoring processes need strengthening to ensure management oversight is effective.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s needs are well understood by staff. Staff understand children’s routines, relationships, interests, risks and support needs. This helps staff to provide care that is individualised and responsive to the children’s day-to-day experiences.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to develop a sense of belonging. Their bedrooms are personalised, and memory books capture activities and experiences they have had while living in the home. Children take part in activities in the home and community, which supports their social development and helps them build trusting relationships with staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s views are evident in plans, records and conversations with staff. Staff use children’s wishes, feelings, interests and worries to inform support. This helps children feel listened to and supports work around family relationships, independence, emotional wellbeing and future planning.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s progress in education is variable. Some children attend education and staff are supportive of this. For some children, education remains a challenge. Managers are exploring alternative provision and need to continue monitoring whether current arrangements provide sufficient learning opportunities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand children’s health and emotional needs and respond to concerns when they arise. Medication arrangements are followed. However, children’s progress is not yet consistent in all areas, and some review records do not clearly show the impact of staff support or children’s progress over time. Inspection report for children’s home: 2593651 4

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

Children say they feel safe. They confidently share worries with staff and can identify adults they trust. During one incident involving threats made to a child, the children sought support from staff and were reassured by their response. This means that children trust staff to listen and act to keep them safe.

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

Staff understand children’s individual risks. Risk assessments are detailed, regularly reviewed, and updated when children’s needs change. However, for 2 children, there is a specific safety plan in place to promote their safety. This plan was not always followed, which created the opportunity for increased risk.

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

Missing-from-home plans are clear and understood by staff. Return home interviews are requested. However, records do not always demonstrate that these interviews are completed or fully followed up by managers. This limits opportunities to understand the reasons why children are missing from home. It does not compromise children’s immediate safety.

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

Staff monitor children. Staff are alerted to a child’s movements by a door alarm sounding if a child leaves their room for any reason. The use of door alarms is not assessed or reviewed to address specific risks for children on an individual basis. In the evenings, children cannot be mobile in the home or use the bathroom without staff being alerted.

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

The use of consequences is rare, reflecting the positive relationships between staff and children. When used, these are fair and proportionate. Recording and management oversight do not always show a restorative approach or reflection.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has improved the culture and day-to-day running of the home. Staff describe managers as visible, approachable and supportive. Staff report improved morale, clearer routines and a more nurturing environment for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers know children’s individual needs, routines, education, family relationships, progress and vulnerabilities. This helps staff consider children’s day-to-day experiences, relationships and support needs. Children moving into the home are considered through individual planning and impact risk assessments.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Systems are in place for safer recruitment, training, staffing handovers and medication checks. For example, structured handovers and medication checks help staff remain informed about children’s daily needs, risks and arrangements.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Management oversight is improving but it is not yet consistently strong. Monitoring and review systems do not always capture all relevant information or identify actions needed in appropriate timescales. Inspection report for children’s home: 2593651 5 Supervision takes place, but the quality of reflection and recording is inconsistent. Managers need to strengthen monitoring, recording and supervision so that risk management, children’s progress and the impact of practice are clearer. Monitoring and recording are not yet sufficiently strong enough to identify the progress of children and the impact of practice. Inspection report for children’s home: 2593651 6

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person 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 must comply within the given timescales.

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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—

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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

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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(v)(b)) 10 July 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 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

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(h)) 10 October 2026

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may only use devices for the monitoring or surveillance of children if—

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Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is no more intrusive than necessary, having regard to the child’s need for privacy. (Regulation 24 (1)(d)) 10 October 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2593651 7

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Recommendation

 The registered person should have systems in place so that all staff, including the manager, receive supervision of their practice, which allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 61, paragraph 13.2)

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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: 2593651 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Pathway Care Solutions Group Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Keys Group, Maybrook House, Third Floor, Queensway, Halesowen B63 4AH

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Inspectors

Kate Jackson, Social Care Inspector Saira Rafiq, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2593651 9 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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