Children's Home run by New Path Residential Limited in Southend on Sea

Inspection report for children’s home: 2680559 1 Registered provider: New Path Residential Ltd

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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 privately owned and provides care for up to 4 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

Four children were living at the home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in June 2025.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2680559 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

30/04/2025 Full Good 23/04/2024 Full Good 03/04/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 09/01/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2680559 3

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Summary of findings

The children have a range of experiences and activities in line with their interests. Children maintain contact with loved ones, although the staff do not always build good relationships with families.

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Summary of findings

Care planning has not been consistently effective and has resulted in children with complex needs living together. There are shortfalls in record keeping and the language used to describe children’s experiences. There have been occasions when children have not been adequately supervised which have resulted in safeguarding incidents.

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Summary of findings

The manager provides opportunities for staff and children to learn through training workshops and reflective practice.

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improvement to be good

At the time of the inspection, there were 4 children living at the home, 3 children spent time with the inspector. Since the last inspection, 5 children have moved out. Some children have had positive endings, however, one child was served immediate notice without the opportunity to say goodbye. This does not allow children to have positive experiences of moving on. One professional said, ‘On occasions, decisions have been made without appropriate consultation with the local authority or [child’s name] parent who retains parental responsibility.’

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improvement to be good

Care planning is not consistently effective. Leaders and managers have not suitably assessed the individual needs and vulnerabilities of children. As a result, the staff are managing a high level of complex needs and behaviours. One professional said it questions the impact on the children by having multiple children with a complex level of needs living together. They said, ‘I get the sense that this is highly triggering for each individual, leading to escalating events and increased risks.’

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improvement to be good

The home is modern however, some areas require redecorating. Some of the furniture and carpets are stained and the paintwork is worn. Since one child climbed over the garden wall, chain-link style fencing has been put up to create additional height. This does not create a homely environment.

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improvement to be good

Children are encouraged to explore their interests and enjoy new experiences. They take part in activities such as, army cadets, figure-skating, go-karting and attending local youth clubs. This allows children to experience social connections and enjoyment. One child said, ‘It is really good here.’ Inspection report for children’s home: 2680559 4 Staff have advocated for children’s education. Staff supported one child that moved into the home to return to education after years of non-attendance and this child has made progress.

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improvement to be good

Children spend time and maintain contact with families. Children are in regular communication with loved ones however, staff do not consistently build positive relationships with them. One parent said that staff lacked empathy, when following a bereavement, they phoned the home and were told to communicate through the social worker. This does not help families to feel understood by the staff.

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improvement to be good

Staff support children to reflect on their risks. Staff facilitate workshops which a focus on areas of concern. Staff incorporate role play to help children develop their understanding and support their safety.

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improvement to be good

Staff manage a high level of incidents linked to children’s complex needs. When physical and verbal assaults have taken place, the manager provides restorative work. This provides children and the staff with the opportunity to rebuild relationships in a protected way. On one occasion, the staff stayed with a child who was hurting themselves and quickly sought medical advice. This helped ensure that the child had not sustained any injuries.

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improvement to be good

Since the last inspection, there have been a high level of physical restraints. Staff have managed most of these incidents well, however on one occasion a restraint was used and not recorded. Similarly, the manager was involved in one restraint and then provided the oversight and spoke to the child following the incident. This does not allow independent reflection or provide children with the opportunity to speak to someone impartial to raise concerns about their experiences.

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improvement to be good

Staff do not consistently show curiosity in what children are doing. There have been occasions where children were not adequately supervised. Consequently, incidents of a sexual nature have taken place between children.

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improvement to be good

When room searches are conducted, records do not consistently reflect whether children have been informed or relevant professionals are notified. This reduces the opportunity for those involved to understand why decisions have been made. For one child that is no longer subject to a deprivation of liberty order, despite verbal discussions taking place, written consent has not been obtained by the local authority to monitor the child’s devices.

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improvement to be good

When children go missing from the home, staff make attempts to locate them. However, the timeframes are not consistently recorded and the wider network of professionals are not always informed quickly. On one occasion, a child made a disclosure of assault when they returned home. Staff sought medical attention for the Inspection report for children’s home: 2680559 5 child who had visible bruising but did not report this disclosure to police. As a result, a criminal investigation was not undertaken to safeguard the child.

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improvement to be good

Staff are not always guided by risk assessments that reflect the risks children face. As a result, opportunities for information are missed and this reduces safeguards.

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improvement to be good

Staff use consequences that are not proportionate. One child returned home after being missing and was not allowed to have free time or use devices for a week. This is a punitive measure that does not reflect therapeutic care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager is established in her role and undertaking a relevant level 5 qualification. The manager creates opportunities for staff to reflect as a team. Staff attend team meetings, workshops, and targeted training sessions. However, staff are not having regular individual supervision sessions. This reduces opportunities for staff to raise personal issues or focus on their individual support needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff have not received enough specific training to manage children’s complex needs. Staff identified in Ofsted pre-inspection surveys that they require more training. This means that staff may lack confidence to intervene during incidents. The staff have obtained or are working towards a relevant level 3 qualification in the required timeframe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Managers do not have enough oversight of incidents. When shortfalls are identified, the manager implements additional support for the staff. However, there are incidents that lack manager’s oversight.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff do not use child-focused language in children’s records. Blaming language does not openly reflect children’s experiences and the impact on their behaviours. Consequently, if children decide to access their records, this could reinforce feelings of shame and past trauma.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

On occasion, managers have failed to send safeguarding notifications in the required timescales. In addition, Ofsted were not notified of a serious incident. This means that Ofsted is unable to monitor the effectiveness of safeguarding measures to keep children safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Leaders and managers do not always challenge professional decision-making. Staff were informed that a child told the police they had been grabbed by a staff member a month after the disclosure was made to the police. Leaders and managers failed to challenge the delay in this being shared with the staff. This could have placed children at risk.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager conducts thorough investigations of any concerns about staff practice. Records demonstrate consultation with the staff, the wider network, the children’s views and identify further actions that help to keep children safe. Inspection report for children’s home: 2680559 6

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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

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

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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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)(i)(iii)(iv)(vi)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that any information of concern is reported to the relevant professionals such as police.

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that staff provide appropriate supervision to children to prevent incidents occurring that place children at risk.

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Requirement Due date

Ensure staff are guided by behaviour management plans which reflect incidents and any known risks. 7 September 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2680559 7 Ensure staff follow-up on any referrals quickly so children can access support.

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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

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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Requirement Due date

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received. (Regulation 13(1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(c)(f)(g)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that records clearly reflect how children are informed of any room searches and that the relevant individuals in the wider network are informed that searches have taken place.

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that leaders and managers escalate shortfalls regarding concerns about other professionals to safeguard children.

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that staff are confident to intervene in heightened incidents to reduce the risk of escalation. 30 October 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2680559 8 Ensure staff receive training in line with the needs of children that they care for.

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Requirement Due date

Ensure written consent is documented from the relevant individual to monitor children’s online activity and phone usage.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy (“the behaviour management policy”) which sets out—

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Requirement Due date

how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home.

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure (“the user”), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”)—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and 7 September 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2680559 9 has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (1)(a)(b) (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that reviews of restraint and follow-up discussions are undertaken by someone that was not involved in the incident.

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that staff are aware of what constitutes a restraint and maintain a record.

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that consequences are proportionate and meaningful.

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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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

manage and review the placement of each child in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child’s placing authority;

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Requirement Due date

that, subject to regulation 22 (contact and access to communications), contact between each child and the child’s parents, relatives and friends, is promoted in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(ii)(iii)(d)

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Requirement Due date

In particular; 30 September 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2680559 10 Ensure that children moving out of the home are given an opportunity to say goodbye.

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that initial assessments review how children can live together safely and identify potential areas of risk.

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that staff develop positive relationships with children’s families.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that staff understand the importance of clear recording and avoid potentially stigmatising language. 30 October 2026

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry involving a child —

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Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious.

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Requirement Due date

A notification made under this regulation—

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Requirement Due date

the other persons, bodies or organisations (if any) who or which have been notified; and 7 September 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2680559 11 any actions taken by the registered person as a result of the matter;

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Requirement Due date

must be made or confirmed in writing. (Regulation 40 (4)(b)(d)(i)(ii)(e) (5)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(b))

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the home is a nurturing and supportive environment that meets the needs of children. The home should reflect the appearance of a family home and areas of wear or damage maintained. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should have systems in place so that all staff receive individual supervision of their practice from an appropriately qualified and experienced professional, 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: 2680559 12

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: New Path Residential Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 475 Victoria Avenue, Southend-on-Sea SS2 6NJ

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Inspector

Sophie Levy, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2680559 13 regulates and inspects 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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