Children's Home run by Clear Path Care Limited in Staffordshire

Inspection report for children's home: 2729569 1 Registered provider: Clear 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 privately owned and provides care for up to 3 children who experience social and emotional difficulties. The home was registered with Ofsted in December 2023.

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Information about this children's home

The home has a new responsible individual and registered manager, but both are established members of the leadership team. They have taken on these roles to strengthen the managerial oversight of the home, following a period of inconsistency with managers.

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Information about this children's home

At the time of this inspection, 2 children were living in the home. They shared their views as part of the inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children's home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children's home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 2729569 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

23/06/2025 Full Requires improvement to be good 15/05/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children's home: 2729569 3

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Summary of findings

Children living in the home are thriving and making excellent progress in all aspects of their lives. Staff provide nurturing, child-centred care and are highly skilled in developing effective partnerships with professionals to ensure that children achieve the best possible outcomes through strong multi-agency working.

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Summary of findings

When challenges arise, staff respond with sensitivity, compassion and high-quality care. They have a strong understanding of children's individual needs and are effective advocates, ensuring that children have timely access to specialist services when support is required beyond the home's remit.

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Summary of findings

Recent changes in leadership have resulted in significant improvements across the home. Staff support is excellent, and research-informed practice is firmly embedded. Monitoring and oversight arrangements have been strengthened, alongside systems for tracking children's progress. As a result, children benefit from highly effective care delivered by a skilled and well-supported staff team that is committed to helping them achieve their full potential.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The home is maintained to an exceptional standard and provides children with a warm, nurturing and stimulating environment. Thoughtful furnishings and personalised touches help children feel valued, secure and a genuine sense of belonging. Since the last inspection, one child has remained living in the home, two children have moved on, and one child has moved in. Both children have made excellent progress as a result of highly individualised support from staff who know them exceptionally well and understand how to meet their needs effectively.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The home's trauma-informed model of care is fully embedded in practice and children's plans. Staff are well supported by an in-house clinician who works directly with children and families while helping staff consistently apply therapeutic approaches in their daily practice. As a result, children develop strong, trusting relationships with staff and feel happy and secure. Practice is further strengthened through monthly research-informed bulletins, developed from themes identified in key-work sessions, with child-friendly versions helping children understand important issues in a meaningful way.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children's views are central to decision-making. Planning for one child's move into the home was excellent, with the child who was already living in the home fully consulted and the new child given opportunities to visit, meet staff and become familiar with their surroundings before moving in. This thoughtful approach helped the child settle quickly and build positive relationships. Children's individuality is celebrated and respected. Staff Inspection report for children's home: 2729569 4 demonstrate a strong understanding of neurodiversity, ensuring that planning and support are tailored to meet children's specific needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children are thriving educationally because of the manager's high aspirations and effective advocacy. Before moving into the home, children had experienced significant barriers to learning, including poor attendance and disengagement from education. One child who was disengaging from post-16 education is now thriving in a vocational training programme that better meets their needs and has developed ambitious plans for the future. Another child has already improved their school attendance since moving into the home. The manager has secured additional tuition to address gaps in learning and sourced a specialist catering course in response to the child's career aspirations. Staff have further supported these interests by helping the child create a herb garden, enabling them to develop practical skills linked to their future goals.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

One child has made remarkable progress in developing independence and preparing for adulthood. When they moved into the home, they were at significant risk of exploitation and engaged in high-risk behaviours that placed them in danger. Through consistent support, therapeutic intervention and reflective discussions, the child has learned to recognise risks and make safer decisions. Therapeutic work with the wider family has helped restore important relationships and rebuild connections. One family member said, 'They are my child's people, their second family. We don't see the challenges we used to see. The home has changed their life.' As a result of the highly skilled and consistent support provided, the child is now ready to successfully step down from residential care and return home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff are committed to ensuring that children enjoy rich and memorable experiences. Children regularly participate in holidays, trips and activities tailored to their interests, helping them develop confidence, self-esteem and positive memories.

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

Managers and staff have an exceptional understanding of each child's individual risks and vulnerabilities. They know the children extremely well and tailor their support when they identify even subtle changes in behaviour. This enables them to respond quickly to children's needs, helping children to feel supported and safe. One professional commented, 'Staff know how to keep children safe. They know when to intervene and have provided clear and consistent boundaries over the years.'

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

Staff are highly committed to children and provide loving, nurturing and consistent care. Children report feeling safe, and, as a result, incidents in the home are infrequent. There have been no complaints or allegations. Incidents of children going missing from home and the use of physical intervention are rare.

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

One child experienced significant challenges with their mental health following a sequence of traumatic events beyond the home's control. The child was sensitively Inspection report for children's home: 2729569 5 supported throughout this period by a knowledgeable staff team that remained attuned to their needs.

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

During periods of increased concern, the manager worked closely with the wider professional network to ensure a coordinated and effective response to the child's needs. Staff received additional training to strengthen their confidence and understanding, while the child benefited from weekly specialist therapeutic support.

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

The child was supported in the home for a year. However, the manager recognised that the child's needs had increased beyond the home's conditions of registration. She advocated strongly for the child to move to a specialist provision that could better meet their needs. The manager challenged the placing authority effectively to ensure that the child's needs and wishes remained central to decisions about their future care.

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

Leaders carefully considered the impact that moving on would have on the child's emotional wellbeing and mental health. They worked in partnership with the home's therapist to help the child understand the reasons for the move. A sensitive transition plan was implemented over 3 weeks. During this period, both providers worked together effectively to promote a positive experience for the child and created a detailed follow-up plan.

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

One professional who knows the child well said, 'The child felt well cared for and safe. When they have moved on in the past, they have felt rejection, but not this time. They understand the reasons for the move and enjoy maintaining contact with the team.'

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

There have been 2 medication errors. Children were not adversely affected, and appropriate medical advice was sought promptly to safeguard their welfare. When incidents occur, staff complete detailed records and both the manager and responsible individual maintain effective oversight. Reflective learning is undertaken following incidents to strengthen practice and identify areas for improvement. Appropriate action is taken to reduce future risks and ensure that staff understand and learn from practice shortfalls.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

A dedicated manager leads the home. She has high aspirations for children and has successfully embedded this ethos throughout the staff team. She is supported by a stable and fully staffed team whose members are highly committed to providing children with exceptional care and meaningful experiences.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Although the manager is relatively new to this role, she was previously the responsible individual and has provided continuity and stability following a period of inconsistent managerial oversight. She maintained a consistent presence in the home and provided support between management changes. Consequently, the transition has been seamless for children and staff, who already had strong and established relationships with her. Inspection report for children's home: 2729569 6 Support for staff is excellent. Feedback from staff was overwhelmingly positive. Leaders value staff and recognise their commitment to improving children's lives. They are mindful of the impact that significant challenges can have on staff and recognise the risks associated with secondary trauma and compassion fatigue.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Following significant self-harming incidents involving one child, leaders ensured that additional therapeutic support was available to staff. This included clinical supervision and access to specialist resources and information. Staff reported feeling well supported during this difficult period.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The team also participated in a team-building event away from the home following the child's move. This provided valuable opportunities for reflection, emotional processing and consultation regarding the support staff required moving forward.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Arrangements for staff supervision have been strengthened. Staff receive high-quality supervision each month, with separate sessions dedicated to wellbeing and practice discussions. This ensures that sufficient time is devoted to all aspects of staff support and development. Team meetings take place regularly and provide opportunities for reflective discussions with managers and the home's clinician.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Oversight and monitoring are excellent. The manager has introduced an evidence-based model to track and monitor children's progress across all aspects of their development. Information is gathered monthly and reviewed formally every quarter, including a self- assessment completed by the child. This information is used effectively to identify strengths, track progress and inform targeted support.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The therapist plays an important role in developing staff skills through research-informed practice sessions, resources and consultation. This helps ensure that therapeutic key- work sessions are purposeful, effective and responsive to children's needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders have a strong understanding of the home's strengths and areas for development. They have implemented positive changes that have strengthened practice and staff development and have successfully embedded these improvements to achieve sustained progress. Strong relationships have been established with professionals, and leaders actively seek feedback to inform continual learning and improvement.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Since the last inspection, local authorities have been invited to review the quality of care provided in the home. Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive and reflects the significant difference that staff make to children's lives.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

No requirements or recommendations were raised at this inspection. Inspection report for children's home: 2729569 7

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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: 2729569 8

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Children's home details

Registered provider: Clear Path Care Limited

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Children's home details

Registered provider address: 42 Hunslet Road, Burntwood WS7 9LF

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Inspector

Joanne Hawkins, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2729569 9 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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Inspector

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