Children's Home run by Positive Pathways Limited in Birmingham

Inspection report for children’s home: SC410537 1 SC410537 Registered provider: Positive Pathways 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 privately owned. It is registered to provide care for up to 3 children with social and emotional difficulties and learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, one child was living at the home. An attempt was made to speak with the child during the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

An experienced and suitably qualified registered manager oversees the home.

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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: SC410537 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/05/2025 Full Good 23/04/2024 Full Good 25/07/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 09/08/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC410537 3

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Summary of findings

Children have made individual progress in areas of their lives because of consistent and nurturing support from staff. Staff develop positive relationships with children, which supports their overall progress. Leaders and staff promote the development of children’s independence skills, which helps prepare them for the next stage of their lives. The home provides a warm, homely and child-focused environment. A shortfall was identified on one occasion during a missing-from-home incident in relation to staff’s assessment of a child’s risk. Other shortfalls were identified in the oversight of consequences and in ensuring that all staff achieve the required qualifications within the prescribed timescales.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, 3 children have moved out of the home. Staff support children to develop their independence skills. Each child was provided with an initial assessment, enabling leaders to develop bespoke plans that reflect their individual needs. Leaders and staff support children to develop practical skills, including cooking, understanding future education and career options, and managing their health. As a result, every effort has been made to ensure that children are prepared for moving to their new homes. The manager and staff have maintained positive relationships with children who have left the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff demonstrate a strong commitment to children’s wellbeing and the development of positive relationships. Leaders and staff take time to understand children and their individual interests. The manager uses performance tracking tools to monitor children’s development in key areas. This enables the team to identify where additional support is required and respond effectively to children’s changing needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff promote positive and enjoyable experiences for children outside the home. Children are supported to participate in a range of activities, including trips to theme parks, go- karting and meals out. These experiences help children to build confidence and support the development of trusting relationships with staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff actively promote the voice of the children. They are encouraged to share their views about the home and raise any concerns they may have. On one occasion, the manager advocated on behalf of a child following concerns they had raised about an external agency. As a result, the child’s views were heard and appropriately considered.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health needs are well supported. Staff encourage children to attend routine health appointments. Where specialist support is required, including substance misuse Inspection report for children’s home: SC410537 4 services or therapeutic support, referrals are made promptly. This contributes to children’s sustained wellbeing and positive outcomes.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is welcoming and warm. The manager and staff have created a child-focused environment where children are encouraged to personalise their living spaces and make the home their own. When shortfalls are identified, leaders respond promptly. This helps to ensure that children feel safe, secure and comfortable in their home.

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

Leaders and staff have developed a consistent approach to managing children’s behaviour. Staff use the positive relationships they have developed with children to de- escalate incidents effectively. As a result, there has been no need for physical intervention since the last inspection.

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

The manager and staff understand children’s vulnerabilities and risks. Leaders work effectively with external professionals to ensure that risk management plans reflect current concerns and remain relevant to children’s needs. This helps staff understand their safeguarding responsibilities and supports them to keep children safe.

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

No allegations have been made by children since the last inspection. The manager and staff ensure that children understand how to raise concerns should they need to do so. Children are able to identify trusted adults whom they can approach if they have worries.

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

Staff generally respond appropriately when children go missing from the home. Leaders provide clear guidance for staff, which supports effective responses when children are absent. However, on one occasion, staff missed an opportunity to prevent a child from being reported missing. The manager identified this shortfall and implemented learning for staff to strengthen safeguarding practice.

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

When consequences are used, they are relevant and proportionate. However, on one occasion, a deputy manager reviewed and signed off their own consequence. On another occasion, the manager’s review did not clearly evaluate whether the consequence was fair and proportionate. As a result, management oversight of consequences is not consistently effective.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is led by a qualified and committed registered manager who is dedicated to providing children with safe and positive experiences. She has established positive working relationships with the staff team, responsible individual and external professionals.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff report feeling well supported by leaders. They receive regular supervision, which focuses on their wellbeing and professional development. Leaders provide staff with a range of learning opportunities. For example, team meetings include regular quizzes that Inspection report for children’s home: SC410537 5 reinforce safeguarding knowledge and other key areas of practice, including medication management. The manager also supports staff to develop reflective practice through the use of a reflective supervision tool.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

One staff member told the inspector, ‘My time here as a team member has been a great relief. This is due to [name of manager]’s guidance, leadership and reassurance. The team dynamic is a mixture of people that work well amongst each other.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Recruitment processes are thorough and support the safe employment of staff. Leaders ensure that all relevant recruitment checks are completed before staff are permitted to work unsupervised. This provides assurance that staff are suitable to work with children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders maintain effective communication with external professionals and share relevant information when circumstances change for children. One professional told the inspector, ‘I have a good relationship with the staff, particularly [name of deputy manager] and [name of registered manager]. They are always aware of what is happening with my young person, and I feel they understand their needs well and meet them appropriately.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Not all staff hold the required qualification. Three members of staff have worked in children’s residential care for more than 2 years and have not completed the level 4 diploma. Consequently, they have exceeded the timescale set out in regulation for achieving this qualification. Leaders have not ensured that all staff achieve the required qualification within the prescribed timescales. Inspection report for children’s home: SC410537 6

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Statutory requirement

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

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

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Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) ("the Level 3 Diploma"); or

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Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma.

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home; or

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1st April 2014, 1st April 2016.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may defer the relevant date if the individual—

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Requirement Due date

does not work, or has not worked, in a care role in a home for a prolonged period; or

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Requirement Due date

works, or has worked, in a care role in a home on a part-time basis. (Regulation 32 (4)(a)(b) (5)(a)(b) (6)(a)(b)) 13 October 2026

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. Where there are safeguarding concerns for a child, their placement plan, agreed between the home and their placing authority, must include details of the steps the home will take to Inspection report for children’s home: SC410537 7 manage any assessed risks on a day-to-day basis. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5)  The registered person should ensure that they prepare and implement a behaviour management policy. This policy should describe the home’s approach to promoting positive behaviour and the measures of control, discipline and restraint that may be used in the home. These measures should be set in the context of building positive relationships with children. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including

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Recommendations

quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.33)

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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: SC410537 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Positive Pathways Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Park Business Centre, Hastingwood Industrial Park, Wood Lane, Erdington, Birmingham, West Midlands B24 9QR

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Inspector

Chanel Bryant, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC410537 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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