Children's Home run by G & S Path to Progression in Hillingdon

Inspection report for children's home: 2808705 1 Registered provider: G&S Path to Progression Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children's home

This home is privately owned and provides care for one child who experiences social and emotional difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children's home

The home and the manager registered with Ofsted in April 2025.

p.1

Information about this children's home

At the time of this inspection, one child was living in the home.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

The children's home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 2808705 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

27/08/2025 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 2808705 3

p.2

Summary of findings

The child has made good progress in their overall development since coming to live at the home. Managers and staff have developed positive relationships with the child. With the support of managers and staff, the child has successfully worked towards a plan for a move back to their family.

p.3

Summary of findings

Staff work with the child and others to reduce the risk of harm. Safety plans are comprehensive and written to the child, which helps them to understand the need to have safety measures in place and how they can be an active participant in the plans.

p.3

Summary of findings

Leaders and managers value the child's views in shaping the support provided in the home. Leaders and managers support their staff effectively to meet the needs of the child. Leaders and managers acknowledge that their challenge of the child's responsible authority in terms of the clarity of the plan for a move back home could have been more effective.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child living at the home has, over time, developed trusting and meaningful relationships with staff who demonstrate a commitment to promoting the child's wellbeing and best interests. Staff talk proudly about the progress that the child has made since coming to live at the home. The local authority manager describes staff as 'showing persistence and advocating for the child'. The child is recorded in a one-to-one session as having said that coming to live at the home has been 'a blessing in disguise'.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have supported the child to participate in tuition as part of a plan to access mainstream education. Staff addressed the child's disrupted sleep patterns, which impacted on their ability to attend sessions, effectively through establishing a clear routine. Staff have advocated for the child, ensuring that their wishes and feelings have been expressed regarding recent changes to education plans.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have supported the child to maintain a healthy lifestyle by attending the gym regularly, participating in community activities, maintaining their personal hygiene and eating balanced meals in the home. Staff have ensured that all scheduled health appointments are attended by the child.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child has been supported by staff to attend child and adolescent mental health services sessions and participate in specific support from a mentor. The mentor sessions have been successful in helping the child to understand their emotions and build resilience. Staff have observed that the child has become more confident in talking about their feelings, is more sociable and is better able to ask for support when they need it than previously. Inspection report for children's home: 2808705 4 Staff are supporting the child with a plan to return to their family. Staff have worked with the child's family to ensure that plans for enjoying quality time during overnight stays and taking part in positive family activities are achieved. Managers and staff have strived to help the child and family rebuild positive family routines and boundaries to support a successful move. Staff have observed that the child has expressed positive views about a

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

return to their family and their future aspirations.

p.4

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

The child's vulnerabilities are understood by staff, who adhere to agreed safety plans to ensure the risk of harm is reduced. Safety plans are dynamic in that updates are made when risks reduce or increase. Safety plans clearly outline possible triggers for behaviours or stressors that mean staff must respond to the child in a way that does not escalate the situation. Staff receive regular training in de-escalation and safe handling to support safety plans.

p.4

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

A strength of this home is the consultation that takes place with the child on safety plans. Staff ask the child for their views on safety plans, and these are recorded as if the staff member is speaking to the child, in the second person. This personalises safety plans and provides the child with a clear understanding of why staff need to take the action they do to ensure their safety. Staff report that this approach has helped the child to reflect on their previous actions and the subsequent risks of harm to themselves and others.

p.4

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

Positive behaviour support plans are also written by staff in consultation with the child. These support plans identify the behaviours to be addressed as part of the child's care plan as well as those behaviours that the child wishes to address. A record from a recent update of the behaviour support plans states, 'You have said that you want to continue making positive choices, manage your emotions well, stay away from risky situations, and show everyone that you are ready to return home safely.'

p.4

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

Staff complete one-to-one sessions with the child to talk about keeping safe and will use specific materials, such as child criminal exploitation resource packs, to encourage the child to think more about the risks to them. In this inspection year, staff have not had to report the child as missing, and there has been a significant reduction in incidents compared with when the child first came to live at the home.

p.4

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

The local authority manager for the child wrote, 'Staff have generally been responsive in managing day-to-day risks and raising concerns when required. The home has maintained appropriate communication with Children's Services regarding safeguarding matters and has sought guidance where necessary.'

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers work closely together to ensure that the care plan for the child is implemented and their needs met. The manager is passionate about ensuring that the Inspection report for children's home: 2808705 5 child feels that their voice is heard and that their wishes and feelings are considered in terms of their long-term plan and what happens in the home.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has good oversight of the home and day-to-day operations, using an effective case management system to monitor and evaluate practice. However, a shortfall was identified at this inspection in the recruitment of one member of staff. This was, therefore, not widespread and does not raise a safeguarding issue. Nevertheless, good employment practice was not followed in this example.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff say that they are appropriately supervised and supported and report healthy team dynamics. Supervision of staff by managers is reflective, with a focus on improving practice through meaningful and constructive discussions. Staff receive appropriate training and learning opportunities to meet the needs of the child and are provided with additional support by managers, with opportunities to develop in their role.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers have worked to develop collaborative relationships with the child's responsible authority and agencies linked to the child, such as education and therapeutic services. The child has benefited from these collaborative relationships.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

In relation to the child's planned move back to their family, there is evidence that leaders and managers have, more recently, appropriately escalated concerns over a lack of clarity in the plans. Leaders, managers and staff have planned a goodbye celebration for the child, but with less than a week before the child is due to move on, leaders and managers do not know how the local authority will be involved in managing the move. This is not an acceptable situation and has created uncertainty for staff and the child and their family in terms of next steps. In reflecting on this situation, leaders and managers acknowledged that they could have escalated further within the local authority as well as developed clearer processes for coordinating and sharing information earlier on. Inspection report for children's home: 2808705 6

p.5

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that where the placing authority does not provide the input and services needed to meet a child's needs during their time in the home or in preparation for leaving the home, the home must challenge them through effective escalation to meet the child's needs. Managers and staff should not be hampered from acting as champions for the children in their care, as any good parent would, due to unclear processes for coordinating and sharing information to support effective care planning. ('Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards', page 12, paragraph 2.8)  The registered person should ensure that good employment practice is maintained and that the recruitment of staff safeguards children and minimises potential risks to them. This relates to the verification of references. ('Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards', page 61, paragraph 13.1)

p.6

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: 2808705 7

p.6

Children's home details

Registered provider: G&S Path to Progression Ltd

p.7

Children's home details

Registered provider address: Regus, Unit 4 Imperial Place, Maxwell Road, Borehamwood WD6 1JN

p.7

Inspector

Colin Bent, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2808705 8 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.

p.7

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.8

Inspector

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.8

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.8

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.8