Children's Home run by Care Today Parallel Parents in Leeds

Inspection report children’s home: SC403890 1 SC403890 Registered provider: The Partnership of Care Today Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is privately owned and provides care for up to four children. The home specialises in caring for children who may experience social and/or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in January 2016.

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Information about this children’s home

There were four children present at the time 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 outstanding

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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: good

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC403890 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/07/2021 Full Good 28/01/2020 Full Good 12/03/2019 Full Outstanding 12/09/2017 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC403890 3

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outstanding

As a result of living in this nurturing home, the children have made remarkable progress from their starting points. They are thriving and enjoying living together, and each child is working towards their individual goals. All the children attend full- time education. They enjoy improved health outcomes and have a positive self- image. The progress that children make has a highly positive impact on their future life chances.

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outstanding

The relationships between staff and children are at the heart of the care the children experience. Staff understand the importance of building strong relationships to help children to feel safe. Children talk openly to staff about their feelings, which helps them to process difficult emotions they may have. Staff respond sensitively and have high aspirations for them. This is communicated to children in an inclusive way which helps them to have high expectations and aspirations for themselves.

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outstanding

The progress children make in education is exceptional. Children who have a history of disrupted education are now feeling more secure and are achieving. When children become anxious or worried about school, staff take quick action to address this. As a result, children have achieved their GCSEs in many of the core subjects. This represents a significant rate of progress for the children.

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outstanding

Staff ensure that there are solid plans in place for children’s post-16 education. This helps children to be aspirational about their future education and career choices. Achievements are celebrated by staff, who are proud of the children. This provides children with confidence in their abilities and builds their self-esteem.

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outstanding

Children’s physical and emotional health needs have improved. Children attend all health appointments and health checks. Staff ensure that children with additional health needs access the right help from specialist services. This helps to ensure that children’s health continues to improve as they transition into adulthood.

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outstanding

Children enjoy seeing their family and friends regularly. Staff have built good relationships with children’s families and friends. Staff help children to share positive experiences with the people who are important to them, for example by arranging gatherings for special occasions and planning activities. This means that children feel cared about. One child said, ‘Staff are great, they are just like family.’

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outstanding

Children are encouraged and supported to take part in activities that provide them with new experiences. Children told the inspector that they enjoyed a recent holiday with staff. They had the opportunity to do lots of different activities. One child said, ‘Going ziplining was the best.’ Children also have a range of planned activities during the school holidays. They have chosen day trips out to theme parks and group Inspection report children’s home: SC403890 4 activities at home, such as a baking competition. Children who live together get on well and enjoy doing activities together.

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outstanding

Children’s day-to-day experiences are captured in a daily journal. Records capture the ‘little things’, such as a chat with staff or something that made the child laugh that day. There are many photos that are meaningful to the child and capture their journey. This is an outstanding piece of work that provides the child with an abundance of memories to take with them when they move on.

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outstanding

There is a great importance given to consulting with children. Managers and staff place children’s views wishes and feelings at the centre of decision-making about the child. This means that children feel listened to and helps them to have a say on what happens in their lives.

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outstanding

Staff help children to acquire the skills they will need for living independently. Children write their own independence self-assessment, which helps them to identify what they need the most help with. Following this, staff encourage children to keep a portfolio of evidence which shows their progress. This helps children to feel proud of their achievements.

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outstanding

Safeguarding arrangements in this home are effective, and keeping children protected from harm is integral to daily practice. Staff are highly motivated and work hard with children to help them to address their risk-taking behaviours. Children confirm that they feel protected and are safe and comfortable in the home. This is because they feel a strong sense of stability and have excellent relationships with staff and each other.

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outstanding

The risks to children have reduced. This happened soon after children moved into the home. Staff help children to understand risks and to be solution focused. Children are involved in finding ways to reduce or prevent risks. Staff regularly revisit the work they do with children to reduce the likelihood of risks increasing. Therefore, children are equipped to make the right choices, which means that they are better protected.

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outstanding

Staff understand the risks and vulnerabilities for individual children. Risk assessments provide clear guidance to staff, are up to date and reviewed regularly. When children are new to the home, risks are well understood by staff. Staff are clear on the steps to follow to ensure that children are better protected.

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outstanding

Behaviour management in the home is based on dialogue, negotiation and sensitive guidance from staff. This helps children to work things out for themselves and take responsibility for their decision-making. Staff encourage children to talk about their feelings and they use praise and rewards to motivate positive behaviour. This helps children to become more equipped to manage difficult emotions. Inspection report children’s home: SC403890 5 The risk to children of being missing from home is reduced. Staff understand the importance of building relationships with children to help them to feel secure. Staff work hard to ensure that children have a sense of belonging. This helps children to feel cared about, which reduces the likelihood of children going missing from home.

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outstanding

Managers and staff place a great importance on preventing risks to children from reoccurring. There is a child-centred approach to the discussions staff have with children about risks. They use innovative and enjoyable ways to engage children in these discussions. This helps children to learn about themselves, their triggers and how to keep themselves safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager and senior staff have a wealth of experience in caring for children. The manager is ambitious about the quality-of-care children experience. She is passionate about ensuring that children have positive outcomes and achieve their full potential. These aspirations are the goals of the whole staff team. Consequently, children respond and have high aspirations for themselves.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The ethos of the home is that children are cared for by adults who do not give up on them. The manager understands the strength in positive matching and making a full assessment of children’s needs before they move into the home. There is extensive planning when children move in and out of the home. This has meant that children are settled and their experience of living at the home is positive.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager supports and values her staff. The staff feel appreciated and listened to. Staffing levels are sufficient and any shortfalls are covered by staff and the manager to ensure that there is consistency of care for the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff receive regular high-quality supervision. The manager ensures that staff reflect on their practice and discuss the children’s needs and progress. The manager uses supervision to disseminate information and training to promote safeguarding. The children benefit from the care they receive from a supported and well-informed staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Professionals who are involved in the children’s care hold the manager and staff in high regard. One child’s social worker said, ‘The manager and staff are amazing, the child is thriving.’ Other professionals used words such as ‘outstanding’, ‘amazing’ and ‘phenomenal’ to describe the progress children have made.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager embraces a multi-agency approach to ensure that children receive the right help. She is proactive in making sure that children have access to support from other services soon after they have moved into the home. This has helped children to access the right support to meet their health and education needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager challenges others to ensure that the child’s plan meets their needs. For one child, this meant that the barriers to their education were removed and they Inspection report children’s home: SC403890 6 were able to access a school with the right support in place to better meet their needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

There are strong audit and monitoring tools in place to track and review the quality of care for children and the risks to children. The manager has excellent oversight of the progress the children are making. Records are exceptional in showing tracked changes in relation to the risks to children and to the progress children make. This means that identified shortfalls are swiftly addressed to maintain the high standard of care provided for the children. Inspection report children’s home: SC403890 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 children’s home: SC403890 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Lansdowne House, 85 Buxton Road, Stockport, Cheshire SK2 6LR

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Inspector

Rachel Webster, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC403890 9 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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