Children's Home run by Paramount Children’s Services Limited in Manchester

Inspection report for children’s home: 2606062 1 Registered provider: Paramount Children’s Service 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. It is registered to provide care for up to three children who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties or may have learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

Three children were being cared for in the home at the time of this inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The home was registered by Ofsted in January 2021. The registered manager is suitably qualified and experienced. He has managed the home since July 2022 having previously been the home’s deputy manager.

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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 good

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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

Date of last inspection: 5 and 6 January 2022

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2606062 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

05/01/2022 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: 2606062 3

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outstanding

All children living in the home, and children who have left the home in this inspection period, have made significant and sustained progress. Their lives have been enhanced by the quality of care they receive.

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outstanding

Two children who had lived at the home since it opened moved on last summer as they were approaching their 18th birthdays. Both children were supported by staff to gain the skills and confidence they needed to reach this milestone in their lives. To recognise and celebrate the children’s achievements, all children and staff went out for a farewell meal together and a cake was made specially for the occasion. Before moving out of the home, each child went on holiday abroad for a week with staff, as did the third child, who continues to live at the home. This gave the children the opportunity to explore new places, take part in new activities, to relax and have fun.

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outstanding

Children have bound books, that are professionally produced, of photos showing their experiences and achievements. These provide children with positive memories of their time living in the home.

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outstanding

Another child, who has lived at the home for nearly two years, is also approaching adulthood. He is being helped to move back to his own community, nearer to family and friends. Staff are supporting the child to plan the move into his own accommodation, to ensure that this is a positive experience for him.

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outstanding

The positive support from the staff team has enabled one child to seek and sustain employment. In addition to this, the child has also been supported to work towards gaining a driving licence, which has given him high aspirations and motivation to succeed.

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outstanding

The two children who have come to live at the home since the last inspection have both settled in well and have built exceptionally good relationships with staff. Both these children are now in new educational settings which meet their needs. They have made substantial improvements in the areas of their lives which were of most concern when they arrived at the home. The social workers for both children say they would be happy for them to remain at the home until adulthood.

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outstanding

Children have a beautiful home to live in. The home environment continues to be maintained to an exceptionally high standard. Children’s bedrooms reflect their individual personalities and tastes. Communal areas are homely and welcoming. When damage is sustained to the building, this is repaired quickly and to a good standard. As a result, children feel they are valued.

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outstanding

Inspection report for children’s home: 2606062 4 Highly effective assessment and decision-making in relation to children’s needs mean that children only come to live at the home if staff have the skills and knowledge to meet their needs. Detailed consideration of the needs of children already living in the home means that children live together safely and their individual needs are met.

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outstanding

Children experience stability in the home. Children live at the home for extended periods and move on in line with their individual care plans in a planned way, usually as they approach adulthood.

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outstanding

Staff use written assessments and plans to get to know children’s needs. Risk management plans are updated regularly. They are concise and provide staff with clear information about identifying, preventing and responding to risks. There is a risk tracker in place for each child, which provides staff with an understanding of patterns and trends. Children’s placement plans can be amended according to this information in order to safeguard children.

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outstanding

Children’s case records are comprehensive. Some plans, while helping staff to care for children to a high standard, are lengthy and therefore not child-friendly documents. They contain historical information which is potentially upsetting for children.

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outstanding

There has been a substantial reduction in the frequency and length of missing from home incidents for one child. Missing from home plans provide staff with clear guidance, and staff use these plans proactively to keep the child safe. Staff actively search for the child when they are missing from the home.

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outstanding

The registered manager ensures that all children who go missing receive an independent return home interview organised by their placing authority. For all children, these are still taking place via a telephone call rather than a face-to-face meeting. This is a missed opportunity to build a relationship with children, which may further reduce their need to go missing.

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outstanding

One child came to live at the home with high risks in relation to self-harming behaviours in the home and in the community. Since their arrival, staff have worked hard to build trusting relationships with the child. Staff work closely with the child’s social worker and mental health services to understand past trauma and support in order to safeguard the child. This has led to a significant reduction in the number and severity of the child’s self-harming incidents. The child’s social worker told the inspector that the child is now able to recognise and manage their own emotions much more. The social worker said: ‘There really is nothing more I could ask of them. They are doing a great job.’

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outstanding

Staff have had additional training to meet this child’s needs. All staff are trained to respond to children who may self-harm with ligatures. Ligature scissors are available on each floor of the home and are easily accessible to staff if required. Inspection report for children’s home: 2606062 5 Positive behaviour is encouraged in the home. Incidents of staff physically intervening with children to manage their behaviour, or children receiving consequences as a result of incidents, are extremely rare. Staff only search children’s bedrooms when they have a concern for a child’s welfare. However, room search records are not always signed by children. As a result, it is not always clear if children understand why staff have searched their personal possessions or if they have been consulted with.

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outstanding

Regular consultations with the home’s commissioned psychologist provide staff with clinical input, which enhances their understanding of children’s behaviours. These consultations give staff additional guidance to inform their care of children and help them to safeguard children effectively.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Since the last inspection, there has been a change in manager at the home, with the previous deputy manager being promoted to the post of registered manager. Although this is his first registered manager position, he has a wealth of experience which he brings to the role. In addition, the responsible individual is skilled and knowledgeable. He is visible and accessible to all the staff team and regularly visits the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager and responsible individual work well together to provide children and staff with effective, child-centred leadership.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There have been some changes to the staff team in the inspection period. The impact of these changes on children has been reduced by a core group of staff providing consistency during this time.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home does not use agency staff. Additional staffing, when required, is drawn for the provider’s sister home. Children know these staff and they form part of an extended staff team. A member of staff said: ‘I am new to this work and didn’t know what to expect, but we are like a family. We care for the children and each other like a family.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff new to children’s residential care are supported to build the knowledge and skills they need to care for children to a high standard. Staff receive regular supervision, and team meetings are used to help staff reflect on the needs and progress of children. One member of staff told the inspector about the additional one-to-one support she had received, having experienced an incident of self-harm by a child for the first time. She said the open culture in the home and the quality of relationships among staff had helped her to manage her response to this incident in a positive manner.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Experienced staff are supported to continue with their professional development. Staff are helped to balance work and home life. This helps leaders and managers retain skilled and experienced staff. Inspection report for children’s home: 2606062 6 The registered manager has good oversight of practice in the home. The registered manager uses learning from his own knowledge of practice, alongside input from the independent person’s monthly visits, to make any identified improvements in the home. A culture of learning and enthusiasm to keep improving is evident within the staff team. Inspection report for children’s home: 2606062 7

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that children’s placement plans are clear, concise and support children to understand their care. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)  The registered person should ensure that local authorities have arrangements in place for children to have face-to-face return home interviews. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30)  The registered person should ensure that children are encouraged to sign records of room searches. Staff should record if children choose not to sign their records. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 16, paragraph 3.20)

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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: 2606062 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Paramount Children’s Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 89 Briony Avenue, Hale, Altrincham WA15 8PZ

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Inspector

Dawn Parton, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2606062 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 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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