Children's home run by Parkwood Care Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2678673 1 Registered provider: Parkwood Care

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is a privately owned children’s home. The provider states in the home’s statement of purpose that it provides care for up to three children of any gender identity, with social, emotional and mental health needs.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been in post from May 2022.

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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

Date of last inspection: 20 September 2022

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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: 2678673 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

20/09/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2678673 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children living in this home have complex, multi-faceted needs. Effective care planning and multi-agency partnerships ensure that children are supported to access specialist services that meet their individual complex needs. This means that children are receiving personalised care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff know the children well. Children are held in high regard. Staff were observed to be interacting with children in a warm, respectful and child- centred manner. This has enabled children to build trusting and positive relationships. One professional said, ‘The manager and staff really do care.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s education and employment are tailored to meet their individual needs. One child is now making significant progress in their education and is attending school full time and sitting exams. Two children are currently not attending education or employment. However, the manager is advocating on their behalf to secure various opportunities for formal, informal learning and apprenticeships.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health and emotional well-being is a clear priority in this home. Effective partnership working with the clinical psychologist helps staff to understand and respond to children’s behaviours from the therapeutic model used in the home. This results in consistent care being provided and supports children’s emotional well- being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s views are welcomed and considered. Records are child-focused, and memory boxes capture the child’s journey. This provides children with a clear picture of their experiences and achievements while they have been living at the home. However, the manager needs to ensure children are supported to contribute to their records in a way that reflects their voice on a regular basis.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The physical environment of the home is warm, welcoming and furnished to a very high standard. It is made to feel like a family home, with photos of the children and wall art.

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

To safeguard children and reduce incidents within the community for some of the children, staff have developed positive multi-agency partnerships with a range of external stakeholders. Meaningful and valuable links with these professionals have started to embed contextual safeguarding. One professional said, ‘This is the best home I have worked with in my 15 years’ experience.’

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

Risk assessments and behaviour management plans provide clear and effective strategies for managing risks to individual children. Individual safety plans provide clear actions that should be taken to address and reduce risks. For example, in Inspection report for children’s home: 2678673 4 relation to one child’s safety plan, there is a code phrase that the child will use to alert staff that they need immediate help.

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

For some children, there has been a high number of missing-from-home episodes. Staff understand the action they should take when a child goes missing from home. However, return home interviews with external professionals are not evidenced as having taken place. This is a missed opportunity to gain further insight into where the child has been to minimise future risk. A requirement has been made to address this shortfall.

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

Staff were able to discuss the safeguarding process and procedure to follow if a child makes an allegation. Staff also complete training to respond to children’s specific risks. For example, staff have completed county lines training. This helps staff understand and support children who are at risk of this.

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

Medication is safely stored, and records show that staff understand how to administer, check and record medication safely.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is run by an experienced and dedicated manager. The manager has support from a proficient deputy. They are passionate and committed to providing a high standard of quality care to children. In relation to the home, one parent said, ‘It’s amazing this place.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Recent successful recruitment has addressed the gender imbalance within the home. This provides children with a wider gender base that they can identify with and this is something that they had raised as being important for them. Staff feel supported by managers and staff morale is high. This environment benefits children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Multi-agency, collaborative partnership working is a strength of this home. Professionals and parents are complimentary about the quality of care provided to children. They benefit from the effective communication systems that are in place. This promotes children’s education, health, emotional and social well-being.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are up to date with mandatory training. Purposeful team meetings and regular supervision sessions ensure that staff understand their roles, the needs of the children and how best to support them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a monitoring system in place in the home, which is effective in most areas. However, this can be improved by having a system in place so that all serious events are notified without delay.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The managers are strong advocates when services or professionals have been slow to respond and, they have challenged these shortfalls effectively. Inspection report for children’s home: 2678673 5

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, 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

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy ("the missing child policy") setting out—

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Requirement Due date

the procedures to be followed, and the roles and responsibilities of persons working at the home, in relation to a child who is, or has been, so absent.

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, ensure return home interviews with external professionals are evidenced as having taken place. 12 July 2023

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Recommendations

 The registered person should have a system in place so that all serious events are notified, within 24 hours, to the appropriate people. (‘Guide to Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.13)  The registered person should make best use of information from internal monitoring systems to ensure continuous improvements. Specifically, ensure complainants have the ability to respond to the outcome of a complaint they have made to determine if they are satisfied with the outcome. (‘Guide to Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 55, paragraph 10.24)  The registered person should ensure that children are encouraged by staff to see the home’s records as ‘living documents’ supporting them to view and contribute to the record in a way that reflects their voice on a regular basis, especially children’s meeting minutes and link-work sessions. (‘Guide to Children’s Homes

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Recommendations

Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 58, paragraph 11.19) Inspection report for children’s home: 2678673 6

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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: 2678673 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Flat 2, 5 Lancaster Road, Manchester M20 2TY

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Inspector

Nicola Clements, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2678673 8 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 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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