Children's Home run by Parallel Parents Ltd in Leeds

Inspection report for children’s home: 2779767 1 Registered provider: Parallel Parents Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted in August 2024 and is run by a private company. It provides care for up to five children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, two children were living in the home.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager is not yet registered with Ofsted.

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

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2779767 2

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The inspector spoke with both children, who expressed they feel happy and safe in the home. When children are new to the home, staff prioritise their individuality and build relationships with them at their pace. This has contributed to the substantial progress made by each child while living in the home.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand the importance of children attending the right educational placement that will best meet their needs. Staff have advocated and supported a child over a significant period to move from an out-of-area school to a local specialist provision. This move meets the child's educational needs and fosters the development of meaningful friendships in the local area.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are consistently encouraged to express their views. There are weekly meetings and regular key-work sessions that capture children’s wishes and feelings. The children’s views are then considered and actioned during weekly staff meetings. This demonstrates to the children that their views are valued, heard, and acted on when appropriate.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand the importance of children seeing their families. Staff work with the children and their families to ensure that their time together is a positive experience. Children’s families speak positively about the staff and feel that children are well looked after. One family member said, ‘I couldn’t wish for better carers for [name of child]. The staff are awesome with them.’

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s moves from the home, when planned, are well supported and nurtured by staff. Staff collaborate with social workers and families to ensure that children are well prepared leading up to their move. Staff put plans in place before the child leaves, and when the child has moved, they continue to provide guidance and support to the new home or child’s family until they are settled. This approach ensures a positive ending for these children when they leave the home.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is well presented, warm and welcoming. There are photos of the children on the walls, and books can be found throughout the house. The children’s bedrooms are well furnished, clean, and personalised to their interests. The garden is large and well maintained, and children play there daily. However, there are unnecessary locks on doors in the communal areas. This takes away from the nurturing feel of the home.

p.2

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

Staff know children’s individual risks well. When presented with a risk, staff follow clear guidelines. Staff understand the risks to children and take effective steps to reduce them. This lowers the risk of harm to children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2779767 3 There has been a significant reduction in physical interventions in the home. Staff know the children well and recognise when they are distressed. Staff and children have identified effective coping strategies, and children are reminded to use them when necessary. When physical interventions are used, they are recorded accurately and in detail. Children and staff are given time to reflect on the incident, and it is further discussed during the weekly staff meeting. This enables everyone to understand what happened and identify what could be done differently to avoid repetition.

p.2

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

Staff are proactive when children go missing from home. They collaborate with professionals to return children home safely. Reports are detailed and highlight the persistent efforts of staff to locate children. When children return, they take part in return home interviews. This allows them to speak to an independent person about their feelings. This reinforces to children that they are cared for.

p.3

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

There have been no complaints, but children know how to raise them if required. They are reminded weekly at their house meetings and have free access to complaint forms. When asked, each child said they have a staff member who they would confidently speak to if they ever had a concern.

p.3

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

Staff new to the home have been recruited in line with safer recruitment policies and practices, which ensures that they are suitable to work with children. An effective induction sees staff receive training to equip them with the skills and knowledge to carry out their roles effectively.

p.3

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

Children’s positive behaviours are rewarded using incentives. This strategy encourages children to link positive behaviours with good outcomes. Staff respond to negative behaviours by imposing consequences. However, staff sometimes fail to log these consequences appropriately. This results in a lack of transparency in work practice.

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is passionate about the staff team, children’s care, and the development of the home. They demonstrate that they strive to achieve positive outcomes for the children and have a dedicated team to support them. There are good monitoring systems in place to highlight any shortfalls and to ensure that the staff are meeting children’s needs.

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager champions staff development. When staff wish to progress in the organisation, they are enrolled on management courses, take part in professional meetings, and attend specialised training programmes to enhance their skill base. This encourages the staff to feel invested in the development of the home, which promotes better outcomes for the children.

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive support and encouragement from the manager, including regular supervision sessions, annual appraisals and team meetings. The manager encourages professional curiosity and reflection during these meetings to establish best practice for the children, which, in turn, provides a good standard of care that is child centred. Inspection report for children’s home: 2779767 4 Staff training is up to date. There is an effective system in place that highlights when staff have completed the necessary training and when this needs to be refreshed. The manager sources training that is specific to the children’s needs. This ensures that the staff have an acute awareness of children’s specific history and risks and helps them understand the children better.

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is effective communication between staff and professionals. The manager attends children’s meetings and advocates on their behalf. This means that all professionals are working towards the same plan for the children. When necessary, the manager will challenge professionals whose responses fail to ensure the safety or welfare of the children. This challenge promotes safer practice for children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2779767 5

p.4

Statutory requirements

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.

p.5

Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy (“the behaviour management policy”) which sets out—

p.5

Requirement Due date

how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home; and

p.5

Requirement Due date

the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home.

p.5

Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

p.5

Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

p.5

Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

p.5

Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

p.5

Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure (“the user”), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

p.5

Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

p.5

Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”)— 25 April 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2779767 6 has spoken to the user about the measure; and

p.5

Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (1)(a)(b) (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that any consequences imposed due to children’s actions are clearly recorded.

p.6

Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that the home is a nurturing and supportive environment that meets children’s needs. Children’s homes will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. In particular, the registered person should ensure that doors are not locked in communal areas and children have free access to all areas of their home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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: 2779767 7

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Parallel Parents Ltd

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 2nd Floor Lansdowne House, 85 Buxton Road Heavily, Buxton Road, Stockport SK2 6LR

p.7

Inspector

Deirdre Silkstone, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2779767 8 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 . 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