Children's Home run by Parallel Parents Ltd in Derbyshire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2624934 1 Registered provider: Parallel Parents Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is a privately owned home that provides care for up to seven children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since 2022.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, four children were living in the home. All children were spoken to during this inspection.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2624934 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

25/06/2024 Full Good 08/11/2023 Full Good 18/01/2023 Full Good 07/12/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2624934 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children live in a home that is welcoming and nurturing. Each child’s bedroom is uniquely decorated to reflect their individual personalities. Photos of the children are displayed throughout the home, creating a warm and inclusive atmosphere that reinforces a strong sense of belonging. The spacious areas within the home offer ample room for both group activities and personal development, allowing children the freedom to explore, play, and grow, either together or independently.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

While the children have not raised any complaints, they are able to identify staff and other professionals they feel comfortable talking to if any concerns arise. Staff build strong, supportive relationships with the children, ensuring they have the space and trust to be open about any worries or issues they may have. Children express that they are happy in their home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff actively support children in building and maintaining connections with those who are important to them, even when they live far from the home. They advocate for children to spend time with loved ones and are proactive in challenging the local authority if these opportunities are not being provided. This ensures that children can maintain meaningful relationships with significant people in their lives.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive education on site, where strong relationships exist between the teaching staff and the home staff. Staff are dedicated for children’s success, which contributes to their continued progress in education. In addition, staff actively support children in forming relationships with their peers at school, helping to enhance both personal development and positive friendships.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When children move from the home, transitions are carefully planned and thoughtfully managed. Staff communicate with sensitivity and care, ensuring that children understand the process and feel supported. Staff also assist children in visiting their new homes to ease the transition. For one child, staff helped them write letters to their new home, assisting the child in forming friendships prior to their move.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff build strong relationships with the people who are close to the children. Families report receiving regular updates on their children’s well-being and maintain open, effective communication with the staff at the home. One family member expressed that the care their child receives is ‘five stars’.

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

Safeguarding incidents are rare, but when they do occur, they are addressed promptly and appropriately. Staff engage in meaningful conversations with children to offer support and guidance during challenging situations. There is clear and effective Inspection report for children’s home: 2624934 4 management oversight of incidents, ensuring thorough analysis and follow-up to prevent future occurrences and ensure the children’s well-being.

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

When allegations are made against staff, they are addressed without delay. Relevant professionals are promptly notified to ensure that the safety and well-being of the children are prioritised and thoroughly safeguarded throughout the process.

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

When physical interventions occur, they are always proportionate and for minimal time. Children are given the opportunity to discuss with staff how the intervention made them feel and are offered the chance to speak with an advocate. Management ensures clear oversight of all physical intervention incidents, conducting thorough reviews to ensure they are appropriate.

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

Children’s risk assessments are regularly reviewed and updated to ensure they reflect the most current information. These assessments provide clear, detailed actions for staff to follow to maintain the children’s safety. When a particular risk is no longer a concern, it is promptly removed from the assessment, ensuring that only relevant and up-to-date information is included.

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

Children are supported in living harmoniously with each other. When concerns arise about children not getting along, staff help them explore ways to resolve conflicts and build better relationships. This approach allows children to express what works best for them and how staff can provide the support they need to improve their interactions.

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

At times, consequences can be punitive, focusing more on punishment than on addressing the underlying causes of children’s behaviour. When children regain privileges, this is not always clearly recorded. While children are given space to reflect on their behaviour and think about how to handle similar situations in the future, this reflection does not always lead to the removal of consequences or sanctions, even when progress is clear. The manager has acknowledged this issue and is actively working with the team to improve the approach.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and deputy were suspended for several months following a historical allegation. Although the allegation was unsubstantiated, senior management determined that key lessons should be shared with the wider team. As a result, changes were made to bedtime routines, with children having personalised assessments. These assessments emphasise the importance of nurturing care for children while maintaining clear professional boundaries. There is continued and ongoing reflection and learning following this.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

During the absence of the manager and deputy, adequate oversight was provided by other managers within the organisation. While this was a period of instability due to this change, this was managed well by staff and management within the home. This support ensured that care for both the children and the staff continued, maintaining a stable and supportive environment for everyone. Inspection report for children’s home: 2624934 5 Staff receive regular supervision, providing them with the opportunity to discuss their professional development and address any safeguarding concerns related to the children. They also participate in regular team meetings, where ongoing professional development is a priority, including training sessions to enhance their skills and knowledge. Staff share that they feel supported by management.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff possess the necessary skills and knowledge to effectively support the children in their care. They recognise the critical importance of safeguarding and are fully aware of the appropriate actions to take when signs of harm or neglect are identified. Additionally, staff members have completed specialised training tailored to the specific needs of the children, ensuring that they are equipped with the expertise to provide effective support.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and staff have good relationships with the wider team involved in the children’s care. They prioritise regular communication and information-sharing, ensuring a coordinated approach to each child’s well-being and development. Professionals involved in the children’s care report being well informed, with updates provided regularly, including weekly reports to families. Staff are proactive in advocating for the children, confidently challenging professionals when they feel that decisions may not be in the children’s best interests. This ensures that the children’s needs are always a priority.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers and senior managers maintain sufficient oversight of the home through reviewing documentation and spending time with the children. However, the Regulation 45 report currently lacks thorough evaluation of the progress the children have made and a review of the period. This is an area identified for further development to ensure a more comprehensive and detailed report. Inspection report for children’s home: 2624934 6

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Recommendations

 Any sanctions used to address poor behaviour should be restorative in nature, to help children recognise the impact of their behaviour on themselves, other children, the staff caring for them and the wider community. In some cases it will be important for children to make reparation in some form to anyone hurt by their behaviour and the staff in the home should be skilled to support the child to understand this and carry it out. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 47, paragraph 9.38)  The registered person should actively seek independent scrutiny of the home and make best use of information from independent and internal monitoring (including under regulations 44 and 45) to ensure continuous improvement. They should be skilled in anticipating difficulties and reviewing incidents, such as learning from disruptions and placement breakdowns. They are responsible for proactively

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Recommendations

implementing lessons learned and sustaining good practice. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 55, paragraph 10.24)

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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: 2624934 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Parallel Parents Limited

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspector

Jess Baines, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2624934 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.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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