Children's Home run by Parallel Parents Ltd in Staffordshire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2747256 1 Registered provider: Parallel Parents Ltd

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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 privately owned home provides care for up to three children who may have social or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in December 2023 and is suitably experienced.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2747256 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

09/04/2024 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2747256 3

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improvement to be good

Since the last inspection, four children have moved into the home and three children have moved out. At the time of inspection, one child was living at the home and spoke with the inspector.

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improvement to be good

Children’s experiences of living in the home are mixed. Not all children have positive experiences. For example, one child received inconsistent care that did not align with the home’s statement of purpose. In contrast, two children made significant progress and moved on from the home in a positive and planned way. Both children spoke with the inspector and reported that they had enjoyed their time at the home.

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improvement to be good

One child continues to live at the home and is making progress. The child told the inspector that they have a positive relationship with the staff but expressed a desire to move on, stating, ‘I would go today.’

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improvement to be good

Some of the children’s health needs are met. Staff support children to attend all routine health appointments. However, following an incident in which one child sustained an injury, the manager did not seek additional advice or support from specialist services. This represented a missed opportunity to ensure the child received the appropriate emotional support.

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improvement to be good

The home presents as warm and welcoming overall. However, safety hazards are present in the child’s bedroom. The bedroom walls are dented, and one wall has extensive damage with crumbling plaster. Additionally, the room required cleaning, as stale food had been left on the carpet. These conditions create an unsafe environment and do not promote the child’s well-being.

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improvement to be good

Managers and staff recognise the importance of promoting children’s relationships with those who are significant to them, including family members. Staff play a key role in supporting children to spend time with their parents and extended family. This approach helps children to maintain connections and supports their emotional well-being.

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improvement to be good

Children’s care plans and risk assessments lack sufficient detail about their current risks and do not provide staff with clear guidance. For example, missing-from-home plans do not specify when a child should be considered missing or when staff should notify the police. Additionally, staff do not consistently speak with children immediately on their return, missing vital opportunities to understand the reasons for their absence. This lack of engagement hinders staff’s ability to identify early signs of distress or respond to emerging concerns. As a result, children’s safety is not effectively promoted. Inspection report for children’s home: 2747256 4 Staff and leaders do not consistently take children’s allegations seriously. External professionals are not always notified promptly, resulting in insufficient protection for children. On two occasions, following allegations made against staff, those staff

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improvement to be good

members continued to work their shifts, compromising children’s safety. Leaders have failed to conduct internal investigations in accordance with the home’s policies and procedures. Furthermore, children and professionals are not always informed of the outcomes. This poor practice undermines children’s confidence in raising concerns and does not support them to feel safe in their environment.

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improvement to be good

In addition, following allegations made by children, the manager has either submitted regulation 40 notifications late or failed to submit them altogether. This limits the regulator’s ability to maintain timely and effective oversight of safeguarding concerns.

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improvement to be good

Two children experienced periods of crisis while living in the home, during which staff were unable to meet their specific needs. On both occasions, staff contacted the police to ensure the children’s immediate safety. Following these incidents, staff did not engage with the children to help them reflect on their experiences. This lack of follow-up prevents children from processing what occurred and limits their opportunities for learning and emotional growth. The failure to provide appropriate guidance and support does not promote children’s well-being.

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improvement to be good

Staff are trained in the use of physical intervention and apply it only as a last resort to protect children and others from harm. Following all incidents, both children and staff are spoken to, ensuring that everyone involved has the opportunity to reflect and learn from the experience.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The home is led by a registered manager who is enthusiastic and committed to achieving positive outcomes for the child currently living in the home. He is supported by an ambitious operations coordinator who shares the same values and ethos. Although the registered manager does not hold the required management qualification, he is actively working towards achieving it.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Monitoring and review systems implemented by leaders and managers are ineffective. For example, there are significant gaps in recording practices. Incident forms lack clarity and do not accurately reflect the events that occurred. Furthermore, children’s records are inconsistent with their daily logs, highlighting further discrepancies. Managers do not demonstrate sufficient professional curiosity when reviewing and evaluating incidents. As a result, they have failed to identify shortfalls in staff practice or to take appropriate action to ensure children’s safety and well-being. These weaknesses have led to failings in the quality of care and the protection of children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The registered manager has not received regular supervision, which has weakened leadership oversight and has negatively impacted on the overall effectiveness of the home in delivering quality care. As a result, senior leaders have failed to identify and Inspection report for children’s home: 2747256 5 address key shortfalls, due to a lack of effective oversight and insufficient support provided to the manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Leaders have admitted children to the home who are at risk of going missing. However, staff have not received the necessary training to manage missing-from-home incidents effectively. This lack of training has compromised the safety and well-being of children when such incidents have occurred.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Managers have not supported staff to reflect on or learn learning from serious incidents. This lack of learning undermines the home’s overall effectiveness in providing safe and responsive care for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Despite the shortfalls identified during the inspection, external professionals reported that communication with the manager and staff is effective. Inspection report for children’s home: 2747256 6

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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, 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.

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm;

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that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished, and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health;

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Requirement Due date

that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. 30 June 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2747256 7 (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered manager ensuring that:

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Requirement Due date

 Children’s care plans provide clear guidance on how staff will support them, minimise risks, and ensure their safety at all times.  Missing-from-care plans clearly define when children should be reported missing to the police, in line with their individual risk profiles.  Serious incidents are subject to robust investigation, in accordance with the home’s policies and procedures.  Children’s bedrooms are maintained as safe and comfortable spaces, with all necessary repairs completed promptly.

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare.

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In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home.

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demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and

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feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received. 30 June 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2747256 8 use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(c)(f)(g)(i)(ii)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered manager ensuring that:  All staff receive the necessary training to meet each child’s individual needs.  Children’s complaints are taken seriously, and children are kept informed of the outcomes.  The home’s monitoring and review systems are effective in identifying and addressing shortfalls in practice.

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The health and well-being standard is that—

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the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

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children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered manager ensuring that all necessary referrals are made in a timely manner to support the children’s emotional needs and promote their overall well- being, and that children are supported to eat a healthy and balanced diet. 30 June 2025

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The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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undertake appropriate continuing professional development;

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receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and

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have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year.

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that all staff have the required supervision in line with the home’s policies, including the registered manager. 30 June 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2747256 9 The registered person must maintain records ("case records") for each child which—

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include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry.

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in cases not falling within sub-paragraph (a), for 75 years from the child’s date of birth;

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securely in the children’s home during the period when the child to whom the case records relate is accommodated there; and

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in a secure place after the child has ceased to be accommodated in the home.

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(Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(c)(d))

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In particular, the registered person must ensure that all children’s records are up to date and that records are signed and dated, with all information recorded clear and factual. 30 June 2025

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The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation;

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an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

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a child protection enquiry involving a child — is instigated; or concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e)) 30 June 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2747256 10 In particular, the registered person must ensure that they report all serious incidents to all relevant persons within time frames.

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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: 2747256 11

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Parallel Parents Ltd

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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

Jas Nahar, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2747256 12 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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