Children's Home run by Parkwood Care Limited in Derbyshire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2773682 1 Registered provider: Parkwood Care

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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 home is privately run and provides care for up to three children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in March 2025.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, two children were living at the home, and one child had returned to parents care but was still being supported by staff. The inspector met and spoke with two children and spoke with one child on the telephone.

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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: 14 January 2025

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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: 2773682 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/01/2025 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2773682 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from a warm, welcoming and nurturing home environment. The atmosphere is positive and child-centred, with communal areas thoughtfully decorated with photographs of children and staff that celebrate achievements and promote a strong sense of belonging. Children’s bedrooms are personalised and reflect their individual interests and preferences, helping them to feel settled, valued and proud of their personal space.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make clear and measurable progress from their individual starting points. One child has made notable improvements since moving here, including a significant reduction in missing-from-home episodes and risks associated with substance misuse and exploitation. These improvements are the result of consistent, structured support and effective multi-agency working. Relationships with family members have strengthened, and the child’s health needs are being increasingly well managed. Immunisations are up to date and health appointments are routinely attended, although some specialist assessments are still in progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Educational outcomes for children are improving. One school-aged child has increased their participation with education and is accessing more learning hours than previously. While the provision remains well below full-time education, the registered manager has appropriately challenged this and continues to advocate for improved arrangements to better meet the child’s needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children speak positively about their experiences living here. They report feeling safe, cared for and well supported by staff. One child described the home as ‘good’ and said they would be happy living there if they could not live with family. Another child referred to it as a ‘nice place to live’ and spoke enthusiastically about participating in activities, including playing football for a local team. Children describe strong, trusting relationships with staff and report no current worries. A child temporarily staying with family said staff remain in regular contact, are ‘sound’ and continue to offer support when needed.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff team are strong advocates for children. They are proactive and persistent in challenging decisions and working with external professionals to ensure children’s needs are met. Their approach is professional, child focused and consistently prioritises positive outcomes.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Moving in and out of the home is carefully planned and sensitively managed. One child’s move-on from the home was handled in an exceptionally thoughtful and child-centred way. Despite the complexities associated with an eating disorder and the need for specialist hospital care, staff ensured the transition upheld the child’s dignity and emotional wellbeing. The home worked collaboratively with the receiving hospital to facilitate a brief return to the home for meaningful goodbyes, arranged a personalised escort to avoid secure transport, and maintained regular, purposeful contact during the Inspection report for children’s home: 2773682 4 child’s hospital stay. Staff visits and personal letters provided reassurance and continuity, helping the child to feel remembered, valued and supported. This approach reflects the home’s strong commitment to nurturing relationships and ensuring positive endings for

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

Children are supported and protected through well-developed safeguarding practices. Risk assessments are comprehensive, child-focused and routinely reviewed to ensure they remain current and effective. They accurately identify known risks for each child and set out clear strategies to reduce harm. Staff read and sign these documents, which promotes shared understanding, accountability and consistent safeguarding practice.

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

Incidents of concern are low and have reduced significantly for the children living here. Staff demonstrate a good understanding of children’s individual vulnerabilities and are generally proactive in responding to emerging risks. This contributes to children feeling safe and supported in their day-to-day lives.

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

Physical interventions are used appropriately and only when necessary to keep children and others safe. Staff prioritise de-escalation and demonstrate a good understanding of positive behaviour support strategies. When physical intervention is required, it is proportionate and in line with policies and guidance. Records are detailed and include clear rationales, the duration of the intervention and reflective debrief discussions for both children and staff. Monitoring systems are effective in identifying patterns and ensuring that interventions remain proportionate.

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

Most incidents are managed appropriately by staff. However, on one occasion, safeguarding procedures were not followed as outlined in a child’s risk assessment. A child identified as being at risk of self-harm had access to scissors overnight, and although injuries were identified the following day, the staff member did not feel sufficiently confident to request their removal. This incident highlights a lapse in practice and the importance of ensuring that all staff feel confident and empowered to implement risk management strategies consistently. Leaders have recognised this and taken steps to strengthen staff guidance and oversight.

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

Missing-from-home incidents are managed well. For one child, episodes have significantly reduced following timely changes to their safety plan, demonstrating staff’s ability to respond effectively to risk. Detailed records are maintained, and there is clear evidence of prompt communication with the police and social workers, ensuring appropriate safeguarding responses and oversight.

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

Overall, staff take children’s safety seriously and work effectively to protect them from harm. While practice is generally strong, leaders understand where further development is needed and are taking appropriate action to strengthen safeguarding arrangements and staff confidence. Inspection report for children’s home: 2773682 5

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager provides effective leadership. She knows the children well and demonstrates strong commitment for improving their experiences and outcomes. The manager is well supported by a deputy manager and the responsible individual, both of whom are actively involved and provide effective oversight and challenge.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders have established a positive and supportive culture for the workforce. Staff demonstrate a good understanding of children’s individual needs and apply this knowledge consistently in practice. They are motivated, child-focused and committed to achieving positive outcomes. Staff report feeling well supported by leaders and managers, which promotes confidence, teamwork and a willingness to reflect and improve practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Feedback from professionals involved in children’s care is consistently positive. Social workers, education providers and health professionals describe the team as responsive, communicative and proactive. Leaders ensure information is shared appropriately and in a timely way, and queries are followed up effectively. This strong approach to partnership working supports coordinated care planning and contributes to improved consistency and outcomes for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Parents speak positively about the leadership and care provided. They value the quality of communication, the responsiveness of staff and the nurturing environment their children experience. Importantly, positive feedback was also received from a parent who had previously been difficult to engage, indicating improved trust and confidence in relationships. This demonstrates leaders’ effectiveness in building constructive and respectful relationships with families, even where this has been challenging.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision, which supports their professional development and emotional wellbeing. However, there is some inconsistency in the quality of supervision records. While appropriate support is provided to staff, this is not always clearly evidenced within written records. Leaders are aware of this and recognise the need to strengthen the quality of recording to fully reflect the support and guidance offered.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders demonstrate creative and child-focused approaches to care records and communication. Daily summaries are compiled into monthly booklets and placed in children’s memory boxes. These are written in an engaging, positive style and help children to reflect on their experiences, achievements and relationships. This practice supports children’s sense of identity and belonging. In addition, monthly updates are shared with parents and carers, including photographs and positive narratives about children’s progress. This proactive communication strengthens family relationships and keeps parents well informed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Regulation 45 reports are a clear strength. They are well written, concise and child focused, containing all required information to meet regulatory expectations. The reports are easy to read and demonstrate leaders’ effective monitoring and quality assurance systems. Inspection report for children’s home: 2773682 6

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person 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 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 that staff—

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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

This specifically relates to ensuring that staff understand the risks for children and follow their risk assessments and plans. 14 March 2026

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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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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

This specifically relates to ensuring that supervisions are accurately recorded to reflect the support offered to staff members. 14 March 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2773682 7

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Recommendations

 The registered person must judge whether the incident is sufficiently serious to make formal notifications and, if it is, which other relevant persons may be notified, for example the police, probation service, health professionals, the local authority for the area the home is located in (if this is not the child’s placing authority) and others involved with the care or protection of the child. This should be completed within 24 hours prior to any investigation into the incident taking place. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.12)  The registered person must ensure staff act as effective advocates for or on behalf of a child who may be experiencing difficulties with education or training matters including, but not limited to, attainment, admissions, attendance or behaviour, as a good parent would do. This includes challenging the appropriate people when the

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Recommendations

education package is less than what children are entitled to. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 28, paragraph 5.12)

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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: 2773682 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Suite 5, Level 4 Arrive Tomorrow Building, Media City, Salford, Manchester M50 2AB

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Rebecca Harrison

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Inspector

Lauren Barwell, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2773682 9 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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