Children's Home run by Paramount Children’s Services Limited in Manchester

Inspection report for children's home: 2719474 1 Registered provider: Paramount Children’s Services 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

The home is managed by a small private company. It provides care for up to three children who may have social and emotional difficulties. At the time of this inspection, three children were living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in February 2023.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 2719474 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/07/2024 Full Good 16/08/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 2719474 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Since the last inspection, two children have moved into the home, and two children have moved out. One child moved to semi-independent living accommodation and the other child returned home to live with their family, after almost three years at the home. Both children left in line with their plans..

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children make excellent progress in relation to their various starting points, across all aspects of their welfare, physical, social, emotional and behavioural development. They benefit from high-quality relationships with staff and sustain their positive attachments. Children experience a high standard of predictability, consistency and stability in their lives. A social worker said, ‘The staff are so good. I think that the staff are great. I can’t fault them. They do their absolute best.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children benefit from diverse staff, with individuals employed from different gender groups, ethnicities, and cultural backgrounds. They benefit from caring and dedicated staff and enjoy impressive relationships with the adults who support them. A child said, ‘I really do like it here. I love the staff. The staff really do care about the children.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Some children have experienced challenges accessing education. However, with the persistent approach and an unwavering commitment from staff, children have been able to resume their education and overcome the barriers to their learning. Staff tenaciously encourage a culture of high aspirations for the children’s future. A teacher said, ‘The home has gone above and beyond, to ensure that the pupil succeeds in school, as they have previously struggled to access education. Communication is brilliant. There is daily communication between the home and school.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff promote the children’s active participation in community life. Children enjoy an extensive range of positive and enjoyable activities to develop their interests and hobbies. Children enjoy go-karting, archery, museums, theme parks and the zoo. Additionally, they have also enjoyed holidays abroad with staff in Morrocco, Spain, Turkey and Disneyland Paris.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff are proactive in ensuring that the specific needs of children are consistently met. They provide children with meticulously planned and highly personalised care that promotes their needs effectively and contributes to sustained improvements in the children’s lives.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff facilitate family time taking place irrespective of the travelling distances involved. This ensures that children sustain their close relationships with their loved ones.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff ensure that children benefit from effective support, including access to specialist services to secure their emotional and physical well-being. They work in close Inspection report for children's home: 2719474 4 partnership with health partners to ensure that children have prompt access to the services they need to be healthy.

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

Staff prioritise the safety of children effectively and have an excellent understanding of their specific needs and emerging vulnerabilities. Children are kept safe and say they feel safe. They have developed a very strong sense of personal safety. The use of robust risk management plans are followed by staff to reduce known risks to children.

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

There is evidence of significant improvement in the lives of children. Incidents of self- harm, missing from home incidents and the risk of exploitation are significantly reduced. Staff maintain highly effective partnerships with the police. They actively look for children if they are absent or go missing from the home to secure their safe return. A child said, ‘I used to go missing a lot, and struggled with self-harm. I haven't been missing or been to the hospital since I've been here.’

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

Staff are trained in attachment theory and therapeutic parenting. This helps them form positive attachments with children. One child living in the home came with significant risks, including court-imposed restrictions to reduce their risk of harm. Staff have quickly established a close bond and rapport with the child who is trusting and responsive to the care provided to them. The child said, ‘The staff are nice and caring. I go to the mosque every Friday with them.’

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

Staff are trained to manage the behaviours of children safely. Strategies used for managing children’s behaviour are safe and effective. The use of restraint is exceptionally rare. Restraint is always a last resort, that is only ever used to protect children from harm.

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

The use of consequences is fair, balanced and proportionate. Restorative practice is highly effective in encouraging children to reflect on their behaviour. All incidents are regularly reviewed by the manager who maintains effective oversight of safe working practices to promote the safety of children.

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

Safer recruitment procedures are stringently followed and adhered to by leaders and managers. This ensures that staff are recruited, selected and vetted safely, to protect children from unsuitable individuals. Allegations of abuse are handled quickly and professionally, to ensure that children are protected from harm.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Children benefit from an extremely experienced and well-qualified registered manager who has high expectations of staff and high aspirations for children. The manager leads staff, by example, and is an important, influential and visible presence in the lives of children. Inspection report for children's home: 2719474 5 The manager is inspirational and creates a culture of positivity and enthusiasm for children. Staff share the managers determination and aspirations to make a positive difference to the lives of children. Staff work harmoniously and cohesively as a staff team to deliver the absolute best possible care and experiences for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Children benefit from a wellfurnished home which provides them with comfortable, high- quality living accommodation. Staff ensure that the accommodation provided for children is physically safe and appropriately secure. Health and safety matters are addressed effectively ensuring a safe environment for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff benefit from regular child focussed team meetings, and the manager ensures that they are supported through practice-related supervision sessions. This encourages staff to reflect on their individual and collective performance in meeting the specific plans for each child. Staff benefit from high-quality training that enables them to meet the specific needs of children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff are trained in a specific model of therapeutic parenting which is applied in practice to communicate with children to help them feel understood, safe and secure. A social worker said, ‘Staff offer consistent, nurturing, and emotionally actioned care. Their interventions have seen her re-engage in education and attend all key health appointments which were considerably delayed previously.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders, managers and staff develop highly effective partnerships with children’s schools, social workers, and other partner agencies to ensure that children benefit from the best possible, help, protection and support. Significant incidents are reported to the appropriate authorities. This ensures that there is a timely and well-coordinated response from professionals to support and protect the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has an excellent understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the service. They make effective use of the internal and external monitoring activities to address any weaknesses to secure continuing improvement in the care provided for children. Inspection report for children's home: 2719474 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: 2719474 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Paramount Children's Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 89 Briony Avenue, Hale, Altrincham WA15 8PZ

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Inspectors

Chervone Collins, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2719474 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 children looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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