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 3 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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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: requires improvement to be good

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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

06/05/2025 Full Requires improvement to be good 09/04/2024 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 2747256 3

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Summary of findings

The home provides good-quality care for children. Children make good progress from their individual starting points as a result of the support and care they receive. Leaders and staff are committed to building nurturing and positive relationships with children, which helps to promote children’s emotional wellbeing and sense of belonging.

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Summary of findings

Some shortfalls were identified in the consistency of leaders’ evaluations of incidents when children go missing from home. This impacts the provider’s ability to consistently demonstrate effective oversight and identify areas of development for the staffing team and to highlight good practice. Leaders have recognised these areas of development and are taking appropriate action to strengthen systems to ensure children continue to experience consistently good-quality care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Leaders and managers ensure that robust assessments are completed before any child moves into or moves out of the home. These assessments are carried out in partnership with the child’s wider professional network, ensuring that each child’s needs are clearly understood and planned for effectively. As a result, staff are well prepared to provide care that promotes children’s safety and emotional wellbeing.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Leaders take appropriate action to maintain a safe, welcoming home environment for children that protects them from harm and promotes their wellbeing. When damage occurs in the home, effective plans are implemented to ensure that repairs are completed promptly. Children’s views are regularly sought regarding how they wish to personalise their bedrooms. Staff respect children’s wishes and support them at a pace that is comfortable for them. This approach helps children to feel listened to and enables them to actively contribute to decisions about their home environment.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from a wide range of experiences and outdoor activities that are carefully tailored to support their physical and emotional wellbeing. Children regularly participate in activities such as fishing and camping and are supported by staff to set personalised goals that reflect the progress they have made from their individual starting points. As a result, children develop increased confidence, resilience and independence skills.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children understand how to make a complaint, raise a concern or share a worry. The process is clear and accessible, enabling children to understand what will happen as a result of their complaint or concern being raised. Children are kept informed of the progress and outcomes of matters they raise. This approach helps children to feel heard and valued and promotes their rights and welfare. Inspection report for children's home: 2747256 4 Children are consistently supported to build and maintain relationships with people who are important to them, when it is safe and appropriate to do so. Leaders and staff recognise the importance of these relationships in promoting children’s identity, emotional wellbeing and their sense of belonging. Children are encouraged to express their wishes and feelings about the people who matter to them, and staff support them sensitively to understand and manage these relationships. This approach helps children

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

to develop a stronger sense of stability and security.

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

Staff support children to understand and identify risk. Staff have regular discussions with children about their experiences of risk and discuss strategies to build their resilience. Staff and leaders take a proactive approach in the direct work they complete with children to promote their understanding of risk.

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

Staff use physical restraint as a last resort to protect and prevent children from experiencing serious harm. Staff demonstrate an understanding of children’s individual needs and use techniques in line with children’s individual care plans to prevent the use of restriction wherever possible. Children and staff are spoken with promptly to reflect on the experience and ensure that children’s rights are upheld. There is a strong culture of learning from incidents, and staff are encouraged to reflect and think about what can be done differently to reduce the need for children to be held.

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

Staff understand the actions required when children go missing from home and have clear plans in place to follow. Overall, staff respond effectively to these incidents and take appropriate action to safeguard children. Children receive reassurance and welfare checks following periods of going missing, helping them to feel supported and cared for. Leaders, however, have not recorded their evaluation of missing-from-home incidents. This limits opportunities to identify any shortfalls in staff practice or to recognise and embed effective practice. As a result, opportunities for leaders to develop staff knowledge and review the overall effectiveness of safeguarding practice are reduced.

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

When children express concerning or worrying beliefs, staff work sensitively and proactively with them to explore the reasons underpinning these views. Staff provide children with appropriate guidance, education and opportunities for reflection to help them develop a greater understanding of respect, diversity and acceptance. Children are supported in a non-judgemental manner and are reassured so that they do not experience shame or rejection when sharing their thoughts and feelings. This supportive approach enables children to safely explore their views in a trusted environment while promoting positive relationships, emotional safety and learning.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Management monitoring and review systems have lacked consistency. They have not monitored the quality of care provided to children effectively. However, this shortfall has been identified through external monitoring and auditing processes. Improvements have Inspection report for children's home: 2747256 5 been made, and leaders now demonstrate a clear commitment to consistently reviewing and prioritising areas of practice that require further development. Learning from monitoring activities has been taken into staff team meetings and supervision sessions to strengthen staff practice and improve the overall quality of care provided to children. This demonstrates a reflective approach to learning and a commitment by leaders to drive continued improvement in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has a thorough understanding of each child’s starting point and carefully monitors the progress they make during their time in the home. Leaders and staff actively seek and listen to children’s views about their goals, achievements and experiences. This ensures that children remain central to all aspects of planning and to the ongoing development of the home’s practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and staff work proactively and positively with a wide range of professionals to ensure that children receive coordinated and consistent support. They actively seek to build effective working relationships to secure positive outcomes for children. Feedback from external professionals about the care children receive is consistently positive. Professionals report that staff are proactive, child focused and responsive in meeting children’s individual needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff development is prioritised. Staff benefit from regular team meetings and supervision sessions that focus on their wellbeing and how the leadership team can support their continued development. Leaders review their offer of training to staff regularly, ensuring that this sufficiently equips staff with the necessary skills and knowledge base to support the needs of children in their care effectively. As a result, staff speak positively about the quality of support they receive and the commitment they feel from the leadership team to invest in their future and their development. Inspection report for children's home: 2747256 6

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that evaluation of missing-from-home incidents is undertaken to identify any gaps in training, skills or knowledge for staff or to record and retain evidence of what worked well. This evaluation should inform the review of the quality of care. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.31)

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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 7

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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 Heaviley, Buxton Road, Stockport, England SK2 6LR

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Inspector

Charlotte Tippett, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2747256 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.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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