Children's Home run by Parallel Parents Ltd in Blackburn with Darwen

Inspection report for children's home: 2775794 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

The home is operated by a private provider. It provides care for up to 5 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

There is a registered school on site. The inspector only inspected the social care provision.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, 3 children were living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in March 2025.

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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: 2775794 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

20/05/2025 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 2775794 3

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Summary of findings

Children are progressing well in key areas of their lives. They are settled and have good routines and clear boundaries. All 3 children are now engaged in education, despite them not attending before living at the home. However, the children need full access to all areas of the home, and the home needs to be maintained.

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Summary of findings

Staff understand the children’s needs well and respond appropriately to any significant incidents. However, when medication errors occur, these are not dealt with appropriately, and there are gaps in staff training specific to the children’s needs.

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Summary of findings

The home is managed by an experienced manager, who is supported by an operations manager. However, when children raise concerns about their care, there is a lack of clear procedures to ensure that each incident is recorded separately.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, one child has moved into the home. The move was well planned, and the child was supported to have a positive transition. Managers and staff worked closely with the child’s professional networks to promote a positive experience and allow time for the child to settle. The child visited the home, had sleepovers and experienced activities with the other children already living in the home before moving in.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make positive progress at the home. Before moving into the home, all 3 children had not been in education for a long period of time. All children are engaging in education at the on-site school, and one child reported that they like the school and enjoy attending. Two children were proud to show off their artwork that they have been working on.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the children to access health services, including specialist provision, such as child and adolescent mental health services. However, when one child missed their medication, staff and the manager did not seek appropriate health advice, potentially compromising the child’s health.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to enjoy their time and access a range of activities in the community. They are supported to participate in local clubs such as football, boxing and attending the local library. These opportunities help to build children’s self-confidence and relationships.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have positive relationships with staff. During the inspection, positive interactions were observed throughout the home. Staff regularly undertake direct work with the children on a number of key topics to support them to understand the routines and Inspection report for children's home: 2775794 4 boundaries in place and issues that are important to them. Child-friendly plans are used effectively, which are in both written and pictorial formats. This supports children to share their wishes and feelings.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s bedrooms are personalised to their individual taste. Two of the children are supported to care for their pet hamsters and rats. The home is a large farmhouse, which needs refreshing with decoration and flooring. There are minor repairs required to the home. The manager has plans in place to ensure that repairs are completed, such as to the downstairs broken toilet and the football pitch post.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children do not have access to all areas of the home. The utility room/toilet is locked and therefore not easily accessible to the children. The children have to ask to use the washing machine in the room, which limits their opportunities to develop their independence.

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

Children’s risk assessments are individualised. They are detailed and clearly outline strategies for staff to follow to manage and reduce risks. Risk assessments are regularly reviewed, particularly following any incident. They consider triggers, signs and existing control measures to manage risks before they escalate. They also provide staff with details of the immediate actions they should take when risks arise.

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

Staff take appropriate action when children are missing from home to ensure their safe return. They conduct searches to locate the children and consult with professionals, such as the police and local authority. When children return home, staff check on their welfare, and independent return home interviews are completed.

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

Consequences are clearly recorded and show improvement from the last inspection. Records include details of the child’s response, the duration of the consequence and an evaluation of its effectiveness. Management oversight is consistently evident across all children’s records. Despite this, consequences and rewards are regularly discussed at weekly team meetings.

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

There have been times when staff have had to physically intervene to keep children or others safe. Physical interventions are used as a last resort and are fair and proportionate. The manager has good oversight of each intervention, and debriefs are completed with staff and the child. Debriefs are evaluative in nature and provide an opportunity for staff and children to reflect on the incident. They also support a review of staff practice.

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

When children share concerns about their care, the manager seeks advice from the local authority designated officer and speaks to the children to obtain their views. However, there are no records in place to capture the complaint, the action taken and the response. Inspection report for children's home: 2775794 5

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is managed by a suitably experienced manager who is supported by an operations manager. They have developed new systems to ensure that they have effective oversight of the home. This enables them to identify strengths and areas for development, supporting robust monitoring of the home and identifying and addressing areas for improvement.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a consistent and stable team of staff in place who know the children well and speak passionately about their progress. Staff work well as a team to provide consistency for the children in supporting their individual needs and manage risks.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Professionals and parents speak positively about the care provided by the manager and staff, with one parent reporting that ‘staff are brilliant’. Professionals also highlight the positive progress that children have made since moving into the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Team meetings are held on a weekly basis. They are well attended and enable staff to discuss the children’s needs in depth, their experiences during the past week and the plans for the week ahead. They provide an opportunity for staff to reflect on their practice and identify any new ways of working. When staff are unable to attend, they review the team meeting minutes to ensure they are aware of the discussions that have taken place.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff rotas are prepared a month in advance and include a separate rota for when the manager and operations manager are working in the home. The manager has plans in place to recruit new members of staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive supervision on a regular basis. Supervision sessions are practice related and discuss staff practice, including areas of poor practice, any challenges, the emotional wellbeing of staff and any training and development needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have completed a variety of training, such as first aid and behaviour management. However, there are gaps in training specific to the children’s individual needs. Inspection report for children's home: 2775794 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

Subject to paragraph (6), the registered person must establish a procedure for considering complaints made by or on behalf of children.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that a record is made of any complaint, the action taken in response, and the outcome of any investigation.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must supply to HMCI, at HMCI’s request, a statement containing a summary of any complaints made during the preceding twelve months and the action that was taken in response to each complaint.

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Requirement Due date

This regulation (apart from paragraph (4)) does not apply to any matter to which the Children Act 1989 Representations Procedure (England) Regulations 2006 apply. (Regulation 39 (1) (3) (5) (6))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that all complaints or concerns shared by children are recorded and managed in line with the complaints procedure. 2 July 2026

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular the registered person must ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

medicine which is prescribed for a child is administered as prescribed to the child for whom it is prescribed and to no other child. (Regulation 23 (1) (2)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that health advice is sought urgently should a medication error occur. 2 July 2026 Inspection report for children's home: 2775794 7 The registered person must ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

children can access all appropriate areas of the children’s home’s premises. (Regulation 21(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that children are able to freely access the utility room to complete independence tasks, such as laundry. 2 July 2026

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the home’s internal and external repairs are completed swiftly, to maintain a homely environment. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should ensure that all staff have the appropriate training specific to the children’s needs. (‘Guide to the Children’s Home Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10:11)

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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: 2775794 8

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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 Heaviley, Buxton Road, Stockport, England SK2 6LR

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Inspector

Vicky Byron, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2775794 9 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, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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