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

Inspection report for children’s home: 2606062 1 Registered provider: Paramount Children’s Services 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

The home is owned and operated by a private provider. It is registered to provide care for up to 3 children who may experience emotional and social difficulties or have learning disabilities. Three children were living at the home at the time of this inspection. One child spoke to the inspectors.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in July 2022.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, there were 2 ongoing investigations in relation to allegations made against members of staff by children living in the home.

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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

Date of last inspection: 3 September 2025

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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: 2606062 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

03/09/2025 Full Good 06/11/2024 Full Good 09/11/2023 Full Outstanding 18/01/2023 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: 2606062 3

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Summary of findings

Since the last inspection, one child has moved out of the home and one child has moved in. Leaders and managers have not always fully considered the impact of children moving into the home on the children already living in the home.

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Summary of findings

Children are supported to maintain positive relationships with people who are important to them. Staff also support children to develop independence skills for when they move on from the home.

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Summary of findings

Children are generally well supported to engage in education and, when not in formal education, are supported to access learning in the home.

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Summary of findings

There are a number of areas in the home that are in need of redecoration and repair.

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Summary of findings

The home benefits from a stable manager. However, management oversight is not always robust and evaluative.

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improvement to be good

Since the last inspection, one child has moved out of the home. The child moved out of the home in an emergency due to emerging risks and as it was no longer safe for them to remain living in the area.

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improvement to be good

One child has moved into the home. Leaders and managers did not fully consider the needs of the child moving into the home and how these might impact on children already living in the home. This has resulted in an increase in the level of risk for one child.

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improvement to be good

Children are supported to see their family in line with their care plans. Some family members regularly visit the home to spend time with their child. This supports the child to maintain positive relationships with people who are important to them.

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improvement to be good

Staff support children to develop their independence skills. This includes preparing meals, completing household tasks and budgeting. These skills build independence and prepare the children for adult life.

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improvement to be good

Staff have meaningful conversations with children about issues related to their health including maintaining a healthy diet, attending routine health appointments and the use of illegal substances. Inspection report for children’s home: 2606062 4 Staff promote education for children living in the home. One child has recently sat their GCSE examinations and has made applications to attend college. Another child, who is not in formal education, has been supported by staff to access learning both in the home and in the community. Staff support one child to access a tutor in the home, and there is a plan for the child to return to formal education next term.

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improvement to be good

The home is large and has different areas where children can spend time relaxing and socialising. Whilst some areas of the home, including children’s bedrooms, have been redecorated, other areas of the home are worn and in need of repair. This includes repairs to carpets and flooring and where there has been damp in the basement.

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improvement to be good

Leaders and managers have also failed to ensure that there are appropriate arrangements in place for members of staff who smoke. There is a designated area in the garden for staff to smoke, which means children are likely to see staff smoking. This does not model a healthy lifestyle and limits staff’s ability to promote positive health choices to children.

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improvement to be good

There have been several missing-from-home incidents for children. Staff manage these incidents in line with children’s risk plans, including reporting children missing and actively searching for children. However, leaders and managers have not sufficiently considered how the location of the home and the impact of children living in the home on one another have increased the risks during these incidents. For one child, this has resulted in concerns in relation to exploitation and risk of criminality.

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improvement to be good

Leaders and managers have failed to fully notify the regulator about incidents where children have been missing from home for a prolonged period. This has reduced oversight of the regulator, including in relation to management of risk and whether actions are being taken to keep children safe effectively.

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improvement to be good

Leaders do not consistently follow safer recruitment procedures. When gaps in employment are identified, they are not always appropriately explored. In addition, references are not always sufficiently scrutinised, including when staff members are known to have criminal convictions. This oversight increases the risk of recruiting unsuitable individuals and may compromise children's safety by allowing them to be cared for by adults whose suitability has not fully been assessed.

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improvement to be good

When allegations are made against members of staff, they are treated seriously and action is taken to safeguard children. Where appropriate, risk assessments are put in place to ensure that staff can safely continue to work in the home.

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improvement to be good

Children living in the home have had differing needs and vulnerabilities and there have been variable outcomes in how these have been managed. Staff manage incidents of Inspection report for children’s home: 2606062 5 self-harm well. Staff ensure that children do not have access to items that could be potentially harmful. For one child, this has meant a reduction in self-harming.

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

The manager is suitably experienced and qualified. They have a child-centred approach and advocate on behalf of children when necessary.

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

There is a stable staff team in the home that has a high level of experience. Staff report that they feel supported in their roles by leaders and managers.

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

Staff receive regular supervision sessions, which provide them with an opportunity to reflect on the child’s needs and risks and consider their own practice. In addition, staff receive annual appraisals, which include feedback from children living in the home. Team meetings are held on a regular basis and are well structured to support staff reflection and development.

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

Management oversight is not always robust and evaluative. This limits the opportunity to make improvements to the care being provided to children. Furthermore, leaders and managers have not ensured that all safeguarding incidents have been reported to Ofsted as required. The failure to consistently notify the regulator of serious incidents prevents Ofsted from having effective oversight of safeguarding practices in the home. This means that potential risks and patterns are not being fully scrutinised or addressed.

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

Leaders and managers have failed to ensure that quality of care reports are submitted to Ofsted in the correct timescales. Inspection report for children’s home: 2606062 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 care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children's home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that when accepting new children into the home, the impact on children already living in the home is fully considered. 16 October 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

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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

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

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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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that they have full oversight of the home. Incidents in the home must be evaluated fully and any learning from these is taken into 16 October 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2606062 7 consideration when making improvements to the care afforded to children.

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Requirement Due date

Additionally, the registered person must ensure that a copy of the quality of care review is supplied to the regulator.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children's safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children's home if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character;

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform;

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Requirement Due date

the individual is mentally and physically fit for the purposes of the work that the individual is to perform; and

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a) (3)(a)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that a rigorous assessment of suitability for the role is completed for all members of staff. Additionally, that any gaps in employment are fully documented, explored and analysed. 16 October 2026

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Requirement Due date

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

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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

A notification made under this regulation—

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Requirement Due date

the matter; 16 October 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2606062 8 the other persons, bodies or organisations (if any) who or which have been notified; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions taken by the registered person as a result of the matter;

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Requirement Due date

must be made or confirmed in writing. Regulation 40 (4)(e) (5)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(b)

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that they have clear systems in place so that significant incidents are notified to all safeguarding partners in appropriate timescales, including the regulator for full transparency.

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children's home's overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children's needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that property maintenance issues are promptly addressed.

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Requirement Due date

Additionally, the registered person must ensure that staff do not smoke on the premises or in front of children. 16 October 2026

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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 Inspection report for children’s home: 2606062 9 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: 2606062 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Paramount Children’s Services Ltd

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspectors

Ruth Mortimer-Jones, Social Care Inspector Eve Ostridge, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2606062 11 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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