Children's home run by Serenity Care Homes Ltd

Interim inspection report children’s home: 1249111 1 Registered provider: Serenity Care Homes Ltd Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is registered to provide care for four children and young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home is in its first year of registration. It is privately owned by a small company that also owns one other home. The home is located within easy reach of local services and facilities. The aim of the home is to offer an environment which is safe, nurturing, encouraging and supportive.

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Judgement at last inspection: good

Date of last inspection: 4 to 5 July 2017

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Judgement at last inspection: good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged good at the last full inspection. At the interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has sustained effectiveness.

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young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people make good progress while living at the home. They form positive relationships with staff and seek their advice, guidance, support and comfort when distressed or anxious.

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young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people who have resided in the home for a period of time are engaged in full-time education. Staff swiftly explore options and education providers to meet the needs of those who have recently arrived at the home.

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young people since the most recent full inspection

Managers complete pre-admission risk assessments and consider the compatibility of young people prior to their arrival at the home. Interim inspection report children’s home: 1249111 2 Staff support young people to settle into the home and the local community. Staff help young people to gain healthcare support and advice, with referral to other services as required. Young people gain assistance with health conditions which they have not been able to address previously.

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young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff manage episodes of missing well, working collaboratively with others outside of the home. A high number of missing episodes are reported and recorded by the home. When a young person goes missing, staff follow the detailed plans that are in place to manage and record the incident.

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young people since the most recent full inspection

Leaders and managers have good links with those outside of the home. Managers have stakeholders which has a positive impact on their plans. Outside professionals regularly visit the home and are building positive relationships with young people.

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young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff give lots of practical advice and educate young people about the impact of risk-taking behaviours, how to stay safe and how to lead a healthy lifestyle. Staff offer regular one-to- one sessions to, and have many open and frank conversations with, young people. Staff are clear with young people about positive and negative choices, and how these will affect them. Young people who are smokers have conversations with staff about the impact of smoking, but staff do not have clear plans or contracts of expectation regarding rules and boundaries. Plans do not detail what education, advice or health care support is being provided to assist young people to reduce or stop smoking.

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young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people are encouraged to maintain positive, regular, planned and well-managed contact with family and friends.

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young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff manage behaviour well in the home. Behaviour support plans detail triggers, behaviours and strategies to de-escalate behaviour and support young people. Staff rarely use physical intervention; when they do, it has been for short periods of time when a young person is in crisis. Records detail the intervention used, the length of time it was applied and information about the effectiveness of it. After an incident of restraint, young people are encouraged to explore their thoughts, feelings and what they may do differently next time. One record viewed lacks detail about the exact hold used, by whom and for how long. Young people receive sanctions for negative behaviour, but records for financial sanctions lack detail about the exact sanction given.

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young people since the most recent full inspection

Managers have recruited additional staff to the home, but the records in the home do not meet the expected standard to evidence that safer recruitment processes are followed. The records lack evidence of interview, healthcare questionnaire, references from two previous employers and contract of employment.

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young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager has not achieved her qualification within the required timeframe.

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young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager’s review of the quality of care provided in the home has not been received, as required in regulation. Interim inspection report children’s home: 1249111 3

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Recommendations

 Records of restraint must be kept and should enable the registered person and staff to review the use of control, discipline and restraint to identify effective practice and respond promptly where any issues or trends of concern emerge. The review should provide the opportunity for amending practice to ensure it meets the needs of each child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 49, paragraph 9.59). Specifically, ensure that the exact hold and length of time used are detailed.

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Recommendations

 All managers working in a children’s home must have the qualification in regulation 28(2) within the relevant timescales listed in regulation 28(3). All staff in a care role, including external agency or bank staff, must have the qualification in regulation 32(4) within the relevant timescale listed in regulation 32(5). The registered person may extend the time period if the member of staff hasn’t worked in the role for a prolonged period, such as sick leave or maternity leave, or if it is not reasonable to expect the member of staff to complete in this timescale due to the nature of the hours they work. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.12)

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Recommendations

 As set out in regulations 31–33, the registered person is responsible for maintaining good employment practice. They must ensure that recruitment, supervision and performance management of staff safeguards children and minimises potential risks to them. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1)

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Recommendations

 Regulation 45 sets out requirements for the registered person to have a system in place which allows them to monitor the matters set out in the regulation at least once every six months; also see regulation 13(2)(h) (the leadership and management standard). The registered person should undertake a review that focuses on the quality of the care provided by the home, the experiences of children living there and the impact the care is having on outcomes and improvements for the children. Reviews should be underpinned by the Quality Standards as described in regulations 5 to 14. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.2)

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the differences made to the lives of children and young people. They watched how professional staff work with children and young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care provided. Interim inspection report children’s home: 1249111 4 Wherever possible, they talked to children and young people and their families. In addition, the inspectors have tried to understand what the children’s home knows about how well it is performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the children and young people whom it is trying to help, protect and look after.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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Information about this inspection

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’.

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Serenity Care Homes Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Greenacres, Silver Street, Hordle, Lymington, Hampshire SO41 0FN

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Inspector

Amanda Maxwell, social care inspector Interim inspection report children’s home: 1249111 5 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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