Children's Home run by Serenity Specialist Care Ltd in Birmingham

Inspection report children’s home: SC471672 1 SC471672 Registered provider: Serenity Specialist Care 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 provides care and accommodation for up to four children and young people who have learning disabilities. It is owned and operated by a small private company.

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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

Date of last inspection: 30 January 2018

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: declined in effectiveness

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

Following the last inspection in January 2018 when the service has declined in effectiveness, Ofsted undertook a monitoring visit in March 2018. Ofsted subsequently suspended the home’s registration due to significant shortfalls in the protection of children, leadership and management, safe recruitment and the management of complaints. In April 2018, Ofsted undertook a further monitoring visit to assess the provider’s response to the suspension notice and to ensure that no children or young people had lived at the home during the suspension. The suspension was lifted after that visit. Inspection report children’s home: SC471672 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

30/01/2018 Interim Declined in effectiveness 30/05/2017 Full Good 08/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 05/05/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC471672 3

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Recommendations

 For children’s homes to be nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of their children, they will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15 paragraph 3.9) In particular, complete the redecoration of the doors and woodwork in gloss paint to enable the home to look cleaner and more welcoming.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young person in placement has formed warm and trusting relationships with caring and dedicated staff. The stable and child-focused team has enabled the young person to sustain the placement and make progress in managing his emotions and behaviour. When challenging behaviour occurs, staff provide the young person with opportunities to talk about and resolve issues and then to make a fresh start when things have gone wrong.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Sensitive and informed staff support the young person to explore his identity and to express his wishes and feelings. Staff ensure that his needs are met, and they challenge other professionals when they consider that he is not receiving the services he requires. He has regular access to an advocacy service, has engaged with this and used it to obtain an interview for a local college. Staff supported him to attend the interview, which offers him the opportunity to study mechanics.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young person engages in a wide range of fun and stimulating activities with staff, including attending youth club, go-karting and pursuing his interest in cars. These activities support his physical, social and emotional development.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, the standard of decoration and furnishing in the home has improved and staff have involved the young person in making the environment more homely and welcoming. He can personalise his room and said that the home meets his needs. The woodwork in the home has not been gloss painted, which means that it gets dirty quickly and makes the home seem unfinished. This is an area for improvement.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young person has made significant progress in his family relationships, relationships with staff, and is calmer and more settled. He engages in key work, which has enabled him to talk about his feelings and relationships. He has also engaged in a creative anti- racism workshop run by the staff, which has enabled him to understand the issues and make changes to his behaviour. This has contributed to him developing positive relationships with staff. The young person has benefited from consistent care, routines and boundaries. His parent commented that this is the longest placement that he has Inspection report children’s home: SC471672 4 sustained and feels ‘that’s fantastic’.

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

Staff keep the young person safe with good staffing levels, communication between team members, strong skills and experience. The positive relationships that staff have established with the young person underpin their ability to understand his feelings, triggers to challenging behaviours and strategies to support him and reduce risks.

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

Since being placed, staff have skilfully engaged the young person in mediation after incidents. This has enabled both him and the staff involved to resolve issues and reach positive outcomes. Staff work closely with other professionals, including the placing authority and the police, to support and protect the young person. The police report good partnership working with staff, who have become increasingly effective in managing his behaviour and keeping him safe.

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

Staff help the young person to understand how to keep himself safe, through key-work sessions and workshops. An anti-bullying workshop is being run by a staff member, and the young person will undertake this with the staff group. Staff use research to inform safeguarding practice and work involving mental health issues. A team member is now running a mental health workshop.

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

Recruitment of staff to the home is safe. Risk assessments are relevant, up to date and enable staff to understand the young person’s safeguarding needs and respond appropriately. Behaviour management plans are very child focused, with clear involvement of the young person. Staff also use the locality risk assessment and are aware of ‘hot spots’ for issues such as gangs and child sexual exploitation. Staff have undertaken a significant amount of safeguarding training since the last inspection, which supports their practice and ensures that they are all following the same safeguarding policies and procedures.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Since the suspension notice was issued in March 2018, the registered manager has become more assertive and has taken strong ownership of her role. She is reflective, strategic, and welcomes feedback and constructive criticism to improve the service.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has worked very hard to raise standards in the home. She has empowered her staff to maximise the positive contribution that their skills and experience make to the care and progress of the young person. She demonstrates a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses in the team and she is addressing these.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have taken on increased responsibility in becoming coordinators within the team for all aspects of the young person’s care, including activities and health. This has increased staff effectiveness, confidence and motivation, and staff said that they enjoy working here. They are pleased by the positive changes that the registered manager has implemented and feel supported and listened to. Inspection report children’s home: SC471672 5 Staffing in the home has become increasingly consistent, with no use of agency staff. The staff now feel able to work as a team, to benefit from each other’s support and to learn from each other. Staff receive regular supervision and engage in team meetings, which they find supportive and reflective. The care planning format is comprehensive and child focused, with regular reviews.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager and staff team are very child focused and are keen to work with other agencies. Feedback is positive about how well staff communicate with parents and professionals.

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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. 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

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 children’s home: SC471672 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Serenity Specialist Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: First Floor, Dominion Court, 43 Station Road, Solihull B91 3RT

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Inspectors

Louise Whittle, social care inspector Elaine Cray, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC471672 7 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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