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

Inspection report for children‟s home - monitoring visit: SC471672 1 SC471672

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Serenity Specialist Care Limited

Monitoring visit 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 one young person who has learning disabilities and autism spectrum disorder. The home is owned and operated by a small private company.

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This monitoring visit

This home is subject to a temporary variation of conditions of registration. This was issued following an inadequate judgement at a full inspection on 19 and 20 June 2019. This condition limits the number of children who can be cared for from four, to one, until 16 September 2019. The one remaining young person told the inspector that he feels fine now that the two other young people have left, and the bullying has stopped. Staff are planning a „glamping‟ holiday for the young person and have plenty of other activities set up throughout the summer school holiday. The provider has made progress to improve the safe storage and administration of medication. The house is cleaner and there are now no obvious hazards to young people‟s safety. The provider said that it plans further refurbishment and redecoration. The provider has now submitted a review of the quality of care that covers the period up to the end of March 2019.

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This monitoring visit

However, the provider has not made enough progress in key areas of risk management plans that are aimed at helping to keep young people safe. These include when a young person is at risk of going missing from care, fire safety, or promoting young people‟s health. The house is still not safe from risk of fire. This is because two fire doors are ineffective. The provider has still not implemented recommendations made by the West Midlands Fire Service or addressed the recommendations of their two different fire risk assessments. This has the potential for confusion and risk. The provider Inspection report for children‟s home - monitoring visit: SC471672 2 assured Ofsted that it would improve fire precautions. Ofsted has issued a compliance notice in respect of this. Additionally, the provider has deployed staff who lack sufficient competence or experience to be in sole charge of the home. This means that care has been

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This monitoring visit

inconsistent. The manager does not know whether staff working alone follow young people‟s care plans. This is because there is no direct supervision of staff practice and staff records are not always reliable. Some staff have been removed from active duties with young people because of concerns about their suitability. Staff do not make full use of communication aids that take into account young people‟s learning disabilities and their autism spectrum disorder. This means that young people are not helped enough to understand their plans for their long-term care. Staff do not follow the placing authority‟s plan for young people‟s health. Young people who have moved here from out of the area do not have continuity of health support because there is no coordinated plan. This means that they do not get the services that they require to maintain good health or review their prescribed medication. Ofsted will continue to monitor the progress to meet the compliance notice for fire

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 19/06/2019 Full Inadequate 03/07/2018 Full Good 30/01/2018 Interim Declined in effectiveness 30/05/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children‟s home - monitoring visit: SC471672 3

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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, 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

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who— understand the children‟s home‟s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children; use this understanding to deliver care that meets children‟s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 6(1)(a)(b)(2)(c)(i)) 30/09/2019

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff— help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible. (Regulation 8(1)(2)(viii)) 30/09/2019

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that— the health and well-being needs of children are met; children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that each child has access to such dental, medical, nursing, psychiatric and psychological advice, treatment and other 30/09/2019 Inspection report for children‟s home - monitoring visit: SC471672 4 services as the child may require. Regulation 10(1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(c)) The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff— assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child‟s relevant plans, and, if

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Requirement Due date

necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child; help each child to understand how to keep safe; have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm; manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other; understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person; take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child‟s welfare; that the premises used for the purposes of the home are located so that children are effectively safeguarded; and that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child‟s health. (Regulation 12(1)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(c)(d)) 30/09/2019

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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— helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; 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; 30/09/2019 Inspection report for children‟s home - monitoring visit: SC471672 5 demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and feedback on the experiences of

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Requirement Due date

children, including complaints received; use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13(1)(a)(b)(2)(c)(f) (g)(i)(ii)(h)) The care planning standard is that children— receive effectively planned care in or through the children‟s home; and have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that arrangements are in place to— ensure the effective induction of each child into the home; manage and review the placement of each child in the home; and plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child‟s placing authority; that each child‟s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b)(2)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)(c)) 30/09/2019

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Requirement Due date

If the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005(a) applies to the home— the registered person must ensure that the requirements of that Order and any regulations made under it, except for article 23 (duties of employees), are complied with in respect of the home. (Regulation 25(2)(b)) * 06/09/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy (“the missing child policy”) setting out— the steps taken, and to be taken, to prevent children from being absent without permission; and the procedures to be followed, and the roles and responsibilities of persons working at the home, in relation to a child who is, or has been, so absent. Before implementing, or making an amendment which the registered person considers to be substantive to, the missing 30/09/2019 Inspection report for children‟s home - monitoring visit: SC471672 6 child policy, the registered person must— consult, and take into account the views of, each relevant person; and have regard to any relevant local authority or police protocols on missing children. (Regulation 34(4)(a)(b)(5)(a)(b)) The registered person must ensure that— within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered

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Requirement Due date

person to do so (“the authorised person”)— has spoken to the user about the measure; and has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35(3)(b)(i)((ii)(c)) 30/09/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which— include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child; are kept up to date; and are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36(1)(a)(b)) 30/09/2019

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Requirement Due date

Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children‟s home. The registered person must— maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4; ensure that the records are kept up to date. (Regulation 37 (1)(2)(a)(b)) This relates to maintaining the children‟s register. 30/09/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children‟s home at least once each month. A visit by the independent person to the home may be unannounced. The independent person‟s report may recommend actions that the registered person may take in relation to the home and timescales within which the registered person must consider whether or not to take those actions. (Regulation 44(1)(3)(5)) 30/09/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must review the appropriateness and 30/09/2019 Inspection report for children‟s home - monitoring visit: SC471672 7 suitability of the location of the premises used for the purposes of the children‟s home at least once in each calendar year taking into account the requirement in regulation 12(2)(c) (the protection of children standard). When conducting the review, the registered person must consult, and take into account the views of, each relevant person. (Regulation 46(1)(2)) This relates to ensuring that staff consult the police about the likelihood of children being drawn into gang crime and/or anti-social behaviour in the local area.

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Requirement Due date

*This requirement is subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendations

 Ensure that any staff member such as „shift leader‟ should have substantial relevant experience of working in a children‟s home and have successfully completed their induction for the home in which they are employed. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 54, paragraph 10.21)  Ensure the placing authority‟s desired required outcomes, recorded in their health plan, are the basis on which the registered person is expected to meet regulation 10(2)(a)(i) in the health and well-being standard for each looked- after child in their care. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 33, paragraph 7.4) This relates to seeking advice from the placing authority named health professional to deliver their plan and secure an urgent review of medication by an appropriate health professional.  Ensure staff establish the child‟s understanding of key information about

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Recommendations

living in the home and the expectations of their care in order to establish whether there are gaps in the child‟s understanding. This should take into account the child‟s abilities and capacity to understand and retain information and may be delivered in different formats according to the child‟s communication and cognitive abilities. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 57, paragraph 11.8) Specifically, communicate to young people, in a format they can understand, the actions that staff and the police will take if they don‟t know, or are worried about, where young people are. Communicate the placing authority‟s plan for young people in a format they can understand. Communicate the rules about who can see the home‟s CCTV images and children‟s care records. Inspection report for children‟s home - monitoring visit: SC471672 8

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children‟s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000.

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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, West Midlands B91 3RT

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Inspector

Christy Wannop, social care inspector Inspection report for children‟s home - monitoring visit: SC471672 9 to 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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