Children's Home run by The Serendipity Centre Limited in Hampshire

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC478315 1 SC478315

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The Serendipity Centre Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is a privately owned home which is registered to care for up to four children who have complex behavioural difficulties. The organisation has other homes in the local area, and a therapeutic education setting.

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Information about this children’s home

This home has not had a registered manager since 1 November 2018.

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This monitoring visit

A monitoring visit was undertaken on 11 August 2020 following complaints received by Ofsted which raised concerns about a lack of management support, insufficient staffing, inaccurate recording and the safety and welfare of the children.

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This monitoring visit

A case review was held on 14 August 2020 and it was noted that the child placed in the home was reported to be progressing well by her social worker. However, there are concerns in relation to staff sufficiency and competence which need to be urgently addressed. A restriction notice and two compliance notices were issued in relation to shortfalls in the leadership and management of the home.

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This monitoring visit

Prior to the restriction notice, a child moved into the home in an emergency. The purpose of this monitoring visit was to review the admission process, including the impact on the child already living there, and ensure there are sufficient trained and experienced staff to care for both children.

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This monitoring visit

Senior managers in the organisation reviewed information about the child recently admitted to the home. They have completed a risk assessment which considers the impact of the children on each other. They deemed that the risks that children presented to each other were low. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC478315 2 The therapeutic services have collated information provided by the child’s social worker and previous therapist. This informs the risk assessments and advises staff in regard to behaviour management strategies.

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This monitoring visit

The child’s care plan was shared with staff by email, in handovers, in her ‘All About Me’ record and risk assessments. However, there has not been a team meeting to discuss the children’s needs as a group or to reflect on the experiences of the child who recently left the home. The operations manager was present at the home and ensured that staff had the information that they need to care for the child who recently arrived. Staff spoken to by the inspector have a good knowledge of the child and know how to care for her.

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This monitoring visit

The staffing sufficiency has improved due to a number of staff retracting their resignations. The senior manager was able to demonstrate that there were enough staff to provide care for the two children currently in placement.

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This monitoring visit

The experience and skills of the staff were reportedly considered prior to the child moving in. However, this has not been recorded. The staff training records are not accurate; the staff have received training that is not recorded in the training matrix. This undermines the opportunity for external agencies to fully understand if the staff have the knowledge that they need in order to meet the needs of the children currently placed in the home.

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This monitoring visit

A workforce development plan has not been completed to assess the skills, competency and training of the staff, in order to identify and address any gaps. This remains a significant shortfall given the number of new staff who have not received essential training.

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This monitoring visit

The requirements from the previous inspection were not considered at this inspection and therefore remain in place. No further breaches of regulations were found.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 08/01/2020 Full Requires improvement to be good 28/08/2019 Full Inadequate 21/02/2019 Full Good 13/12/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC478315 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 health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met.

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child.

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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

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;*

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;* 20/09/2020 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC478315 4 use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home.

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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.

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must appoint a person to manage the children’s home if—

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Requirement Due date

there is no registered manager in respect of the home.

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Requirement Due date

ensure that each employee completes an appropriate induction;

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience.

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should have a workforce plan which can fulfil the workforce related requirements of regulation 16, schedule 1 (paragraphs 19 and 20) The plan should: - detail the necessary management and staffing structure, (including any staff commissioned to provide health and education), the experience and qualifications of staff currently working within the staffing structure and any further training required for those staff, to enable the delivery of the home’s statement of purpose; - detail the processes and agreed timescales for staff to achieve induction, probation and any core training (such as safeguarding, health and safety and mandatory qualifications); - detail the process for managing and improving poor performance; - detail the process and timescales for supervision of practice (see regulation Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC478315 5 33 (4) (b)) and keep appropriate records for staff in the home.

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Recommendations

The plan should be updated to include any new training and qualifications completed by staff while working at the home, and used to record the ongoing training and continuing professional development needs of staff – including the home’s manager. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’ page 53, paragraph 10.8).

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Recommendations

 No more than half the staff on duty at any one time, by day or night at the home should be from an external agency. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’ page 54, paragraph 10.17).

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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: The Serendipity Centre Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 1st Floor, Goodlands House, St Lukes Close, Hedge End, Southampton SO30 2US

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Inspector

Suzy Lemmy, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC478315 6 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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