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 with 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

At a monitoring inspection visit on 11 August 2020 significant failures were found in the leadership and management of the home. Consequently, a restriction of accommodation notice was served. Two compliance notices under regulation 13 were also issued, as well as five requirements, all with an end date of 20 September 2020.

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This monitoring visit

A further monitoring inspection was conducted on 19 August 2020 to specifically review the admissions process for one child. No immediate concerns arose from that inspection. The requirements and compliance notices were not reviewed on that occasion because the due dates had not passed.

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This monitoring visit

At the following assurance visit on 23 September 2020, senior leaders demonstrated that the significant gaps and shortfalls regarding the sufficiency of the staffing arrangements had improved. The compliance notice in respect of staffing sufficiency was met, as were four of the previous requirements. Consequently, the restriction of accommodation notice was lifted. In response to the second compliance notice, senior leaders provided the inspector with a report that identified the skills and experiences of the staff team. However, the process that informed the audit of the staff’s skills and experiences, including how all the relevant areas were covered and how this information informed the statement of purpose and staff’s training, was unclear. As a result, this compliance notice was reissued.

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This monitoring visit

At this monitoring inspection, senior leaders demonstrated that the processes for staff induction and the review of the staff’s skills, experience and training in line with Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC478315 2 the aims and objectives of the statement of purpose had been updated. An individual induction plan and a review of the knowledge, skills and competencies had been completed for some members of staff. However, senior leaders did not provide evidence that this had been implemented for all of the staff. In addition, the documents did not correlate with the identified areas for improvement that are documented in the workforce analysis.

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This monitoring visit

Although a new manager is in post, the home continues to operate without a registered manager. Senior leaders, including the responsible individual, have therefore been leading on responding to Ofsted’s enforcement action. The failure of the responsible individual to successfully meet a compliance notice, that is now being reissued for a third time, is of concern. A separate compliance notice is now issued in this regard.

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This monitoring visit

Despite a previous requirement in respect of children’s case records, personal information about the children continues to be displayed in the office. Such practice demonstrates a disregard for children’s privacy and confidentiality. This requirement is repeated.

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This monitoring visit

The inspector looked at an impact risk assessment, completed for a child who has moved in since the last inspection. This document describes potential risks for the child, the possible impact of these, and guidance for the staff on actions to take as preventive measures. The summary outlines how the child’s risk of absconding and child sexual exploitation will be reduced. However, the risk of self harm, and the impact and influence of the other children living in the home, is not considered, despite this being a known high-risk factor regarding these children. The strategies and actions for the staff to take to fully protect the children are not recorded. Such shortfalls are especially concerning during this time when a number of new staff members are joining.

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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 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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)) 20 December 2020

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children— receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, ensure that written risk assessments include all known risks and the strategies for the staff to use, from the starting point of a child moving in. 20 December 2020

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Requirement Due date

have the capacity, experience and skills to supervise the management of the home, or the homes, in respect of which the responsible individual is nominated. (Regulation 26 (7)(b)) 20 December 2020

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records ("case records") for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are kept up to date; and 20 December 2020 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC478315 4 are signed and dated by the author of each entry.

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Requirement Due date

securely in the children’s home during the period when the child to whom the case records relate is accommodated there. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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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 5 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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