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

Inspection report children’s home: SC478315 1 SC478315 Registered provider: The Serendipity Centre Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is a privately owned home that is registered to care for up to four children with complex behavioural difficulties. The organisation has another registered children’s home in the local area, and it operates a registered school.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered with Ofsted on 16 June 2021

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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 requires improvement to be good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC478315 2

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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 children’s home: SC478315 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Most children make good progress here. Staff worked closely with a child to help her to take responsibility for her own safety. She was previously subject to a deprivation of liberty order, but due to progress that the child has made, it is no longer necessary. Another child is learning the skills necessary to care for herself when she moves on from the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The organisation comprises of specialist services to help children. These services support staff to understand children’s behaviour and guide staff on the best responses and strategies to use to help the children. The children receive holistic help to meet their needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Regular house meetings are held, which allow children plenty of opportunities to express their feelings and have input into the running of the home. These are effective forums for group discussions and reflection. The manager responds appropriately to children’s requests, and children are given a copy of the meetings’ minutes to refer to.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Senior leaders take any complaints from children seriously. These are investigated, and children are informed of the outcomes and any actions taken. This approach ensures that the children feel heard and encourages them to express any concerns.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff place a high value on the children’s education. Two of the children are enjoying regular school or college attendance. The other child has engaged in virtual schooling. Staff support children to enrol on their chosen college courses and to achieve academic success. The staff have good links with the organisation’s school and work closely to achieve shared goals.

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

Staff show a good understanding of safeguarding and know what to do if they are worried about a child. The managers and the staff are aware of their responsibilities to report child protection concerns they consider to be serious to the safeguarding agencies, including Ofsted, without delay. Staff are tested regarding their safeguarding knowledge in supervision. Team meetings are used to discuss safeguarding policies and procedures to refresh staff’s knowledge.

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

The staff respond appropriately to missing-from-care episodes. They follow children and make efforts to contact them and locate them if staff lose sight of children. They work closely with the British Transport Police and the police community liaison officer to agree safety measures.

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

Children’s individual risk assessments have improved with only relevant information being included. These are reviewed and are updated in response to new risks being Inspection report children’s home: SC478315 4 identified. The staff have the necessary guidance to recognise and to reduce risks in relation to the children. However, there is not a policy or risk assessment in place in the event of staff moving to another home, following a safeguarding matter. This does not protect the member of staff or outline safety measures for the children. Verbal information regarding expectations minimises any risk; however, the impact on children when staff are moved during the night is not considered fully.

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

The staff are well trained to respond to the children’s individual needs. Managers provide a comprehensive induction that is well thought out and at the right pace. Staff state they are well supported when they start working at the home.

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

Staff are trained in physical intervention methods. Incidents of restraint are recorded, but these records do not always contain the full information about debriefs with the child. These omissions hinder the manager’s ability to monitor and to analyse the children’s experience of these incidents.

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good

The approach to considering and to moving new children into the home is inconsistent. For one child, any potential issues were highlighted and staff were given guidance regarding the strategies they may need to help them to support her. A meeting to agree how staff should care for her occurred the day after she moved in. This young person has settled in well and is making progress.

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good

However, another child’s move was not well planned. The previous carer was not consulted. The staff were not given the necessary guidance and strategies for all areas of concern. Senior leaders failed to challenge the local authority in response to her introduction into the home by her parent rather than a professional. In addition, the child’s view that she did not want to move to the area was not taken into account. Senior managers responded to the difficulties in managing her emerging behaviours by giving immediate notice to the local authority.

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good

The impact on the children living in the home during this disruption has been recognised by senior leaders. Children have had the opportunity to reflect and to discuss their feelings and have been taken on holiday to have a positive time with the staff and with each other.

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good

Senior leaders have also undertaken a review of this experience to identify any learning points. This has been effective in minimising the risk that this experience would be repeated for another child, who has, subsequently, been admitted to the home. However, this learning has not been captured to refer to in the future.

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good

The registered manager has good relationships with the designated safeguarding officers in the local authority. He reports allegations and seeks advice appropriately. However, while two children did retract previous allegations made to staff and to external professionals, there was no record of what they told the staff. This omission Inspection report children’s home: SC478315 5 does not provide external auditors with the evidence needed to understand what was said.

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good

All staff have individual development plans which inform their supervision and appraisals. Supervision is undertaken monthly and ensures that staff are clear about their goals. Staff have opportunities to reflect on their practice and the impact this has on the children.

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good

The registered manager and the deputy manager provide leadership and support to make improvements in the running of the home. The registered manager recognises the shortfalls above and is committed to addressing these and improving the outcomes for children. Inspection report children’s home: SC478315 6

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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

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans.

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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

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.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, recognise the role that recording has in evidencing and documenting important information for auditing and to refer to in the future. 30 September

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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; and 30 September Inspection report children’s home: SC478315 7 have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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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

ensure the effective induction of each child into the home; and

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Requirement Due date

manage and review the placement of each child in the home.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, 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: SC478315 8

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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 children’s home: SC478315 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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