Children's home run by Serenity Care Homes Ltd

Inspection report for children's home: 1249111 1 Registered provider: Serenity Care Homes Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned and run by a private organisation. The home provides care for up to two children who may have attachment, behavioural, emotional and social needs because of their childhood experiences.

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Information about this children’s home

There were two children living at the home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in February 2022.

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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: 22 November 2022

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 1249111 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

22/11/2022 Full Good 12/07/2021 Full Good 18/05/2021 Full Inadequate 30/04/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 1249111 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy the care and attention of staff who openly display warmth and affection for them. Staff show a strong interest in all aspects of the children’s well- being, progress and daily experiences.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support and encourage the children’s aspirations and educational achievements. They act as strong advocates for children, to ensure that their educational needs are met. Staff recognise and celebrate the children’s achievements, no matter how big or small. For example, the staff pulled out all the stops to organise a prom party in the home for one child, who otherwise would not have attended one.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff recognise how work experience and part-time work can help prepare children with essential skills for adult life. Both children in the home have benefited from part-time holiday jobs. They have developed responsibility, learned the value of money and how a good work ethic can provide improved life opportunities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff ensure that the children have opportunities to take part in a range of fun activities in the home and local community. Staff are proactive in supporting the children to pursue their talents and leisure interests. For example, a piano was bought for one child so they could practise in the home. As a result of these opportunities, the children grow in confidence and self-esteem.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager has developed good systems for capturing the children’s feelings, wishes and grumbles. As a result, the children feel listened to and are able to share any worries as soon as they arise.

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

Safeguarding arrangements to protect the children are good. The staff’s positive approach to risk management enables the children to develop greater independence, in line with their age and level of maturity.

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

Good multi-agency risk management planning helps ensure that risks outside the home are minimised for the children. Staff have a good understanding of their roles and responsibilities in keeping children safe and are professionally curious about how the children spend their free time. Caring staff expect the children to let them know who they are with, where they are and when they are returning to the home.

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

The positive relationships between the staff and the children serve as a strong protective factor in keeping the children safe. One social worker said that the staff ‘always seem to be a couple of steps ahead’ in recognising potential risks in the community. The skilled staff have a good understanding of exploitative and/or Inspection report for children's home: 1249111 4 damaging relationships. As a result, the staff are generally effective in preventing children from developing these types of relationships.

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

Children feel listened to. They are supported to share any worries as soon as they arise. The staff draw on their relationships and knowledge of the children to help them support the children when they are upset or distressed. Staff are role models and encourage the children to be kind and respectful to themselves and others. There have not been any incidents in the home that have required the staff to physically intervene with the children to manage unsafe behaviour.

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

Risk assessments and care plans are detailed and child-centred. The children’s plans and assessments ensure that staff have a good understanding of children’s strengths and vulnerabilities. However, these do not reflect the children’s views of risk.

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

The staff and managers have not completed training in preventing radicalisation. As a result, the staff do not have the most up-to-date information about the ‘Prevent’ duty relating to the risks of children becoming radicalised and forming extremist views. This was addressed during the inspection and training has been booked to take place imminently.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is managed effectively by a qualified and experienced registered manager who is supported well by her deputy manager. They lead by example, showing real warmth and care for the children. This permeates throughout the culture at the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Senior leaders are strong advocates for the children and are confident to challenge other professionals to ensure the best outcomes are achieved for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff morale in the home is strong. Staff say they feel well supported and that they receive regular supervision. Careful recruitment processes provide an added layer of protection for the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A diverse staff team promotes a culture of tolerance, equality and diversity. This gives the children an opportunity to celebrate and understand differences.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have access to a broad range of training, which is mainly online. However, managers have not had sufficient oversight of how the staff consolidate their learning. For example, some new staff members have completed multiple online courses on the same day.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has not ensured that e xternal scrutiny of the home has been sufficiently thorough. The independent visitor reports do not regularly include feedback from external professionals. The manager has taken some action to address this but changes are not yet embedded. Inspection report for children's home: 1249111 5 The responsible individual and the registered manager are visible and hands-on in all aspects of the running of the home. They demonstrate a high level of commitment to continually developing and improving the service so that children receive high-quality care. Inspection report for children's home: 1249111 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff receive training to improve their skills in safeguarding. This specifically relates to gaining an understanding of the ‘Prevent’ duty. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 43, paragraph 9.12)  The registered person should actively seek independent scrutiny of the home and make best use of information from independent and internal monitoring (including under regulations 44 and 45) to ensure continuous improvement. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 55, paragraph 10.24)  The registered person should ensure that the children contribute to their records and assessments in a way that reflects their voice. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 58, paragraph 11.19)  The registered person should ensure good-quality training is made available to

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Recommendations

staff, with adequate time to consolidate learning, to assist them to develop the skills required in meeting the needs of the children. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.11)

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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 for children's home: 1249111 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Serenity Care Homes Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Wild at Heart, Forest Road, Thorney Hill, Bransgore, Christchurch BH23 8DZ

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Inspector

Anne-Marie Davies, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 1249111 8 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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