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

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC471672 1 SC471672

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Registered provider: Serenity Specialist Care Ltd

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home provides care for up to four children with complex needs. One child was living in the home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since March 2021. She is suitably qualified and experienced.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspectors were aware during this inspection of a police investigation into serious allegations about staff practice in the home. While Ofsted does not have the power to investigate allegations of this kind, actions taken by the setting in response to the allegation were considered alongside the other evidence available at the time of the inspection to inform inspectors’ judgements.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 28 and 29 February 2024

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Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspector evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance 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 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC471672 2 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’. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC471672 3

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Findings from the inspection

This inspection took place following concerns being shared with Ofsted relating to the safety and welfare of children living at the home. Additional concerns were raised in relation to staffing, staff practice and the leadership and management of the home.

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Findings from the inspection

We identified the following serious and widespread concerns in relation to the care and protection of children at this assurance inspection:

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Findings from the inspection

 High staff turnover, poor staff retention and insufficient staffing resulting in a reliance on agency staff. There are occasions when over 50% of the staff on shift are agency staff.  A lack of qualified and experienced staff.  Inconsistent and poor staff practice, which has resulted in high numbers of allegations and complaints about staff.

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Findings from the inspection

Since the last inspection, two children have moved out of the home and no children have moved in. There is currently one child living in the home. The child said they were happy and felt safe living in the home.

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Findings from the inspection

Serious and widespread concerns were identified in respect of the protection of children and the leadership and management of the home. As a result of these concerns, a notice restricting accommodation was served as well as a compliance notice under regulation 13, the leadership and management standard.

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Findings from the inspection

Children are not safeguarded effectively in line with their plans. For example, staff have not followed guidance to increase the supervision of a child. This has resulted in a child going missing from the home without the staff’s knowledge. Consequently, the child has been at risk of harm.

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Findings from the inspection

Serious allegations have been raised against several members of the staff team. A poor safeguarding culture means that children are at an increased risk of harm. The provider has taken action against the staff concerned.

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Findings from the inspection

There has been a high turnover of staff since the last inspection. This has resulted in staff shortages. There are currently three members of permanent staff, all of whom are unqualified and in their probationary period of employment. As a result, the home does not have a sufficiently experienced and qualified team to care for, and safely meet the needs of, the number of children for which the home is registered.

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Findings from the inspection

As a result of the shortage of staff, there has been a heavy reliance on the use of agency staff. On occasions, over 50% of the workforce on shift has been external agency staff. This has had an impact on the continuity of care for children. This shortfall was raised as a requirement at the last inspection and has not been met at this inspection. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC471672 4 There has been a lack of progress in staff achieving the relevant qualification for their role. Two members of staff have not obtained the qualification within the timeframes stipulated in regulations. This means that not all staff have been trained to the required level to meet children’s needs. This requirement was also raised at the last inspection and has not been met.

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Findings from the inspection

The repeated breaches of regulations do not provide Ofsted with assurance that managers are able to take effective action to bring about the required changes to improve the quality of care for children.

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Findings from the inspection

Leaders and managers have failed to ensure that overseas criminal record checks have been obtained for all staff who have lived overseas within the last five years. Failure to ensure the safe recruitment of staff could leave children at risk of being cared for by unsuitable adults.

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Findings from the inspection

An annual review of the location of the home has been undertaken, for which the manager has consulted with local safeguarding partners. However, the crime statistics included within the review are out of date. This means that staff do not have up-to-date information on the risks in the local area to enable them to keep children informed and safe.

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Findings from the inspection

The home environment is maintained to a good standard. The child living in the home is happy with their bedroom, which they have personalised to their tastes, supporting them to develop a sense of belonging.

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Findings from the inspection

Despite the shortfalls identified, all three children who have lived in the home since the last inspection have made progress from their starting points. This includes progress in areas such as education, health, emotional regulation and independence skills. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC471672 5

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/05/2023 Full Good 12/07/2022 Full Good 19/01/2022 Interim Improved effectiveness 29/09/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC471672 6

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person must take to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, The 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 experience, qualifications and skills to meet children’s needs;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

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)(d)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that there are effective management systems to undertake robust audits and monitoring within the home. They must ensure that action is taken to address any identified staff training, development and performance needs. This includes training and/or refresher training in recording and reporting, safeguarding, managing allegations and closed cultures. In addition, the registered person must have effective systems in place to evaluate the competence of staff, their skills and knowledge of safeguarding children. 28 April 2024 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC471672 7 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

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that care is provided in accordance with children’s plans. 28 April 2024

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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 the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(e))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that no more than half the staff on duty at any one time, by day or night at the home, are from an external agency. 28 April 2024 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC471672 8 This requirement was raised at the last inspection and has been restated.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home,

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character;

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform; and

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2.

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

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Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) (“the Level 3 Diploma”); or

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Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma.

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home; or

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1st April 2014, 1st April 2016. 28 April 2024 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC471672 9 The registered person may defer the relevant date if the individual—

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Requirement Due date

does not work, or has not worked, in a care role in a home for a prolonged period; or

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Requirement Due date

works, or has worked, in a care role in a home on a part- time basis. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(a)(b)(d) (4)(a)(b) (5)(a)(b) (6)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that staff complete the required qualification within timescale. In addition, managers must ensure that they make every effort to secure overseas checks for workers from overseas, or who have spent time abroad.

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Requirement Due date

Part of this requirement was raised at the last inspection and has been restated.

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that when completing an assessment of the location, all data included in the assessment is reviewed annually, to ensure that information is up to date. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.1) Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC471672 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Serenity Specialist Care Ltd

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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

Sonia Sullivan, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC471672 11 regulates and inspects 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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