Children's Home run by Serenity Care Homes Ltd in Hampshire

Inspection report for children’s home: SC487165 1 SC487165 Registered provider: Serenity Care Homes Limited

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home is owned by a private organisation. The staff at this home care for up to two children who have attachment, behaviour, emotional and social needs because of their childhood experiences.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

At the time of inspection, there were two children living in the home.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in February 2022.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

p.1

good

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

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC487165 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/03/2024 Full Outstanding 29/03/2023 Full Good 30/11/2021 Full Good 08/08/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: SC487165 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff build positive relationships with children quickly which leads to trusted relationships with staff. This helps children to settle quickly. Since moving to the home, children have been supported with a period of stability.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are making progress in many areas of their lives. Their progress is evaluated monthly and added to an ongoing progress report so achievements and important milestones can be viewed and evaluated by the manager and staff. Staff collate this and add to a memories book that children will take with them when they leave.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to spend time with their family. The staff understand children’s experiences and that family time is important to them. For one child this was highly significant and meant spending time with family over Christmas.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are keen to provide children with as many opportunities to sample life outside of the home as possible. This is because they appreciate how it will enhance the children’s overall development and understanding of the community and world they live in. One child is beginning to consider driving lessons, another is enjoying equine therapy.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health needs are met. The children eat a balanced diet and can choose which foods they want to eat. Staff continually encourage children to try new foods. When children have a specialist requirement to how they want to eat, equipment is provided. However, external smoking areas of the home, accessible to children, does not promote a healthy living environment.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Most children arrive at the home having experienced significant disruption in their education. There is individualised planning for children’s education. There has been effective planning to maintain and support a child’s engagement in education. This has been driven by excellent advocacy from the team. This level of commitment helps children with a stepping stone for improved educational engagement.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have regular and detailed discussions with children to share information and gather their views. Upskilling sessions and key-work sessions are an integral and enjoyable part of day-to-day life for children. Staff’s skills in communicating with children help them to promote several opportunities for children to share their wishes and feelings.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is warm and welcoming. Staff have worked hard alongside children to make the home a nurturing and homely environment. There is lots of evidence of activities for children to enjoy. Staff clearly take pride in the home and help children to maintain a lovely environment for them to live in. Inspection report for children’s home: SC487165 4

p.3

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

Safeguarding is at the heart of all that staff do as part of their daily work. Risk assessments contain detailed information about the children and how best to respond to them. These are updated at least each month to reflect how the child has been over the last month and to ensure that staff remain updated regarding all the child’s needs.

p.4

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

Children have formed strong relationships with staff. The bonds between children and staff reinforce their sense of feeling safe. Staff do not shy away from difficult conversations with children if their safety is jeopardised. Rather, staff take a proactive approach and explore any issues in an open and honest manner. This also allows children to feel safe and approach staff when they have their own worries.

p.4

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

The manager ensures that all relevant safeguarding agencies are notified when it is appropriate to do so. Notifications to other agencies reflect effective safeguarding practice. There is a detailed chronology of action that staff have taken. The manager ensures that this is evidenced and keeps the child at the centre of safeguarding practices in the home.

p.4

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

Staff are appropriately trained in physical intervention. Staff have used their positive relationships with children alongside holistic interventions to ensure they has been no need for any physical interventions. Staff know to use all other positive behaviour support techniques, and that physical intervention is the absolute last resort for keeping children safe.

p.4

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

Staff take appropriate action if a child is missing from care. They ensure that every effort is made to locate the child and return them home safely. Children are welcomed home. Follow-up work is completed with children around the risks associated with going missing from care. Agencies are appropriately notified.

p.4

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

The manager and staff support the child to reduce their substance and cigarette use. Staff have constructive discussions with the child that are well recorded. They are supporting the child by providing information on how to access services to help them address this.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

A highly committed registered manager leads the home. They are supported by a dedicated deputy manager. They lead an energetic and motivated staff team. Staff are focused on care and support to children. Children are benefiting from nurturing care experiences. Staff report feeling well managed and supported. Staff morale at the home is high, and there is a positive and energetic approach from staff.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

A real strength of the leaders and managers is working with external agencies. Feedback from professionals is overwhelmingly positive and commends their commitment to the children. The manager challenges professionals when needed in the best interests of Inspection report for children’s home: SC487165 5 children. Children are supported to access specialist help when needed. This has included the manager ensuring an advocate is providing individual support for a child. Partner agencies said the staff are effective in supporting children to keep safe and achieving good outcomes.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager recognises the importance of children maintaining links with people who matter to them. There is a coordinated approach with family to ensure that family time is positive for all. There have been occasions when the manager has had to be highly creative to facilitate family time and great efforts have been made to ensure it goes ahead.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

There is effective management monitoring through a variety of quality assurance systems. This helps the manager to ensure that timescales are met for a range of activities that relate to the running of the home. Independent scrutiny is built into the quality assurance systems.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The staff receive regular professional supervision. This is enhanced through group training opportunities that equip staff to meet the needs of the children. Staff are qualified or working towards the required qualification. In addition, staff complete mandatory training and an array of additional online training.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has a robust approach to the safe recruitment of new staff. This means that only staff that are safe to work with vulnerable children are employed. However, further checks on references will strengthen this process. Inspection report for children’s home: SC487165 6

p.5

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that each child’s day to day health and well- being needs are met. Staff should work to make the children’s home an environment that supports children’s physical, mental and emotional health, in line with the approach set out in the Statement of purpose. (‘Guide to Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 33, paragraph 7.3).  The registered person should ensure that recruitment of staff safeguards children and minimises potential risk to them. (‘Guide to Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1).

p.6

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: SC487165 7

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Serenity Care Homes Limited

p.7

Children’s home details

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

p.7

Inspector

Simon Hunter, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC487165 8 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

p.7

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.8

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.8

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.8