Children's Home run by Serene Surroundings Limited in Bexley

Inspection report for children’s home: 2753031 1 Registered provider: Serene Surroundings Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This private home provides care for up to two children with emotional and social difficulties. There were two children living at the home at the time of this inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The home and the manager were registered in November 2024. This is the home’s first full inspection.

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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: not previously inspected

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2753031 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The overall quality of care planning and its impact on children’s progress and experiences are good. As a result, children make good progress from their individual starting points and feel settled and secure.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children live in a warm, safe home. The home is well maintained and children’s bedrooms are personalised to their needs. However, staff do not always ensure that children are supported to keep their rooms clean.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff know the children well and can support them to understand issues that are affecting them. Staff make sure that children have access to specialist services if needed. This has included engaging with specialist health services to support the management of diabetes. This helps children to make progress in their lives overall.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have good relationships with staff and are supported to have fun. Children are supported to participate in a range of activities, both with carers and individually in the community. One child has been supported to go horse riding.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff and the manager value children’s views. Children told the inspector that they feel valued and cared for. Staff also advocate well for children. They make sure this is captured in children’s records.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children attend their education provisions. One child at the home has made significant and sustained progress in their learning. They are preparing to sit their GCSEs and have secured a place at college.

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

Children who live at the home are safe. They do not go missing and are not considered at risk of exploitation.

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

Children have good relationships with staff. Children told the inspector that there are staff they trust and with whom they can talk about any worries or problems. This helps children to feel supported and safe.

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

Staff carry out key-work sessions with children to help them discuss and explore risks. Staff’s approach is sensitive and supportive, and these sessions reinforce safeguarding messages in work that is done by other agencies. This joined-up approach helps children to experience consistency and has contributed to a reduction in safeguarding concerns for children.

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

Children’s health needs are met and they attend all universal medical appointments. Staff have completed specialist training to support one child who is diabetic. They have Inspection report for children’s home: 2753031 3 a good understanding of their diabetic needs, including how to identify early indicators of risk and how to respond to any immediate risks. There are robust medication systems in place, supported by staff’s completion of medication training. This helps the overall approach to be holistic and effective.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers are driven and ambitious. They have good oversight of the home and have effective systems that are used to evaluate the quality of care, their successes and the areas for development. Leaders and managers have supported staff through reflection and learning opportunities to develop the quality of their care practice. This has been important as the staff team is newly formed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular and effective supervision. Staff supervisions and appraisals are of good quality and records and discussions with staff show reflective learning and development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers complete a comprehensive needs assessment before children move into the home. This has ensured that staff can meet the needs of children moving in and has enabled children to live safely together. Children have experienced stability in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Safer recruitment and employment practices ensure that staff are vetted. As a result, leaders and managers are assured that only suitable adults work in the home and that children are safe in the care of staff. Recruitment practice could be further strengthened by leaders and managers ensuring that employees’ information is stored together on one system to enable easier oversight.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leader and managers use a muti-agency approach to support children. The manager ensures that when safeguarding incidents occur staff follow the required procedures. When incidents do occur, children are supported through the process well and immediate action is taken to ensure their safety.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Professionals speak highly of the communication from staff and the ‘excellent’ quality of care children receive. Leaders and managers would benefit from seeking feedback from agencies to strengthen their understanding of how to further develop their service.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should oversee the welfare of the children in their care through observation and engagement with: each child; the home's staff; each child's family/carers where appropriate; and professionals involved in the care or protection of each child including their social worker, Independent Reviewing Officer (IRO), Inspection report for children’s home: 2753031 4 teachers, clinicians and other health professionals etc.('Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards', page 54, paragraph 10.23)

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Recommendations

 Some records may be kept electronically (regulation 38) provided that this information can be easily accessed by anyone with a legitimate need to view it and, if required, be reproduced in a legible form. Electronic records should be held at the individual home in accordance with data protection principles. IT systems should ensure the safe storage of these records and business continuity planning should be in place to prevent loss or damage to them. ('Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards', page 61, paragraph 14.2) Inspection report for children’s home: 2753031 5

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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: 2753031 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Serene Surroundings Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 3 High Tor View, London SE28 0LN

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Inspector

Helen Daniel, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2753031 7 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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