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

Inspection report for children’s home: 2613327 1 Registered provider: Serenity Specialist Care Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is privately owned. It provides care for up to two children who may experience childhood instability, which may lead to trauma and associated risks.

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Information about this children’s home

There is a registered manager in post, who is suitably qualified and experienced. They were present during both days of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is currently caring for one child. The child was not seen or spoken to as part of the inspection due to being on holiday. However, they were provided with an opportunity to communicate with the inspector during the two days on site.

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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: 17 December 2024

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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: 2613327 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

17/12/2024 Full Good 07/11/2023 Full Good 07/12/2022 Full Good 28/09/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2613327 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff demonstrate a commitment to providing children with stability. One child has lived in the home for over two years, while another recently moved into semi-independent living. This continuity of relationships and support is instrumental in fostering a secure sense of permanence and belonging for children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children living in the home make consistently good progress in education. One child attends full-time education, and the manager has proactively arranged additional tutoring to support their academic development. As a result, the child has successfully completed their GCSEs and has made plans to pursue post-16 education. One school commented positively on the home’s engagement, stating, ‘Communication with the home is excellent. Staff respond promptly and are consistently approachable and cooperative.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff recognise the importance of children being able to spend safe time with their family and those people who are significant to them. The manager has helped one child to obtain a passport. This enabled them to go on their first holiday abroad with their family. Another child’s parent praised staff for remaining in touch with their child, despite the child having now left the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The support offered by staff to help children prepare for their future has been mixed. Staff recently worked with a detailed six-week plan to prepare a child for a move to semi-independent living. The child was helped by staff to get to know their train route to school and which local supermarkets would help them to budget for meals. However, the other child in the home requires a more proactive approach from staff to support their independent living skills. The current systems in place do not help staff to review and track the progress that the child is making in this area.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There are aspects of the home that promote a warm and welcoming atmosphere. Children’s bedrooms are personalised with their own belongings and decorations. Photographs and artwork are displayed throughout shared spaces, reflecting their contributions and individuality. However, the warmth of this positive environment is undermined by staff practices, such as staff putting notices on walls and doors around the home for children that are signed by ‘the management’. Staff also fail to reflect warmth and care for children in their handwritten records in children’s plans and records. They routinely refer to children by their initials rather than their names. This fails to demonstrate that staff understand their key role in children’s lives and how they will continue to support a sense of belonging for children.

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

Staff demonstrate a strong commitment to safeguarding children and promoting their emotional well-being. Incidents within the home are rare, reflecting staff’s proactive Inspection report for children’s home: 2613327 4 approach to listening to and engaging with children about their concerns. When children share worries, they are met with a thoughtful and supportive response. Staff have a good understanding of each child’s individual needs and emotional triggers, enabling them to take timely action to prevent children from feeling unsafe or distressed.

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

Children receive support to take risks that are appropriate to their age. One child enjoys spending lots of time at their family home and with their friends. Staff ensure that they check in with the child regularly via telephone. The child understands what communication is expected of them when they are away from the home.

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

There has been one occasion where staff have not followed missing-from-home procedures. This had the impact of a child crying when they returned home and nobody was there to let them in. There was delay in updating the child’s plans after this incident. It was appropriately investigated and lessons were learned. The staff involved apologised to the child. There have been no further missing incidents.

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

Risk assessments are, generally, up to date and the majority give clear guidance on how staff can support children’s needs. Staff say that they know what to do to keep children safe. However, a minority of plans do not reflect the risks and how to manage these. This has meant that staff have not consistently been supported by the manager to understand one child’s triggers, which related to self-harming.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has provided stability for the home. She has a good understanding of the children’s experiences and has high expectations for what the children can achieve. The manager makes sure that the children’s voices are heard when liaising with other agencies.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Four members of the team currently hold the required qualification for residential childcare. A further six staff are undertaking relevant training, with clear plans in place to support their completion within the expected timescales.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are provided with a wide range of training that informs their practice and meets children’s needs. The manager encourages staff to develop and progress in their role.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has established good connections with partner agencies. Professionals are positive about the communication with the staff team and about the care provided for the children. One social worker said, ‘The manager is a strong advocate for children, she has worked effectively alongside us in supporting children.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Supervision and team meetings are regular and reflective. The manager is now tracking appraisals to ensure that these take place. Appraisals identify realistic goals for staff to work towards. As a result, staff say that they feel well supported by managers. Inspection report for children’s home: 2613327 5 One staff member said, ‘It is a rewarding place to work, and I am proud to be part of a team that is genuinely dedicated to making a difference in the lives of young people.’ The staff’s pride in the home contributes to a stable staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has oversight of incidents, but the effectiveness of this monitoring is inconsistent. Actions are not always completed in a timely way. Some recording of incidents lacks clarity. As a result, shortfalls have not always been addressed with staff. On one occasion, a child was able to access medication from the office and overdose on paracetamol. The manager failed to be professionally curious in their oversight and explore how staff could have prevented the incident. However, there has been some learning, such as a new medication protocol.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

When a child went missing from the home, a parent expressed dissatisfaction with the way the incident was managed. The manager’s subsequent documentation was ambiguous and failed to clarify whether the parent wished to raise a formal complaint. This lack of clarity in recording prevents effective oversight and follow up. It also limits opportunities for learning and improving practice. Inspection report for children’s home: 2613327 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, 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

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that the management oversight of incidents is timely and effective, and that they use professional curiosity and implement any learning following incidents to improve staff practice and improve the quality of care for children.

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Requirement Due date

This also relates to risk management plans accurately reflecting the child’s risks to help staff to keep them safe. 25 August 2025

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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— 25 August 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2613327 7 treat each child with dignity and respect. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to using child-friendly language across all communication within the home.

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Recommendations

 Staff must help each child to prepare for any moves from the home, whether they are returning home, moving to another placement or adult care, or to live independently. This includes supporting the child to develop emotional and mental resilience to cope without the home’s support and, where the child is moving to live independently, practical skills, such as cooking, housework, budgeting and personal self-care. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 17, paragraph 3.27)

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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: 2613327 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Serenity Specialist Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: First Floor, Dominion Court, 43 Station Road, Solihull B91 3RT

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Inspectors

Jenny Smith, Social Care Inspector Marianne Grandfield, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2613327 9 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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