Children's home run by Serenity Care Homes Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home: 1249111 1 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Registered provider: Serenity Care Homes Ltd

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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 is a privately owned children’s home that is registered to care for up to two children who may experience social or emotional difficulties. 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 has been registered with Ofsted since October 2021.

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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

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 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

23/07/2024 Full Good 04/10/2023 Full Good 22/11/2022 Full Good 12/07/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 1249111 3 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are healthy and staff help them to access their health appointments. Staff are able to identify the children’s health needs and they support the children to understand them. Medication is managed safely.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Both children are settled; they see the home as their home and say that they are happy living there. The children have built trusting relationships with staff and feel comfortable to discuss their worries with them. Staff have complementary skills and abilities, and the children seek support from various staff members, according to need. This helps the children to receive the best support possible throughout the day. For example, a child chooses to be supported by one staff member when cleaning their room and approaches another staff member when discussing their relationships.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The routines and boundaries implemented by staff meet the children’s needs and prepare them for independence, according to their age. A child’s social worker, a teacher, an independent reviewing officer and the children’s advocates provided positive feedback about the ability of staff to meet the children’s needs. One child said that they want to remain living at this home to receive support from the same staff during their journey to independence. Children who have left the home return to visit and acknowledge how their experience at the home has prepared them for independence. This shows that the children develop secure relationships that help them to develop resilience as they reach adulthood.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are making progress in comparison to when they moved into the home. For example, staff helped a child to better manage their emotions via age-appropriate direct work. Staff helped another child to identify the benefits of therapy. This has helped the child to gain a better understanding of their own needs and to access specialist support.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child attends school part time. Staff are working closely with the school and are supporting the child to return to full-time education. Another child is supported by the virtual school via home tutoring, in line with their needs. There is a good working relationship between staff and the children’s education provisions to support educational activities throughout the day. Both children’s teaching staff report that the children are making good, steady progress, which is celebrated at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are offered a range of activities which they are interested in, including guitar lessons, arts and crafts, and fun holidays. Staff find creative ways of promoting children’s relationships with people important to them, such as family, previous carers and friends.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Bespoke, child-centred newsletters encourage a cheerful outlook and celebrate children’s achievements. Inspection report for children’s home: 1249111 4 OFSTED USE ONLY

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

Children say that they feel safe at the home and in the care of the staff. The physical environment for the children is safe and meets the children’s needs.

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

Children can identify staff they can trust to share their worries with, and they feel listened to. They say that staff take their concerns and views seriously and advocate on their behalf. For example, a child told the manager about their worries at school and the manager addressed this on the child’s behalf. This made the child feel that staff cared about them.

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

Children’s transitions into the home are carefully managed and consider all the children’s needs. Staff support children to understand their own experiences and the reasons why they cannot live with their families, for example using life-story work.

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

Children’s views are considered in the day-to-day running of the home, when planning for their future or addressing risks. Staff support children to understand why they cannot act according to their wishes when this happens, and alternative options are explored. Children know how to complain and are encouraged to do so if needed. There have been no complaints or allegations made against staff since the last inspection.

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

Physical intervention is rarely used, and this is proportionate to protect the children and those around them. Staff use restorative practices to improve their relationships with children and to help them to understand why they used this technique.

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

There is a low number of incidents in this home; when these happen, staff respond promptly and proactively. The risk assessments are individualised to children’s needs, the risks are clear, and staff understand what is expected of them to safeguard the children and to help them to moderate their behaviours. Staff are trained in the provider’s chosen de-escalation and support techniques. Effective behaviour support plans are put in place in response to the identified risk, particularly for older children. Staff support children to understand the risks and to take age-appropriate risks. There is good multi-agency working with children’s social workers, police and the professional network to reduce the immediate harm to children. As a result, missing-from-home incidents and self-harming behaviours have reduced.

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

The behaviour management techniques and the language used by staff are not always trauma informed, particularly when addressing younger children’s behaviour. Management oversight of this matter is not sufficiently strong.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The permanent, experienced manager is passionate about meeting the children’s needs, shows an ambitious vision for them and creates a culture of positivity within the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 1249111 5 OFSTED USE ONLY

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager, the deputy manager and the responsible individual have a clear understanding of the children’s past experiences, the progress that they have made since living at the home, and the action needed to improve the children’s experiences. Action plans consider the local authority’s care plans, but the manager is also able to challenge these when there are concerns that they are not entirely in the children’s best interests, for example moving from the home prematurely.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Case records reflect the children’s day-to-day experiences, and the support offered to children. The records are available to children should they wish to see these or contribute to them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff work well as a team, and they report that the management team supports them. Staff are proud to work in the home; they know the children well, they can reflect on their own strengths and learning, and they identify the professional development needed. The training provided to staff focuses on supporting them to develop the necessary skills to meet the specific needs of the children who live at the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are aware of the whistle-blowing policy and are confident to put this into practice if necessary. There is a culture of prioritising the children’s safety and well-being.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and the deputy manager lead by example and encourage staff to be creative to provide children with the best possible care. The manager recognises the emotional impact of the work on staff, and individualised support is put in place via supervision, additional training or consultation with specialist professionals.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and deputy manager are reflective and learn from feedback and incidents. For example, the manager is in the process of revising the risk assessments following the recommendations made by the monthly independent visitor. The recommendations from the last Ofsted inspection are met. Inspection report for children’s home: 1249111 6 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that the behaviour management strategy is understood and applied by staff, kept under review and revised where appropriate. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.34)

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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 OFSTED USE ONLY

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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

Claudia Poienar, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1249111 8 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Inspector

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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