Children's home run by Serenity Housing Service Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2734050 1 SENSITIVE-OFSTED USE ONLY

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Registered provider: Serenity Housing Service 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 is privately owned and provides care for up to 4 children with social and emotional difficulties. At the time of the inspection, no children were living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

There has been no registered manager since February 2024.

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This monitoring visit

In November 2025, Ofsted received information from other agencies which raised significant concerns about the safeguarding practice in the home. Specifically, leaders and managers decision making around unknown adults visiting the home and poor supervision of a child who was living in the home at the time. No other children were living in the home. The concerns raised are being investigated by the appropriate agencies. Due to the significance of what occurred, the child’s local authority moved them on from the home immediately. The concerns are so serious and placed children at risk of harm. Consequently, Ofsted suspended the home’s registration. This means that the provider is unable to move children into the home while suspended.

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This monitoring visit

The purpose of this monitoring visit was to consider the provider’s responses since the home’s registration was suspended. No children have moved into the home since the suspension notice was issued.

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This monitoring visit

The home has been without a registered manager for a significant period. The responsible individual is due to leave the home imminently. Plans for the appointment of a manager and responsible individual are not secure. Efforts to recruit to these positions are ongoing and the provider has recently identified a possible manager and responsible individual to lead the home. However, there are no firm agreements in place regarding their appointments. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2734050 2 SENSITIVE-OFSTED USE ONLY

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This monitoring visit

The person that may be appointed as the new responsible individual has started to engage in some work-related tasks, such as the recruitment processes of a new manager. However, safer recruitment checks have not yet been carried out. This practice undermines the safer recruitment processes of the home. Consequently, leaders and managers continue to be unable to demonstrate that can recruit safely.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have completed several internal investigations linked to some of the concerns raised by external agencies. These investigations are in addition to the investigations being carried out by safeguarding partners. The internal investigations relate to staff practice, visitors to the home, professional boundaries and child supervision. Leaders and managers have consulted with the local authority designated officer prior to investigating. However, they have not yet identified an independent person to undertake an investigation in relation the decision making of leaders regarding safeguarding incidents along with a further complaint that has been made in relation to them. There is uncertainty as to when these will start.

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This monitoring visit

There is no permanent staff team in place. Instead, staff are employed on zero-hour contracts and have not worked in the home since the suspension notice was issued. Due to the terms of their employment, there are no guarantees that they will return to their post should the home re-open.

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This monitoring visit

Since the home has been suspended, staff have not had regular supervision or been involved in adequate post incident learning or development. They have not been given the opportunity to reflect on practice or contribute to any learning that has been identified from the investigations carried out to date. Furthermore, the learning identified by leaders and managers have not been shared with them. This means that staff have not been given the opportunity to understand and inform future practice. As a result, leaders and managers have not addressed poor practice with staff or strengthened their safeguarding practices.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have provided limited training to staff since the home was suspended. The focus of the training has not been in relation to the significant incidents which have occurred in the home. This is a missed opportunity to help staff to be better understand safeguarding practice and procedures, professional boundaries and child sexual exploitation.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have not fully reviewed the policies and procedures in relation to visitors to the home. Specifically, how staff will ensure that visitors to the home are who they say they are and that they are a safe adult. Failings in this area previously resulted in a child being placed at risk of harm.

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This monitoring visit

The requirement and recommendations from the last inspection were not fully considered at this monitoring visit. Therefore, these are restated. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2734050 3 SENSITIVE-OFSTED USE ONLY

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/04/2025 Full Good 16/04/2024 Full Good 10/01/2024 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2734050 4 SENSITIVE-OFSTED USE ONLY

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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 with the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

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

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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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; and

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(e)) 20 March 2026 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2734050 5 SENSITIVE-OFSTED USE ONLY

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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

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child; 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)(a)(b)(c)(d)(h)) 20 March 2026

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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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

that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with 20 March 2026 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2734050 6 SENSITIVE-OFSTED USE ONLY

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Requirement Due date

arrangements agreed with the child’s placing authority;

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Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(iii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development;

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)(b)) 20 March 2026

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must appoint a person to manage the children’s home if—

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Requirement Due date

there is no registered manager in respect of the home; and

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Requirement Due date

is not, or does not intend to be, in day-to-day charge of the home.

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Requirement Due date

If the registered provider appoints a person to manage the home, the registered provider must, without delay, give HMCI notice of—

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person so appointed; and

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Requirement Due date

the date on which the appointment takes effect. (Regulation 27 (1)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii) (2)(a)(b)) 20 March 2026

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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 20 March 2026 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2734050 7 SENSITIVE-OFSTED USE ONLY

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Requirement Due date

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;

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Requirement Due date

the individual is mentally and physically fit for the purposes of 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. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(a)(b)(c)(d))

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that all serious incidents are notified to Ofsted within 24 hours. The notification should be accurate and include details of the action taken in response to the incident. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.13)

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2734050 8 SENSITIVE-OFSTED USE ONLY

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Serenity Housing Service Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 320 City Road, London EC1V 2NZ

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Inspector

Karen Flanagan de Martinez, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2734050 9 SENSITIVE-OFSTED USE ONLY

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Inspector

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

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

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