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

Inspection report for children’s home: 2613327 1 Registered provider: Serenity Specialist Care Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home is privately owned and provides care for up to 2 children with complex needs.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager is registered with Ofsted and is suitably qualified and experienced.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, 2 children were living in the home. Both children spoke with the inspectors.

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 requires improvement to be good

p.1

good

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

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2613327 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

23/06/2025 Full Good 17/12/2024 Full Good 07/11/2023 Full Good 07/12/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2613327 3

p.2

Summary of findings

Children benefit from well-planned moves into and out of the home, which help them to settle in and make positive progress. They live in a welcoming, homely environment and benefit from effective support and strong partnership working with schools, which helps them to make good educational progress. Children are supported to maintain important family relationships and enjoy positive experiences.

p.3

Summary of findings

Staff generally promote children’s safety and wellbeing effectively, resulting in reduced risks and positive behaviour. However, shortfalls in responding to some health concerns, aspects of poor staff practice, and safeguarding investigations have not consistently ensured that children feel listened to or fully protected. Leadership and management oversight requires strengthening to improve accountability, staff development and quality assurance.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children live in a homely environment. There are photos of children on display around the home, and children are helped to personalise their bedrooms. This means that children live in a welcoming home. The garden was overgrown, but action was taken during the inspection to address this.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s moves into this home are well planned, even when they happen at short notice. The manager considers whether staff have the skills to meet children’s needs. They also consider the wishes of the other children in the home. This means that moves into the home are smooth and successful.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have positive moves out of the home. Staff provided one child with structured support, which helped prepare them for their planned move to semi-independent living. Staff arrange leaving events, such as meals and go-karting activities. This helps children to feel valued.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make consistently good progress in education. Staff support children effectively to develop positive routines. The manager works closely with schools to develop bespoke plans for children. Teachers report that communication with the home is a strength. This helps children to meet their academic potential.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to safely spend time with the people who are important to them. One child recently had a birthday party in the home, where family and friends came to celebrate with them. One social worker said, ‘The manager is attentive and wants children to have nice experiences.’ This supports children to have positive experiences and helps them maintain important family connections. Inspection report for children’s home: 2613327 4 Children’s health needs are usually met. However, on one occasion, an important GP appointment was not recorded for a child. As a result, it was not clear what the child’s health issue was or whether any follow-up action was required. On another occasion, medical attention was not sought soon enough when concerns were raised about a child’s physical and emotional health. This meant that the child did not feel listened to. The manager has since reflected with staff about how to respond more effectively and

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children say that they have positive relationships with some staff members. However, children also expressed concerns about how some staff members respond to them. This does not ensure that care is always nurturing or that children receive predictable responses from the adults who care for them. During the inspection, the manager and the responsible individual agreed to address this with staff.

p.4

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

Staff provide children with clear and consistent boundaries, and they consistently promote positive behaviour. As a result, physical intervention and consequences have not been used. This supports children to manage their behaviour and feelings safely.

p.4

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

Staff have a good understanding of the risks the internet and mobile phones can pose. Staff have guidance on how to manage these risks and take effective action when there are concerns about a child’s device use. This supports children to stay safe online.

p.4

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

Children in this home say that they feel safe and can speak to some staff members about their worries. Staff have frequent conversations with children to help them understand how to keep themselves safe. This means that incidents in the home are rare and children do not go missing.

p.4

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

Staff usually take swift and appropriate action when a child has harmed themselves. This is because there is clear guidance to manage children’s risk of self-injury. As a result, one child’s risk of self-harm reduced during the time they lived in the home. However, on one occasion, a child said that they had harmed themselves and they had thoughts to cause themselves further significant harm. Staff and managers did not seek appropriate medical attention for a further 2 days.

p.4

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

There is a mixed response to concerns about staff practice. Some concerns are fully investigated, and children sometimes receive feedback about the outcome of their concerns. Staff and children sometimes have restorative conversations after concerns are raised. However, investigations are not always recorded in a timely way and, occasionally, the concerns are not fully explored. On one occasion, a child made an allegation about a member of staff providing them with unsuitable medication that they used to harm themselves with. This allegation was not investigated by the manager, and therefore it remains unclear whether this incident occurred. This does not ensure that staff are always keeping children safe or that issues with staff practice are addressed promptly. Inspection report for children’s home: 2613327 5

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager is committed and advocates effectively for children. However, she has not been well supported in her role. There has been a lack of effective collaboration with senior leaders. At the time of the inspection, the previous responsible individual had left their role a month earlier. Before their departure, they had insufficient oversight of the home. The new responsible individual does not provide consistent support, and the manager has been supported by another senior leader. This lack of consistency affects the quality and consistency of care children receive.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Team meetings take place regularly and are focused on children’s needs. Permanent staff receive regular supervision, and the manager carries out single-subject supervision when required. Bank staff do not receive consistent supervision, and 3 members of staff have not received supervision for 9 months or more. The manager has not received regular supervision for the past 6 months and reported that she rarely receives copies of her supervision notes. This does not ensure that staff and the manager are provided with effective support and challenge.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff receive training to meet children’s individual needs. However, less than half the staff hold an appropriate qualification, and 4 staff members have not completed an appropriate qualification within the statutory timescales. This includes the deputy manager. Managers and leaders have not taken effective action to address this shortfall. This does not ensure that all staff have the skills required to meet children’s needs.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Children’s care and support plans provide staff with information and guidance that reflect individual children’s vulnerabilities. Oversight of some incidents has not been robust, which has resulted in some concerns not being fully explored. In addition, when there are persistent themes of concern about staff practice, these are not always identified and addressed. This does not ensure that staff practice improves where needed.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager gathers feedback from others inconsistently. The quality of care reviews and independent visitor reports gather little meaningful feedback from children and others. This limits the usefulness of external oversight of the home. The manager identified some shortfalls in the independent visitor report before the inspection and has requested improvements to this for future visits. Inspection report for children’s home: 2613327 6

p.5

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.

p.6

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—

p.6

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

p.6

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;

p.6

Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

p.6

Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

p.6

Requirement Due date

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

p.6

Requirement Due date

research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; 3 September 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2613327 7 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)(e)(f)(g)(i)(ii)(h))

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders should have effective monitoring tools in place.

p.7

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that they have effective oversight of incidents and that feedback from others is used to improve the quality of care for children.

p.7

Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must ensure that staff have all mandatory qualifications and receive regular, reflective supervision.

p.7

Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

p.7

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.7

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;

p.7

Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

p.7

Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

p.7

Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

p.7

Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)

p.7

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that any allegations made about staff are fully investigated. 3 September 2026

p.7

Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

p.7

Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met; 3 September 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2613327 8 children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

p.7

Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

p.8

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.8

Requirement Due date

achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

p.8

Requirement Due date

understand the child’s health and well-being needs and the options that are available in relation to the child’s health and well-being, in a way that is appropriate to the child’s age and understanding;

p.8

Requirement Due date

take part in activities, and attend any appointments, for the purpose of meeting the child’s health and well-being needs; and

p.8

Requirement Due date

understand and develop skills to promote the child’s well-being;

p.8

Requirement Due date

that each child has access to such dental, medical, nursing, psychiatric and psychological advice, treatment and other services as the child may require. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(c))

p.8

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff seek appropriate medical advice when there are concerns about a child’s physical or emotional health.

p.8

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 9

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Serenity Specialist Care Ltd

p.9

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 13 The Courtyard, Timothys Bridge Road, Stratford- upon-Avon, Warwickshire CV37 9NP

p.9

Inspectors

Jenny Smith, Social Care Inspector Janet Jauregui, Regional Inspection Manager Inspection report for children’s home: 2613327 10 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.9

Inspectors

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.10

Inspectors

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

p.10

Inspectors

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

p.10