Welsh Enterprise Awards 2026/ 22 Best Children’s Residential Care Provider 2026 – South Wales Seren Care was founded in 2020 by Matt and Rian Stephens, combining Matt’s background in residential childcare with Rian’s experience in business. From the beginning, they had a clear idea of the type of organisation they wanted to create. Their aim was to provide homes where children in care could feel at home, rather than living in an environment that felt institutional. A simple question has guided many of the decisions they have made since: would this be good enough for our own children? That applies to everything from the houses Seren opens and the people it employs to the everyday experiences young people have while living there. Birthdays, holidays and days out are important, but so are the ordinary things – sitting down for Sunday dinner, feeling comfortable in your own home and having people around you who genuinely care. Since opening its first home in 2020, Seren Care has grown to eight homes across South East Wales. Despite that growth, Matt and Rian say the original principle has remained the same. The homes support young people who may have experienced trauma and adversity in their early lives. Each is designed to feel like a home, with comfortable shared spaces as well as areas where young people can have privacy and time to themselves. Education is also an important part of the support provided. Teams work with schools, colleges, placing authorities and other professionals to help young people access education and opportunities that meet their individual needs. Therapeutic support is available to help young people understand and process their experiences and move forward positively. Seren’s approach is underpinned by six values – Caring, Supportive, Challenging, One Team, Doing the Right Thing and Making a Difference – which were developed with employees and continue to guide the organisation’s day-to-day work. Quality has remained a focus throughout Seren’s growth, with its homes consistently achieving Good and Excellent inspection outcomes from Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW). Matt says: “We’ve grown considerably since we opened our first home, but growth has never been the measure of success for us. The quality of care children receive has to come first. We’re proud of our inspection outcomes, but what matters most is seeing young people settled, doing well and making progress. That’s what tells us we’re getting it right.” The people providing that care are another important part of the Seren story. The organisation has invested in training and development, with clear career pathways and a focus on promoting from within. A number of employees who joined Seren with little or no previous experience or qualifications in residential childcare have since gained qualifications and progressed into senior and management roles. As the organisation has grown, it has also created employment and career opportunities for people within the local communities in which it operates. Seren also looks for opportunities to give back to the communities where its homes are based, sponsoring local sports teams and getting involved in community and charity initiatives. Rian says: “Our staff really are the backbone of Seren. You can have a lovely house and all the right plans in place, but it’s the people who are there every day who make it a home. We’ve watched people join us with very little experience, gain qualifications, grow in confidence and progress into management roles. I’m really proud that as Seren has grown, our staff have been able to grow with us too.” Young people are encouraged to have a voice in their homes and in decisions affecting their lives. Alongside education and therapeutic support, there is an emphasis on giving them opportunities to enjoy the ordinary and extraordinary experiences of childhood – from activities and celebrations to holidays and time spent together at home. Six years after Matt and Rian first opened Seren’s doors, the organisation has grown considerably, but the question behind it remains unchanged: Would this be good enough for our own children? Being named Best Children’s Residential Care Provider 2026 – South Wales is recognition of the children, staff and wider team who have shaped Seren Care and the work taking place across its homes every day.
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