About Serene Retreats (NW) Limited

My name is Chris Payne, Director of Serene Retreats.

I currently work as a Residential Child Care Worker for Stockport Council and have spent the last several years supporting children and young adults with a wide range of needs. Prior to this, I worked as an agency residential support worker, giving me experience across many different services, placements and care environments.

Throughout my career, I repeatedly saw children and young people being accommodated for short-term breaks in settings that, whilst often readily available, were not designed with their safety or wellbeing in mind. These included caravans, hotels, holiday parks, Airbnb properties and even canal boats.

Although these settings can provide temporary accommodation, I often felt they fell short of the standards that children and young people in care deserve. Common concerns included inadequate fire safety measures, unrestricted access to sharp items and hazardous substances, insufficient medication storage, a lack of secure bedroom locks, no dedicated workspace for staff, and environments that had not been designed to effectively manage risk.

The location of some accommodation also raised concerns. Holiday parks and similar settings can expose vulnerable children and young people to unnecessary risks, including contact with unsuitable individuals and easy access to licensed premises where alcohol is available. As the responsible adult supporting these placements, I was constantly aware of the potential dangers and the additional challenges these environments created.

These experiences led me to ask a simple question:

Why isn't there accommodation specifically designed for children and young people in care that offers the comfort of a home while meeting the practical needs of care professionals?

That question became the foundation of Serene Retreats.

My vision was to create high-quality, fully equipped accommodation that combines a warm, welcoming environment with the safety features and practical design considerations expected within professionally managed care settings. Every property is carefully considered to provide a homely atmosphere whilst incorporating features that help professionals support children safely and confidently.

Whilst our properties are ideal for planned short breaks and holidays, Serene Retreats was never intended to be just a holiday accommodation provider. Our properties are equally suited to emergency placements, respite accommodation, transition periods, assessment stays, family contact arrangements, and other short-term accommodation requirements where local authorities and care providers need a safe, high-quality environment at short notice.

Every property has been developed with frontline experience in mind, recognising the challenges faced by support workers and the importance of providing accommodation that is practical, secure and ready to use. Our aim is to reduce risk, support positive outcomes, and provide professionals with confidence that the environment is appropriate for the young people in their care.

At Serene Retreats, our mission is simple: to provide children and young people with safe, comfortable and professionally prepared accommodation where they can feel secure, whether they are enjoying a well-deserved break, requiring emergency accommodation, or staying during a period of transition. We believe every child deserves an environment that promotes dignity, wellbeing and positive experiences.

As someone who continues to work directly with children and young people, I understand the realities faced by frontline staff, local authorities and care providers. That experience shapes every decision we make and remains at the heart of everything Serene Retreats stands for.