Children's home run by Amegreen Children’s Services in Basingstoke and Deane

Inspection report children’s home: SC472164 1 SC472164 Registered provider: Amegreen Children’s Services Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is privately owned and accommodates up to four children. The statement of purpose states that it offers an environment in which children have the opportunity to come to terms with previous experiences of trauma, abuse, loss, rejection and poor attachments.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered with Ofsted on 12 July 2019.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 31 July to 1 August 2019

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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 outstanding

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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 children’s home: SC472164 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/05/2018 Full Good 17/11/2016 Full Good 25/04/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 03/11/2015 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC472164 3

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Recommendations

 Ensure that induction and training for staff enables staff to deliver the ethos, outcomes and approach set out in the home’s statement of purpose, particularly in relation to the developmental trauma model of care. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 52, paragraph 10.4) Inspection report children’s home: SC472164 4

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children experience warmth and attentiveness from staff, who understand their complex needs. Individualised and insightful approaches help the children to manage their emotions. Within the nurturing, welcoming and stable home, children settle, have fun and respond to the high quality of care by the staff. They make significant progress in managing their emotions and their behaviour improves.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Managers and staff have created an environment in which each child’s unique character and personality can flourish. Staff are responsive to each child’s wishes and actively encourage them to pursue their particular interests. Children engage confidently in daily meetings and put forward their views. Staff involve them in decision-making and planning for their day-to-day lives. Together, the children and the staff negotiate structured and well-planned activities that the children benefit from.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Close monitoring of children’s health ensures that their specific needs are identified and met. Staff support children to establish healthy eating patterns, develop structured routines and engage in physical activities. This encourages them to have a healthy lifestyle. Staff carefully observe children’s emotional well-being and ensure that they have access to specialist assessment when required. Detailed support strategies guide staff to provide sensitive, protective assistance when children show signs of distress. With this sharp focus, children make considerable progress in communicating their feelings more appropriately and regulating their emotions.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive support to acquire independence skills appropriate to their age, stage of development and long-term goals. In doing this, staff do not lose sight of the need to encourage them to enjoy their childhood. Staff create opportunities for children to enjoy being with them, to develop their relationships with them and to experience pleasure in play and activities.

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

Managers and staff have a clear understanding of children’s needs and how to protect them. Children’s plans reflect their individual needs, and these are frequently reviewed as the children settle in the home and staff come to know them better.

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

Staff receive the support of a staff development consultant in staff meetings. This helps them to understand and embed the home’s therapeutic approach into the children’s care. The model of care is based on an understanding of how past trauma and loss can impact on a child’s development and current functioning. Through this support, staff develop skills in understanding the children’s behaviour and self-regulating their own emotional responses to the children’s behaviour. Staff are able to identify the triggers which may provoke difficult and problematic responses for children at an early stage. Children’s behaviour improves as they develop a sense of safety and security in their home environment, because they know that staff will consistently meet their needs. Inspection report children’s home: SC472164 5 Incidents are recorded in detail and are very closely monitored by the registered manager. This ensures safe practice and helps to develop alternative strategies to

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

support the children. Staff are trained to use physical interventions, as a last resort, to manage children’s behaviour. Following such an intervention, staff receive in-depth debriefings with the registered manager to consider any learning.

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

Staff know the children well and understand each child’s specific vulnerabilities. Risk management is individualised and current. Thoughtful and sensitive responses to managing risks helps to protect children from harm. Targeted key-work sessions help children to develop an understanding of how to keep themselves safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has recently been appointed, and she has relevant experience of working with children and young people. She uses her skills and experience to provide strong support for the staff team. She is passionate about helping children to achieve their best outcomes. She demonstrates good knowledge of the children’s needs and the progress that they are making, and she provides strong leadership to help to improve outcomes for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff understand the children’s needs. The support that they provide helps children to settle at the home and promotes their development. This helps children to make significant progress. The registered manager leads by example, modelling therapeutic practice and inspiring the staff to create a family-like environment for the children. Relationships are meaningful, warm and sincere.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive effective support from managers. Staff supervision is broad and reflective, providing opportunities for staff to raise concerns and to discuss matters affecting the safety and well-being of individual children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff training is regular and appropriate. However, there is no formal induction and training for staff specifically to ensure that they have the knowledge and understanding to work with children using the therapeutic model outlined in the home’s statement of purpose. Inspection report children’s home: SC472164 6

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the difference made to the lives of children and young people. They watched how professional staff work with children and young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care provided. Wherever possible, they talked to children and young people and their families. In addition, the inspectors have tried to understand what the children’s home knows about how well it is performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the children and young people whom it is trying to help, protect and look after.

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Information about this inspection

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 children’s home: SC472164 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Amegreen Children’s Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 2 Granary Court, Fair Oak Green, Stratfield Saye, Reading RG7 2DL

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Inspector

Jan Hunnam, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC472164 8 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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