Children's Home run by Abbey Green Therapeutic Children’s Services Ltd in Nottinghamshire

Inspection report children's home: 2612347 1 Registered provider: Abbey Green Therapeutic Children’s Services Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned by a private company. It provides therapeutic care and accommodation for up to two children who may present with a range of attachment, behavioural and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been in post since the home’s registration with Ofsted in May 2021.

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Information about this children’s home

Due to COVID-19, at the request of the Secretary of state, we suspended all routine inspections of social care providers carried out under the social care common inspection framework (SCCIF) on 17 March 2020. We returned to routine SCCIF inspections on 12 April 2021.

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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 good

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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

Date of last inspection: Not previously inspected

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: Not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: Not applicable Inspection report children's home: 2612347 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child lives in this home. He is settled and making very good progress. The child has good relationships with staff and feels well supported. Staff have a thorough understanding of his needs, vulnerabilities and risks. Staff spend good-quality time with him, and this contributes to their strong relationships with him.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child attends two alternative education provisions. Before moving to this home, and at the start of his stay, he struggled to maintain good attendance. His attendance is now at 100%. An education provider stated, ‘His confidence has improved dramatically. School is now a much more positive experience for him.’ The manager and staff work hard with the school and other agencies to ensure that he can fulfil his potential.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff know the child very well. They understand his emotional and behavioural needs. The quality of care is enhanced by advice and guidance from therapists working in the organisation. This helps the staff to be aware of, and sensitive to, the underlying causes of challenging behaviour. Incidents of challenging behaviour have decreased significantly since the child moved to the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child’s family are welcomed to the home on a regular basis. Staff also enable the child to see his family outside of the home. This has helped the child to maintain crucial family relationships. There are plans to increase family time in the future, where appropriate.

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

Safeguarding is a high priority at the home. Members of staff have a good understanding of the risks faced by the child when using social media. Managers have the equipment to monitor internet use and restrict access to inappropriate sites. Staff undertake key-work sessions with the child to provide him with information about internet safety so he is equipped with the skills to keep himself safe online.

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

The manager and staff, in conjunction with the therapy team, complete and regularly update detailed risk assessments and behaviour support plans. These enable the staff team to understand the child’s risks and vulnerabilities. Behaviour support plans give clear guidance to staff on how to keep the child safe, de-escalate behaviours and respond to risk. Incidents of the use of physical intervention have decreased significantly since the child moved to the home. Each incident is well recorded. There are meaningful debrief sessions, both with the staff involved and the child. The organisation’s directors are skilled at helping staff to reflect on their practice after each incident. Inspection report children's home: 2612347 3 Regular fire safety checks are carried out. Fire doors are regularly propped open. This is done to create a more homely feel and to aid supervision of the child at a distance. However, this practice is not covered in the home’s fire procedures and has

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

not been properly assessed. In addition, internal doors are regularly locked at night, which may restrict the child’s movements within his own home. There is no record of why this practice is in the best interests of the child.

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

Recruitment practice is safe, and the manager shows a good awareness of how to help ensure that the child does not have contact with unsuitable people. Occasionally, a member of staff starts work without all recruitment checks in place. Although this person does not work directly with the child, the home has not kept records to demonstrate how this decision has been made and how the provider will ensure the child’s safety.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Members of staff feel valued by the manager and feel that he listens to their ideas and suggestions. The manager has also developed a good relationship with the child. He has a very good understanding of the child’s plans. The manager speaks passionately about the child’s strengths, sets high standards and role models a nurturing approach.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

New members of staff are provided with a good-quality, well-structured induction. This includes undertaking mandatory training. New staff feel well supported and are enjoying their new jobs. Leaders and managers have taken quick action when staff practice has not been to the required standard. Leaders and managers follow procedures correctly, putting the safety and welfare of children at the centre of their decision-making.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The child’s outcomes are improved as a result of good working relationships with partner agencies. External professionals say that the manager and staff communicate well and work collaboratively to address any challenges. An education professional commented, ‘It’s the best communication we’ve had with a [residential] setting.’ Inspection report children's home: 2612347 4

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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, 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.

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Requirement Due date

children can access all appropriate areas of the children’s home’s premises; and

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Requirement Due date

any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area of the home’s premises—

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Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard each child accommodated in the home;

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Requirement Due date

is kept under review and, if necessary, revised; and

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Requirement Due date

allows children as much freedom as is possible when balanced against the need to protect them and keep them safe. (Regulation 21 (b)(c)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, this relates to the locking of internal doors during the night. 1/11/2021

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Requirement Due date

If the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005(a) applies to the home—

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Requirement Due date

the registered person must ensure that the requirements of that Order and any regulations made under it, except for article 23 (duties of employees), are complied with in respect of the home. (Regulation 25 (2)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, this relates to the propping open of internal fire doors. 1/11/2021

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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

The registered person may only— 1/11/2021 Inspection report children's home: 2612347 5 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 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

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)(d))

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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 children's home: 2612347 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Abbey Green Therapeutic Children’s Services Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 51 Abbey Green Road, Leek ST13 8SA

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Children’s home details

Registered manager: Avgoustinos Demetriou

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Inspector

Catherine Honey, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children's home: 2612347 7 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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