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

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2700720 1 Registered provider: Abbey Green Therapeutic Children’s Services Ltd

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is run by an independent provider. It provides care for up to three children who may have social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager is appropriately qualified.

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Inspection date: 7 February 2024

Judgement at last inspection: Requires improvement to be good

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Inspection date: 7 February 2024

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspector evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. The inspector has looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance 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’. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2700720 2

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Findings from the inspection

We did not identify any serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection.

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Findings from the inspection

Children living in this home are making good progress from their starting points. Staff support children to attend school and are visible if support is required. Children are given clear and consistent boundaries. Risks are managed well, and there is a good multi-agency approach, which keeps children safe.

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Findings from the inspection

The home is furnished and decorated to a good standard. Children’s bedrooms are personalised and reflect the children’s interests. Communal areas are very child- focused, and there is evidence of staff encouraging children to explore their interests.

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Findings from the inspection

Relationships are very positive between staff and children, and strong attachments have been made. Staff speak highly of the children, and one child said that they like living in the home. Staff ensure that children have positive memories.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff promote the physical and mental health of the children well. A therapist works with staff to help them address the complex emotional needs of the child; she is also available for staff. In addition, staff work closely with other specialists in mental health services to ensure that children’s mental health needs are fully addressed.

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Findings from the inspection

Children rarely go missing from this home. When they do, the staff follow agreed procedures, and children’s families are included in the process. This allows new approaches to be identified to keep children safe from the known risks of being missing from care. Physical interventions are rare and used as a last resort; staff use less restrictive measures to support children to understand and manage their emotions.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff speak positively about the manager. They say that they are very well supported in their roles and day-to-day practice.

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Findings from the inspection

The manager was open and honest about times when they have struggled. They are aware of their and the team’s strengths and areas they wish to improve. There is strong evidence of learning from the previous shortfalls and an aspiration to provide the best help and support for children.

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Findings from the inspection

At this assurance visit, the requirements made at the last inspection were reviewed. One requirement was met. Actions to address the remaining requirements will be reviewed at the next inspection. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2700720 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

02/05/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2700720 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, 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.

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Requirement Due date

The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

develop positive relationships with them; engage with them; and

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Requirement Due date

take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

ascertain and consider each child’s views, wishes and feelings, and balance these against what they judge to be in the child’s best interests when making decisions about the child’s care and welfare;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to express views, wishes and feelings;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how the child’s views, wishes and feelings have been taken into account and give the child reasons for decisions in relation to the child;

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Requirement Due date

regularly consult children, and seek their feedback, about the quality of the home’s care;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how the child’s privacy will be respected and the circumstances when it may have to be limited;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to prepare for any review of the child’s relevant plans and to make the child’s views, wishes and feelings known for the purposes of that review. (Regulation 7 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)) 3 May 2024 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2700720 5 Specifically, the registered person should ensure regular consultation with children and, wherever appropriate, advocate on their behalf. The registered person should ensure that children’s wishes and feelings inform how their care is planned.

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Requirement Due date

Children should be given the opportunity to have privacy in the community, where possible. If this not deemed safe or appropriate, then the rationale for this needs to be clearly recorded.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person should regularly review sanctions, their proportionality and effectiveness.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

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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—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

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

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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;

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2) (f)(g)(ii)(h))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person should ensure that monitoring systems are in place. These systems need to enable the effective review of the quality of care and safety of children. 3 May 2024 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2700720 6 The registered person should complete an evaluative review to look at why staff may be being regularly assaulted by children. The registered person should implement new strategies to try and keep children and staff safer.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person should have measurable systems in place which can identify when children are making progress.

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Requirement Due date

When the registered person is not at work, management arrangements should still follow the necessary reporting processes to protect children.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy ("the behaviour management policy") which sets out—

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Requirement Due date

how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home;

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Requirement Due date

and the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must keep the behaviour management policy under review and, where appropriate, revise it.

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so ("the authorised person")—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and 3 May 2024 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2700720 7 has signed the record to confirm it is accurate. (Regulation 35 (a)(b)(2)(3)(a)(vii)(vii)(b)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person should complete an evaluative review of restraint practice.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person should support children to reflect on what makes them feel unsafe or anxious.

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Requirement Due date

Where children are injured while being restrained, the registered manager should complete a learning review to prevent this from happening again.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation;

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

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Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry involving a child —

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Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious.

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Requirement Due date

A notification made under this regulation—

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Requirement Due date

the other persons, bodies or organisations (if any) who or which have been notified; 3 May 2024 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2700720 8 and any actions taken by the registered person as a result of the matter;

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e) (5)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2700720 9

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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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Inspector

Corline Parker, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2700720 10 regulates and inspects 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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