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

Inspection report for 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 care for up to two children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, one child was living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

There is a registered manager in post, who is supporting a manager who is not yet registered with Ofsted.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2612347 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

15/03/2023 Full Good 06/10/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2612347 3

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outstanding

The manager and staff have ensured that the child is provided with a warm and nurturing environment. All areas of the home are welcoming and decorated to a high standard, in keeping with that of a family home. The child and staff have very positive relationships. One professional said, ‘The staff team are brilliant and would want more children to come to this home.’

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outstanding

The child’s bedroom is personalised. The manager ensured that the bedroom was redecorated before the child moved in to the home. Photographs and personal touches are evident in their bedrooms and communal areas. Staff support children to have good memories of their time at the home.

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outstanding

Children’s individual care plans are detailed. They focus on the child’s individual needs, wishes, and feelings. They are reviewed and updated regularly to reflect any changes in the child’s life. This provides staff with guidance on how children should be supported to achieve their goals.

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outstanding

The child’s abilities and talents are encouraged and nurtured. Staff never stop creating opportunities for children to enrich their lives. For one child, they were supported to have singing lessons. Although they no longer attend, they are supported to continue to sing in the home. Observations during the inspection evidenced that children are welcomed and thrive on the high levels of praise that staff provide.

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outstanding

When children move in or out of the home, this is very carefully planned. Leaders consider the needs of the children who are moving out of the home and continue to provide support for them. For one child, the manager and leaders have remained involved and continue to attend professional meetings and provide support, as required. As a result, this has supported the child to continue to have meaningful relationships.

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outstanding

Staff produce beautifully presented photograph books that are created for each child and serve as a valuable reminder of their positive experiences and progress while living in this home.

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

The child has built extremely secure attachments with staff in a short period. This has enabled them to talk to staff about any worries they have. A social worker was extremely complimentary about the managers and said that a child had made significant improvement in relation to that of their previous home due to staff providing consistent boundaries . Inspection report for children’s home: 2612347 4 The child receives an excellent standard of care to support their complex needs. Staff are skilled and have an excellent understanding of their safeguarding roles and responsibilities, and the child’s needs. Regular safeguarding training, alongside safeguarding and discussions during supervisions sessions and team meetings, means that the protection of children remains an absolute priority for every staff member working in the home.

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

Staff work closely with a therapist who works in the home. This supports staff to understand the child’s vulnerabilities. Children’s lives have improved because of the support that they receive from staff and the therapist. For example, music therapy is used to support one child to express their thoughts and feelings through writing songs. The child has significantly reduced any self-harm behaviours as a result of staff using strategies such as giving them hugs to support them to manage their emotions.

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

The use of physical intervention is rare. On the one occasion when it was used, it was proportionate and a last resort to ensure the child’s safety. Robust senior management oversight helped to support the manager to reflect on what happened and whether anything could be done differently to improve the support to the child in the future. This ensures that practice in this area remains safe and appropriate.

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

Children are aware of how to complain. They said that they do not need to complain because they can speak to staff or the manager to discuss any concerns they have.

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

Thorough recruitment processes are followed to help to ensure that only those adults who have been assessed as safe to work with children are employed to work in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is passionate about the home and models a culture where she puts the children first. She continues to work proactively with all professionals to ensure that children reach their full potential.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is visible to the staff and the children. Staff say that she is very approachable and available when they need her. The staff work well together to support children to have good experiences and, as a result, staff morale is extremely high.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager ensures that the staff receive additional training around the specific needs of the children. This is developing their understanding of behaviour management and providing additional strategies for how best to support children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Partnership working is a strength. Professionals spoken to during the inspection reported that the levels of communication between them, the manager, and the staff were good. This effective partnership working is helping to ensure that children’s plans progress, and children continue to make progress. Inspection report for children’s home: 2612347 5 There are some weaknesses in the manager’s monitoring. At times, the verbal accounts provided by the manager did not match the written information. This could prevent staff from learning and improving their practice. Inspection report for children’s home: 2612347 6

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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

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

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

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Requirement Due date

This specifically refers to ensuring that robust quality assurance and monitoring systems are in place, used regularly, and recorded. 14 June 2024

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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 for children’s home: 2612347 7

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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: Suite 3, Mercia Court, Bingham, Nottingham NG13 8QX

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Children’s home details

Registered manager: Avgoustinos Demetriou

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Inspector

Corline Parker, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2612347 8 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 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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