Children's home run by Amegreen Children’s Services

Inspection report for children’s home: 2825829 1 Registered provider: Amegreen Children’s Services

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned by a private provider and is registered to provide care for up to three children with learning disabilities. At the time of this inspection, three children were living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in February 2025, when the home was first registered. This was the home’s first inspection after registration.

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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 outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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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

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2825829 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children’s lives are enhanced by living in this home. Children make exceptional progress from their starting points because they are supported by a motivated and attentive staff team. Families acknowledge the progress that their children have made. Staff have built trusting and nurturing relationships with the children. Children seek out staff for hugs and playful interactions. Children are also developing caring relationships with each other.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff ensure that the children’s complex needs are not a barrier to their experiences. Social stories are used to help children to understand their rights and the rights of the other children they live with. Children have taken part in a charity run, and they have been able to visit museums, garden centres and pick-your-own fruit farms. They regularly use public transport to travel to activities. This supports their engagement in the community. They have a caravan holiday booked. The holiday has been meticulously planned, and the children have been well prepared in advance, so that they know what to expect.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff are highly trained to meet the needs of children. They are fully informed about the therapeutic model that is at the centre of the home’s ethos and that is deeply embedded into practice. The well-organised training plan enables staff still completing training to understand the importance of the model in delivering high-quality care to the children. This benefits new staff in preparing for their role and helps to develop current staff in their knowledge and practice.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children have made significant progress around their education, independence and verbal communication skills; this has been noted by education professionals. Progress plans highlight achievable tasks for children so that they are continually developing their skills. Children attend equine therapy and have achieved accreditations in looking after the animals. This supports children to have a sense of achievement.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children’s views, wishes and feelings are at the heart of staff practice. Children are able to communicate their views using their preferred methods of communication. Staff support children to give their views, and they use this feedback to develop the service further. Children are able to select meals and choose activities. They are supported with shopping for their own clothes, and they contribute to the presentation of the home. This helps the children to have a sense of belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff promote equality and diversity, and children are supported to explore their backgrounds. Staff recently found that two of the children had a more diverse heritage than was originally known, and they created an opportunity for all the children to learn about it in ways appropriate to their level of understanding. The children had food and listened to music and stories associated with that culture. These experiences help children to understand their heritage. Inspection report for children’s home: 2825829 3 Staff collaborate with many external services so that children receive the best support available. Staff ensure that children’s health needs are met, and they seek medical support when this is required. Social stories are used to help children to understand why medical intervention is needed. This supports children to engage in understanding their own health and well-being. The manager has challenged health services when they are

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

slow to respond to children’s needs. When services are not readily available to children, private services are sourced and funded by the organisation. For example, when the waiting list for a therapy assessment would have negatively impacted on a child’s well- being, a private therapist was sourced for the assessment. This provided an already well- informed staff team with additional strategies to support the child.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children live in a welcoming and friendly home. Any damage to the home is promptly rectified by a dedicated maintenance team, whose members have also received training to understand children’s needs. Staff consult with children on how they want their bedrooms to look. As a result, children have personalised bedrooms that reflect their interests, and individual murals are painted on their walls. Children are proud of their bedrooms.

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

Staff know how to keep children safe. Safety plans and risk assessments are comprehensive and support children to be safe. Children respond well to the boundaries implemented by staff. For example, one child who was not able to be safe in the community can now access public transport and listen to direction from adults. This has allowed the child to understand more about keeping safe and has broadened the experiences that the child can engage in. The child can now spend family time away from the home, engaging in activities with individuals who are important to them. Staff are on hand to provide additional support when required. This has helped to strengthen family relationships.

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

Staff are highly attuned to children’s needs and take proactive actions to reduce children’s risks. For example, staff ensure that children are well prepared for the day ahead and for any visitors coming to their home. This helps children to process expectations and manage their anxieties. This has resulted in a significant decrease in children displaying distressed behaviours. Staff have received extra training when additional risks to children have been identified.

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

Staff work tirelessly to support children who display self-injurious behaviours, to find other strategies to manage how they are feeling and reduce self-harm. Staff work closely with external professionals to implement identified strategies and reduce risk. There are clear protocols for staff to follow, including aftercare for children. This approach has had a very positive impact.

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

The staff are trained in physical intervention and de-escalation techniques. When physical intervention has occurred, the manager reviews these incidents thoroughly. He ensures that the actions taken by staff have been necessary and proportionate to Inspection report for children’s home: 2825829 4 effectively safeguard children and others. Staff engage in a reflective debrief following the use of any physical intervention. Staff successfully use social stories to help children to understand incidents and to identify other ways for them to express their emotions.

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

Safer recruitment checks are robust. The registered manager is committed to ensuring that staff have been appropriately vetted and deemed as suitable to work with vulnerable children. All staff have attended safeguarding training and understand their responsibilities in raising and reporting any safeguarding concerns. This enhances the safety and well-being of the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is unwavering in his dedication and commitment to the children. He recognises the children’s potential and strives to support each child to achieve this. The manager has solid plans to develop the service in accordance with the needs of the children. These plans are intended to further enhance the experiences of children living in this home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

There are robust monitoring and reviewing systems in place. The manager reviews and analyses all documents for the children. This analysis helps him to identify any themes, patterns or trends within the home and address them accordingly. As a result, staff practice is well informed, and the manager’s oversight of the home is thorough.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is a strong advocate for the children in his care. He has challenged professionals when decisions have been made that he believed were not in the best interests of children. He identified that current methods for children to give feedback were not wholly successful. As a result, he is considering other ways in which the children can give clearer feedback on the care that they receive from staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Senior leaders ensure that the manager is well supported as a new manager to the organisation. Alongside regular reflective supervision, the manager has access to critical reflection sessions with an external therapist. The organisation provides regular managers’ meetings, and the training and development lead proactively sources additional training for managers. This supports the manager’s own development and practice. Senior leaders acknowledge the manager’s hard work and dedication to the service.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff speak very highly of the manager and describe him as ‘superb’ and ‘amazing’. Staff feel encouraged and empowered by the manager and the support that he gives them. Staff benefit from thorough inductions and good levels of regular, reflective supervision.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager ensures that transitions for children are sensitively planned, even when transition periods are short. Family members are encouraged to be part of children’s transitions to the home and the care that they subsequently receive. This supports children to settle into their new home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2825829 5 Professionals are unanimous in their positive feedback about the manager and the service that the staff team provides to the children. One professional described observing a member of staff successfully using therapeutic responses to support a child in distress, which would previously have escalated into a significant incident. Another professional said, ‘The manager talks about the children and their families with compassion and sensitivity, keenly holding in mind the painful feelings of loss and longing they may be experiencing.’ Inspection report for children’s home: 2825829 6

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Information about this inspection

The inspector has 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: 2825829 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Amegreen Children’s Services

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: The Corner House, 18-20 West End Road, Mortimer, Berkshire RG7 3TF

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Inspector

Louise Webling, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2825829 8 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 looked-after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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