Children's Home run by Amegreen Children’s Services in Hampshire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2765654 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

This privately owned children’s home provides care for up to 5 children with social and emotional difficulties and associated complex needs. The staff at the home are referred to as ‘adults’, and this terminology is used throughout the report.

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Information about this children’s home

There were 5 children living in the home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since the home was registered on 25 January 2024.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2765654 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

23/04/2025 Full Outstanding 25/09/2024 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2765654 3

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Summary of findings

Children make exceptional progress at the home and have positive experiences. The adults know them well and ensure that the children have access to the support that they need, when they need it. This helps the children to make progress and to achieve independence.

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Summary of findings

The adults understand the potential risks to children’s safety and welfare. They are well trained and supported to manage and reduce these risks. The adults safeguard children well and collaborate with other professionals to ensure that children receive well-rounded support.

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outstanding

Children make positive progress because of the trusting relationships with the adults, who support them to feel settled in the home. The children benefit from a nurturing and homely environment and want to spend time with the adults who support them.

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outstanding

Children benefit from focused key-work sessions that help them to explore their thoughts and feelings in a safe environment. The adults understand the children’s histories and associated traumatic experiences. Practice is underpinned by bespoke training for adults in the home’s preferred model of care, with regular input from the organisation’s therapeutic adviser and the wider network.

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outstanding

Adults know the children extremely well. They understand their needs, and they are providing high-quality individualised care and support. Children’s achievements are celebrated, with the team demonstrating a sense of pride in their education and personal development. One professional said, ‘Staff and managers are therapeutic in their approach and understand [the child’s] attachment and past experience. It is a pleasure to work with the team. Whenever I visit the home, it feels warm and welcoming, and this is a reflection of the skills and commitment of the staff and managers.’

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outstanding

Children are supported to spend time with the people who are most important to them, such as their families. The adults also build good relationships with the children’s families. This contributes to the stability of the children’s placements. One family member said, ‘If I need support with [the child] or [the child] needs support from me, then we are in contact. I have nothing bad I can say about them; they are fantastic.’

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outstanding

Leaders and the adults hold education in high regard. Children succeed in education because adults give purposeful, insightful and practical support. The adults work positively with education providers and other agencies to help children re-engage in Inspection report for children’s home: 2765654 4 education and build confidence to start learning again where possible. This ensures that the children’s specific needs are met through continuous planning, and when formal education is not appropriate, the adults support adaptations to learning for the children and liaise with external professionals to achieve a positive outcome for each child.

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outstanding

When children move into or leave the home, these transitions are undertaken in a sensitive and child-centred way. This ensures that the children’s specific needs are met through meticulous planning and that professionals have a comprehensive understanding of their needs. One professional said, ‘[The child] has made a lot of progress since they moved to the home. They engage with an educational provision and have progressed from not being at all independent to having a good degree of independence, including writing shopping lists and buying the ingredients on that list. Initially, [the child] wouldn’t have done any of this on their own. [The child] recognises the importance of progressing towards independence.’

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outstanding

Children flourish because of the emotional and physical support of the adults. The registered manager advocates that care planning is at the child’s own pace, to maintain stability and ensure positive outcomes. For example, the post-16 planning for one child has been exceptional, focusing on what matters most for the child.

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outstanding

Children receive help and support to manage their behaviours and feelings safely. While there has been a high number of physical incidents in the home since the last inspection, adults use their training, knowledge and strong relationships with the children to understand their behaviours. The children therefore receive swift and coordinated responses from the adults to keep them safe. Following an incident, adults are thoughtful in their approach and encourage children to reflect and learn from the experience.

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outstanding

Adults support children with a range of well-informed strategies. Individual plans outline which approaches work best, and these are continuously updated by the adults in response to children’s emerging needs.

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outstanding

Leaders and managers take effective action when safeguarding concerns arise, and any subsequent investigations are carried out in a prompt and child-centred manner.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The home is led by a dedicated and knowledgeable registered manager and home manager. They are inspiring and proactive; they know the children and the adults well. Their passion and commitment to the progress and outcomes of the children are evident in their discussions about the home, and successes are celebrated. They are supported by a committed and proactive team of adults who share their vision of wanting the best for the children in their care. Inspection report for children’s home: 2765654 5 Adults demonstrate a strong empathetic approach to the children. The manager has instilled a positive culture of adults seeking to understand situations from a child’s perspective, taking into account the child’s past experiences. Regular team meetings and reviews contribute to this shared understanding and enable the team to focus on what matters to the children. This creates a safe and positive space in which children

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

can flourish. Critical reflection sessions provide the team with the opportunity to reflect and explore behaviours in depth with a therapist, leading to a better understanding of the areas of support that the children need.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Adults benefit from a wide range of training that is relevant to the individual needs of the children. However, some of the adults are outside of the legislative timescale for completion of the level 3 qualification. The provider has a plan in place to address this, and progress is being made.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Adults say that they are well supported by managers, who take an active interest in their wellbeing. They are complimentary about the supervision they receive from managers. Progression is considered by the senior team for adults, and there are regular opportunities to increase the experience of potential leaders of the future.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager is actively involved with decision-making in the home. Leaders and managers work in close partnership with other professionals to promote the wellbeing and safeguarding of the children. As a result, the children’s holistic needs are met. Inspection report for children’s home: 2765654 6

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that identified gaps in qualifications are completed within timescales. In particular, the level 3 qualification. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 68, paragraph 1.4)

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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: 2765654 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, West End Road, Mortimer, Berkshire RG7 3TF

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Aleksandra Komorowska

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Children’s home details

Registered manager: Patrycja Soroczynska

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Inspector

Maria Calway-Kennedy, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2765654 8 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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