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

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

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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 cares for up to 3 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in November 2024.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of inspection, one child was living in the home. The inspectors spoke with the child.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: n/a Inspection report for children’s home: 2700720 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

06/05/2025 Full Good 11/06/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 02/05/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 2700720 3

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Summary of findings

Children are making progress and experience warm, nurturing and positive relationships with the staff team. The frequency of incidents is reducing, and there is a strong response to concerns around exploitation. There have been times where staff have not fully understood a change in behaviour as a concern for a child’s welfare. A timely response was not taken to ensure the consistency of approach from staff. Staff feel well supported in their roles. Managers know the children well and prioritise their wellbeing within the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Two children have moved out of the home since the last inspection. When children move out, staff and managers consider how best to support them to maintain positive relationships with staff. For one child, this included ongoing meetings with the internal therapist, while they prepared to become a parent. Additionally, staff provided the child with support that prepared them for this significant change in their life. The child has since stayed in contact with staff and updated them on proud moments they have had since moving on.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When children have moved into the home, managers have collected additional information to inform their decision-making. Managers consider the impact of the move on other children in the home and the training of staff to ensure that they can meet the child’s needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are making good progress. They are opening up to staff about their feelings and seek comfort from adults when they feel worried or anxious. Children are engaging more in education. For one child, their teachers have noticed a significant improvement in behaviour and engagement in lessons since moving to the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children experience warm and nurturing relationships with staff. Staff are playful and curious with children, and adapt their approaches depending on the age and personalities of the child. Children feel listened to and safe as a result.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have regular activities, which align with their interests. For one child, they have recently started attending a gymnastics club to support them in building friends in the community. Children’s achievements are regularly recognised. Staff notice small positive steps that are important to children and children are praised for this.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have regular conversations with children on things that are important to them. One child does not like to engage with professionals or formal pieces of work. Staff adjust their approach to support discussions around risk, education and independence in an informal way. Inspection report for children’s home: 2700720 4 One child has struggled to attend health appointments, often refusing to attend or engage with health professionals. There is limited evidence of conversations between staff and the child about this. This is a missed opportunity to support the child in understanding the importance of attending health appointments.

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

Children have had a reduction in the number of incidents and level of risk since moving into the home. This includes a reduction in the number of missing-from-care incidents and improved engagement with curfews and welfare calls.

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

There have been some incidents where staff have not understood when behaviours were out of character for one child. Therefore, timely responses to ensure children are safeguarded have not always taken place. Managers’ oversight has not always identified this change in behaviour or updated and shared plans and protocols with staff. ManagIncidents involving this change in behaviour have now reduced, alongside the positive progress in reducing missing-from-care incidents.

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

Managers have a good response to concerns around exploitation. They have completed mapping of known associates and new people in the child’s life, and shared these findings with the police and social worker as part of effective multi-agency working. Staff have been vigilant to small pieces of information shared from the child in conversations. Staff are curious about who the child has been with when the child has been missing, and they are persistent in having conversations even when the child does not initially want to share this with them.

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

One child has a known risk of substance misuse. Staff have always been vigilant to this when collecting a child after spending time with their friends or when the have been missing. They monitor for warning signs and have a clear plan and knowledge of how to respond should there be any concerns. Conversations are attempted regularly with the child, and they are making progress in wanting to reduce and quit their use of substances and vaping.

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

Risk assessment documents are in place and consider all the known risks or behaviours for each child. The documents lack some key information and known strategies in response to a child going missing, and the protocols to follow when there is an increased concern for the child’s welfare.

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

One child struggles to maintain their bedroom or allow staff to support them in keeping it clean. This results in the bedroom being a slip and trip hazard in the event of an emergency. Children’s documents and plans do not outline the agreed approach and response to this that would ensure the bedroom remains safe and free of hazards.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has had a period of being absent from the home. On returning she has worked hard to understand the challenges while she was away. She has implemented Inspection report for children’s home: 2700720 5 changes to routines and boundaries that are positively supporting both children. The manager has worked hard to build a positive relationship with the child who moved in during her absence. The manager is involved and present within the home to ensure children are receiving quality care. Leaders and managers prioritise children’s wellbeing and needs, and this is the focus of their approach day to day.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff highlight positive support from the manager and deputy manager, which helps them to feel confident in their roles and working practices. Staff report that they are happy in their roles and enjoy spending time with children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers work well with other agencies, such as social workers, parents, police and education staff to ensure that children are getting the support they need. Managers keep professionals and family members well informed about children’s lives. When challenge is required, the manager is confident to do this, which ensures that the right changes are made to children’s plans in line with their needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Team meetings are undertaken regularly and discuss the children living in the home. Staff attend alongside the therapy team to ensure that agreed strategies are therapeutically informed. Staff find these supportive and helpful in ensuring that they are working well as a team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers provide staff with regular supervision, and there is a variety of styles to the supervision they provide. Group supervisions with the therapy team have provided a focus that allows for some reflective practice as a team. However, managers have not provided staff with regular 1:1 opportunities to reflect on their own welfare or personal development. This would allow more detailed reflection and feedback opportunities for staff. This would particularly be helpful for staff who are new to the home, or for staff who are taking on new roles as seniors or managers.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Safer recruitment practices have not always been fully completed. For one member of staff, there has not been sufficient attempts to verify previous employment where a staff member had worked with children or vulnerable adults. Inspection report for children’s home: 2700720 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, 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 protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i)(iii)(vi)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to the registered person ensuring that staff and management quickly respond to unusual child behaviour changes to keep children safe. They must also share new rules with the team, follow agreed plans and write incident reports.

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Requirement Due date

This also refers to ensuring that children’s plans are in place, specifically missing-from-care protocols and that staff know the protocol that is in place.

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Requirement Due date

This also refers to the registered person ensuring that staff must consistently help children who struggle to keep their rooms tidy or accept cleaning support, so that messy bedrooms do not block the floor and create a dangerous trip hazard during an emergency evacuation. 30 October 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2700720 7 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— 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, if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

The requirements are that— 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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Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to the registered person ensuring that reasonable attempt is made to collect verification of employment where staff have worked with children and vulnerable adults. 30 October 2026

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff have the relevant skills and knowledge to be able to help children understand and, where necessary, work to change negative behaviours in key areas of health and wellbeing, such as the importance of attendance at health appointments. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 35, paragraph 7.18)  The registered person should have systems in place so that all staff, including the managers, receive supervision, which allows the individual staff member to reflect on their personal practice. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2)

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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: 2700720 8

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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, Bingham Enterprise Centre, Mercia Court, Bingham, Nottingham NG13 8QX

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: William Cunningham

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Inspectors

Becki Cornes-Sinclair, Social Care Inspector Jibin Vakanil, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2700720 9 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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