About Us
Every Child Deserves to Feel Safe, Valued and Heard
“We are grateful that our vision to open our own children’s homes has begun, and we plan to grow into a service which children, professionals and families can seek support from.”
At Amegreen Children’s Services, everything we do begins with a simple belief: every child deserves to feel safe, valued and genuinely cared for. We are a specialist children’s residential provider, owned and run by two experienced professionals, Gary Carlin and Rachel Redgwell, who have dedicated their careers to creating tailored and therapeutic environments for some of the most vulnerable children in society.
Their shared passion for residential childcare and their belief that every young person has the capacity to heal and grow is what brought them together as partners, and what continues to drive every decision they make.
Our Directors
Both Gary and Rachel’s commitment, passion and motivation to change young people’s futures is second to none and their vision for Amegreen grows alongside the needs of many young people as they increase.
Gary Carlin
“Amegreen Children’s Services understand that at the core of all trauma is a child who needs nurture, positive experiences and people who they feel safe with. We are proud to lead a trauma informed approach and support the children to rebuild their beliefs about the world and themselves.”
Gary began his career in residential childcare in 1992, bringing an immediate commitment to changing outcomes for children. A qualified social worker, he holds the Advanced Social Worker Award, a Level 4 in Leadership and Management, a Diploma in the Care and Development of Children and Young People, an MA in Therapeutic Childcare and Management, and specialist training in Equine Facilitated Learning using the LEAP model.
His therapeutic knowledge underpins the culture across Amegreen’s homes, helping create environments where children feel safe, understood and supported. Through his work with children who have experienced early trauma, Gary developed a strong commitment to trauma-informed care and Equine Assisted Therapy. In 2019, he founded Stable Futures, Amegreen’s Equine Assisted Therapeutic Service for children and young people aged 6–18. Not a riding school, Stable Futures uses Equine and Small Animal Assisted Learning, Outdoor Learning and bespoke Alternative Curriculum programmes to help young people process emotions, rebuild trust and reconnect with learning in a safe, nurturing environment.
Rachel Redgwell
“The Development of Amegreen will be led by the needs of not only young people but the professionals and families who also support them. We have a holistic approach and we understand the interconnectivity of our experiences, feelings and relationships.”
Rachel began her residential childcare career over 25 years ago, combining work in children’s homes with studying for her social work degree. Progressing to Registered Manager and then Responsible Individual, she has led teams of more than 250 people supporting children with Social, Emotional and Mental Health needs, Learning Disabilities and Crisis Intervention. In 2020, she received the Outstanding Contribution Award for her impact on children’s social care, and as South East Regional Lead for the Children’s Homes Association, she has helped shape national change within the sector.
Rachel’s passion for safeguarding has driven both local and national change, with contributions to the Department for Education, Ofsted, parliamentary discussions and national research into children’s homes. Some of her work has been adopted by the police. A strong advocate for children as a minority group, she is committed to inclusivity for all vulnerable young people. DDP – trained (Dyadic Developmental Practice), Rachel shares Gary’s commitment to nurturing, therapeutic environments as a means of healing trauma and rebuilding how young people experience relationships and the world around them.
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Our Gallery
Moments and details that bring our Amegreen journey to life.
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