Children's Home run by Children of the Mangrove Limited in Merton

Requires improvement

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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because:

 The therapeutic care approach that the home offers requires further clarity to ensure that young people receive appropriate care and intervention.  The young people’s impact risk assessments are not sufficiently detailed. Strategies to reduce the young people’s risks are mainly generic rather than individualised.  The potential impact of newly admitted young people on the existing resident group is inconsistently assessed. This has resulted in significant and escalating behavioural challenges by the young people towards each other and the staff. This has put the young people at risk to themselves and others. One young person said that they do not feel safe.  The children’s guide fails to explicitly set out house rules, sanctions and rewards for the young people. This means that young people are unclear as to what they can and cannot do in the home.  Young people fail to engage fully with their education.

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because:

 Not all staff have received formal therapeutic training to enable them to meet the needs of the young people who move into the home. In addition, not all staff are qualified with the level 3 diploma for residential childcare.  Staff recruitment processes are not robust. This raises the risk that young people could receive care from adults who are not suitable to look after them.  The management and recording of restraint incidents are incomplete and do not always provide an accurate and detailed record.  Reports by the independent visitor are insufficiently detailed and fail to provide an effective review of the home’s quality of care.  The home’s whistleblowing and complaints policy is not robust enough in addressing the conflict that may arise from the family relationships within the management structure.  The home’s statement of purpose is not fully complete in relation to the staffing structure and the qualifications of the staff.

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because:

 The registered manager fails to notify Ofsted of all safeguarding incidents.  Prescription medication recording and storage is not sufficiently robust.  There is no planned age-appropriate independence skills training for the young people.  There are shortfalls in the home’s approach to fire safety.

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The children’s home’s strengths

 The registered manager and staff team form an enthusiastic and resilient team with commitment to the young people in their care.  The registered manager and staff team have a wealth of social care experience. They hold a large number of relevant professional qualifications, which inform their practice and skills in caring for the young people.  The home is a welcoming and comfortable environment, with an emphasis on a ‘home-from-home’ atmosphere.  The registered manager and staff team benefit from regular reflective supervision. They work effectively and in collaboration with external professionals.  The registered manager and staff team are good advocates for the young people. This advocacy includes appropriately challenging care plan decisions when appropriate.  Parents/carers and professionals praise the dedication of the staff to the young people.  The young people report that this is a ‘good home’.

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The children’s home’s strengths

 The responsible individual and registered manager acknowledge the shortfalls. The home has been open for six months and the registered manager has ambitious plans to improve the quality of care for young people.

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions which must be taken so that the registered person(s) meets 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

6: The quality and purpose of care standard In order to meet the quality and purpose of care standard, the registered person must: (b) ensure that staff: (i) understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose; (vi) help each child to develop resilience and skills that prepare the child to return home, to live in a new placement or to live independently as an adult. 30/05/2017

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Requirement Due date

7: The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard In order to meet the children’s views, wishes and feelings standard, the registered person must: (b) ensure that each child: (ii) has access to the home’s children’s guide, and the home’s complaints procedure, when the child’s placement in the home is agreed and throughout the child’s stay in the home. 30/05/2017

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Requirement Due date

10: The health and well-being standard In order to meet the health and well-being standard, the registered person must ensure: (2)(b) that each child is registered as a patient with a general medical practitioner and a registered dental practitioner. 30/05/2017

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Requirement Due date

11: The positive relationships standard In order to meet the positive relationships standard: (1) The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on: (b) an understanding about acceptable behaviour. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure: (a) that staff: (v) communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding. 30/05/2017

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Requirement Due date

12: The protection of children standard 30/05/2017 In order to meet the protection of children standard, the registered person must ensure: (2)(a) that staff: (iv) manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other. 13: The leadership and management standard In order to meet the leadership and management standard, the registered person must ensure: (2)(c) that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. 30/05/2017

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Requirement Due date

14: The care planning standard In order to meet the care planning standard, the registered person must ensure: (2)(a) that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose. 30/05/2017

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Requirement Due date

16: Statement of purpose (1) The registered person must compile in relation to the children’s home a statement (‘the statement of purpose’) which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1. In particular this relates to details of the experience and qualifications of staff and details of the management and staff structure of the home. 30/05/2017

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Requirement Due date

23: Medicines (1) The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home. (c) a record is kept of the administration of medicine to each child. 30/05/2017

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Requirement Due date

25: Fire precautions (1) After consultation with the fire and rescue authority, the registered person must: (a) take adequate precautions against the risk of fire, including the provision of suitable fire equipment in the children’s home. 30/05/2017

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Requirement Due date

32: Fitness of workers (1) The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety. (3) The requirements are that: (d) full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. In particular this relates to proof of identity including a recent photograph and two written references, including a reference 30/05/2017 from the person’s most recent employer, if any. 35. Behaviour management policies and records (3) The registered person must ensure that: (a) within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes: (i) the name of the child; (ii) details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure; (iii) the date, time and location of the use of the measure; (iv) a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

(v) details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure; (vi) the name of the person who used the measure (‘the user’), and of any other person present when the measure was used; (vii) the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; (b) within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (‘the authorised person’): (i) has spoken to the user about the measure; and (ii) has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and (c) within five days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. 30/05/2017

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Requirement Due date

37. Other records (2) The registered person must: (a) maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4. In particular this relates to: Register of children 1. A record in the form of a register showing in respect of each child: (a) the date of the child’s admission to the children’s home; (b) the date on which the child ceased to be accommodated in the home; (c) the child’s address immediately before being accommodated in the home; (d) the child’s address on leaving the home; (e) the child’s placing authority; and (f) the statutory provision (if any) under which the child is accommodated. 30/05/2017

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Requirement Due date

39: Complaints and representations (1) Subject to paragraph (6), the registered person must establish a procedure for considering complaints made by or on behalf of 30/05/2017 children. (2) In particular, the procedure must provide that no person who is the subject of a complaint takes any part in its consideration or investigation, except at the informal resolution stage if the registered person considers it appropriate. 40: Notification of a serious event (4) The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if: (b) an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious; (e) there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. 30/05/2017

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Requirement Due date

44: Independent person: visits and reports (4) The independent person must produce a report about a visit (‘the independent person’s report’) which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether: (a) children are effectively safeguarded; and (b) the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being. 30/05/2017

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Information about this children’s home

The home is privately owned. The home is registered for up to four young people aged 11 to 17 years old with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home offers a therapeutic model of care and support.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement Not applicable The home is newly registered. Not applicable

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Requires improvement

Care planning prior to admission is not effective. The home’s statement of purpose specifies that the home will assess whether it can meet the needs of each young person prior to admission. It also stipulates that potential new young people will be assessed to ensure that they are an appropriate match with other young people already living in the home. However, two young people’s challenging behaviour has resulted in placement disruption and eventual termination of their stay a short time after moving in.

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Requires improvement

Despite staff encouragement, not all of the young people are engaged in education. The home offers financial incentives when the young people attend. One young person attends an education setting, while another young person is awaiting an education provision decision. A third young person refuses to engage in education. When young people refuse to attend school there is no alternative provision offered. This means that young people receive inconsistent support to progress in their learning.

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Requires improvement

Young people do not benefit from consistent support to help them learn independence skills. One young person wrote in his file that he would like to cook meals three times a week. However, there was no evidence of any planned, age- appropriate independence skills training for him. This will limit the young person’s ability and skills to move on to semi-independence.

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Requires improvement

The approach toward sanctions and rewards is unclear. The length of time a sanction is imposed is vague. One young person has requested in writing that ‘sanctions should be for no more than five days’. One young person said ‘the rules keep changing’ and ‘I’m not sure about the consequences’. There is no written guidance to confirm how sanctions should be imposed. This lack of clarity does not provide the young people with a consistent approach.

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Requires improvement

Young people fail to receive clear information regarding how to make a complaint. One young person reported that he did not know who he could complain to. The children’s guide does not identify the independent agencies that are available to the young people should they have a need to complain.

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Requires improvement

The home’s whistleblowing and complaints procedure is not comprehensive. The responsible individual is the mother of a director of the service and a staff member. The procedure fails to confirm an alternative designated person who would undertake investigations should the registered manager be subject to a complaint made by either of these staff members. The managers and staff make appropriate referrals for the young people to support any additional needs they may have, such as substance misuse. This provides the young people with specialist help to address their needs. However, one young person is not registered with the local GP or local dental surgery. This raises the risk that the young person’s health needs will not be met.

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Requires improvement

Not all of the young people make progress in the home. One young person did not engage with the home’s therapeutic approach. The young person’s challenging behaviours led to a number of police arrests and further instability. The registered manager described the home as ‘containing him’. Therefore the young person failed to make any significant progress prior to their placement being terminated.

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Requires improvement

One young person has made progress. He has been supported and encouraged by his key worker to enable him to talk about his family relationships and care history. This young person has gradually gained trust with the staff team and professionals and is now more able to engage with professional support. This young person has shown a significant reduction in missing episodes and has been able to apologise to another young person and staff for some of his challenging behaviour.

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Requires improvement

The young people are invited to attend a home meeting once a week where they are able to input into the weekly food menu and activities, and to make any other comments they wish to make. The staff record the requests and make appropriate changes, such as to the weekly food menu. The young people do not always attend. One young person said he did not attend because he did not like two other young people in the home.

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Requires improvement

Young people have access to the home’s games room, which provides the young people with internet gaming options. This is supervised by staff, and is appropriately time-limited.

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Requires improvement

The managers and staff encourage the young people to engage with age- appropriate and healthy activities. Young people are offered a range of community activities, such as go-karting, bowling, cinema and access to the local gym. During the school holidays, the home can offer the young people access to the ‘Brecon Beacons programme’. However, the changing dynamics and instability of the group of young people has meant that such opportunities have not always been grasped by the young people.

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Requires improvement

Managers and staff strive to create a less institutionalised children’s home atmosphere. The home provides good decoration throughout that results in a homely environment. One parent commented that the home is ‘great and welcoming’. Another parent said that the staff team ‘keeps in daily communication with her’. A social worker considered the support that the home provided a young person as ‘they went above and beyond’. Judgement grade

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Requires improvement

Young people fail to receive clear and consistent boundaries from staff. In addition, house rules are unclear. Young people have complex needs and often display challenging behaviours. The lack of formal guidance to the young people has led to confusion and negative behaviour. In some instances, young people have physically assaulted staff. During one incident, two of the young people were arrested by the police when they targeted another young person living in the home. As a result, this young person commented that he does not feel safe since the incident. This raises the risk that such events will have a negative impact on the young person’s emotional well-being and feelings of security.

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Requires improvement

Staff are trained in appropriate physical restraint techniques. The use of physical restraint is appropriately used. However, the restraint recording does not consistently identify the level, type and duration of the incident, nor does it include a record of staff and young person debriefing after the incident. This means that managers are unable to accurately review or assess incidents when staff have used physical intervention.

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Requires improvement

One young person’s case records are not complete. Not all of the young person’s personal details were recorded. While this has not had a direct impact on the welfare of the young person, a lack of comprehensive recording runs the risk of inaccurate historical information regarding the young person.

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Requires improvement

The young people’s impact risk assessments fail to highlight specific concerns. Strategies to reduce any identified risks to the young people are generic. A lack of individualised risk assessment and strategies to reduce risks do not safeguard the individual young people’s vulnerabilities.

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Requires improvement

The young people’s prescribed medication is kept secure. However, the administration of the medications record is not fully completed on the days that the young person does not take medication and there is no temperature monitoring of the medications. This raises the risk of unsafe administration of medicines.

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Requires improvement

The home’s fire safety is compromised. A fire risk assessment of the home was completed before the home opened. Most of the recommendations have been actioned. However, not all fire extinguishers are in place and the fire exit door in the kitchen area lacks the appropriate signage. This raises the risk that young people may not understand how to leave the premises in an emergency.

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Requires improvement

The registered manager and staff share a good working relationship with the local community police team. The home has considered the police recommendation of a young people’s acceptable behaviour contract, which will provide the young people with clear boundaries.

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Requires improvement

This is a new service and the registered manager is new to the role of managing a children’s home. She has extensive experience in social care and holds relevant qualifications. The registered manager displays high levels of commitment to deliver a service that looks after children with complex needs within a caring and supportive ‘family home’.

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Requires improvement

The home’s statement of purpose states that it has the aims of creating a nurturing and safe environment and to provide a therapeutic environment in which the young people can address the trauma and abuse they have suffered. Given the shortfalls identified throughout this report, such aims are yet to be consistently achieved. In addition, the statement of purpose does not include an accurate and up-to-date record of the staffing structure and the qualifications of the staff team.

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Requires improvement

Not all staff receive specific training. One recently recruited member of staff commented that she had not had any training in the home’s particular model of therapeutic care. While the member of staff understood the approach, they had not received appropriate training as detailed in the home’s statement of purpose.

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Requires improvement

The registered manager commented that she ‘doesn’t want to give up on anyone’. This ambition has not always been successful, with young people being admitted to the home who have not successfully engaged with the therapeutic care approach. This has had an adverse impact on the group of other young people living there. This has led to placement instability, which is not in the best interests of the young people’s sense of permanence.

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Requires improvement

Staff recruitment procedures are not robust. The recruitment records in some staff files do not contain two references or verification evidence. In addition, there is no evidence of one staff member’s history being fully discussed at interview. Some documentary evidence, of qualifications, proof of identity and a recent photograph, are also missing. This could result in unsafe recruitment practices.

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Requires improvement

Managers notify placing authorities when safeguarding or other significant incidents have taken place. However, they fail to notify Ofsted of all significant incidents as required. This shortfall has not had a direct impact on the welfare of the young people. However, the failure to report such matters as required does not allow the regulator to monitor the home appropriately.

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Requires improvement

The independent visitor’s monthly reports provide a descriptive update of the home and young people. However, the reports do not provide sufficient analysis or challenge regarding the young people’s well-being or effective safeguarding.

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Requires improvement

The staff benefit from the weekly staff meeting when the individual needs of the young people are discussed. The staff members commented that all of the team members are supportive of each other, helpful and work together.

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Requires improvement

The registered manager and staff team are good advocates for the young people. Staff will request strategy meetings or disruption meetings when appropriate and attend on behalf of the young person. This has also included challenging a placing authority on the appropriateness of moving a young person during the Christmas period when they were settled and looking forward to Christmas in the home.

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Requires improvement

Managers and staff provide good-quality, written reports for statutory reviews of care. One professional reported that the home provided a good report with ‘detailed insights and clear recommendations for future placement’ and ‘provided good support to the young person’.

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Requires improvement

Professionals comment that ‘the home is good at communication and attending meetings’ on behalf of the young people. They also note that the quality of one-to- one support that young people receive is ‘good’. When placements at the home break down, the registered manager, in consultation with the staff team, makes recommendations to the placing authorities of alternative care options that will meet the needs of the young people.

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Requires improvement

The responsible individual and the registered manager recognise shortfalls. They plan to further embed good practice in the coming months to achieve the aims and objectives as set out in the statement of purpose.

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What the inspection judgements mean

The experiences and progress of children and young people are at the centre of the inspection. Inspectors will use their professional judgement to determine the weight and significance of their findings in this respect. The judgements included in the report are made against ‘Inspection of children’s homes: framework for inspection’.

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What the inspection judgements mean

An outstanding children’s home provides highly effective services that contribute to significantly improved outcomes for children and young people who need help and protection and care. Their progress exceeds expectations and is sustained over time. A good children’s home provides effective services that help, protect and care for children and young people and have their welfare safeguarded and promoted. In a children’s home that requires improvement , there are no widespread or serious failures that create or leave children being harmed or at risk of harm. The welfare of children looked after is safeguarded and promoted. Minimum requirements are in place. However, the children’s home is not yet delivering good protection, help and care for children and young people. A children’s home that is inadequate is providing services where there are widespread or serious failures that create or leave children and young people being

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What the inspection judgements mean

harmed or at risk of harm or result in children looked after not having their welfare safeguarded and promoted.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people living in the children’s home. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the difference that adults make to the lives of children and young people. They read case files, watched how professional staff work with children, young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care given to children and young people. Wherever possible, they talked to children, young people and their families. In addition, the inspectors have tried to understand what the children’s home knows about how well it is performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the children and young people who it is trying to help, protect and look after. This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service and to consider how well it complies with the Children’s

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Information about this inspection

Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’. the guidance ‘Raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

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, work- based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It inspects services for children looked after and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

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Information about this inspection

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

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Information about this inspection

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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