Children's home run by Children of the Mangrove Limited

Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2552579 1

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Children of The Mangrove Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to four young people with emotional and/or behaviour difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager and the home were registered in November 2019. This is Ofsted’s first visit to the home.

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager informed Ofsted of her intention to resign from the service on 23 November 2020. This information was made available to inspectors on 26 November 2020. Concerningly the resignation was not mentioned by the registered manager during the visit, or by her deputy manager, who is likely to take over as manager . The lack of transparency and openness is regrettable, as it limited the scope of the inspection and an assessment of the impact of the change of leadership on the care offered to young people.

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This monitoring visit

The home has admitted two young people since registration and, despite several recent notifications of incidents, both young people are settled and making progress. Feedback from young people, allocated social workers and parents is positive. One young person informed the inspector, ‘There are a lot of people that love me here. I am in a safe place.’

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This monitoring visit

Both young people are engaged positively in education. One young person has succeeded in returning to education after a two-year absence. She is rightly proud of this significant achievement.

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This monitoring visit

The home has used the recent lockdown and COVID-19 (coronavirus) restrictions to promote strong relationships between staff and young people. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2552579 2 This encourages young people to remain at the home. Young people spoke of enjoying shared activities such as cooking and artwork with staff.

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This monitoring visit

The use of agency staff is excessive and undermines the development of the home. This occurs at vulnerable times, such as overnight. Agency staff do not have the same physical restraint training as permanent staff, presenting possible behaviour management inconsistencies.

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This monitoring visit

In addition, the home has not fully verified the agency’s own safe recruitment processes, limiting a full evaluation of agency staff background checks. The registered manager recognises these concerns and is presently advertising for permanent employees.

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This monitoring visit

Multi-agency work is effective. Key partner professionals such as therapists and a mentor from a virtual school refer to staff working in close partnership. Information sharing allows staff to develop their understanding of the impact of young people’s past experiences on presenting behaviour.

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This monitoring visit

Safeguarding practice is creative and proactive. The registered manager is presently liaising with local police to devise a working-together protocol. If police attend the home, officers will allow staff an opportunity to de-escalate the presenting behaviours in the first instance. This aims to ensure that young people are not unnecessarily criminalised.

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This monitoring visit

Case recordings lack quality assurance and management oversight. One risk assessment is marked with the name of another children’s home and refers to the wrong child. Another document fails to fully evaluate a recent physical intervention.

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This monitoring visit

In addition, Ofsted failed to receive a notification of a recent significant event, preventing it from fully understanding what is happening at the home. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2552579 3

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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, 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 registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious.

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the home informing Ofsted of the occasions when the police have attended the home. 1 January 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety. The registered person may only— employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or 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— the individual is of integrity and good character;

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform;

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Requirement Due date

the individual is mentally and physically fit for the purposes of the work that the individual is to perform; and

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Requirement Due date

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)(a)(b)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the home to verify that any agency placing staff in the home has conducted full checks on all workers. 1 January 2021 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2552579 4 The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(e))

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Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to the home limiting the use of agency staff, to provide consistent care for young people. 1 January 2021

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policy on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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Information about this inspection

The visit was initiated following several concerning notifications regarding young people in the home. The aim was to monitor the action taken by the home and the progress made by the young people.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2552579 5

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Children of The Mangrove Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Chester House, Fulham Green, 81-83 Fulham High Street, London SW6 3JA

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Knowlton Crichlow

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Inspectors

Barnaby Dowell, Social Care Inspector Tolulope Sawyerr, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2552579 6 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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