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 children with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager and the home were registered in November 2019. The registered manager subsequently resigned from the service on 31 December 2020. There is currently no registered manager.

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This monitoring visit

This was Ofsted’s second monitoring visit to the home. This visit was conducted due to ongoing serious safeguarding concerns for a child. The visit focused on the safeguarding procedures in place to protect children and promote their welfare. The monitoring visit was conducted on site.

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This monitoring visit

At the time of the visit the home was looking after two children.

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This monitoring visit

The interim manager and the staff are working effectively to safeguard children following several safeguarding incidents requiring police involvement. One child is now monitored by two staff, both in and out of the home. The placing authority have agreed to this arrangement and are seeking more appropriate ways to support the child’s needs.

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This monitoring visit

A joint working together protocol has been agreed with the police to help ensure that children are kept safe. This contains clear procedures to follow should the children leave the home without permission. An officer of the vulnerable police unit said, ‘The care home has now increased the care ratio for one child. There also appears to have been an elevated level of care for her generally and far better communication between all agencies, with a greater joined-up working approach.’ Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2552579 2 There are numerous differing plans in place for working with children, including risk assessments and behaviour support plans. Plans lack clear guidance for staff to follow regarding appropriate behaviour and risk assessment strategies. The lack of clear procedures is confusing for staff and could lead to mistakes being made. In addition, appropriate controls put in place to monitor children to prevent risks are

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This monitoring visit

Child and adolescent mental health professionals commented, ‘ The staff in the home have been very open and collaborative with professionals involved with children and have demonstrated a high quality of partnership working. They have kept the professional networks informed of progress. They have been very prompt in their communication with other professionals and have been appreciative of the support we have offered them.’

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This monitoring visit

One child informed the inspector that she is very happy to be back in the home. She said, ‘Staff care for me and are helping me to understand the risks l had previously put myself at. I want to make positive changes to my life and I’m using the symbols to show when l am in crisis that the manager has given to me.’

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This monitoring visit

Although there are staff vacancies, the acting manager has provided an appropriate level of staff cover. The manager has used a mixture of bank and agency staff who are known to the children. This provides some stability for the children, who are generally looked after by people they know. However, the use of agency staff at times has been excessive, which has undermined the development of a stable staff team at the home. This is particularly concerning during the night shifts, when one child is said by professionals to be most vulnerable.

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This monitoring visit

There are plans in place to recruit more permanent staff. There are some new staff in place who are currently in their probationary period.

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This monitoring visit

Two requirements from the previous monitoring visit had been met. Prior to any agency staff starting work in the home the acting manager views and verifies records in keeping with safer recruitment practices. They also check which training agency staff have completed to ensure they have the skills to work at the home. Following the last monitoring visit, Ofsted has been notified of any safeguarding incidents in the home in a timely manner. The requirement to recruit a permanent staff team is restated at this monitoring visit.

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Recent inspection history

Not previously inspected 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 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—

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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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, make sure that risk assessments contain all the information necessary for staff to understand how to manage the risk to a child. 5 April 2021

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Requirement Due date

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

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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)) 5 April 2021 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2552579 4 This particularly refers to the home limiting the use of agency staff, to provide consistent care for children.

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that all incidents of control, discipline and restraint are subject to systems of regular scrutiny to ensure that their use is fair. Specifically, in relation to ensuring that restrictions placed on children are reviewed with the placing authority on a regular basis. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.36)

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Information about this inspection

The visit was initiated following several concerning notifications regarding children 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.

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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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Inspector

Juanita Mayers, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2552579 5 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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