Children's home run by Mangrove Care Limited in Newcastle-under-Lyme

Inspection report children's home: SC068261 1 SC068261 Registered provider: Mangrove Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This private home provides care for up to four children who have complex social and emotional needs.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager and responsible individual have been in post since the home registered with Ofsted in October 2006.

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Information about this children’s home

Due to COVID-19 (coronavirus), at the request of the Secretary of State, we suspended all routine inspections of social care providers on 17 March 2020.

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Information about this children’s home

We last visited this setting on 03 March 2021 to carry out a monitoring visit. The report is published on the Ofsted website.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

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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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children's home: SC068261 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

23/07/2019 Full Good 13/11/2018 Full Good 03/10/2017 Full Good 07/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children's home: SC068261 3

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improvement to be good

The inspector observed warm and friendly relationships between children and staff. Staff listen to children and advocate for their wishes and feelings. Children contribute to their care planning. They told the inspector that the staff treat them well. Staff are passionate and offer children help when they need it.

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improvement to be good

Staff support children to maintain those relationships which matter to them. Staff advocate for the children with external services and raise challenge to ensure their needs are met. Time with family is encouraged. For example, one child sees their family every week in their home city. This child has been able to continue to attend their local church and remain part of that community. This demonstrates staff understand the importance of supporting relationships for children.

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improvement to be good

The home is spacious and provides a homely place for the children. The communal areas are inviting, and children have input into the decoration of the home. More recently, the home has added a pool table and gym equipment. During the inspection, a worn-out carpet created a trip hazard at the top of the stairs. Leaders and managers took action to rectify this issue.

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improvement to be good

Since the monitoring visit in March 2021, one child moved into the home from a specialist mental health provision. Managers undertook appropriate matching assessments to consider how they could meet the child’s needs. However, following the child’s arrival, it became clear their risks and self-harm behaviours were unmanageable. The staff supported this child to the best of their ability until a more suitable provision was found.

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improvement to be good

Children are not always supported to be healthy. Both children living in the home use tobacco. Currently, their tobacco use is not monitored or managed by staff. Some encouragement is given for them to stop smoking. However, there is no plan to reduce the amount of tobacco they smoke or seek support from smoking cessation providers.

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improvement to be good

One child has become involved in risky behaviour. This includes substance misuse and robbery which has placed them and others at risk. Managers and staff repeatedly attempt to support this child to make the right choices, and escalate concerns to external agencies. However, this child’s risk-taking behaviour remains a concern as it has resulted in threats of violence being made to the child and the home. As a result, the provider has submitted notice on this child’s placement as their risks cannot be managed. Inspection report children's home: SC068261 4 One child has shown the effects of substance and alcohol misuse. Staff did not consider the health implication to this child. Medical advice is not sought, and staff have no plan to observe for adverse side effects. Poor planning for action to take in response to substance and alcohol misuse has placed the immediate health of this child at risk.

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improvement to be good

Children told the inspector that they like living at the home. Staff talk through topics that are relevant to children’s care and safety. For example, staff discuss with the children the need to stay safe online and how children can do this. Other examples include talking through issues about exploitation and sexual health, as well as things like the national lockdown ending. These discussions reiterate important messages to the children to help them understand risk and be able to adapt to change.

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improvement to be good

Leaders and managers do not ensure fire safety precautions in the home are suitably assessed and adhered to. For example, known risks about children’s previous behaviours around fire safety and smoking have not been considered. This has the potential to place children, staff and others at unnecessary risk.

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good

Potential employees are subject to an assessment of their suitability to work with children. This includes references and criminal records checks. However, managers have not ensured that all staff have had their employment history explored and gaps explained. This increases the risk of unsuitable people being employed to care for children.

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good

Managers use a monthly review of the quality of care to provide oversight of the home. The system allows managers to comment on achievements, areas for learning and to gain insight into the outcomes for children. However, managers do not use this system to ensure the care delivered to children is in line with the expectations of the local authority. One child did not have a placement plan on file and their EHC plan is out of date. Therefore, it is not clear if the home understands the education, health and care needs of this child. These omissions mean that managers cannot be certain staff fully understand children’s needs.

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good

Relationships with external professionals and parents are good. Professionals speak positively about good communication and information-sharing between staff, the manager and themselves. As a result of good partnership working, children remain central to the care they receive.

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good

Staff feel supported by managers. Managers are experienced and show commitment to the professional development of the team. Staff benefit from regular team meetings and supervision. Supervision sessions are reflective, detailed and show that staff receive clear direction and support to inform their practice. Children and staff speak positively about the support they receive from the managers. Inspection report children's home: SC068261 5

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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 that staff—

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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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(iii)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to assessing the signs and symptoms of substance misuse and seeking medical advice. 15 September

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home.

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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

that each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (1)(a) (2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to care planning to meet the expectations detailed in the local authority plans. 15 September

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Requirement Due date

If the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (1) applies to the home—

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Requirement Due date

the registered person must ensure that the requirements of that Order and any regulations made under it, except for article 23 (duties of employees), are complied with in respect of the home. (Regulation 25 (2)(b)) 27 August 2021 Inspection report children's home: SC068261 6 This relates to ensuring the fire risk assessment for the premises is suitable and takes into consideration known risk from Childrens behaviours.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home;

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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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.

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to obtaining a full employment history for staff and obtaining proof of any change of name. 27 August 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records ("case records") for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to having the most up-to-date care plan, placement plan and education, health and care plan for children. 15 September

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that any defects in the environment are repaired, replaced and deemed safe. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  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 Inspection report children's home: SC068261 7 change negative behaviours in key areas of health and well-being such as drugs, alcohol and tobacco. This relates to implementing strategies to help reduce smoking and alcohol and substance misuse. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 35, paragraph 7.18)

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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 children's home: SC068261 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Mangrove Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: c/o 11 Clayton Road, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire ST5 3AF

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Inspector

James Tallis, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children's home: SC068261 9 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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