Children's home run by Children of the Mangrove Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2552579 1 Registered provider: Children of The Mangrove Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately run children’s home provides care for up to four children. In its statement of purpose, the provider states that care is provided for children with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. There was one child living in the home at the time of this inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered on 19 November 2019. The registered manager resigned in December 2020. A new manager has been appointed and her application to register with Ofsted is progressing.

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Information about this children’s home

Children were spoken to during the inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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inadequate

There are widespread failures that mean children and young people are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded.

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2552579 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

07/07/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2552579 3

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inadequate

The quality of children’s care, experiences and progress are negatively impacted by leaders and managers’ poor decision-making. This has resulted in an inadequate inspection judgement.

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inadequate

Leaders and managers refused to accept a local authority’s recommendations and safety plan for a child. As a result, the child was unable to remain living at the home and the placement ended at a very vulnerable time for the child. Leaders and managers did not prioritise the needs of the child and they failed to acknowledge or accept the impact that their decision-making had on the child’s overall experience and progress.

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inadequate

Leaders and managers do not work collaboratively with all placing authorities. For example, a child who was excluded from school was unable to access alternative education because leaders and managers disagreed with the local authority’s proposed plan for home tuition. Leaders and managers wanted education to take place in the local library, despite the educational risk assessment stating that this was not suitable and presented considerable risks to the child. As a result, the child did not receive any formal education for several months.

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inadequate

Leaders and managers do not thoroughly assess the potential impact that children could have on each other when making placement decisions. This has resulted in some children not feeling safe or comfortable in the home.

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inadequate

There is no consistent response to children’s complaints. At times, leaders and managers have failed to formally respond to all children’s complaints. This leaves children feeling unheard and that their concerns are not taken seriously.

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inadequate

Despite this, staff know children well and they are skilled at building positive relationships with children. Staff’s knowledge and understanding of the children ensures that they are alert to key signs of children becoming unsettled, such as a change in body movement or behaviour. When children are distressed, staff respond quickly and suggest alternative calming strategies such as listening to music.

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inadequate

Children’s health needs are met. Staff ensure that children attend routine health appointments. Children are supported to engage with additional therapeutic and specialist support services. This ensures that children’s health and well-being improves.

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inadequate

Children engage in activities and learn independence skills. One child is supported to do their laundry and is able to cook meals. This helps children to develop important life skills. Inspection report for children’s home: 2552579 4

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

Ineffective leadership and management are compromising safeguarding practice.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

Leaders and managers have failed to ensure that staff receive specific safeguarding training, despite this being outlined in the home’s policies. This compromises staff’s ability to recognise and act on important safeguarding issues.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

Leaders and managers were unable to provide evidence of robust recruitment practice for all adults working with children. For example, some recruitment files did not have important information regarding Disclosure and Barring Service checks.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

Although risk assessments identify the known risks to children, the strategies to reduce risk are not being regularly reviewed to ensure that they are effective. Consequently, staff continue to use ineffective strategies when responding to risk. This compromises children’s welfare and safety.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

Shortfalls were found in the management and recording of restraints. Children’s views are not always sought or recorded following an incident of restraint. This does not ensure that the child’s views and experiences are considered at vulnerable times. Additionally, restraint records do not provide sufficient detail about the staff involved or where the restraint took place. This prevents leaders and managers from undertaking a rigorous review of the incident.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

Leaders and managers do not always work in partnership with the placing authority. For example, they refused to implement a local authority’s safety plan for a very vulnerable child. This potentially placed the child at risk of harm and resulted in an untimely and unplanned end to the child’s placement.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

Leaders and managers did not act on the recommendations from an independent investigation into safeguarding concerns in the home. For example, they did not ensure that all adults who work with children in the home, such as directors of the company, receive appropriate training, professional supervision, attend team meetings and have their performance appraised as other staff do. This does not demonstrate strong safeguarding practice or adequate guidance and support for all adults working with the children in a caring role.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers have failed to work collaboratively with placing authorities and other relevant agencies to protect children and meet their needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers have failed to satisfactorily address all requirements raised at the previous inspection. This does not demonstrate that they have effective systems in place to monitor children’s outcomes and ensure that continuous improvements are made in the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2552579 5 Leaders and managers do not demonstrate an open working culture where they reflect, learn from feedback from external professionals and adapt practice when children’s needs change. Additionally, they do not ensure that staff are suitably skilled to manage children’s changing needs and risks. Consequently, leaders and managers are not taking sufficient action to minimise the risks to children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The home uses closed-circuit TV on the external areas of the house. This does not have the required signed consent of the children’s placing authorities.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Records are not accurate or kept updated in a timely manner. For example, some incident records were incorrectly dated. Additionally, the staff rotas do not accurately reflect the hours that staff have worked. These recording errors potentially undermine safeguarding practice in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Positively, staff retention has improved and there is less use of agency staff. This provides consistency of care for children. Staff spoken to during the inspection were positive about working in the home and the support from leaders and managers.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The current manager is suitably experienced and has applied for registration. They have introduced positive practices and learning and development for staff in team meetings. Additionally, staff supervision is reflective and includes discussions about safeguarding, and children’s plans are reviewed. Inspection report for children’s home: 2552579 6

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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

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child’s needs;

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Requirement Due date

seek to develop and maintain effective professional relationships with such persons, bodies or organisations as the registered person considers appropriate having regard to the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the children’s home is to provide care and accommodation. (Regulation 5 (a)(b)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that placing authorities’ safety and education plans are followed. 17 June 2022

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Requirement Due date

The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

develop positive relationships with them

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Requirement Due date

take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives.

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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

help each child to express views, wishes and feelings; 24 June 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2552579 7 help each child to understand how the child’s views, wishes and feelings have been taken into account and give the child reasons for decisions in relation to the child. (Regulation 7 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(ii)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that children’s complaints are responded to effectively and that the response is recorded.

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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 staff work as a team where appropriate;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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Requirement Due date

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. 17 July 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2552579 8 (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(c)(d)(f)(g)(i)(ii)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that all adults working directly with children, including directors, are suitably vetted, qualified and supervised like all care staff. Leaders and managers must ensure that they are continually assessing children’s needs and the suitability of the placement.

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Requirement Due date

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—

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Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure ("the user"), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

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")—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record 24 June 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2552579 9 confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that debriefs with children are consistently undertaken after each restraint and their views are clearly recorded in the restraint record.

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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;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that managers and staff take into account feedback from the relevant professionals about the necessary actions required to keep children safe. Additionally, leaders and managers must ensure that all adults working with children have the relevant training to be able to identify and act on signs that children are at risk of harm. 24 June 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may only use devices for the monitoring or surveillance of children if—

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Requirement Due date

the child’s placing authority consents in writing to the monitoring or surveillance. (Regulation 24 (1)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that they have written consent in place for the devices used for surveillance. 24 June 2022

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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

are kept up to date; and 24 June 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2552579 10 are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that children’s records are updated in a timely manner and are accurate.

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Requirement Due date

Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the records are kept up to date. (Regulation 37 (1) (2)(a)(b))

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In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that the staff rosters are accurate and match those with the record of the rosters actually worked. 24 June 2022

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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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 for children’s home: 2552579 11

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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

Leanne Grant, Social Care Inspector Aneta Wasilewska, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2552579 12 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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