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

The children’s home is privately owned. It is registered to provide care for up to four children who experience social and emotional difficulties. There was one child living in the home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in August 2023.

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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

Date of last inspection: 13 September 2022

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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 for children’s home: 2552579 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/09/2022 Full Good 07/06/2022 Full Inadequate 07/07/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2552579 3

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improvement to be good

Children’s experiences have varied in quality, with some shortfalls in safeguarding practice and in management monitoring and oversight.

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improvement to be good

There was one child living at the home at the time of the inspection. A motivated staff team provides a high level of care for this child. The home is welcoming, and the child lives in comfortable surroundings. They have helped to change their bedroom to suit their individual tastes. Interactions between staff and the child are generally good, and the child has said that they like the home.

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improvement to be good

The child has no school placement. Arranging personal tutoring has helped them make some progress. Staff provide frequent key-work sessions with the child. The variety and quality of these sessions are a strength in the home. Staff listen to the child and explore their likes and interests.

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improvement to be good

Despite being trained in using physical restraints, the staff are not consistently managing the range of children’s behaviour. There is too much reliance on police assistance. On some occasions, this has led to a disproportionate intervention, with the risk of the child coming to police attention unnecessarily.

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improvement to be good

The child enjoys purposeful activities and leisure opportunities that are helping to build their confidence and self-esteem. More recently, staff supported the child to attend a concert in the evening. This promotes the child’s social development and community participation.

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improvement to be good

Staff have produced memory books for each child that has lived in the home, which means children have an individual record to take with them when they move on.

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improvement to be good

The child’s health needs are understood by staff. Staff ensure that the child receives specialist advice when necessary, including health services.

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improvement to be good

There are shortfalls in staff’s knowledge of safeguarding and safe practice. Not all staff have understood a child’s risks and vulnerabilities. This placed the child at risk of harm. Leaders and managers failed to investigate a concern about a member of staff’s practice, so there was no learning or training to address any weaknesses.

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improvement to be good

Managers have taken appropriate action by notifying the local authority designated officer (LADO) when children have made allegations against members of staff. However, on two occasions, the advice from the LADO was not followed through by the manager. This has limited the home’s ability to help and protect children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2552579 4 Leaders and managers did not notify Ofsted when a child was subject to a child protection investigation following an allegation against a member of staff. This limits the regulator’s ability to monitor the management response to incidents that have placed children at risk of harm.

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improvement to be good

Staff have a good understanding of whistle-blowing procedures and what to do when an allegation is made. Children have sometimes gone missing from the home. However, missing incidents have reduced for the child living in the home. Managers and staff understand the home’s missing protocol.

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improvement to be good

Children know how to make a complaint if they are unhappy about any aspect of their care. There are internet restrictions and safety features that staff use to keep children safe.

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good

The registered manager is suitably qualified and provides a consistent presence in the home.

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good

Pre-admission risk and matching assessments are not sufficiently developed to anticipate complex needs that cannot be met in the home. One child who was previously admitted to the home presented with significant complex needs, and leaders did not give enough consideration to the risks the child was exposed to because of the home’s location near a railway.

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good

Following an allegation against a member of staff, leaders and managers failed to advocate and challenge effectively when a child’s placing local authority did not provide enough support to ensure that the child’s needs were met. The child eventually moved out of the home with no outcome or resolution.

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good

Children’s records are disorganised, cannot be easily located and are not consistently updated in a timely manner. This limits the manager’s oversight and actions taken to address children’s needs. This was a previous requirement from the last inspection.

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good

Leaders and managers have not provided an updated statement of purpose setting out how the home provides individualised care for children living in the home.

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good

Leaders and managers have considered development plans for the home, and they undertake some quality assurance with monthly audits. However, monitoring has not been robust enough to identify the shortfalls highlighted in this inspection.

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good

Team meetings are held regularly. They are structured well and provide opportunities for staff and managers to reflect on their practice and how they can further develop to support the child’s needs. Inspection report for children’s home: 2552579 5 When recruiting staff, the manager ensures that they are safe to work with children. All staff undergo a comprehensive staff induction programme which is monitored by the manager. Supervision sessions and appraisals occur regularly. Staff say they are well supported by the manager. 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, The 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;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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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

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)) 1 April 2024

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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— helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and 1 April 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2552579 7 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 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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(c)(d)(f))

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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

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5 (a)(b)(c)) 1 April 2024

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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

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation;

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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; 1 April 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2552579 8 there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

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Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry involving a child —

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Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e))

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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 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 accurately recorded on the system. 1 April 2024

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Requirement Due date

at all times, at least one person on duty at the home has a suitable first aid qualification;

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Requirement Due date

any person who works as a nurse at the home is a registered nurse. (Regulation 31 (2)(a)(b)) 1 April 2024

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose; 1 April 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2552579 9 ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

protect and promote each child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

treat each child with dignity and respect;

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Requirement Due date

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand and manage the impact of any experience of abuse or neglect;

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Requirement Due date

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;

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Requirement Due date

provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably;

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Requirement Due date

provide to children personal items that are appropriate for their age and understanding; and

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Requirement Due date

make decisions about the day-to-day arrangements for each child, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans, which give the child an appropriate degree of freedom and choice. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(ix))

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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 10

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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

Harby Bashir, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2552579 11 regulates and inspects 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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