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

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC068261 1 SC068261

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Registered provider: Mangrove Care Limited

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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 may have social and emotional needs.

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Information about this children’s home

An experienced manager leads the team. The manager registered with Ofsted in February 2023.

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Inspection date: 25 March 2025

Date of last inspection: 5 November 2024

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Inspection date: 25 March 2025

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Inspection date: 25 March 2025

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspector evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. The inspector has looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance 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’. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC068261 2

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Findings from the inspection

We did not identify any serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection.

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Findings from the inspection

Since the last inspection, one child has moved into the home. No children have moved out. At the time of this inspection, four children were living at the home. The inspector did not speak to the children as all four were attending education at the time.

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Findings from the inspection

Managers have completed all the actions set out in the fire risk assessment. This ensures that the home environment is free from hazards. As a result, children now live in a safer environment that minimises risk and promotes well-being. The home provides a secure and stimulating atmosphere, helping children to feel settled and to thrive.

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Findings from the inspection

Significant renovations have enhanced the overall living conditions. The home is now a warm and welcoming homely environment. Children’s bedrooms have been redecorated according to their personal preferences, allowing them to feel a sense of ownership and comfort in their space. Furthermore, the removal of locks from shared areas ensures that children have unrestricted access to communal spaces, encouraging a sense of inclusion and belonging.

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Findings from the inspection

The director has provided sufficient evidence to show that the organisation is financially viable, to achieve the aims and objectives set out in their statement of purpose. Therefore, children’s needs are adequately met, and their safety and welfare are not compromised.

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Findings from the inspection

The responsible individual remains actively involved in the daily operations of the home and has oversight of the home and monitoring. His consistent presence and oversight of safeguarding incidents, meetings and team discussions contribute to effective monitoring of care, support and safety measures for children.

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Findings from the inspection

Children benefit from a stable and experienced team of staff, many of whom have worked in the organisation for several years. An increased staffing ratio for children has necessitated the recruitment of new staff, and managers have ensured that most staff are recruited safely. However, managers fail to complete the relevant checks when staff have lived or worked overseas. This omission presents a potential safeguarding risk, as children may be cared for by individuals whose background has not been fully checked.

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Findings from the inspection

All children are making progress with their education from their starting points. Managers and staff are strong advocates for children, ensuring their voices are heard and acted on when it is safe to do so. Professionals remain highly positive about the quality of care and support provided to the children. Staff are committed Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC068261 3 to building positive relationships with the children. This contributes to a safe environment for children.

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Findings from the inspection

Strategies implemented by staff and managers, such as increased staffing and stricter boundaries to discourage inappropriate intimate relationships among children, have been ineffective. Safety measures agreed by social workers and managers to protect children have failed to safeguard them from harm. When relationships between children result in harmful behaviours, managers share information with social workers and other agencies to devise safety plans. However, there are missed opportunities to educate children about socially unacceptable behaviours. Without this guidance, children may not fully understand the consequences of their actions, increasing the risk of future involvement with the criminal justice system as they transition to adulthood.

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Findings from the inspection

Managers collaborate with social workers and other agencies to develop risk management plans aimed at safeguarding children. While these plans are regularly updated, they do not always reflect children’s current circumstances accurately. Additionally, incident records sometimes lack critical details, such as dates and action taken in response to concerns. The omission of key information from records weakens the effectiveness of risk management plans, leaving children vulnerable to harm. Without clear, well-documented guidance, staff may struggle to provide the necessary support and protection to children.

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Findings from the inspection

Managers are aware of the shortfalls and scheduled meetings with social workers after the inspection to address concerns.

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Findings from the inspection

All the requirements from the previous inspection have been met. Two new requirements and a recommendation have been raised in relation to the shortfalls identified.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

05/11/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 11/07/2023 Full Good 02/08/2022 Full Good 10/02/2022 Interim Sustained effectiveness Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC068261 4

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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 positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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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

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

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Requirement Due date

encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone;

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Requirement Due date

communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand, in a way that is appropriate according to the child’s age and understanding, personal, sexual and social relationships, and how those relationships can be supportive or harmful;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop the understanding and skills to recognise or withdraw from a damaging, exploitative or harmful relationship. (Regulation 11 (1)(b)(c) (2)(a)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders must ensure that children are supported to develop positive and healthy relationships with each other. 31 May 2025 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC068261 5 This also relates to children being educated and supported to develop positive behaviours to resolve conflicts without harming themselves or others, and children being supported and educated to withdraw from relationships that may cause them harm.

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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

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders must ensure that prompt action is taken to reduce the risk to children when safeguarding concerns are identified. This also relates to leaders ensuring that risk management plans clearly reflect children’s current circumstances, offering clear guidance for staff to follow to reduce any risk to children. 31 May 2025 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC068261 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure their recruitment processes follow safe recruitment guidance. This specifically relates to leaders and managers ensuring that relevant checks are completed for people who have lived or worked overseas, before they are employed to care for children. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1)  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. This specifically relates to ensuring that a record of action taken when concerns arise is available on children’s files. Additionally, records must include correct dates. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4) Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC068261 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Mangrove Care Limited

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Inspector

Nateisha Cardoza-Evans, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC068261 8 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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