Children's Home run by Mowgli Care Services Ltd in Staffordshire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2786196 1 Registered provider: Mowgli Care Services Ltd

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned by a private organisation and is registered to provide care for up to four children who have had adverse childhood experiences. It may provide care for children with learning disabilities. At the time of this inspection, three children were living in the home, and all of them spoke with the inspector.

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Information about this children’s home

A suitably qualified and experienced manager is in post. This is the home’s first inspection since it was registered in April 2024.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2786196 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children’s mental and physical health are a priority in this home. Children benefit from individual consultations and therapy sessions, as well as family therapy sessions with the home’s clinical psychologist. Staff understand the link between children’s physical and mental well-being and work hard to support children to manage their emotions. The therapeutic approach in the home means that children are well supported to develop a range of strategies to better understand and manage their feelings. External professionals are overwhelmingly positive about the care children receive. One said, ‘Whatever they are doing, I wish I could bottle it up and give it to other homes.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The home is large and clean and is decorated and furnished to a high standard. Photos of children and staff are displayed throughout the home, creating a welcoming and homely environment. Children’s bedrooms are highly personalised and provide them with space to relax and enjoy themselves. Children are proud of their bedrooms, and this supports their enjoyment of the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children’s moves into the home are carefully considered and well planned. When possible, leaders and managers ensure that children are able to visit the home and meet the other children and staff before moving in. This supports children to settle quickly, and eases feelings of worry during a time of major change in their lives.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

One child had an unplanned ending to their time in the home. Leaders and managers felt that staff were unable to keep the child safe, and therefore ended the placement with immediate notice. Despite this, they have continued to work closely with the child’s local authority to ensure that a placement can be found that will be able to meet their needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children enjoy exceptionally positive relationships with staff. One child commented that the best thing about living in the home is the adults who work there. Staff work hard to build these positive relationships. They have important conversations with children to help them be safer and healthier, and to promote their education and independence. As a result, some children have made exceptional progress from their starting points.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children’s education is treated as a priority. Leaders and managers advocate for children strongly when they are not in education and ensure that they are engaged in activities that support their learning. Leaders and managers provide the resources required to ensure that children meet their academic potential, particularly where barriers to learning are identified. Because of this, children’s engagement in education is increasing, and one child is on track to achieve excellent grades in her GCSEs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The work staff undertake to promote children’s relationships with their families is exceptional. Where appropriate, staff work hard to improve children’s relationships with their family. This includes engaging children and their families in family therapy sessions. This work increases the safety net of support surrounding children, promoting children’s Inspection report for children’s home: 2786196 3 identity and helping them become increasingly safe. One social worker described the work undertaken by the home with a child and their family as ‘radical practice’ and ‘invaluable’. A parent said, ‘This home has made a big effort with me. You don’t get that everywhere.’

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

Children feel safe living in the home and feel confident in speaking to staff if they feel worried or upset. Staff involve children in assessing risk and creating plans to keep themselves safe. When risks are identified, staff have important conversations with children to help them become increasingly safe. As a result, incidents that put children at risk of harm are rare.

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

Because children like living in the home and enjoy positive relationships with staff, they rarely go missing. Since the home opened in April 2024, there has only been one incident of a child going missing from the home. On that occasion, staff acted quickly, following the child’s plan and collaborating with partner safeguarding agencies to ensure that the child returned to the home safely.

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

Children know how to make a complaint and are confident in doing so. When they do, the response of leaders and managers is thoughtful and thorough. Children receive clear timescales within which their complaint will be dealt with and are kept informed at every stage. This helps children feel safe, listened to and empowered. When children’s complaints are about their peers, staff undertake sensitive work with children to help them understand their behaviours and the impact on others. Staff provide support to all the children to promote positive relationships with one another.

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

When children make allegations, staff take them seriously. There has been only one allegation made by a child against a member of staff. On that occasion, leaders and managers took the necessary immediate action to keep children safe. They made the relevant professionals aware and were quick to investigate the allegation and to achieve a resolution.

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

Children’s achievements and progress are celebrated and encouraged. Consequences for negative behaviour are rarely used. When they are, they are natural consequences that are restorative in nature. Children are encouraged to learn from incidents, and staff provide them with opportunities to make amends. This is helping children to develop the social, emotional and practical skills they will require later in life.

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

Children’s behaviour is carefully managed by staff who are skilled in supporting children when they are upset or angry. Restraint is used as a last resort to keep children or others safe. As a result, children rarely have to be held. However, when children are held, leaders and managers do not ensure that debriefs are carried out with staff within regulatory timescales. This delays oversight of these interventions and a timely resolution for children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2786196 4 There has been one medication error since the home opened. This involved three members of staff, with the incorrect dose being administered for four days before the error was discovered. There was no impact on the child because the medication was a vitamin supplement. The response of leaders and managers to this incident has been robust and thorough. Staff received additional training and leaders and managers

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

provided oversight until they were confident such an incident would not reoccur.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers are inspirational, confident, ambitious and child focused. They have high aspirations for children and are strong advocates for them. Because of this, children feel highly supported. One child said, ‘They make sure I know I can talk to them whenever, which is nice, I can always talk to [name of responsible individual] if I need help with something.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers work closely with each other and maintain a strong presence in the home. Oversight of the home is constant and ongoing. Various monitoring systems are used, allowing managers and staff to review the quality-of-care children receive effectively. This contributes to a strong culture of learning in the home, which in turn helps children feel safe and supports them to make progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers have created and embedded a positive culture in the home, and staff feel very well supported. The support and training provided to staff is excellent, and there is a focus on reflection, development and care. Training is based on research and is bespoke to the home and the children. Supervision sessions are regular and of a high quality. They help staff reflect on their practice and focus heavily on children’s experiences and progress. As a result, children receive care from highly skilled and knowledgeable staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers are integral to planning children’s care. They have developed excellent relationships with families and external agencies. This strong partnership- working approach ensures that children receive the support they need quickly. Feedback was exceptionally positive. One professional said, ‘They are what I’d call a gold star residential.’ One parent said, ‘Of all the places my daughter could have been, I am very happy that she is there.’ Inspection report for children’s home: 2786196 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, 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

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. (Regulation 35 (3)(b)(i)(ii)

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to managers ensuring that staff debriefs are carried out within 48 hours of any physical intervention. 6 June 2025

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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: 2786196 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Mowgli Care Services Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 58 High Street, Madeley, Telford TF7 5AT

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Inspector

John Tomlinson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2786196 7 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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