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 home registered with Ofsted in November 2019 and is privately owned. It provides care for up to four children who experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, one child was living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The post for a registered manager has been vacant since 24 February 2025. The current manager has not yet applied to register with Ofsted.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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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

19/06/2024 Full Good 07/02/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 13/09/2022 Full Good 07/06/2022 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home: 2552579 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, one child has lived in the home as a solo placement. This child recently moved out, and another child moved into the home a month before this inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children develop positive relationships with staff in the home. External professionals described their observations of staff taking a very person-centred approach in their work with children. Children have fun singing, dancing, and writing music with staff. When a child moved to a new home, the staff created a ‘staying close’ plan to maintain appropriate contact as they settled in. It is a testament to the quality of relationships that the child-initiated email contact with staff when they left the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make variable progress in their education. One child regularly attends college and is assisted by staff in making a lengthy journey home. However, staff struggled to encourage another child to engage with their tuition and to embed a daily routine that helped them learn. Staff listened to the child’s views and understood there were aspects of the arrangements for education that did not suit them. Therefore, staff advocated for them to have an alternative provision that would better meet their needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff take a proactive approach to meeting children’s health needs. They encourage children to attend routine health appointments and refer them to specialist services when needed. Staff arranged for the home to fund a specialist health assessment for one child when this was not provided by the placing local authority. This helped to better understand the child’s needs and get them the right support.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff recognise that promoting children's identity needs is crucial for supporting their emotional well-being. One parent said their child had opportunities to explore their own and others’ cultural identities, and this helped their understanding of the world.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children in spending time with their families. Children’s relatives are welcomed into the home for planned time together. One relative described the staff as ‘very welcoming.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children live in a home that is clean, tidy, and comfortable. It has a welcoming atmosphere, and one social worker described it as being ‘very homely.’ Children’s bedrooms are personalised to their tastes. They have space to do different activities in the communal areas, including the use of a punchbag in the conservatory. Although the home feels homely, some repairs are required. For example, the ‘chill-out’ room has paint stains around the window frame, which makes it look unkempt. The back garden is another communal area where children can spend time. However, there is a concrete bird table that requires maintenance to ensure that it is safe for children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2552579 4

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

Children are safeguarded, and staff understand their risks and how to manage them. Risk assessments are regularly reviewed and updated. Managers keep staff informed of current risks by recording this information in a separate file that staff read and sign.

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

Staff engage children in regular and supportive key-work sessions. These are written directly to children in an empathetic and encouraging tone. They address different aspects of children’s lives, including areas of risk and actions to help them stay safe. The conversations are reflective and give children the opportunity to explore their feelings and different ways to express them.

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

Staff follow the home’s missing-from-home procedures when children go missing. They make efforts to locate children and report appropriately to external agencies. Although staff record missing-from-home episodes, the records lack detail about how children are welcomed back to the home and questions about their well-being during their absence. This indicates a lack of professional curiosity and is a missed opportunity to gather important information about children’s activities when they are away from the home.

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

There have been five allegations against different staff members since the last inspection. On each occasion, managers have made prompt referrals to the local authority designated officer and taken effective action to safeguard the child.

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

Bedroom searches are effective and proportionate. Children are consulted about the need to search whenever possible, which enhances their safety in the home.

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

Children’s medication is safely managed. Medication is stored securely, and records are well maintained. When a staff member removed medication in error, the manager responded quickly and effectively to resolve the issue. This included providing refresher medication training for staff and increasing management oversight of the daily medication audits.

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

The home’s recruitment procedures are inconsistent. The home recruited a staff member without obtaining photographic identification and did not fully explore gaps in their employment history.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home’s previous registered manager left the role in February 2025. The newly appointed manager started their role at the same time and has not applied to register with Ofsted. Her experience as a senior residential support worker in the home has provided some continuity for staff and children during the change in management.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff enjoy working in the home. They believe the team is committed and cooperative and that children are cared for with compassion and respect. Staff participate in weekly team meetings that address a range of topics with a focus on the child and how they can best support them. The sense of teamwork and taking pride in the home’s work is Inspection report for children’s home: 2552579 5 boosted by a colourful monthly newsletter that celebrates, among other things, the employee of the month.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers provide staff with meaningful supervision. They have reflective discussions and explore the well-being of staff and team dynamics. Managers review training with staff during supervision and take action to ensure that it is up to date. Although supervision regularly takes place, it is not provided during staff’s probationary period at the frequency described in the home’s statement of purpose.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers have not reduced the number of agency staff used since the last inspection. Despite efforts made to recruit, they have not increased the proportion of permanent staff in the home. The manager has taken action to lessen the negative effects of this on children. This has involved sharing the staff rota so that children know who will be working with them. The manager also provides a behaviour management plan specifically for agency staff, which excludes the child’s historical information.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has put in place several quality assurance tools. These include monthly audits, an action plan following each independent person visit, and a safeguarding file to track actions taken in response to safeguarding incidents. These tools support the manager in having robust oversight of the home and the areas for improvement. 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 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

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications, and skills to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that the manager submits a complete application to register with Ofsted. 6 June 2025

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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

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (3)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that they have proof of identity for staff that includes a recent photo and that all gaps in employment are explored. 16 May 2025

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Recommendations

 The registered person should carefully monitor and review the use of external agency staff to ensure that children receive continuity of care. The registered person should ensure that no more than half the staff on duty are from an external agency. (‘Guide Inspection report for children’s home: 2552579 7 to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 54, paragraphs 10.16 and 10.17)  The registered person should ensure that the home is a nurturing and supportive environment that meets children’s needs. This specifically relates to ensuring that any hazards and wear and tear are promptly addressed. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should specify the procedures to be followed and how staff should support children when they return to the home after being missing. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 45, paragraph

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Recommendations

9.28)  The registered person should ensure that staff in their probationary period receive supervision at the frequency as set out in the home’s statement of purpose. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 61, paragraph 13.2)

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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 8

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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 to 83 Fulham High Street, London SW6 3JA

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Knowlton Crichlow

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Inspector

Jo Mitchell, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2552579 9 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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