Children's home run by Cocoon Children Services Ltd

Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2730667 1 Registered provider: Cocoon Children Services Ltd

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children's home

The home is owned and managed by a private organisation. It is registered to provide 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 the inspection, there were two children living at the home.

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Information about this children's home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since 8 November 2023.

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Information about this children's home

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At these inspections, 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. Inspectors have 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: 2730667 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

There were shortfalls found in relation to the quality and safety of one child’s bedroom. As a result, there are some new requirements and recommendations following this inspection. Since the full inspection in May 2025, the manager has met one of the two requirements raised. Not all the recommendations were reviewed at this inspection and have been restated.

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Findings from the inspection

The quality of relationships between children and staff are variable. Some children have prefered members of staff who they say they can trust. Staff understand how children’s previous experiences can affect their ability to form strong relationships, and they are working to improve their connections. Staff are well informed about children’s support needs and are proud of the progress they have made while living in the home.

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Findings from the inspection

All children are engaged in education, which is suited to their needs. One child completes learning in the home with a tutor, while another child is also involved in additional educational trips in the local community. Staff have been successful in improving children’s engagement in schooling through personalised incentives.

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Findings from the inspection

The manager has responded promptly to children’s complaints. For example, one child complained that only one member of staff was capable of making her favourite ethnic meal in the way she prefered. The manager responded by arranging for the member of staff to teach others, while producing and storing the meal in larger quantities so it was readily available for the child while staff were learning.

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Findings from the inspection

Managers have good oversight of behaviours that are difficult to manage, and they use monitoring systems to identify patterns and trends. Managers review incidents and make changes to plans to manage risk when needed. Learning is shared through weekly staff meetings and is supplemented by contributions from the organisation’s psychotherapist and community mental health services. As a result, children receive more-individualised care.

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Findings from the inspection

Physical intervention is used by staff only when required. Managers speak to children about their experiences of restraint and review incidents with staff to capture opportunities for learning. Staff help children to understand the reasons for any intervention and help them to identify different ways to manage their emotions. As a result, incidents of restraint for one child have significantly reduced.

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Findings from the inspection

Since the last inspection, the manager has arranged for a range of additional training for staff so that they better understand how to care for the children in the home. New staff say that their inductions have prepared them well, and other staff say they are confident that they have the skills and ability to keep children safe. Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2730667 3 Feedback from professionals and parents is mixed. One social worker was positive about their experience of working with the home. However, some parents say that communication with staff and leaders about key events in their children’s lives could be improved.

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Findings from the inspection

Hazards in the home have been identified by staff, but action has not been taken quickly to reduce risk. For example, equipment designed to protect children’s bedrooms in the event of a fire had been damaged and was ineffective. Leaders undertook the necessary repairs once it had been identified during the inspection.

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Findings from the inspection

Managers have not always ensured that children’s bedrooms are equipped to meet their identified needs. For example, one child does not have appropriate furniture to store their belongings, and damaged window dressings have not been replaced, impacting on children’s privacy. Additionally, some repairs and modifications to the home have not been completed to a high standard and staff have not always acted promptly to help children to keep their rooms clean.

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Findings from the inspection

Both children who live in the home are subject to restrictions on their liberty, permitted by the court in the interests of their safety. However, there has been no assessment of how restrictions are being applied in the home, and managers do not have a system for reviewing any restrictions in use. As a result, children are being routinely supervised and denied access to areas of their home without justification.

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Findings from the inspection

When children raise concerns about the practice of staff, managers respond promptly and appropriately to ensure that children are safe and the relevant referrals to safeguarding partners are made. However, records of allegations do not always clearly demonstrate the actions taken to protect children or include the manager’s rationale for their decisions following investigations into staff practice.

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Findings from the inspection

When there have been serious incidents, the manager has not always ensured that there is sufficient information contained in notifications to Ofsted. This means that the oversight of incidents from the regulatory body is undermined by the absence of important information. Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2730667 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/05/2025 Full Good 02/04/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2730667 5

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person 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 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

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child's health. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(d)) 21 November

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy which—

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Requirement Due date

sets out the procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect.

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Requirement Due date

The procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect must, in particular—

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Requirement Due date

provide for records to be kept of an allegation of abuse or neglect, and the action taken in response. (Regulation 34 (1)(b) (2)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that records of allegations against staff clearly demonstrate how children have been protected following the allegation and the actions that are taken investigate concerns.

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Requirement Due date

Records should demonstrate when managers have engaged with partner agencies and their rationale for decisions made following investigations. 21 November

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who understand the children's home's overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children; 28 November Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2730667 6 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

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that children are provided with safe and suitable furniture to store their belongings, and that adaptions are made to their bedrooms in line with their needs so that they are able to personalise their rooms and have appropriate levels of privacy.

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Requirement Due date

Additionally, managers must ensure that any adaptions made to the environment are completed to a high standard, any shortfalls in the quality of the environment are promptly rectified and staff establish routines for children's bedrooms to be cleaned regularly.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that recruitment, supervision and performance management of staff safeguards children and minimises potential risks to them. Specifically, the manager must ensure that all relevant checks and risk assessments on new staff are fully carried out and well documented. ('Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards', page 61, paragraph 13.1)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that all decisions to restrict children's access to shared areas of the home in the interests of safety are informed by a rigorous assessment of that individual child's needs, be properly recorded and be kept under regular review. ('Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards', page 15, paragraph 3.10)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should seek to develop close working relationships with relevant persons with parental responsibility for each child. Appropriate arrangements should be agreed with each relevant person to consult and update them with regards to decisions and information about children's care. ('Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards', page 11, paragraph 2.5) Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2730667 7  The registered person should ensure that notifications made to Ofsted include all relevant details of the action taken by the home's staff or managers in response to the event, to allow for effective regulatory oversight. ('Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards', page 63, paragraph 14.13) Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2730667 8

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Children's home details

Registered provider: Cocoon Children Services Ltd

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Children's home details

Registered provider address: 80 Astra Close, Hornchurch RM12 5NJ

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Children's home details

Responsible individual: Muriel Awais-Dean

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Inspector

Glen Strowbridge, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2730667 9 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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