Children's home run by St Christopher’s Fellowship in Wandsworth

Good

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

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The children’s home’s provision is good because:

 Young people make good progress from their starting points, despite the difficulties they face.  Achievements are recognised. Young people are encouraged continually by staff to make the most of the experiences offered.  Young people overcome barriers to learning and continue to access further education.  Young people make progress towards independent living and are engaged in programmes that assist their life-skills.  Young people are protected from harm. Staff’s knowledge and understanding of each individual’s risks keeps them safe.  The use of physical intervention is minimal. Behaviour is managed well.  The staff have an excellent relationship with the police. They work effectively together to return young people home when young people go missing.  The team is child-focused and committed to its role.  Records are clear and evaluative. They track and monitor the progress that young people make.

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The children’s home’s provision is good because:

 There are some areas identified for improvement. They are in relation to the statement of purpose, management arrangements, staff training and the use of surveillance.

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions which must be taken so that the registered person(s) meets the Care Standards Act 2000, 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 registered person must keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it, and notify HMCI of any revision and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (3)(a)(b)) 11/11/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may only use devices for the monitoring or surveillance of children if the monitoring or surveillance is for the purpose of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the child concerned, or other children, the child’s placing authority consents in writing to the monitoring or surveillance, so far as reasonably practicable in light of the child’s age and understanding, the child is informed in advance of the intention to do the monitoring or surveillance, and the monitoring or surveillance is no more intrusive than necessary, having regard to the child’s need for privacy. (Regulation 24 (a)(b)(c)(d)) 11/11/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must appoint a person to manage the children’s home if there is no registered manager in respect of the home. (Regulation 27 (1)(a)) 11/11/2016

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendation:  Ensure that staff gain skills and experience that enable them to actively support every child in the home. In particular, in relation to receiving training in managing self-injurious behaviour. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 52, paragraph 10.5)

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Information about this children’s home

This home is operated by a registered charity, and provides care and accommodation for up to three young people with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 02/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 19/05/2015 Full Good 17/03/2015 Interim Improved effectiveness 15/10/2014 Full Good

p.5

Good

The relationships between staff and young people are good. Staff are positive in their approach and take time to build up relationships with young people. A staff member said, ‘I feel we need to have a good sense of humour. We know them well enough and know when there is something wrong. We know their routines and seek out the issue and look at how we can support them.’ This gives young people the opportunity to trust and bond with staff.

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Good

The quality of care that young people receive is good. Staff genuinely care for the young people. A staff member said, ‘We use the social pedagogy model. This focuses on working alongside a child and empowers them. There are a number of models within that. The common third encourages you to think about working on a common interest in which they can learn with us. You teach them and they teach you, doing with, not for. Young people are in charge of their own lives. It’s about each other’s learning styles and how to get them to perform to the best of their ability.’ A social worker also commented about the quality of care that staff provide and said, ‘They meet his needs and generally really care for him. Staff are really resilient. They try incredibly hard and do a fantastic job.’

p.6

Good

Young people make progress, no matter how small, from their starting points. Their achievements are recognised and celebrated with the staff. A staff member said, ‘From his starting point, he had no education attendance prior to placement. He engaged with education and did his GCSEs. He is now involved back in training. He is going every day.’ This means that young people try hard to improve their education, regardless of the difficulties and the barriers they have faced. Young people are encouraged continually by staff to make the most of the experiences offered. Staff do not give up on them regardless of how difficult the challenge may be. A recent celebration event was attended by young people in recognition of their personal achievements. This makes young people feel valued and cared for.

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Good

Young people are consulted about their views, wishes and feelings. This enables them to shape the care they receive and contribute to the home they live in. Where it is difficult to get young people together for a formal meeting, staff use time during car journeys or activities to engage young people in conversations. This indirect approach gains their views without making them feel pressured into engaging in conversation. A waking-night member of staff said, ‘I see the young people at night. They are more relaxed and speak a lot. I feed back their wishes and feelings. For example, a young person expressed her anxiety about education. This was fed back and an action plan was made to support her. This helped as she wanted to give up.’ This means that young people feel confident in sharing their feelings with staff because they know that they do their best to help.

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Good

Young people know that their health is important and try hard to eat a well- balanced diet, take physical exercise and access services important to their health. Staff are consistent in helping and encouraging them to take care of their health, but some routine appointments are often refused or missed. Staff continue to promote and rebook appointments and reaffirm the importance of staying fit and well. This helps young people to be mindful of taking responsibility for their own health.

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Good

Young people make progress towards independent living and are engaged in programmes that assist their life-skills. Over time, young people become more able and confident to access the community using public transport, to improve cooking and tackle household tasks and understand how to budget their finances. Young people have pathway plans that help them to map their futures and transitions. As a result, young people are prepared for leaving care and do so in a sensitive and planned manner.

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Good

Young people stay in touch and have contact with family and friends who are important to them. This helps to strengthen bonds and in some cases helps to reintroduce family ties. Staff are committed to supporting any contact arrangements in place. They welcome visitors to the home and make visitors feel relaxed so that they enjoy their stay. This makes young people feel proud to have friends or family visit.

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Good

Transition arrangements for some have gone to plan and young people have moved on from the home in a sensitive and planned way. For others, placements have had to be given notice when the service is no longer able to protect young people safely. However, the deputy manager confirms that they work closely with the placing authority to ensure that young people who move do so with as little disruption as possible.

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Good

Risks are identified well. The staff seek information about the young person at the referral stage. They devise robust risk assessments that help to support the staff in keeping young people safe. Staff are trained and knowledgeable in safeguarding. They work closely with partner agencies and young people to understand their individual risks. Young people feel safe in the home and know staff are there to protect them. Staff take effective and immediate action when they believe a child is at risk. As a direct result of the action they have taken, a young person was protected from child sexual exploitation and grooming. Effective joint working with the police ensures that young people who are at risk of child sexual exploitation are protected from harm. A social worker said, ‘The staff have worked extremely well with us, the police and the multi-agency child exploitation team to keep her safe.’

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Good

The manager continuously monitors and reviews behaviour. Staff exhaust options in trying to keep young people safe. The right action is taken by the manager when young people cannot be kept safe. When young people continue to place themselves or others at risk in and out of the home, placements have been terminated to protect those living in the home. A police officer said, ‘The staff work extremely well with us. They are very honest and open and they tell us everything about the young person. Their welfare is important. The team attends our risk management meetings and keeps us updated. They are very child-focused.’

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Good

The use of physical intervention is minimal. Since the last full inspection in May 2015, physical intervention has been used on seven occasions. The measure is only used as a last resort by trained staff. Staff use de-escalating techniques to discourage negative behaviour. Staff implement consistent boundaries to help young people recognise the rules of the home and what is expected of them. Sanctions and rewards are used in a fair and proportionate way. This helps young people to be responsible for their actions.

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Good

Young people do go missing from the home. The incidents are reducing. Staff are clear about how to support and protect young people who go missing. They work in close partnership with the police and other agencies to ensure that young people are found and returned as soon as possible. The local authority provides a person to complete the return home interview, and safe and well checks are completed by the police. One young person no longer goes missing from care. This is due to the effective partnership and her participation in meetings about missing from care. As a result, she is no longer at risk of child sexual exploitation. This keeps her safe.

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Good

Young people who self-harm are supported by staff, but no formal training has been provided to ensure that young people receive appropriate intervention. This does not guarantee the continuity of care when dealing with self-injurious behaviour.

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Good

The staff try hard to keep young people safe while in the home. Some young people often place themselves at risk by making poor choices when leaving the home. For example, they may choose to associate with people who have a negative impact on them or who may engage in criminal activities that place them at risk. Staff try hard to discourage young people from making decisions that have a negative impact on them. The staff are non-judgemental and see past the criminal activity and look for the good in everyone. They recognise the vulnerabilities young people face and make a concerted effort to help them to unpick what is going on. This is done in a sensitive and non-judgemental way.

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Good

The use of CCTV in communal areas does not guarantee that young people’s rights to privacy are protected when they do not require such a high level of monitoring. Although the home uses it for site protection, it impacts on the privacy of young people who use the garden for recreation. This means that monitoring for the use of surveillance is not used in line with regulation.

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Good

Allegations and complaints are managed well. Young people know how to complain and do so. The manager takes all complaints seriously and investigates and feeds back any outcome in a timely manner. External complaints are dealt with and responded to. For example, complaints from neighbours have helped to improve parking and noise issues because the manager responds, and takes action to remedy the problem. This keeps community relationships healthy.

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Good

There is a robust procedure to recruit staff safely. All required checks are completed prior to recruitment. This ensures that candidates recruited pose no threat of harm to young people. This keeps young people safe.

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Good

The home is well maintained and provides a welcoming, relaxed atmosphere. Regular monitoring in line with health and safety keeps the home free from hazards. Fire drills and routine checks on fire safety equipment are completed. This ensures that the home is safe and everyone visiting, living or working there knows how to react in the event of a fire.

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Good

The home currently does not have a registered manager. The manager left in July 2016. The deputy is deputising until a manager has been appointed. She is suitably qualified and experienced and holds an NVQ level 3 in caring for children and young people. The departure of the registered manager has not had any effect on the quality of care or overall experiences and achievements of young people. Most staff are qualified. Those who are unqualified are within regulatory timescales at present to obtain their qualification within two years of starting work.

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Good

The statement of purpose, with a review of the staffing arrangements, has not been provided to Ofsted since the departure of the manager. Staff provide consistent care in line with the home’s objectives and ethos. The deputy manager uses supervision meetings to revisit the statement of purpose. This keeps staff up to date and informed of the home’s operations. There is a written policy with regard to the use of surveillance and monitoring. However, it is not in line with regulation. This does not guarantee that the use of the measure is used appropriately.

p.9

Good

The manager continues to review the quality of care provided to young people. Additional monitoring is completed by a monthly visit from an independent visitor. This ensures that the service is monitored effectively and any shortfalls are quickly identified.

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Good

Staff are supported well and receive good supervision and appraisal. This provides staff with opportunities to reflect on practice and improve personal development.

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Good

Records are clear and evaluative. They track and monitor the progress that young people make. The file provided for evidencing progress under the quality standards allows the reader to see photos of young people’s achievements.

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Good

All significant events are recorded and the appropriate persons are notified. This ensures that information is shared and action needed to be taken is carried out immediately. This keeps young people safe.

p.10

Good

The management team builds strong relationships with external providers. This helps them to challenge practice when it is not good enough. For example, following a recent placement it was found that some relevant information was missing. This was challenged and suitable information was provided. This ensures that the young people receive the right support and care.

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What the inspection judgements mean

The experiences and progress of children and young people are at the centre of the inspection. Inspectors will use their professional judgement to determine the weight and significance of their findings in this respect. The judgements included in the report are made against ‘Inspection of children’s homes: framework for inspection’.

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What the inspection judgements mean

An outstanding children’s home provides highly effective services that contribute to significantly improved outcomes for children and young people who need help and protection and care. Their progress exceeds expectations and is sustained over time. A good children’s home provides effective services that help, protect and care for children and young people and have their welfare safeguarded and promoted. In a children’s home that requires improvement , there are no widespread or serious failures that create or leave children being harmed or at risk of harm. The welfare of children looked after is safeguarded and promoted. Minimum requirements are in place. However, the children’s home is not yet delivering good protection, help and care for children and young people. A children’s home that is inadequate is providing services where there are widespread or serious failures that create or leave children and young people being

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What the inspection judgements mean

harmed or at risk of harm or result in children looked after not having their welfare safeguarded and promoted.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people living in the children’s home. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the difference adults make to the lives of children and young people. They read case files, watched how professional staff work with children, young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care given to children and young people. Wherever possible, they talked to children, young people and their families. In addition the inspectors have tried to understand what the children’s home knows about how well it is performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the children and young people who it is trying to help, protect and look after. This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service and to consider how well it complies with the Children’s

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Information about this inspection

Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’. the guidance ‘Raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

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, work- based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It inspects services for children looked after and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

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Information about this inspection

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

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Information about this inspection

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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