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

Inspection report children’s home: SC422415 1 SC422415 Registered provider: St Christopher’s Fellowship

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home, which is operated by a charitable organisation, is registered to provide care and accommodation for one young person, who has emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: Improved effectiveness

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Key findings from this inspection

This children’s home requires improvement to be good because: Inspection report children’s home: SC422415 2  The manager has failed to inform the designated officer and Ofsted of all allegations made against staff. This is not in line with the home’s safeguarding policy.  Individual risk assessments and placement plans do not include all of the risks that the children face.  The home’s location risk assessment does not fully identify the action that is required to reduce the potential known risks.  The standard of the accommodation is variable; this does not provide a welcome and homely feel throughout the home.  Most staff have not completed the diploma in residential childcare in the required timescales.  The children’s guide contains information that could be confusing for children and differs to the care and service that staff provide to children.  Internal and independent monitoring have failed to identify the shortfalls found

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Key findings from this inspection

 The children do not go missing. For some children, this is significant progress from their starting points, and reduces the risks to the child.  The manager and staff are very child-focused.  The children experience planned transitions into and from this home.  The children make progress. One child’s progress at school is significant in regards to his education attendance and achievement.  The manager and staff have a clear understanding of the home’s ethos; they work together consistently to meet the needs of the children.  The children receive care from a stable and committed staff team. They are positive about the support and the care they receive and the good relationships that they have with the staff.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

08/03/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 05/12/2016 Full Good 02/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 03/08/2015 Full Requires improvement Inspection report children’s home: SC422415 3

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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, 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 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 that staff 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 and help each child to understand how to keep safe. (Regulation 12(1)(2)(a)(i)(ii)) 08/09/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification, the level 3 diploma for residential childcare (England) (‘the level 3 diploma’), or a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the level 3 diploma, by the relevant date. (Regulation 32(4)(5)) 30/11/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must implement a policy which sets out the procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect. (Regulation 34(1)(2)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This is with particular regard to the prompt referral of an allegation to the local authority in whose area the home is located. 08/09/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (‘case records’) for each child which are kept up to date. (Regulation 36(1)(b)) 08/09/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there. (Regulation 40(4)(c)) 08/09/2017

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Recommendations

 Ensure the home meets children’s physical necessities. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.7) This is with particular regard to providing a clean and welcoming environment throughout the home.  The children’s guide should help children to understand how to contact the Office of the Children’s Commissioner. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations Inspection report children’s home: SC422415 4 including the quality standards’, page 24, paragraph 4.22)  The registered person must ensure that the review of the location of the home includes the identification of any risks and opportunities presented by the home’s location and strategies for managing these. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.1)  Ensure any individual appointed to carry out visits to the home as an independent

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Recommendations

person makes a rigorous and impartial assessment of the home’s arrangements for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the children in the home’s care. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.5) This is with particular regard to supporting the manager to improve the quality of care in the home.

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improvement to be good

There are areas of strength in the service, and some of the children make good progress. However, the inspection has identified some shortfalls in safeguarding practice. There have been two discharges and two admissions to the home since the last inspection. One child’s transition from the home was well planned. The child’s social worker said, ‘The placement was excellent and during the placement [the child] developed independence and social skills.’ This demonstrates that the children benefit from the support provided by the staff. A child recently admitted to the home described how the manager met with them before coming to the home. The child visited the home and was able to ask questions before the admission. This approach helps support the children’s smooth transition into the home. All of the children make progress while living at the home. The staff spend quality time with the children; they build effective relationships quickly and fully support the children,

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improvement to be good

meeting all their needs. As a result, the children make progress in their engagement with professionals, their social skills and their independence. Risk-taking behaviour that was prevalent before admission, such as running across busy roads, has significantly reduced. The staff have high aspirations for the children, and they proactively support the children to attend school. They set out their expectations regarding education, from the children’s admission. This support means that any barriers the children face can be addressed. For some children, this has resulted in a significant increase in their educational attendance and achievement since admission, which enhances the children’s future options. The staff invest time in the children and provide regular one-to-one sessions. The staff encourage the children to build a sense of belonging. They provide a nurturing environment that reflects the individual needs of the children. The relationships between

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improvement to be good

the staff and children are noted to be a particular strength of the home. A child said, ‘Staff do spend a lot of time with me. They are not in the office, and only go in there when they have to. That is a big difference for me.’ The relationships are professional Inspection report children’s home: SC422415 5 and respectful. One child said that they feel the staff care, and listen to what they have to say. The strength of these relationships makes a significant contribution to the progress children make. The staff broaden children’s horizons through supporting them to engage in activities that are new to the child, or that are of particular interest. For example, the children:  go on holidays  learn to grow herbs  learn how to play a musical instrument  join clubs, such as football  develop an interest in cooking. These activities support the children to develop new skills and appropriate interests that

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improvement to be good

improve their self-esteem and confidence. The staff take photographs and record the children’s activities to demonstrate the progress that the children make while living at the home. The children take these records with them when they move on, providing positive memorabilia for their future reference. The staff encourage healthy lifestyles. Meal times are a social time, and the children eat nutritious, home-cooked food with the staff. The children help with meals and food preparation, building valuable life skills. The staff work closely with agencies who provide support for children’s physical and emotional health – for example, child and adolescent mental health services, smoking cessation support and sexual health information. Access to these health services gives the children the knowledge to make informed choices regarding their health. The staff support the children to have contact with their families and other significant

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improvement to be good

people in their lives. The staff help to develop and maintain relationships with people who are important to the children by ensuring their families are welcomed into the home. The home provides children with adequate accommodation. The children decorate their rooms with colours of their choice, and they display their interests, achievements, photographs and talents throughout the house. There are parts of the house that require attention – for example, the conservatory leaks and the windows are in need of cleaning. This does not provide a homely environment. The children learn skills such as budgeting, cooking, self-care, gardening and independence. The staff have supported some children to gain employment. Children are keen to increase their independence through taking daily responsibility for keeping rooms tidy, cooking healthy meals and shopping. These skills increase their confidence and will support them into adulthood.

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improvement to be good

The staff’s practice in relation to protecting children needs to improve. While the children receive high supervision levels, there are a number of shortfalls that have the potential to place children at risk. Inspection report children’s home: SC422415 6 The manager has completed individual children’s risk assessments, but some of these do not include enough information to ensure that all staff are aware of the risks and the strategies to reduce these risks. The manager has failed to assess the risk of not having a monitoring system to alert the staff if children leave the building overnight. This is of particular concern as one child has a history of going missing, and at times the staff lone work. This failure to keep documents up to date and to ensure they are consistent with other records held in the home could potentially place children at risk. The children say they feel safe at the home and they can identify staff that they can talk

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improvement to be good

to if they have a concern. The staff receive safeguarding training, and a detailed policy informs staff of the action to take if a safeguarding concern arises. The staff implement the policy to ensure that external agencies are aware of concerns and apply the identified strategies to safeguard children. However, the manager failed to implement the policy following an allegation. The manager informed the social worker, who spoke to the child, but the manager did not report the allegations to the designated officer or notify Ofsted and failed to complete a thorough investigation. The manager has updated the location risk assessment. The risk assessment identified risks in conjunction with views from external agencies. However, the manager has failed to identify the actions required to reduce these risks. For example, the home is situated in an unlit area, which may be of concern at night. The manager has not identified what

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improvement to be good

steps could be taken to keep children and staff safe. While there has been no incident, this could potentially place the children at risk. There have been no incidents of bullying because the children have been in single residence at any one time. There have been no missing from home incidents because the children are highly supervised in line with their placement plans. The staff have used effective strategies and multi-agency working to help some children get to a point where they can have some trust time. This increases children’s self-esteem, and helps them to develop social skills and learn how to keep themselves safe. The staff receive training and have a good understanding of the risks and signs of child sexual exploitation. This awareness helps safeguard children. The staff implement the home’s behaviour management policy, which promotes and rewards positive behaviour. The staff do not use physical intervention, and therefore a

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improvement to be good

strength in the home is the effective relationships the staff build with the children. There are few measures of control used. Children receive effective key-work sessions and debriefs following incidents, and are provided with clear boundaries and routines. The staff know the children’s personalities and differences well. They provide options to support the children, such as arts and crafts, going for a walk or another strategy the child has identified as a possible alternative at times of crisis. As a result, staff can identify behaviours early and prevent incidents occurring. The staff support the children to reflect on incidents and to develop new skills to manage their frustrations. This effective support helps children to make the changes required so that children’s self- regulation and emotional resilience improves. Staff recruitment procedures are thorough. These checks ensure that only suitable

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improvement to be good

people are working with the children in the home. Health and safety are generally managed well. Safety is ensured through regular servicing and checks, including fire safety equipment services. These checks ensure that children live in a home that is Inspection report children’s home: SC422415 7 physically safe. Regular fire drills ensure that the children and the staff know what to do in the event of a fire.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The inspection identified a number of shortfalls. Internal and independent monitoring systems have not been strong enough to identify these. As a result, the monitoring does not improve the quality of care that the children receive. The registered manager has been in post since March 2016. He has over five years’ experience of working with children and is in the process of completing the level 5 diploma in leadership and management. The manager is dedicated and passionate about the service and works hard to support the staff and children. The staff and the children speak highly of the manager and the support that he provides. The staff are committed to the home and the children living at the home. As a result, the children receive care from staff who enjoy their work. There were no requirements or recommendations made at the last inspection. The manager has a clear understanding of the progress that the children make, and he

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

is proud of their development and achievements. However, the impact of a small staff team and staff holidays has resulted in the manager covering shifts and spending quality time with children. This limits the time he has available to perform his managerial tasks and, as a result, occasionally the children’s plans fail to incorporate known information about the child and the strategies required to meet the child’s needs. This failure has the potential to affect the staff team’s understanding of, and response to, the needs of the child. The management team has recently updated the home’s statement of purpose, and this now includes a greater emphasis on a therapeutic ethos. The staff and managers have sufficient understanding of the concept. They can demonstrate how they implement this with the children and the effectiveness of their approach. The children are given a guide to the home and read this. However, the guide does not include up-to-date information.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

For example, it describes an incentive scheme that is not currently implemented and contradicts the newly established pocket money system. This document could lead to confusion for the children about the service they are receiving. The staff access a range of training opportunities, which they report as beneficial for their roles. Individual members of staff take the specialist lead in particular areas, such as self-harm and child sexual exploitation. The organisation provides opportunities for staff to attend intensive training to enhance their understanding of these roles. This training benefits the children as they receive care from staff who have sufficient understanding to meet the children’s individual needs. However, a number of staff have not attained the required level 3 qualification, even though they have been working in the home for two years. This does not ensure that staff are fully equipped with the

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

knowledge and skills to consistently meet the needs of the children. Staff receive monthly supervisions, which they report are supportive, useful and reflective. Annual appraisals of staff further support staff development because clear developmental objectives are set. These formal meetings help the manager to evaluate the effectiveness of the staff support. Team meetings are used to communicate Inspection report children’s home: SC422415 8 information and to re-enforce expectations of the team to support the children to succeed. The relationships of the manager and staff with external professionals and parents are strong. A social worker said, ‘Communication is fantastic. They take my views on board and communicate everything.’ A parent supported this view and said, ‘I have felt involved from the second day of [the child] moving in. It has been so different from where she was before.’ The manager has not informed Ofsted of a significant event that occurred in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Consequently, Ofsted, as the regulator, cannot monitor events and ensure that the manager takes all the action required.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the differences made to the lives of children and young people. They watched how professional staff work with children and young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care provided. Wherever possible, they talked to children and 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 whom it is trying to help, protect and look after.

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Information about this inspection

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 children’s home: SC422415 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: St Christopher’s Fellowship

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: St Christopher’s Fellowship, 1 Putney High Street, London SW15 1SZ

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Inspector

Natalie Burton, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC422415 10 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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