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 Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is managed by a charitable organisation. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for one child whose assessed needs require a solo placement for a period averaging six to 18 months. The current manager was registered with Ofsted on 16 October 2016.

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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: requires improvement to be good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children‟s home: SC422415 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/08/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 08/03/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 05/12/2016 Full Good 02/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 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 independent person must produce a report about a visit (“the independent person‟s report”) which sets out, in particular, the independent person‟s opinion as to whether— children are effectively safeguarded; and the conduct of the home promotes children‟s well-being. (Regulation 44 (4)(a)(b)) In particular, the independent person must make a rigorous and impartial assessment of the home‟s arrangements for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the child accommodated at the home. 31/07/2018

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating— the feedback and opinions of children about the children‟s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children. (Regulation 45 (2)(b)(c)) 31/10/2018

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Recommendations

 Ensure that the home meets children‟s physical necessities. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 15, paragraph 3.7) In particular, ensure that the bathroom is decorated to a similar standard as the rest of the home.  Ensure that each child‟s talents and interests are understood and nurtured, with children selecting activities based on their personal preferences and abilities, so far as is reasonable. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 31, paragraph 6.4) Inspection report children‟s home: SC422415 4  Ensure that there are sufficient staff to provide care for each child. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 51, paragraph 10.1) In particular, ensure that the home has sufficient core staff to ensure that children receive the continuity of care that they need.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child has made good progress from her starting point in relation to her education and engagement with professionals. She now has 100% school attendance and is increasing her achievement levels. She engages well with all professionals, including significant access to an identified therapist to support her mental and emotional well- being. This engagement supports the child to begin to understand her life journey so far.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff consistently gain the child‟s views, providing her with opportunities to comment about her care, feelings and the reports written about her. The staff actively involve her, to help her to understand the areas that she needs to improve on. They seek her views on her progress and agree targets for her to achieve. This engagement and communication has enabled the progress that she has made.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child has taken part in activities outside the home but has yet to identify one that she can sustain. As this placement is a solo placement, this lack of consistency in accessing a regular activity could have an impact on her as it may limit socialisation with peers outside the school environment.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is actively involved in changes to the decor at the home through choosing the colour for the walls and displaying her art work and pictures to provide a welcoming and homely environment. However, the bathroom area requires some attention to provide a homely feel.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child has received consistency in her care, mainly from the manager and another member of staff. The manager has struggled to maintain and recruit staff with the experience and ability to lone work. While there has been minimal impact on the child, this is due to the number of shifts that the two members of staff have undertaken; it is not sustainable in the long term.

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

The staff provide the child with a safe place to live. They have an in-depth understanding of her needs and use clear and concise risk assessments to support her safety inside and outside the home.

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

The staff help the child to understand potential risks and how she can keep herself safe. Inspection report children‟s home: SC422415 5 Consequently, the child has made significant positive changes to her previous high risk- taking behaviours and no longer places herself in situations that may cause her harm.

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

The staff provide clear and consistent boundaries and routines for the child, enabling her to make changes to her previous inappropriate behaviour. Measures of controls are effective, enabling the child to learn and reflect on her behaviour. She rarely goes missing from the home because she knows that the staff care, and she wants to be with them. As a result, the child is building resilience and her self-esteem and confidence are increasing.

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

The manager swiftly acts on any safeguarding concerns or allegations about staff practice. He informs the child and all required professionals of the action taken. As a result of this action, the child is effectively safeguarded and feels safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has gained his level 5 qualification and has met all of the requirements and recommendations made at the last inspection. He has high aspirations for the child and is motivated and dedicated to providing support to the child and staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager works extremely well with all professionals linked to the child and the child‟s family. Professionals all spoke highly about the manager‟s communication and the positive impact on the quality of the care provided. They also recognised the staff‟s unquestionable dedication to the child. One professional said about the care that the staff provide, „They do exceptionally well. Better than anywhere else she [the child] has been placed.‟

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Despite evidence of the child‟s active involvement in the home, the manager‟s monitoring report fails to include this or the involvement of other professionals and families. The report lacks detail of the further changes and improvements that the manager wants to make to the quality of care at the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

External monitoring of the home occurs monthly. However, the independent person does not provide the manager with a rigorous assessment and opinion of the effectiveness of the safeguarding of the child. There is minimal impact on the child due to the manager‟s oversight and action. However, the reports fail to provide the manager with the independent evaluation of practice that is 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 Inspection report children‟s home: SC422415 6 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 7

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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 8 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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