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

Inspection report children’s home: SC361212 1 SC361212 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 is operated by a registered charity and provides care and accommodation for up to three young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager was registered with Ofsted in June 2017 and is currently completing her level 5 qualification in leadership and management.

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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: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC361212 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

26/06/2017 Full Good 02/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 05/10/2016 Full Good 02/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC361212 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 positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on mutual respect and trust, an understanding about acceptable behaviour and positive responses to other children and adults.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard requires the registered person to ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children;

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Requirement Due date

de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children. (Regulation 11(a) (b) (c) (2) (a) (ix) (xi)) 01/09/2017

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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 requires the registered person to ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2) (a) (i)) 01/09/2018

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

ensure the effective induction of each child into the home; 01/09/2018 Inspection report children’s home: SC361212 4 manage and review the placement of each child in the home;

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Requirement Due date

and plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child’s placing authority. (Regulation 14 (1) (a) (b) (2) (b) (i) (ii) (ii)) The registered person must keep the statement of purpose under review and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (3) (a) (b)) 01/09/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must consult, and take into account the views of, each relevant person and have regard to any relevant local authority or police protocols on missing children. (Regulation 34 (5) (a) (b)) 01/09/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if— an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious; or there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4) (b) (e)) 01/09/2018

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improvement to be good

Young people’s outcomes and experiences are mixed due to recent, and sometimes poorly managed, admissions of young people to the home.

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improvement to be good

Young people who have lived at the home for longer periods of time have positive experiences and make good progress. They are well prepared, both emotionally and practically, to move on to independent living.

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improvement to be good

Young people who have been admitted more recently have experienced some disruption due to ineffective planning, poor matching processes and inconsistent risk management. This has resulted in unplanned discharges from the home.

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improvement to be good

Recently, the registered manager and staff have failed to consider the link between significant risks effectively. These risks include going missing, sexual exploitation, poor mental health and self-injurious behaviours. This lack of connectivity, and the lack of agreed missing-from-care protocols with the police, have resulted in one young person experiencing distress and ultimately discharge from the home.

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improvement to be good

Deviation from the home’s usually well-planned admissions process has also impacted on Inspection report children’s home: SC361212 5 other young people. For example, failure to adequately consider one young person’s profile of missing from care and criminal activity against the home’s safer location risk assessment (which identifies hot spots including gang activity and anti-social behaviour) has resulted in the young person leaving the home.

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improvement to be good

Another young person, who was progressing well, also had to move from the home due to safety concerns. This was because he started going missing again, due to the influence of another young person.

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improvement to be good

Despite this challenging time, staff have demonstrated a clear commitment to all young people. Staff are skilled in building relationships with young people. For example, one young person speaks very highly about his relationships with the staff. Their support has enabled him to build positive relationships with his family, look forward to independent living and enjoy his college course. Another young person has successfully moved into independent accommodation and still remains in contact with staff due the strong attachments she made. A third young person also made good progress, enjoyed good relationships with staff and the other young people and was supported well to prepare for his new placement.

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improvement to be good

The positive relationships between staff and young people are also evident for those young people who have since had to move on from the home. For example, staff managed to encourage one young person to attend a health appointment, go to the barbers and take greater pride in his appearance. These outcomes are significant when measured against a background of neglect and poor self-esteem.

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improvement to be good

The registered manager and staff work tirelessly to promote young people’s learning, and they prioritise education for all young people. Staff work in partnership with local education services, placing authorities and the youth offending service to secure appropriate education placements. Their creativity in developing an education package for one young person, who was previously unable to attend school, resulted in the young person’s positive engagement with learning and prepared him for education in his new placement.

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improvement to be good

The registered manager and staff have sometimes been unable to change young people’s high-risk behaviours due to inconsistent implementation of the home’s risk and care-planning framework.

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improvement to be good

For example, some sections of young people’s compatibility assessments and risk assessments, which relate to high-risk behaviours, are incomplete. Risk management strategies and guidance for staff are generic across all young people’s documentation. This approach does not support individualised risk management and therefore has had little impact on some young people’s complex needs.

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improvement to be good

Partnership working with the police, particularly in agreeing missing-from-care protocols, Inspection report children’s home: SC361212 6 is also inconsistent. Some protocols are in place, but quick admissions have resulted in a lack of liaison with the police and poor information-sharing about high-risk behaviours for some young people.

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improvement to be good

While there are concerns about the recording framework for missing from care and subsequent risk management, staff provide a consistent response when young people go missing. Staff always follow young people, and reporting timelines are individualised and reflect the degrees of vulnerability of young people.

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improvement to be good

Divergence from the home’s usual planned admissions process has led to inconsistencies in behaviour management. A lack of insight into one young person’s complex emotional health, combined with process-led staff practice, has resulted in an escalation of risk- taking behaviour. For example, staff insistence on completing a clothing inventory was highly resented by the young person and resulted in high levels of anxiety and ultimately police involvement.

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improvement to be good

However, other young people have received sensitive and personalised support for their behaviours. This is particularly evident in the outcomes for young people who have lived at the home for significant periods of time. They have grown in confidence and developed increased emotional resilience. Staff support and referral to mental health agencies help young people improve their emotional well-being. Young people are now able to identify changes in mood, and talking to staff helps them to divert their tendencies to injure themselves.

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improvement to be good

Physical intervention is seldom used. Records generally show effective practice by staff with a broad use of de-escalation techniques, and demonstrate that physical intervention has been used only as a last result. Debriefs with both staff and young people and managerial oversight demonstrate scrutiny of staff practice. Discussion with staff helps young people understand the reasons for physical intervention and explore alternative and more positive behaviours.

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improvement to be good

Concerns about bullying are challenged and discussed. There are no current concerns. Young people feel happier because staff challenge behaviours that could be considered bullying. Group discussions at weekly meetings develop young people’s awareness and help staff to monitor dynamics in the home.

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

The registered manager, staff and line managers for the home have reflected on the recent challenges experienced by young people and the staff team. They acknowledge the need for improvement and show clear commitment to addressing the shortfalls identified in this inspection report, not least by ensuring planned admissions and providing long-term care for young people.

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

The registered manager is aware of her monitoring responsibilities. She acknowledges that her recent absence from the home and a recent series of poorly assessed admissions have impacted on the quality of care. Inspection report children’s home: SC361212 7 The statement of purpose is out of date, and there have been shortfalls in notifying Ofsted of serious incidents in the home.

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

The service’s imminent move to a new location will provide a safer community environment for young people.

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

Young people are looked after by an experienced and cohesive staff team. Good teamwork is a result of well-organised and in-depth induction. Staff value the mentoring by more experienced staff. Staff also value the registered manager’s child-centred and passionate leadership.

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

The staff team’s child-centredness is clearly evident in the consultation with, and participation of, young people in the running of the home. Weekly meetings help young people to evaluate the week before and plan their week ahead. All young people are encouraged to express their concerns, and they receive good information about their right to complain. There is a clear focus on giving young people time for reflection and celebration of achievements. Key-working records are of a high quality and give young people a detailed account of their journey.

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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: SC361212 8

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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: 1 Putney High Street, London SW15 1SZ

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Inspector

Elaine Cray, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC361212 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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