Children's home run by The St Christopher School in Southend-on-Sea

Inspection report children’s home: SC052398 1 SC052398 Registered provider: The St Christopher School

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is run by a charitable organisation. Th e home’s overall aim is to make a positive difference to the personal, social and learning lives of children who come to stay.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been in post since 25 September 2018.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 25 to 26 September 2018

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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: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC052398 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

07/06/2017 Full Good 15/09/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 21/04/2016 Full Good 29/12/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC052398 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—

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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))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, undertake an assessment of the potential impact on children of any person over the age of 18 living at the home. 21/10/2018

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Requirement Due date

ensure that each employee completes an appropriate induction;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that each permanent appointment of an employee is subject to the satisfactory completion of a period of probation; and

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (1)(a)(b)(4)(b)) 31/10/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy ("the missing child policy") setting out—

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Requirement Due date

the steps taken, and to be taken, to prevent children from being absent without permission; and

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Requirement Due date

the procedures to be followed, and the roles and responsibilities of persons working at the home, in relation to a child who is, or has been, so absent. 31/10/2018 Inspection report children’s home: SC052398 4 Before implementing, or making an amendment which the registered person considers to be substantive to, the missing child policy, the registered person must—

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Requirement Due date

consult, and take into account the views of, each relevant person; and

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Requirement Due date

have regard to any relevant local authority or police protocols on missing children. (Regulation 34 (4)(a)(b)(5)(a)(b)) The registered person must prepare and implement a policy ("the behaviour management policy") which sets out—

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Requirement Due date

how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must keep the behaviour management policy under review and, where appropriate, revise it.

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure ("the user"), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure; 31/10/2018 Inspection report children’s home: SC052398 5 and ensure that within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so ("the authorised person")—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (1)(a)(b)(2)(3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c)) The registered person must maintain records ("case records") for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that children’s records are clear, dated and current. In addition, ensure that when the placing authority reviews and updates the child’s education and healthcare plan (EHCP), the manager requests a current copy. 07/12/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month.

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Requirement Due date

When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person—

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Requirement Due date

if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires; and

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Requirement Due date

to inspect the premises of the home and such of the home’s records (except for a child’s case records, unless the child and the child’s placing authority consent) as the independent person requires.

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Requirement Due date

A visit by the independent person to the home may be unannounced. 31/10/2018 Inspection report children’s home: SC052398 6 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—

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Requirement Due date

children are effectively safeguarded; and

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Requirement Due date

the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person’s report may recommend actions that the registered person may take in relation to the home and timescales within which the registered person must consider whether or not to take those actions. (Regulation 44 (1)(2)(a)(b)(3)(4)(a)(b)(5))

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Recommendations

 Homes are required to develop and keep under review a "Statement of Purpose" (regulation 16 and schedule 1). (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 14, paragraph 3.5).

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Recommendations

In particular, ensure that a copy of the statement of purpose is sent to Ofsted and other stakeholders when it is updated.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy a sustained period of stability because of staying at this home. They have benefited greatly from the close and supportive family environment that staff provide. Children have developed effective and trusting relationships with the committed and dedicated staff team. A grandparent spoke of not knowing what they are going to do without the home once their grandchild moves into adulthood. The grandparent went on to say how the team has provided excellent care and support, not only to their grandchild, but also to themselves over the past 10 years.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children who are new to the home are warmly welcomed and are cared for by a supportive staff team. The manager works well with all the necessary agencies to ensure that children’s transitions into the home are thoughtfully planned and coordinated. Children’s specific health needs are understood from the point of their admission. This is because the staff and manager have maintained effective working relationships with wider agencies, professionals and parents involved in the children’s care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are skilled at building trusting and supportive relationships with children, which enable the children to make good, and in some cases significant, progress. Staff speak affectionately about all of the children, and genuinely want them to succeed. Children Inspection report children’s home: SC052398 7 acknowledge and feel this, and speak kindly of the staff, confirming that they can rely on them for support and in times of difficulty.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff team successfully enhances children’s enjoyment of life by encouraging their positive engagement in activities. All activities are tailored to meet the children’s individual likes and needs. Over the school holidays, all children have enjoyed a range of activities of their choice. Children are encouraged to pursue their own individual interests and hobbies in established groups or youth clubs. These opportunities enable the children to develop their skills and abilities and increase their self-confidence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The environment provides children with a safe place to relax and unwind. The home is large, and is decorated and furnished to a high standard. A large dining table enables all children and staff to sit and enjoy their meals together, and share their experiences of their day. Children continue to live in a well-kept home that provides them with the experiences of a family-style environment.

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

Staff manage children’s challenging behaviour well. They provide clear and consistent boundaries and respond confidently and effectively to children’s rising anxieties. However, the manager has not recorded or evidenced that a review of the sanctions imposed on children has been evaluated. This means that opportunities are missed to reflect on the effectiveness of sanctions.

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

Physical intervention is only used as a last resort to keep children or others safe. Suitably trained staff use appropriate techniques. Records relating to physical interventions and incidents clearly describe the child’s behaviour. However, the records indicate that children have not had an opportunity to reflect on their behaviour, and staff involved have not been debriefed. Lack of clear and effective oversight means that opportunities are missed to ensure that the safety and well-being of children are promoted.

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

Staff are proactive in preventing children from going missing, and no children have gone missing since the last full inspection. However, the home’s missing-from-care protocols and logs need updating and monitoring more frequently by the manager. If a child were to go missing, there are no clear procedures for the staff team to follow. This has had no impact to date on the safety of children who come to stay at the home.

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

Staff support children to become increasingly safe, and parents and professionals responsible for children’s safety recognise this. However, the manager has not fully considered all risks in relation to assessing the impact of young people over the age of 18 living with younger children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A number of shortfalls have been identified at this inspection. However, these relate, in the main, to administrative tasks and do not detract from the positive outcomes for children. Partnership working is strong. The manager and staff embrace a multi-agency Inspection report children’s home: SC052398 8 approach to children’s care. Social care professionals and carers reported that the manager and staff provide regular information, and that staff are extremely good at advocating on behalf of children to ensure that they get the best possible all-round care and support. Children receive good, safe care and support from a committed staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The newly appointed manager ensures that staff receive sufficient training to meet children’s specific and individual health needs. The staff confirmed that their supervision and appraisals enable them to carry out their work with children well and safely. However, records do not evidence this. The management team has not made good use of effective induction and probation systems and all staff, including new members of the team, have not received regular supervision.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children’s case records and education and health plans are not maintained or updated effectively. Some records are detailed and well written. However, some records are presented in a way that is unhelpful to children. Some information is not recorded in a positive way that reflects the high esteem in which staff hold children. The information does not accurately reflect the good work that is undertaken and that was observed during the inspection to provide a detailed overview of a child’s journey, experiences, and progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The statement of purpose is current. It reflects the care and support provided to all children. However, this has not been shared with Ofsted, placing authorities and carers so that they have realistic expectations of what the home can offer.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

An independent person visits the home and produces monthly monitoring reports. The information contained in the reports does not give a good, thorough overview of the home, the staff, and the children who stay there. This does not ensure that the service is monitored effectively, and any potential shortfalls fully identified.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has met the one requirement raised and two out of the seven recommendations made at the last inspection. These have been raised as requirements.

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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 Inspection report children’s home: SC052398 9 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: SC052398 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: The St Christopher School

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Mountdale Gardens, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex SS9 4AW

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Jacqueline Mullan

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Inspector

Cathy Russell: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC052398 11 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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