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 Interim 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 provides a single placement for one child. The manager was registered with Ofsted in October 2018.

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Judgement at last inspection: good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged good at the last full inspection. At the interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has sustained effectiveness.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

There has been one admission and one discharge since the last inspection. The child who had lived at the home for a considerable time recently moved on as part of a planned transition. While living at the home, the child made good progress in her education attendance and achievements and in developing skills to keep herself safe. Staff continue to support this child through ad hoc visits and telephone contact. The staff are gradually reducing the support.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The dedicated staff supported the child who recently moved out to take part in activities that she enjoyed. Although the child did not maintain these activities as weekly hobbies, the staff made every effort to ensure that she had the chance to develop her skills and interests.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager has met one of the two requirements and the three recommendations that were raised at the last inspection. The independent visitor’s monthly reports provide the Inspection report children’s home: SC422415 2 manager and staff with meaningful suggestions to improve the quality of care at the home.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The living environment is homely and welcoming. This is due to improvements to the bathroom area and new decor and furnishings and a good standard of maintenance. Further improvements need to be made to the conservatory environment to ensure a consistent standard through the home.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Since the last inspection, there were some significant changes to the staff team in terms of management and core staff for a period of time. This has more recently settled. Now, the child who currently lives at the home receives care from a consistent and stable staff team. This is an important aspect of the service due to staff lone working and the need for the child to build trusting relationships.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

There have been no safeguarding incidents, complaints or incidents of children going missing since the last inspection. When incidents have occurred, reflective debriefings with the staff and the child, and discussions with placing authorities and family members, identified changes required to staff responses and strategies for the child concerned. These actions reduced the likelihood of a recurrence of incidents.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The staff work well with external agencies and families. A family member reported, ‘Communication is top-notch. The staff go above and beyond for him.’ An external professional said, ‘[The staff] are doing a very good job. They are thoughtful and committed in what they are doing for him. They consider his past, have a good understanding of his needs and pursue realistic outcomes. They are not easily defeated.’

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The child’s views are listened to and acted on when appropriate. The child’s questioning of some of the standard routines at the home has resulted in changes being made. This demonstrates how the manager and staff adapt the home’s routines, decor and strategies around the child’s views and wishes. The child has a voice at the home and is central to his care.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The child who was recently placed at the home was not in education for a substantial time prior to this placement, and currently he is not on a school roll. The manager is liaising with the placing authority to identify a provision that will meet the child’s current needs and situation. The child is attending his required appointments with other professionals, and staff are encouraging his engagement. However, the lack of a structured daily routine does not prepare the child to re-engage once an education provision is identified.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager has not met one of the requirements that was made at the last inspection. Internal monitoring reports fail to identify further action required to improve the quality of care, and fail to incorporate the views gained from children, placing authorities and other interested parties. Although there is minimal impact as staff practice does incorporate children’s views, the reporting does not meet the regulatory requirements.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Two further shortfalls were identified during this inspection. Risk assessments and Inspection report children’s home: SC422415 3 placement plans fail to inform staff formally of the action to take to reduce the risk of the child potentially obtaining illegal substances. This omission fails to ensure that all professionals and staff are in full agreement of the strategies to be followed.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/04/2018 Full Good 16/08/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 08/03/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 05/12/2016 Full Good

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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

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and

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Requirement Due date

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)) 29/03/2019

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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 conservatory is decorated to a similar standard as the rest of the home. Inspection report children’s home: SC422415 4  When children placed in a home are not participating in education because they have been excluded or are not on a school roll for some other reason, the registered person and staff must work closely with the placing authority so that the child is supported and enabled to resume full-time education as soon as possible. In the interim, the child should be supported to sustain or regain their confidence in education and be engaged in suitable structured activities. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 28, paragraph 5.15)  Staff should continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the

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Recommendations

arrangements in place to protect them. When there are safeguarding concerns for the child, their placement plan, agreed between the home and their placing authority, must include the details of the steps the home will take to manage any assessed risks on a day-to-day basis. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5)

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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

This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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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 5

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspector

Natalie Burton, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC422415 6 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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