St Michael's Fellowship

Inspection report for residential family centre: St Michael’s Fellowship 1 St Michael’s Fellowship St Michael’s Fellowship Crawford House, 2 Terrapin Road, London SW17 8QN Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this residential family centre

St Michael’s Fellowship is an established independent charity dedicated to improving families’ lives. Part of its service includes four residential family centres within the south London area. Crawford House offers residential assessments for up to four families.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and parents, taking into account outstanding

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Overall experiences and progress of

How well children and parents are helped and protected good

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Overall experiences and progress of

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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Overall experiences and progress of

The residential family centre provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the residential family centre contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and parents.

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Overall experiences and progress of

Date of previous inspection: 1 February 2016

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Overall experiences and progress of

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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Overall experiences and progress of

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for residential family centre: St Michael’s Fellowship 2

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Key findings from this inspection

This residential family centre is outstanding because:

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Key findings from this inspection

 Staff produce high-quality and concise research-informed assessment reports that contribute to effective planning for children and their families.  Children flourish in this centre. Older children benefit from having regular meetings with staff where they can discuss their feelings.  Staff work with parents dynamically to help them to meet the emotional, social, educational and health needs of their children. This includes using the research- informed ‘five-a-day’ programme.  Staff ensure that parents are well informed about how to keep themselves and their children safe.  Parents receive help with managing stress, anxiety and anger through the effective use of mindfulness sessions.  Leaders and managers are forward-thinking and ambitious for children and parents.  As part of the ‘securing change’ project, comprehensive and tailored support is provided for parents when a decision is made by the court that they are not able

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Key findings from this inspection

to provide safe care for their children.  Leaders and managers are highly effective and lead by example, demonstrating a substantial commitment to providing the optimum care and support for each family.  Partnership arrangements are strong. The partnership with a university demonstrates the commitment to innovative practice and research.  This is an organisation that has a culture of continuous learning and high aspirations. Staff benefit from receiving extensive training, reflective supervision with a psychotherapist and motivational coaching.

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Key findings from this inspection

The residential family centre’s areas for development:

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Key findings from this inspection

 Staff occasionally have to manage conflicts between parents. These incidents are positively resolved and reviewed, and steps are taken to prevent these issues from arising again. However, written risk assessments are not updated to include the learning from these incidents.  Staff maintain a register of all placements. However, minor information is sometimes missing and on one occasion correction fluid was used to amend the register. This missing information does not impact on families, as it is available in other documentation. It is recommended that the registered manager regularly checks the completeness of the placement register. Inspection report for residential family centre: St Michael’s Fellowship 3

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Recommendations

 Ensure any review informs future practice. (‘Residential Family Centres: National Minimum Standards’, 4.5) In particular, ensure that written risk assessments are updated to include the learning from incidents.  The manager regularly monitors, in line with the Residential Family Centre Regulations 2002, as amended, all records kept by the centre to ensure compliance with the centre’s policies. (‘Residential Family Centres: National Minimum Standards’, 19.2) In particular, ensure that all the required information in the register is consistently maintained and that correction fluid is not used. Inspection report for residential family centre: St Michael’s Fellowship 4

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: outstanding

Staff provide excellent care which is centred on improving children’s life chances. Staff excel in their work with families who have a history of chronic neglect. Children flourish in this centre. A teacher complimented the centre on providing ‘a fantastic service for a very complicated case’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: outstanding

Staff work exceptionally well with older children, giving them regular opportunities to discuss their wishes and feelings. One child who had never attended school is now excelling in their academic and musical achievements. Other children at the centre were seen to be making progress in their language and social skills. The excellent partnership with a local school enables children to access school and nursery places promptly when they come to live at the centre.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: outstanding

Staff successfully work with: parents who have a wide range of needs, including learning disabilities and mental health needs; young parents; and survivors of domestic violence. Family placement plans include consideration of gender, disability, and communication and learning needs. Parents choose the way in which staff relay information to them. Staff provide parents with pictorial feedback as well as more formal reports.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: outstanding

Staff complete a comprehensive assessment of parental capacity, personalising each assessment according to that family’s needs. Staff excel in their ability to write concise, evidence-based, research-informed assessment reports. A local authority senior manager described a report as being of the ‘highest quality’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: outstanding

Meticulous monitoring through observation, teaching sessions, interactions and key- work sessions extensively informs each assessment. Weekly case meetings contribute to the continuous assessment process.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: outstanding

The centre has a strong emphasis on supporting and educating parents. Parents can build on their skills and nurture the bond with their child. Parents learn how to introduce routines and boundaries, and how to show emotional warmth. Staff help parents to reflect on the perceived experience of their child. A mother stated that she had learned ‘to be a better parent’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: outstanding

Families contribute actively to their assessment process and life in the home. Throughout the premises there are displays and information on child development, community resources and advocacy services. These displays provide parents with learning opportunities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: outstanding

Staff work dynamically with parents to help them to meet the emotional, social, educational and health needs of their children. Staff teach parents play therapy and they also use the research-informed ‘five-a-day’ programme. This programme Inspection report for residential family centre: St Michael’s Fellowship 5 enhances children’s physical and emotional well-being through a healthy diet, reading, playing, talking and praise.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: outstanding

Staff help families to access groups and resources in the community. This includes using leisure facilities and libraries, attending children’s centres and visiting parks and museums. Parents can also learn practical skills, such as cooking and budgeting.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: outstanding

Families benefit from receiving practical support. They receive a welcome bag on admission, which includes groceries. Staff can also refer them to food banks and charities that provide children’s clothing and baby equipment.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

Safeguarding is at the heart of the centre’s work. All decision making is focused on the best interests of children. Parents are aware of the rules and expectations regarding their behaviour. Staff occasionally have to manage conflicts between parents. Efforts are made to resolve these issues constructively by regularly reviewing incidents and adapting practice. However, written risk assessments are not updated to include the learning from these incidents.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

Parents receive an extensive education in keeping themselves and their children safe; this includes road and internet safety. Mothers with a history of experiencing domestic violence attend specialist groups in the community. Staff additionally provide teaching sessions on domestic violence and the importance of healthy personal relationships. Parents with substance misuse issues benefit from having good ‘lapse plans’, which help in their ongoing recovery.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

Staff help parents to improve their knowledge of safeguarding, including the diverse forms of abuse and neglect. Mindfulness sessions are one example of how parents receive help with managing stress, anxiety and anger. Parents also learn how to manage their child’s behaviour positively through praise, and reward charts.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

Staff make it clear to parents that they will be rigorously monitored through direct observation. It is explained to them that this is necessary in order to safeguard their children.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

Staff receive different types of safeguarding training, all of which focus on the protection of children and adults. Strong links with both the host and the neighbouring local authorities ensure that the staff can access training and keep up to date with good practice.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

The centre has appropriate safeguarding procedures, which include notifying Ofsted of significant events. Staff consider the learning that has been gathered from serious case reviews and research. Staff additionally attend relevant safeguarding meetings at the local GP surgery. Inspection report for residential family centre: St Michael’s Fellowship 6 Families live in accommodation which is safe, secure and generally well maintained. Each family has its own sleeping accommodation. The communal lounge is a vibrant space, with a wide range of books, toys and play equipment. Families share the kitchen and laundry room. Families benefit from being able to access a garden with a paved seating area and a large lawn. Children can amuse themselves on the trampoline and the slide, and by playing with toy cars. The premises are within walking distance of a shopping area and numerous transport links.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

Parents and children receive protection from the organisation’s recruitment system. The centre only confirms the employment of staff when all the necessary checks have been received. This helps to prevent unsuitable persons from working at the centre.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers are forward-thinking and ambitious for children and parents. They want to continually develop the service to ensure that it is a highly effective and influential voice within social care. Feedback from local authorities is positive. A local authority senior manager praised the ‘excellent work’, highlighting the staff’s willingness ‘to go that extra mile’.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The requirements and recommendations from the last inspection have been addressed. The statement of purpose and residents’ guide now meet regulatory guidance. The living environment has improved and the quality assurance system is better. Staff maintain a register of all placements. However, at times, minor information is missing and on one occasion correction fluid was used to amend the register. This shortfall does not impact on families, as the missing information is available in other documentation.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The centre excels in its strong partnership arrangements. The partnership with Middlesex University demonstrates the commitment of managers and staff to innovative practice and research. The centre is assisting in a research project tackling the problem of recurrent care proceedings. This has resulted in the ‘securing change’ project, which provides comprehensive and tailored support for parents when courts decide that they are not able to provide safe care for their children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers lead by example, demonstrating a commitment to providing optimum care and support for each family. The responsible individual has been nationally recognised for her services to families. The centre benefits from having a highly effective registered manager who has worked at the centre for over 17 years, and a competent and dynamic deputy manager. Families receive support from a well- qualified, highly skilled staff team, which includes social workers, teachers and therapists.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The statement of purpose comprehensively details the centre’s philosophy, principles and working practices. Families benefit from having their own residents’ guide, which Inspection report for residential family centre: St Michael’s Fellowship 7 summarises the service. The organisation also has an informative website, which includes a video of one of the other residential family centres that it operates.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

This is an organisation which has a culture of continuous learning and high aspirations. The organisation provides an extensive range of training and support opportunities, which help staff to fulfil their roles effectively. Staff benefit from receiving regular reflective supervision with a psychotherapist, and motivational coaching from an expert in the personal development field. N ewly qualified social workers receive significant support through the organisation’s participation in the Assessed and Supported Year in Employment programme.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The centre’s monitoring arrangements comply with regulatory requirements. This includes monthly visits from an independent person and an annual quality of care review. Leaders and managers are aware of their strengths and of the areas requiring further development in the centre. Plans focus on providing the best possible care, experiences and futures for children and parents. These plans include the implementation of a specialist programme for parents with experience of substance misuse, and further empowering parents through teaching them how to access and make good use of digital resources.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and parents. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the differences made to the lives of children and parents. They watched how professional staff work with children and parents and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care provided. Wherever possible, they talked to children and parents. In addition, the inspectors have tried to understand what the residential family centre knows about how well it is performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the children and parents 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 Residential Family Centre Regulations 2002 and the national minimum standards. Inspection report for residential family centre: St Michael’s Fellowship 8

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Residential family centre details

Registered provider: St. Michael’s Fellowship

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Residential family centre details

Registered provider address: 136 Streatham High Road, London SW16 1BW

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Residential family centre details

Email address: crawford.house@stmichaelsfellowship.org.uk

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Inspector

Sharon Payne: social care inspector Inspection report for residential family centre: St Michael’s Fellowship 9 to 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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