Children's Home run by St Christopher’s Fellowship in Islington

Inspection report children’s home: 1159682 1 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 owned by a national charity. It provides care and accommodation for six children. The home’s statement of purpose states that it provides care for children who have social, emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The registered manager was registered with Ofsted on 11 January 2018.

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Information about this children’s home

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged requires improvement to be 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

Young people are safe, they said that they feel settled and generally satisfied with their care. Shortfalls identified relate to the impact of new admissions, staff debriefings, the management of complaints, local authority notifications, education and leisure arrangements, and the home’s premises. The home has experienced a challenging time due to the complex behavioural needs of some young people. This resulted in children causing substantial damage to the home and assaulting staff. A young person described living at the home during this period as ‘horrible’, adding that it had a ‘profound effect’ on them. Efforts are made to only accept new young people into the home if the staff team can meet their needs. The matching and decision-making process is not recorded. There was Inspection report children’s home: 1159682 2 no written evidence that the impact of new placements on the existing group of young

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

people had been carefully considered. Young people generally move out of the home in a planned manner. Since the last inspection, five young people have moved to an alternative residential placement. The registered manager does not routinely inform the host authority when young people move into and out of the home. Staff are trained in de-escalation techniques and, occasionally, they do have to restrain young people. Staff are not debriefed routinely after each physical intervention. Young people, however, are given the opportunity to express their feelings about their experience of the restraint. Since the last inspection, the only complaints made about the home have been from neighbours. Records detail that complaints are investigated; however, the outcome and the response to the complainant are not recorded. It is also difficult to ascertain whether complaints have been managed in a prompt manner.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home has an onsite school which is rated good by Ofsted. Two of the three children are positively engaging in external education. One young person struggles with their school attendance and they are not consistently engaged in suitable structured activities. Staff endeavour to nurture young people’s creativity, talents and interests. There are examples of young people curating the organisation’s art exhibition and entering poetry competitions. However, there is an ongoing need to motivate all young people to fulfil their potential. Young people live in a home which is clean and comfortable. They have helped to influence the decor; however, a young person described the home as still feeling ‘institutionalised’. The walls in the hallways are bare, which does not promote a homely environment. Leaders and managers have addressed the requirements and recommendations from the last inspection. Young people now receive better protection from improvements to staff

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

working practices, updated risk assessments and the prompt notification of significant events to Ofsted. Improvements in care planning and consultation also ensure that young people contribute meaningfully to decision-making. Young people benefit from an enthusiastic, youthful staff team that has a range of expertise. Leaders and managers effectively manage poor performance. Staff receive ongoing training that enhances their confidence and builds on the skills needed for their role. The home succeeds in being a stable base for young people. Since living at the home, young people are no longer going missing. There is also no evidence to suggest that young people continue to be involved in gang activity. Young people receive encouragement with their personal development. Key-work sessions enable them to discuss their feelings, concerns and aspirations. Young people also work with staff to set realistic goals.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Leaders and managers monitor the quality of care. They are aware of the service’s Inspection report children’s home: 1159682 3 strengths and the priority areas for development. Monthly independent monitoring reports are constructive, and they contribute to the cycle of improvement. Strong partnership arrangements with a range of agencies enhance young people’s lives. A good example of this is the evidence-based psychological team supervision provided to the staff team by an innovative mental health charity.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

04/06/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good 09/05/2017 Full Good 09/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 30/08/2016 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

Behaviour management policies and records The registered person must ensure that within 48 hours of a restraint the registered person or a person who is authorised by the registered person has spoken to the user about the measure and within 5 days of the use of the measure. (Regulation 35(3)(b)) 01/05/2019

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Requirement Due date

Complaints and representations The registered person must ensure that a record is made of the any complaint, the action taken in response, and the outcome of any investigation. (Regulation 39(3)) 01/05/2019

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Requirement Due date

Notification with respect to children admitted into, or discharged from, a children’s home The registered person must notify without delay, the local authority for the area in which the children’s home is located of every admission of a child into the home and every discharge of a child from the home. (Regulation 41(1)) 01/05/2019 Inspection report children’s home: 1159682 4

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Recommendations

 Where children placed in a home are not participating in education, ensure that in the interim the child should be engaged in suitable structured activity. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 28, paragraph 5.15)  Ensure that for children’s homes to be nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of their children, they will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9) In particular, ensure that efforts are made to make the hallways more homely.  The registered person should only accept placements where they are satisfied that the home can respond effectively to the child’s assessed needs and where they have fully considered the impact that the placement will have on the existing children. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality

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Recommendations

standards’, page 56, paragraph 11.4) In particular, placement impact assessments must be recorded.  Each child’s talents and interests should be understood and nurtured. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 31, paragraph 6.4)

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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: 1159682 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

Sharon Payne, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1159682 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 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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