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

Inspection report children‟s home: SC404994 1 SC404994 Registered provider:

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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 four children who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The registered manager is currently on maternity leave. In the interim, the home is being managed by a suitably experienced and qualified manager who has submitted his application to Ofsted to become registered.

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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: SC404994 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

27/06/2018 Full Good 18/07/2017 Full Good 16/08/2016 Full Good 05/05/2016 Full Inadequate

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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 registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s s safety. An individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained— the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) (“the Level 3 Diploma”); or a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma. The relevant date is— in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home; or in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1st April 2014, 1st April 2016. (Regulation 32(1)(4)(a)(b)(5)(a)(b)) 31/01/20 Inspection report children‟s home: SC404994 3

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Recommendations

 When a child returns to the home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission, the responsible local authority must provide an opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview. Homes should take account of information provided by such interviews when assessing risks and putting arrangements in place to protect each child . (‘Gu Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality st andards’, , page 45, paragraph 9.30)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children live in a home that is safe, homely and nurturing. Children develop secure and trusted relationships with staff. Staff have a very good understanding of children‟s individual needs, which helps them to implement day-to-day plans that are purposeful and personalised. Children have a positive experience of living in the home. Managers and staff offer children a range of mediums to express their views. Children can talk to staff and managers and feel that they are listened to. Staff undertake regular key-working sessions with children, which allows the children opportunities to talk about a range of issues. Frequent meetings and feedback sessions between staff and children also ensure that children can share their views and contribute to the running of the home. This enables children to feel valued. Children make good progress from their starting points. Staff support children to develop independence skills in accordance with their needs. They take the time to involve

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

children in developing plans so that the children gain independence at a pace that is right for them. Staff ensure that children will be well prepared for their next steps. Children access education which is tailored to meet their needs. One child had not accessed any education for a couple years prior to living at the home. Staff worked with the child and the school to tailor a reintegration plan, which has worked well. Another child is undertaking an apprenticeship course at college and does work experience in the community as part of this. This means that children have opportunities to learn, which build their confidence and self-esteem and improve their career prospects. Staff encourage children to participate in and experience a wide range of social and recreational activities in the home and in the community. Children have enjoyed holidays, day trips, have taken part in charity events and accessed after-school activities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

This enables children to build on skills and feel part of the community while having fun. Children are supported by staff to improve their health and address specific issues through the advice and support that they receive from staff and external agencies. This promotes good physical and emotional health. Inspection report children‟s home: SC404994 4

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

Staff have a good understanding of risk. They work closely with children to help them understand behaviours and vulnerabilities that are a cause for concern. Risk assessments and plans are updated regularly by staff and detail up-to-date information. Staff implement the strategies outlined in these documents to keep children safe from harm. Staff support children well in a positive way to de-escalate potentially challenging situations, which means that the use of physical intervention is low. Children develop strategies to deal with their feelings appropriately. When physical interventions and challenging incidents happen, management oversight is good. Close monitoring promotes children‟s welfare. Children know how to make a complaint. The manager responds to complaints promptly and ensures that children are involved in this process. This helps children to feel that their concerns are listened to and acted on.

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

Managers and staff understand and follow procedures when safeguarding concerns arise. Managers ensure that information is shared promptly with appropriate agencies and issues are addressed with efficiency and sensitivity. This helps to keep children safe. When children go missing from home, generally staff follow missing protocols well. They look for children and try to maintain contact with them. However, it is not clear from the records if children are always offered the opportunity to talk to someone independent. This is a missed opportunity to understand why children go missing from home. Safer recruitment practice is strong and ensures that staff employed in the home are suitable to work with children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

An interim manager is covering while the registered manager is on maternity leave. The interim manager and the settled and experienced staff team provide children with consistency and stability. The interim manager has a clear vision for the home and he is aware of the areas of strength and development for the home. He has started to make changes to processes and systems, which will maintain and enhance the good-quality care offered to children. There is a positive culture and ethos in the home. The staff understand and implement the aims and objectives set out in the home’s statement of purpose. The manager and staff have high expectations of children in their care and this shows in their practice and day-to-day interactions with children. This helps children to make progress and fulfil their potential. The home is sufficiently staffed with staff who have a range of skills and experience. However, some staff have not completed the level 3 qualification within the required

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

timescale. All staff are now enrolled on the course. Staff undertake a range of mandatory training and have access to online and some face-to-face courses. Training provided by external agencies who specialise in certain areas helps staff to further develop their learning. This enhances staff‟s skills and knowledge, which they use to care Inspection report children‟s home: SC404994 5 for children well . Staff receive regular supervision, which is reflective and allows staff to improve their practice. Staff receive an annual appraisal and new staff receive appropriate inductions. As a result, staff feel supported.

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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: SC404994 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: St. Christophers Fellowship, 1 Putney High Street, London, Wandsworth SW15 1SZ

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Inspector

Shazana Jamal, social care inspector Inspection report children‟s home: SC404994 7 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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