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

Assurance visit report: SC404994 1 SC404994

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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 difficulties managing their emotions and behaviours because of adverse childhood experiences.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager left the organisation in June 2020. A new manager has been appointed and has submitted his application to Ofsted to become registered.

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Information about this children’s home

Previous inspection date: 6 November 2019

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Information about this visit

Due to COVID-19 (coronavirus), Ofsted suspended all routine inspections in March 2020. As part of a phased return to routine inspection, we are undertaking assurance visits to children’s social care services that are inspected under the social care common inspection framework (SCCIF).

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Information about this visit

At these visits, inspectors evaluate the extent to which:  children are well cared for  children are safe  leaders and managers are exercising strong leadership.

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Information about this visit

This visit was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000, following the published guidance for assurance visits.

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Information about this visit

Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills is leading Ofsted’s work into how England’s social care system has delivered child-centred practice and care within the context of the restrictions placed on society during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Findings from the visit

We identified the following serious concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance visit: Assurance visit report: SC404994 2  Poor leadership and management, including ineffective oversight of the management of the home by senior leaders.  When children have made complaints, managers have not adequately responded to these.  One child has not been treated with dignity and respect because she has not had easy access to essential personal items.  A child was not provided with one-to-one support, despite this being the agreed plan. A serious incident occurred at the home when the children did not have the appropriate level of support and supervision. This led to poor outcomes for one child.  Children’s risks are not fully understood and managed by staff. The home’s manager has not addressed these concerns swiftly. Staff have not undertaken specific training in relation to child sexual exploitation. This

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Findings from the visit

exposes children to the risk of harm.  Staff feel unsupported and their morale is low. Children are aware of how staff feel and this has had an impact on them. Children have felt unsafe and unhappy.

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The care of children

Two children live at the home. Both describe not having a positive relationship with the manager and this is affecting their experiences of living at the home. They feel that the manager does not understand their needs and respond to these well. Both children told the inspectors that they were unhappy about this. Senior managers are currently looking into these issues.

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The care of children

A child was not treated with dignity and respect. For example, she was not provided with essential personal items until she went through her things and made a list. In addition, the child was not provided with a reasonable amount of money to purchase some footwear. She was subsequently made to feel like she owed money after she went shopping with staff and spent more money than had been agreed.

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The care of children

The manager does not respond appropriately to children’s health needs. For example, a child was not provided with over-the-counter medication for pain relief, when this would have been the most appropriate course of action. This led to a hospital visit that may have been avoided.

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The care of children

One child did not receive well-planned care and did not have a positive experience of moving on from the home. Managers and staff did not understand this child’s needs and so did not manage his behaviour in line with the strategies set out in his written plans. This led to a member of staff being assaulted and a child spending a night in police custody. Managers have taken some steps to review what happened and learn from it. This learning is still to be fully implemented. Assurance visit report: SC404994 3 When children make derogatory comments, staff do not challenge these. As a result, children do not learn about respecting differences and socially acceptable behaviour.

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The care of children

During the coronavirus pandemic, staff worked hard to keep children entertained and safe. Children enjoyed a range of indoor activities, such as jigsaw puzzles, pamper evenings, movie nights and baking. When restrictions eased, staff supported children to attend a theme park, go bowling and go to the cinema. As a result, children had some positive experiences and developed positive relationships with some staff.

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The care of children

Children have returned to college since September 2020. Staff have supported children to be able to travel to college independently and undertake courses suited to their needs and interests. One child has been able to secure work experience at a nursery. Providing good support to children with education improves their life opportunities. One child has made good progress with his independence. Staff have helped this child develop good shopping, cooking, laundry and self-care skills. This will enable him to move on to semi-independent accommodation in the coming months.

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The safety of children

Children’s risk assessments do not fully reflect all known risks associated with children’s behaviours. They are not reviewed and updated by managers and so do not give staff clear strategies and guidance. This means that staff do not have the necessary information to understand and manage children’s risks and behaviours well.

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The safety of children

Staff do not receive training to help them to recognise the signs and risks associated with child sexual exploitation. This means that despite the early warning signs around a child placing herself at risk, staff have not responded swiftly. Managers and staff have not taken action to review incidents of concern and agree a plan to reduce risk and help keep the child safe.

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The safety of children

When children go missing from the home, staff follow the relevant procedures. Children have return interviews with someone independent to talk about why they went missing from home and what happened while they were away. However, information from these return interviews is not always recorded and shared with staff. This is a missed opportunity to learn from children’s missing-from-home incidents.

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The safety of children

Physical intervention records are poor. Children and staff do not always receive a debrief. It is not clear what actions staff take to try and de-escalate incidents and the manager does not review incident records in a timely way. As a result, managers and staff do not learn from what has happened.

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The safety of children

When children make a complaint, managers do not follow this up adequately. One child explained that she had not received a response, despite trying to raise Assurance visit report: SC404994 4 concerns with a senior manager. Another child made a complaint and has since left the home. The home’s manager has not contacted this child’s placing authority to discuss, providing the child with a response. Children are not always listened to and their opinions are not valued.

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The safety of children

The home’s location risk assessment does not contain relevant information relating to potential concerns and hotspots in the local area. As a result, staff and children are not equipped with information to promote children’s safety when children are spending time in the community.

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Leaders and managers

The home is not well led. In addition, senior leaders do not maintain effective oversight of the management of the home. As a result, children do not receive consistently good care.

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Leaders and managers

Staff do not feel supported and morale is low. Although staff have raised some of their concerns with senior managers, these have not been satisfactorily addressed. Children are picking up on the concerns of staff and this does not help to ensure that children live in a positive and stable environment.

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Leaders and managers

Staff do not receive good-quality supervision that helps them to reflect on and develop their practice. Gaps in training mean that staff do not have all the skills and knowledge they need to effectively meet the children’s needs. New staff have not had a review of their probation. In addition, not all staff have completed the level 3 qualification within the required timescale and more than half of the staff are unqualified.

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Leaders and managers

Managers do not implement safer recruitment procedures. For example, a reference has not been verified, there are gaps in employment histories and not all reasonable steps are taken to verify why staff have left previous employment with children or vulnerable adults. This does not ensure that only suitable adults are employed to care for children.

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Leaders and managers

Children do not feel reassured about who is caring for them because changes are made to staff rosters at short notice without due consideration. When visitors come to the home, they do not always record their full names in the visitors’ book and some visitors do not sign into the home. Children’s safety may be compromised if it is not clear who is visiting the home. In addition, records do not contain required information about children moving into and on from the home.

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Leaders and managers

Ineffective monitoring means that shortfalls in practice and the quality of care are not identified. Managers do not understand the impact of the quality of care on children’s experiences, progress and safety. Poor leadership and management oversight mean that shortfalls are not fully understood and addressed.

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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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who— understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children; use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— ensure that staff— treat each child with dignity and respect; provide to children personal items that are appropriate for their age and understanding. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b)(2)(b)(iii)(viii)) 31 /10/20

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on— mutual respect and trust; an understanding about acceptable behaviour. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff— help each child to develop socially aware behaviour; encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(ii)(iii)) 29/11/20

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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. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff— 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; help each child to understand how to keep safe; have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)) 31/10/20 Assurance visit report: SC404994 6 The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that— helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with

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Requirement Due date

the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose; ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate; ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home; use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(b)(c)(f)(h)) 29/11/20

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children— receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) 29/11/20

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Requirement Due date

No measure of control or discipline which is excessive, unreasonable or contrary to paragraph (2) may be used in relation to any child. The following measures may not be used to discipline any child— the use or withholding of medication, or medical or dental treatment. (Regulation 19 (1)(2)(d)) 31/10/20

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Requirement Due date

An individual may only carry on a children’s home if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (5). A responsible individual must— have the capacity, experience and skills to supervise the management of the home, or the homes, in respect of which the responsible individual is nominated. (Regulation 26 (1)(7)( b)) 29/11/20

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety. The registered person may only— 29/11/20 Assurance visit report: SC404994 7 employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home, if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3). The requirements are that— the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform; full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has

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Requirement Due date

attained— the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) (“the Level 3 Diploma”) 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 1 st 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 1 st April 2014, 1 st April 2016. (Regulation 32 (1)(2)(a)(b)(3)(b)(d)(4)(a)(b)(5)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must— ensure that each permanent appointment of an employee is subject to the satisfactory completion of a period of probation. The registered person must ensure that all employees— receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (1)(b)(4)(b)) 29/11/20

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that— 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— a description of the measure and its duration; details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure; the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and 25/10/20 Assurance visit report: SC404994 8 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”)— has spoken to the user about the measure; and has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and 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 (3)(a)(iv)(v)(vii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home. The registered person must— maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4. (Regulation 37 (1)(2)(a)) 29/11/20

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that a record is made of any complaint, the action taken in response, and the outcome of any investigation. (Regulation 39(3)). 29/11/20

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must review the appropriateness and suitability of the location of the premises used for the purposes of the children’s home at least once in each calendar year taking into account the requirement in regulation 12(2)(c) (the protection of children standard). When conducting the review, the registered person must consult, and take into account the views of, each relevant person. (Regulation 46 (1)(2)) 29/11/20

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Recommendations

 Children must be consulted regularly on their views about the home’s care, to inform and support continued improvement in the quality of care provided. Due consideration should be given to the child’s cognitive ability in the development and implementation of any consultation processes. Children should be able to see the results of their views being listened to and acted upon. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 22, paragraph 4.11)  Regulations 35-39 detail the records that must be kept in children’s homes. All children’s case records (regulation 36) must be kept up to date and stored securely whilst they remain in the home. Case records must be kept up to date and signed and dated by the author of each entry. Children’s case records must be kept for 75 years from the date of birth of the child, or if the child dies before the age of 18, for 15 years from the date of his or her death. (‘Guide to the

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Recommendations

children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph Assurance visit report: SC404994 9 14.3). In particular, the admissions and discharges record.

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: St Christopher’s Fellowship

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 1 Putney High Street, Wandsworth, London SW15 1SZ

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Inspectors

Shazana Jamal, Social Care Inspector Sam Dulay-Kainth, Social Care Inspector Assurance visit report: SC404994 10 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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