Children's home run by St Christopher’s Fellowship

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2495375 1 Registered provider: St Christopher’s Fellowship

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is run by a national charity and provides a therapeutic model of care for up to nine children who have social and emotional difficulties. One of the nine beds available is in a training flat to support children with their transition to independent living. The home accepts both planned and emergency admissions. It is a commissioned service for children living in the London Borough of Wandsworth.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, five children were living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted in November 2018. The manager registered with Ofsted in February 2021.

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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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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspector evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. The inspector has looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance 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’. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2495375 2

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Findings from the inspection

We did not identify any serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection.

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The care of children

The home provides a warm and welcoming environment. Staff are attuned to children’s individual needs and work hard to meet these. The care provided is personalised and consistent, so that children are able to make good progress relative to their starting points. This includes education, where effective links are made with the professional network to support children back into formal education.

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The care of children

Children speak positively about staff and their experience of living in the home. Feedback is gathered in a range of ways, including through children’s meetings and key-work sessions. Children’s voices are heard and used well to inform planning. Staff show ingenuity and go to considerable lengths to identify ways to engage children and capture their imagination. In doing this, there is a focus on individual growth and supporting children to achieve things they might otherwise not have thought they could.

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The care of children

Children’s individual health needs are identified and met. Staff recognise that some children require additional support to attend routine appointments. Where this is the case, staff take a step-by-step approach to building confidence and overcoming fears so that children are able to attend appointments and agree to treatment if required.

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The care of children

As the home is contracted to one local authority, the manager and staff have had the opportunity to develop strong and effective partnerships with a wide range of professionals across local health services. These are used to good effect to ensure that children have access to appropriate services when needed.

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The safety of children

Risks are identified and understood. The quality of relationships that staff develop with children and the careful approach taken to care planning enable staff to identify and respond to new and emerging risks.

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The safety of children

The manager works assertively with safeguarding partners to ensure that prompt action is taken when safeguarding issues are identified. There is a culture of learning in the home. The manager, team leaders and residential staff are reflective and work together well to identify how safeguarding practice can be strengthened.

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The safety of children

Case recording, assessments and plans are detailed and accurate. Staff are provided with clear guidance and instruction. Plans are regularly reviewed so that they remain current, and their impact is monitored through audit and discussion. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2495375 3

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The manager responded quickly to the requirements made at the last inspection, and these are now all met.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Children are cared for by staff who are motivated and enjoy their work. The manager and two team leaders schedule regular supervision sessions and undertake performance appraisals. The manager is accessible and maximises the time that she spends with children. The team reflects continually on its practice and the impact that it has on children’s individual progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The home is large and well resourced. The children have their own gym, access to a computer and education suite. Work is underway to further enhance the sensory room. Children’s bedrooms are personalised, with welcome packs available for children that arrive in an emergency. The garden provides a pleasant outdoor space where children can play basketball or sit and relax.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Staff vacancies have continued to be hard to fill. Currently, both deputy leader posts are vacant, as are a number of other residential posts. Recruitment has been ongoing, but success has been limited. In the short-term, this has been managed well so that consistency of care has not been affected. Senior managers from the wider organisation have provided additional management cover where required to assist the registered manager. In the longer-term, the resilience of the staff team will be challenged if these posts are not filled.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The home provides care for up to nine children, including emergency, short and long-term placements. In any year, up to 50 children could come to live at the home. There are plans to review the purpose of the home with the commissioning local authority. It is important that this includes consideration of the appropriateness of accommodating younger children for extended periods alongside older children who may only stay in the home for very short periods. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2495375 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

25/04/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 12/05/2021 Full Good 12/12/2019 Interim Improved effectiveness 25/06/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2495375 5

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the home has enough suitably trained staff (including someone in a management role) on duty to meet the assessed needs of all children in the home and that those staff are able to respond to emergency placements, where accepted. In particular, this relates to the need to recruit for the two vacant deputy manager posts. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 51, paragraph 10.1)  The registered person should ensure that emergency admissions are not taken unless the home’s statement of purpose and its capacity and support systems mean that it has the capability to care for children admitted at very short notice while continuing to offer high-quality care to children already living in the home. In particular, this relates to the planned service review with the commissioning local authority and the need to focus on how the needs of younger children

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Recommendations

placed for longer-term or extended periods, can be met alongside those of the large number of older children who may stay in the home for shorter periods of time. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.6) Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2495375 6

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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, London, Wandsworth SW15 1SZ

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Inspector

Martin Davis, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2495375 7 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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