Children's home run by St Christopher’s Fellowship

Inspection report for children’s home: 2495375 1 Registered provider: St Christopher’s Fellowship Full inspection 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. 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, four 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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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2495375 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

29 March 2023 Assurance Not applicable 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 Inspection report for children’s home: 2495375 3

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improvement to be good

Although staff undoubtedly want the best for children, they have not achieved stability for all children in their care. A number of children have moved to the home in an emergency and two children moved out of the home in an unplanned way. For these children, experiences of moving in and on from the home have not been positive.

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improvement to be good

Children’s sleep patterns are disrupted by poor bedtime routines. At times, some children are not going to sleep until the early hours of the morning. Inconsistent routines and boundaries are hindering children’s progress.

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improvement to be good

Staff understand the importance of education and there are some positive examples of collaborative working with schools. However, when children are unable to attend school, staff’s efforts to ensure that they study at home are limited. Specialist services are swiftly sourced to help meet children’s specific needs, such as independent mentors and local authority support workers.

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improvement to be good

Children are supported to maintain positive relationships with the people who are important to them. Staff work closely with children and their families to improve the quality of time that they spend together. As a result, family relationships are strengthened.

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improvement to be good

Staff encourage some children to develop independence skills in line with their age and ability. Children often remain in regular contact with staff when they move on from the home. This demonstrates the staff’s ability to build positive and lasting relationships with children.

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improvement to be good

Children live in a warm and welcoming environment. However, some outstanding repairs, such as damage to wall hangings and photo frames, are undermining the homely ethos of the home.

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improvement to be good

Since the last inspection in March 2023, there has been an increase in serious incidents at the home. These incidents were largely in relation to safeguarding concerns for one child, who has since left the home. Staffing arrangements and safeguarding strategies to support this child were, at times, unsatisfactory. As a result, children’s stability and safety at the home were compromised. Additionally, behaviour management strategies were not always effective, and the police were frequently being called to the home to help staff manage children’s behaviour. It is reassuring that leaders and managers had already identified and acted to address these shortfalls prior to this inspection, including escalating these concerns to the Inspection report for children’s home: 2495375 4 professional network. Further work is needed to ensure that these improvements are embedded and sustained.

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improvement to be good

Children have positive relationships with staff. They say that they can speak to staff or managers if they have concerns or worries. When children do raise concerns, they are dealt with appropriately.

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improvement to be good

When children go missing from the home, staff and managers work hard to maintain communication and ensure that children are safe. However, independent return- home interviews do not always take place. Leaders and managers are missing opportunities to obtain increased insight into the reasons why children go missing and make plans to prevent this from happening again.

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improvement to be good

Safeguarding concerns about staff are appropriately shared with the local authority designated officer. This allows the most-appropriate professional to respond to these concerns.

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improvement to be good

Room searches are conducted sensitively when there is a cause for concern. Staff remove items that pose a risk to children and talk to them about their concerns and worries. Positive relationships and communication with children are enhancing children’s safety.

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improvement to be good

Staff and managers ensure that children understand the importance of treating others with respect. Children are challenged about their inappropriate language, remarks, and attitude. This demonstrates that children are helped to learn to appreciate equality and diversity and what discrimination means.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The leadership and management of the home is stable. The home is managed by a suitably qualified and registered manager, who is supported by the highly experienced responsible individual.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff at the home feel well supported by colleagues and the manager. Regular team meetings and individual supervision provide staff with opportunities to reflect on their practice and share their views and ideas. Managers also share information, which supports staff practice and learning.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The quality of staff training is a strength of the home. There is a comprehensive workforce development plan that provides the manager with a clear overview of the staff team’s strengths and areas for development. As a result, children are cared for by a well-trained and knowledgeable team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Effective and clear communication with key stakeholders is good. Regular discussions take place with a range of stakeholders, including therapists, social workers and health services. The quality-of-care review reflects the positive views and experiences from a range of stakeholders. Inspection report for children’s home: 2495375 5 The home’s statement of purpose has not been updated and a copy provided to Ofsted as required.

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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 positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children. (Regulation 11 (1)(b) (2)(a)(i)(v)(ix)) 13 June 2023

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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.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into 13 June 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2495375 6 account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

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. (Regulations 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(f)) 13 June 2023

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Requirement Due date

keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and

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Requirement Due date

notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (3)(a)(b)) 13 June 2023

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that children are only admitted to the home in an emergency if the appropriate support systems are in place and any disruption to the children living at the home is carefully considered and minimised. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.6)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that any damage in the home is swiftly repaired. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9) Inspection report for children’s home: 2495375 7  The registered person should ensure that when children are unable to attend school, staff support them to continue to learn through independent study at home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 29, paragraph 5.18)

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, 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 for children’s home: 2495375 8

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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

Maud Pipim-Addo, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2495375 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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