Children's home run by The St Christopher School in Southend-on-Sea

Inspection report for children’s home: SC052398 1 SC052398 Registered provider: The St Christopher School Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is a purpose-built residential short-breaks provision for up to six children with learning and/or physical disabilities. The home is attached to a special school, and both are run by a charitable organisation. The inspector only inspected the social care provision.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in October 2018.

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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 requires improvement to be 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

Date of last inspection: 20 September 2022

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC052398 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

20/09/2022 Full Good 25/01/2022 Full Good 13/08/2019 Full Good 26/09/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC052398 3

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improvement to be good

Six children were staying at the home at the time of the inspection. The home currently supports over 50 children to access short breaks.

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improvement to be good

The assessment for when a new child is referred to the home is limited. Staff meet some children at their homes and schools following referrals but there is no record of these meetings. Managers do not carry out assessments of the staff’s skills and abilities to meet the child’s needs. This could mean that staff do not have the skills to best support the child.

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improvement to be good

Staff do not always use child-focused language. In some incident forms, staff have used language about children’s behaviour which is not child centred. This could cause upset to children or families if they access their records.

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improvement to be good

Staff know children well and how to communicate with them. There is a consistent, stable staff team in place. This allows children to develop relationships and get to know the adults who will be supporting them during their stays. Families talk positively about the support that the children receive and how well staff know their children.

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improvement to be good

Staff offer children a range of activities. Children enjoy using the swimming pool on site and local amenities, including parks, the seaside and the cinema. Children have the opportunity to request activities that they would like to do during their stays.

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improvement to be good

The home is bright and has facilities to meet children’s needs. The home has undergone recent refurbishment to make the space more suitable.

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improvement to be good

Concerns following allegations about staff are not managed appropriately. Managers devised a risk assessment following an allegation being made against a staff member. The risk assessment is not being followed. Managers allow the staff member to work alone with children, which is against the risk assessment guidance. This could place children at risk. Managers do not have an outcome from the local authority designated officer about this matter.

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improvement to be good

Some of the children do not have care plans and risk assessments. Other children have care plans and risk assessments that are not up to date. This means that staff do not have relevant, up-to-date information about children available to them. This could mean that care is not delivered in line with a child’s needs. Inspection report for children’s home: SC052398 4 The learning following restraints is limited. Restraints are used proportionately to keep children safe. The recording of restraints is clear, and staff offer children debriefs in a way that they will understand. However, the manager does not comment on the effectiveness of the restraints or identify any learning from them. This could mean that staff do not know which strategies are successful or unsuccessful when working with children.

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improvement to be good

There have been no concerns regarding children going missing from the home, bullying or exploitation. Staff ensure that supervision levels of children are maintained to keep them safe.

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improvement to be good

A new approach to behaviour management has been introduced. All staff are trained on the new approach. The implementation of the approach has led to a reduction in incidents at the home.

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good

The manager and deputy manager are both suitably qualified and experienced. The managers have oversight of the home and maintain direct work with the children to build and sustain relationships.

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good

The home’s statement of purpose does not indicate the current behaviour management approach that is being used. The statement of purpose has not been sent to Ofsted since 2021. This means that families, Ofsted and professionals are unaware of the approaches used at the home. Therefore, they are unable to scrutinise whether care is being delivered in line with the statement of purpose.

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good

The independent visitor’s report does not state whether children are safeguarded effectively or whether their welfare is promoted at the home. There is a lack of consultation with children, parents, professionals and staff in the reports. This means that the independent visitor is not gaining a thorough insight into the home due to lack of feedback from people who use the service.

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good

There is no workforce plan to review staff’s training needs. This means that managers are not fully aware of staff’s training needs. The manager identified further safeguarding training for a staff member but has not monitored whether this has been completed. This means that staff without the appropriate training may be working with children.

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good

Managers have not carried out appraisals with staff. Staff have all worked at the home for over a year and have not had their performance appraised. This limits staff’s ability to develop their skills, knowledge and performance.

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good

Staff supervision sessions and team meetings take place regularly. Managers provide detailed supervision sessions with staff members. This gives staff opportunities to discuss their roles and identify any learning. Inspection report for children’s home: SC052398 5 Staff and external professionals talk positively about the support from managers. The managers are described as ‘approachable’. Professionals feel that managers communicate with them well. Professionals report that staff provide detailed information about the children’s stays at the home. Inspection report for children’s home: SC052398 6

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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 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

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that guidance from the local authority designated officer is sought and followed, risk assessments for staff are followed, and staff complete training identified in risk assessments. 22 September

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home.

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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

that each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (1)(a) (2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that all children have up-to-date care plans and risk assessments and that staff use appropriate language in children’s records. 6 October 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(c)) 6 October 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month. 6 October 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC052398 7 When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person—

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Requirement Due date

if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must produce a report about a visit (“the independent person’s report”) which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether—

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Requirement Due date

children are effectively safeguarded; and

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Requirement Due date

the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being. (Regulation 44 (1) (2)(a) (4)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must compile in relation to the children’s home a statement (“the statement of purpose”) which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1.

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Requirement Due date

Subject to paragraph (6), the registered person must ensure that the home is at all times conducted in a manner which is consistent with its statement of purpose. (Regulation 16 (1) (5))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the home’s approach to behaviour support is detailed in the statement of purpose. 29 September

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that records of restraint enable the registered person and staff to review the use of control, discipline and restraint to identify effective practice and respond promptly where any issues or trends of concern emerge. The review should provide the opportunity for amending practice to ensure that it meets the needs of each child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 49, paragraph 9.59)  The registered person should ensure that there is a workforce plan that can fulfil the workforce-related requirement of regulation 16, schedule 1 (paragraphs 19 and 20). The plan should detail any further training required for staff. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.8)  The registered person should only accept placements for children where they are satisfied that the home can respond effectively to the child’s assessed needs as

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Recommendations

recorded in the child’s relevant plans. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 56, paragraph 11.4) Inspection report for children’s home: SC052398 8

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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: SC052398 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: The St Christopher School

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Jacqueline Mullan

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Inspector

Leanne Lyon, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC052398 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 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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