St Michael's Fellowship

Inspection report for residential family centre: St Michael’s Fellowship 1 St Michael’s Fellowship St Michael’s Fellowship Crawford House, 2 Terrapin Road, London SW17 8QN Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this residential family centre

St Michael’s Fellowship is an established independent charity. Part of its service includes three residential family centres in the South London area.

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Information about this residential family centre

Crawford House offers a 12 week residential parenting assessments for up to four families. The assessments focus on children’s developmental needs, parenting capacity and family and environmental factors. The assessment process is a staged approach which starts with observation of families and transitions into teaching parents the necessary skills. The final stage is where parents are expected to demonstrate their learning to ensure the safety of their child.

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Information about this residential family centre

The centre registered in July 2004. A manager has been appointed but has not yet applied for registration with Ofsted.

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Information about this residential family centre

At the time of this inspection, one family was living at the centre. The parents were spoken to during the inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and parents, taking into account

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good

How well children and parents are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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good

The residential family centre provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Date of last inspection: 25 January 2023

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good Inspection report for residential family centre: St Michael’s Fellowship 2 Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for residential family centre: St Michael’s Fellowship 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

The family currently living at the centre understand the reason for the assessment, and staff provide regular feedback to them about their progress. Staff work hard to build positive relationships with the parents. Regular residents’ meetings enable families to voice their feelings, and there is a collaborative approach to resolving issues. One parent told inspectors that they value the sessions and guidance that staff provide, and they are grateful for the ‘extra chance’ to parent their child.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

The family appreciate the varied support groups that are available. They regularly attend baby groups, and the parents receive individual support based on the local authority’s concerns. The family have the choice to engage with the in-house outreach programme that supports families’ moves back into the community.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

The family take part in various activities, such as going to the zoo, swimming and baby group ‘rhyme time’. Cultural events are celebrated, and staff organise events such as a tea and scone afternoon. This gives parents the opportunity to have enjoyable experiences while they are being assessed and encourages a family feel in the centre.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

Staff make significant contributions to the assessment process. Assessments are of a good standard and address the points raised in the court-directed letter of instruction. Assessments highlight parents’ strengths and challenges. They are well informed by observations and discussions with parents and other family members. The recommendations are clear and consider the child’s developmental needs well and the parents’ ability to meet them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

Staff are respectful of the culture and traditions of the family currently living at the centre. For example, in the family’s tradition, outdoor shoes are not worn in the bedroom, and the parent appreciates staff’s diligence in observing this. Staff also support and facilitate contact with wider family members to help the family maintain these important links.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

Families have enough space to live comfortably during the assessment period. The ensuite bedrooms are large with good storage for belongings. The lounge and the kitchen are spacious. However, the centre would benefit from some repair work and decoration to contribute to a more homely feel. In addition, parents have complained about the cleanliness of the centre.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

Staff work closely with other safeguarding agencies. This ensures that there is a joined-up approach to safeguarding children and parents. A social worker said that staff are ‘child focused and vigilant’. Inspection report for residential family centre: St Michael’s Fellowship 4 Leaders, managers and staff support parents to learn how to keep themselves and their children safe. They achieve this by focusing assessments on the parents’ ability to provide safe care and regularly reviewing risk assessments. Staff provide targeted support to parents, and this improves the parents’ awareness of how to keep their child safe. For example, one parent told inspectors that staff have discussions with them and use video resources to explain the concerns relating to domestic violence.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

Staff give regular feedback to parents. When staff have worries about a parent’s behaviour, they speak to the parents about this so that they understand why this is a concern. A social worker told the inspectors that staff are ‘proactive’ when it comes to safeguarding and that parents’ understanding of the professionals’ concerns has improved.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

Staff manage and record incidents well and there is usually good management oversight. However, on one occasion, leaders and managers failed to notify the regulator about a serious incident as required, which limits the regulator’s knowledge of concerns in the centre.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

Leaders and managers are committed to children and parents living in a safe place. They ensure that all environmental checks are completed to ensure that the centre complies with health and safety policies.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

Leaders and managers closely adhere to safe recruitment practices. New staff participate in an induction programme that ensures that staff have the required knowledge to work with families.

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good

Leadership and management have been inconsistent since the last inspection. A new manager is in post, but they have not yet submitted their application to register with Ofsted as required. A new responsible individual has also been appointed, and the regulator is in the process of considering their suitability.

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good

Leaders and managers cannot evidence their monitoring and oversight of the quality of the assessments and support given to families. Leaders and managers do not ensure that the regulator receives monthly updates as required by regulation. The manager’s review of the quality of care families receive has not been sent to Ofsted for two years. In addition, leaders have not sent Ofsted an updated statement of purpose, despite changes in the leadership and management of the centre. These shortfalls limit the regulator’s oversight of the centre.

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good

Managers’ oversight of some records is poor. Families’ records are not consistently kept up to date, and during the inspection not all records were available to inspectors. In addition, important information, such as details of health services, were missing from the register of all placements. The shortfall concerning missing information in the register was noted at the last inspection. Inspection report for residential family centre: St Michael’s Fellowship 5 Leaders and managers are not clear about the training that staff attend. Not all staff have completed training relating to domestic violence. This is a shortfall as the centre often works with parents where domestic violence is a worry.

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good

Staff receive yearly appraisals, where achievements are celebrated and plans are put in place for personal development. Team meetings and supervision sessions happen. However, records of these meetings do not reflect discussions had about supporting families.

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good

Despite the shortfalls in leadership, hard work from the staff means that families are well supported. The staff enjoy working at the centre. They work collaboratively, feel well supported in their role and understand the bespoke support that the family needs.

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good

Two requirements relating to the provision of regular reports to Ofsted regarding the conduct of the centre and ensuring that leaders provide a copy of the updated statement of purpose to Ofsted in a timely way are re-raised at this inspection. Inspection report for residential family centre: St Michael’s Fellowship 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, The Residential Family Centre Regulations 2002 and the national minimum standards. The registered person(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

A person shall not manage a residential family centre unless he is fit to do so. (Regulation 7 (1))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the appointed manager must apply to register so that their fitness is assessed by the regulator. 29 September 2025

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Requirement Due date

Where the registered provider is an organisation or a partnership, the residential family centre shall be visited in accordance with this regulation by—

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Requirement Due date

the responsible individual or one of the partners, as the case may be;

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Requirement Due date

another of the directors or other persons responsible for the management of the organisation or partnership; or

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Requirement Due date

an employee of the organisation or partnership who is not directly concerned with the conduct of the residential family centre.

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Requirement Due date

Visits under paragraph (1) or (2) shall [as far as reasonably practicable,] take place at least once a month and may be unannounced.

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Requirement Due date

The person carrying out the visit shall—

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Requirement Due date

prepare a written report on the conduct of the residential family centre.

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider shall supply a copy of the report required to be made under paragraph (4)(c) to the [Chief Inspector]. (Regulation 25 (2)(a)(b)(c) (3) (4)(c) (5)(a))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 29 September 2025 Inspection report for residential family centre: St Michael’s Fellowship 7 The registered person shall compile in relation to the residential family centre a written statement (in these Regulations referred to as "the statement of purpose") which shall consist of a statement as to the matters listed in Schedule 1.

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Requirement Due date

keep under review and where appropriate revise the statement of purpose and resident’s guide; and

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Requirement Due date

notify the [Chief Inspector] within 28 days of any such revision. (Regulation 4 (1) (4)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 29 September 2025

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Requirement Due date

The registered person shall establish and maintain a system for—

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided at the residential family centre.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person shall supply to the [Chief Inspector] a report in respect of any review conducted by him for the purposes of paragraph (1), and make a copy of the report available to residents. (Regulation 23 (1)(a)(b) (2)) 29 September 2025

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Requirement Due date

If, in relation to a residential family centre, any of the events listed in column 1 of the table in Schedule 5 takes place, the registered person shall without delay notify the persons indicated in respect of the event in column 2 of the table.

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Requirement Due date

Any notification made in accordance with this regulation which is given orally shall be confirmed in writing. (Regulation 26 (1) (3))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that the regulator is notified about any child protection enquiry. 29 September 2025

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Requirement Due date

The registered person shall maintain in respect of each family accommodated in the residential family centre a record which— 29 September 2025 Inspection report for residential family centre: St Michael’s Fellowship 8 includes the information, documents and other records specified in Schedule 3 relating to the members of the family;

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Requirement Due date

is kept up to date. (Regulation 19 (1)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that families’ records are kept up to date, clear and accessible.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must also ensure that they have oversight of these records.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the manager regularly monitors, in line with the Residential Family Centre Regulations 2002, all records kept by the centre to ensure that all required information about families is consistently maintained. (Residential family centres: NMS 19.2)  The registered person should ensure that staff are suitably trained to meet the needs of the parents and children they look after. In particular, they should receive training regarding domestic violence. (Residential family centres: NMS 16.1)  The registered person should ensure that the centre provides a comfortable and homely environment and is well maintained and decorated and safe. (Residential family centres: NMS 11.2)  The registered person should ensure that staff receive effective supervision and that team meetings focus on the work they do with the families. (Residential family centres: NMS 17.4)

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and parents 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 Residential Family Centre Regulations 2002 and the national minimum standards. Inspection report for residential family centre: St Michael’s Fellowship 9

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Residential family centre details

Registered provider: St Michael’s Fellowship

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Residential family centre details

Registered provider address: 136 Streatham High Road, London SW16 1BW

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Residential family centre details

Email address: crawford.house@stmichaelsfellowship.org.uk

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Inspectors

Chelsea Agyeman, Social Care Inspector Amanda Burrows, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for residential family centre: St Michael’s Fellowship 1 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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