Children's home run by St Christopher’s Fellowship in Wandsworth

Inspection report for children’s home: 1159755 1 Registered provider: St Christopher’s Fellowship

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home registered with Ofsted in October 2015 and is owned and managed by a private provider. It offers care for up to four children of the same gender who may experience social and/or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, two children were living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been in post since September 2020. They are suitably qualified and experienced.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Date of last inspection: 25 February 2025

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: Outstanding

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 1159755 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

25/02/2025 Full Outstanding 19/03/2024 Full Outstanding 14/03/2023 Full Outstanding 26/01/2022 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: 1159755 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children living at this home make exceptional progress in many areas of their lives. They have been able to form meaningful relationships with staff that have helped them to grow emotionally, developing skills that are transferable to their adult lives.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff provide exceptional levels of care and stability. Staff have a high challenge, high support approach to how they care for children and positive praise is frequent. They consistently use positive affirmations to reinforce to children that they are worthy of being cared for and loved; and this is what children experience.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children have made significant and sustained progress in education. These improvements include regular attendance after a period of several years when school was not attended, and one child completing and achieving well in their GCSE exams. For some children education in the home with the support of tutors has been the most appropriate approach and this has been sustained and successful.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children told inspectors that they feel safe and enjoy living at the home. Children feel the strong support from staff and all children have trusted members of staff that they can talk to if they feel worried about anything. Staff have supported one child to complain to their placing authority about the plans for their future living arrangements, and they show tenacity in ensuring children’s voices are heard and their rights are respected.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children have clear care plans that align with their local authorities care plans. This ensures joined up care across different areas of their lives. Staff and the manager have high aspirations for children, and they are supported to ‘believe and achieve’. This results in sustained progress in all areas of their lives, including in their emotional development.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children have made significant progress in developing their independence skills. This includes considerable improvement in their understanding in areas such as how to manage money and supporting their own health needs, even those that are complex.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children are supported to maintain relationships with people that are important to them. Family members told inspectors that the staff team are ‘amazing’ and that communication is excellent. Families feel included in decisions that are made about their children and so feel part of their care.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: outstanding

The manager and staff have created a range of approaches and plans that have helped to significantly reduce risk and safeguard children. These plans show curiosity, critical reflection and learning that ensure that children are at the center of their own lives. Inspection report for children’s home: 1159755 4 Children’s voices are pivotal in how staff understand children’s behaviors. This helps staff and children to identify risks which in turn lead them to create plans that help to mitigate any risks. The plans are clear and understood by all. One example of how successful this has been is in the substantial reduction in the number of times children are missing from the home.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: outstanding

Children are supported to be safe. When safeguarding incident do occur staff complete clear records that identify what happens and how this was managed by staff. Children have an opportunity to discuss any incidents, and the manager has good oversight of all incidents to help staff and children reflect and learn.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: outstanding

The manager and staff work together with other professionals to ensure that there is a muti agency approach to managing any safeguarding concerns. For example, when staff or the manager notice concerning patterns of behaviour or concerns that do not reduce the manager ensures that professionals come together. This makes sure that information is shared and a joint approach is put in place as needed.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: outstanding

Staff use regular keywork sessions with children to ensure that areas of concerns are discussed and reviewed. Information relating to positive behaviour or challenges are shared with the staff team to support consistency in approach. Staff are supported by a therapist in their team meetings to develop common approaches to use in their work. These are then shared with other agencies. This means that professionals have a developed and shared understanding of children’s needs and how these are being supported.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and the manager have excellent oversight of the home, care practice, and the needs of the children. The manager is dynamic and passionate, advocating for relational practice which is ‘love led’ so that children really feel cared for at the home; and after they leave the home. Several children who have lived in the home stay in touch with staff and give them updates about their lives. The manager also ensures that staff use a range of knowledge-based approaches and theory to underpin direct practice. This is securely embedded in day to day work with children. It enables staff’s excellent understanding of the needs of the children that they care for and helps children to make and sustain progress in their own lives.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and Mangers have an outstanding level of commitment to children. This has been acknowledged and nationally recognised. The manager and staff have recently attended an awards ceremony and been successful in receiving a national award for safeguarding.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Feedback from professionals is outstanding. One professional described the home as ‘just simply a cut above the rest’. All professionals reported that staff’s ability to reflect and maintain continuous curiosity about what is in the best interest of children is exceptional. Inspection report for children’s home: 1159755 5 The manager has high expectations for themselves and staff. They ensure that staff are well supported and will confidently challenge and hold staff to account for their practice to ensure this standard is maintained. The manager ensures that staff have access to additional clinical support to help them to learn about themselves and how they can personally impact on their own practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager maintains a continual review of the service that identifies areas of excellent practice and areas to build on for the future. The manager is committed to reflection and learning and they, and staff, have been involved in several pieces of research. This has included sharing best practice with other agencies.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The home has a system that is in place which includes children using a fob to access their bedrooms and exits of the home. Children do not always have the freedom of movement expected for their age and understanding. Inspection report for children’s home: 1159755 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 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 privacy of children is appropriately protected;

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Requirement Due date

children can access all appropriate areas of the children’s home’s premises; and

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Requirement Due date

(c) any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area of the home’s premises—

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Requirement Due date

(i) is intended to safeguard each child accommodated in the home;

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Requirement Due date

(iii) is kept under review and, if necessary, revised; and

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Requirement Due date

(iv) allows children as much freedom as is possible when balanced against the need to protect them and keep them safe. (Regulation 21(a) (b)(c)(1)(ii)(iii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

In particular the Registered Manger must ensure that children have the freedom to leave the home in line with their age and understanding. The Registered Manger must ensure that if it is necessary to restrict access this is proportionate, regularly reviewed and not in place for longer than necessary. 14 January 2026

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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: 1159755 7

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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: St. Christopher’s Fellowship, 1 Putney High Street, London SW15 1SZ

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Inspectors

Helen Daniel, Social Care Inspector Karol Keenan, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1159755 8 and inspects 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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