Children's Home run by St Christopher’s Fellowship in Croydon

Inspection report for children's home: 2864907 1 Registered provider: St Christopher's Fellowship

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children's home

The home is run by a not-for-profit charity and cares for up to 4 children with social and emotional difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children's home

At the time of the inspection, 2 children were living at the home.

p.1

Information about this children's home

The home and the manager registered with Ofsted March 2026. This was the home's first inspection since registration.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

The children's home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.1

good

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 2864907 2

p.1

Summary of findings

Managers and staff create a nurturing and encouraging environment for children. Staff follow plans to promote children's safety and respond to emerging concerns. They support children to engage in learning and access educational opportunities that meet their individual needs. Staff help children to understand their health needs and make informed decisions about their lives through direct work and meaningful relationships.

p.2

Summary of findings

The registered manager advocates effectively for children and works collaboratively with professionals to progress plans and secure support. However, one child requires additional support to maintain their bedroom as a suitable living environment, and improvements are needed to strengthen medication recording systems and ensure that learning from practice concerns is discussed promptly through supervision.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the home registered with Ofsted, 4 children have lived at the home. Two children have moved on following relatively short stays. Leaders have reflected on these moves and identified learning to strengthen future planning. This includes reviewing suitability assessments, consulting with staff and ensuring that staff training reflects the needs of children moving into the home.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to pursue their interests and encourage their engagement in learning. Staff have supported one child to secure a place in further education. Staff and the registered manager work collaboratively with professionals to identify and progress educational opportunities that meet children's individual needs. This helps children to access suitable learning experiences and make progress from their starting points.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff use children's individual plans to guide the support they provide both in the home and the community. They help children to develop decision-making skills and greater self-awareness through regular conversations and everyday experiences. Staff create an environment in which children feel comfortable talking about their lives, feelings and relationships with others.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff promote family time and support children during visits with their families outside the home. During the inspection, one parent provided positive feedback about the care and support offered by staff. The parent described communication as good and said that they are kept up to date about what is happening in their child's life.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff promote a warm and welcoming environment for children. Children's bedrooms are personalised, helping them to express their individuality and develop a sense of identity. Staff encourage children to develop independence and take responsibility for their personal spaces. For example, one child cares for a pet in their bedroom, helping them Inspection report for children's home: 2864907 3 to develop responsibility. However, one child requires additional support from staff to ensure that their bedroom remains a clean, comfortable and suitable living environment.

p.2

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

Staff have a good understanding of children's risks, vulnerabilities and early signs that concerns may be increasing. Staff and leaders work closely with other professionals through regular multi-agency meetings to develop and review safety plans. This helps to ensure that children receive coordinated support that reduces risks and promotes their safety and wellbeing.

p.3

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

Children's health needs are addressed well. Staff encourage and support children to attend health appointments and access the services they need. Staff and leaders seek specialist advice and support where necessary and use direct work discussions to help children understand the impact that their choices can have on their health and safety. This helps children to better understand risks and make safer choices.

p.3

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

The registered manager works collaboratively with partner agencies and the wider professional network to develop and review plans for children. Through regular meetings and discussions, the registered manager helps to ensure that plans remain focused on children's needs and future goals. New and emerging information is shared effectively with staff through team meetings and other communication systems, helping staff to remain informed and provide consistent care and support for children.

p.3

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

Staff have a good understanding of the actions required when a child goes missing from the home. The registered manager has reflected on feedback from partner agencies and reviewed practice against the missing-from-care protocol. As a result, changes have been implemented to strengthen recording, including the quality of grab packs and the accuracy of chronologies. This helps to ensure that information is readily available and provides a clearer account of events and actions taken to safeguard children.

p.3

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

Managers have considered learning from a recent medication recording error and have taken action to improve practice. However, central records do not consistently identify which member of staff has collected and returned children's medication from health services. This reduces the audit trail for medicine management and limits management oversight.

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has a good understanding of children's needs and vulnerabilities and advocates effectively on their behalf. They provide appropriate challenge to professionals to ensure that children receive the support they need. For example, the registered manager successfully challenged decisions relating to substance misuse services and sought the reinstatement of referrals when concerns remained. This helps to ensure that children's needs are recognised and responded to appropriately. Inspection report for children's home: 2864907 4 Monitoring and review systems help the registered manager to identify shortfalls and areas for development within the home. The registered manager maintains effective oversight of day-to-day practice and records and uses audits and chronologies to identify patterns and trends. This enables leaders to evaluate practice, address emerging concerns and drive improvements that benefit children.

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers and leaders follow safer recruitment processes to help ensure that children are cared for by suitable staff. New staff complete an induction and training programme that prepares them for their role and helps them to understand children's individual needs. The registered manager also ensures that agency staff who work regularly in the home are included in training, team discussions and the sharing of key information. This helps to ensure that children receive consistent care and support from staff who understand their needs and experiences.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders ensure that supervision provides staff with opportunities to discuss safeguarding matters and reflect on their practice with children. This contributes to a supportive working environment where staff feel valued. While supervision is generally used effectively, one record did not evidence timely discussion of a medication-related matter. This was a missed opportunity to identify learning, review practice and support the staff member's continued development. Inspection report for children's home: 2864907 5

p.4

What does the children's home need to do to improve?

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.

p.5

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

p.5

Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development;

p.5

Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(a))

p.5

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that supervision records demonstrate that concerns relating to staff practice are discussed and addressed in a timely manner, with any learning clearly identified and followed up. 30 October 2026

p.5

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that medicines are administered in line with a medically approved protocol. In particular, they should maintain central records of staff who obtain medication brought into the home. ('Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards', page 35, paragraph 7.15)

p.5

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff continue to support children to keep a suitable living environment in their personal spaces. ('Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,' page 15, paragraph 3.7)

p.5

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: 2864907 6

p.5

Children's home details

Registered provider: St Christopher's Fellowship

p.6

Children's home details

Registered provider address: St. Christophers Fellowship, 1 Putney High Street, London SW15 1SZ

p.6

Children's home details

Registered manager: Lucellta Wallace-Esnard

p.6

Inspector

Andrea Ulett, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2864907 7 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.

p.6

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7