Here is the response of the St Christopher’s Fellowship in full:
St Christopher’s Fellowship strongly disputes a number of the assertions contained in Croydon Council’s report about our management of [home name], a care home offering short-term respite support for children and young people with complex needs.
Those joining the home have typically done so as a result of a previous placement breakdown, or the need to be transitioned from unregulated services to this new regulated service.
A number of points in the council’s report do not accurately reflect the service we delivered. The home has had a Registered Manager in place since registration, and we do not accept the suggestion that staffing levels prevented the service from operating effectively. The home was staffed from the outset, supported where necessary through our wider workforce arrangements.
Where concerns were raised during weekly dialogue with our commissioners, St Christopher’s responded constructively, listened to feedback and put actions in place to address areas identified for improvement. We also sought to work collaboratively with the council to find solutions and support the best outcomes for the children in our care.
We are also mindful that a recent Ofsted visit did not openly highlight any major concerns and await the full report, which will be publicly available in due course.
Our Chief Executive is raising these matters formally with the council and setting out in detail where we believe its account is inaccurate or lacks important context. St Christopher’s as a charity has more than 150 years’ experience of supporting children and young people. We remain committed to providing safe, nurturing environments and to working transparently with our partners.
Read more: Council cancels £8.6m children’s home contract after 6 months
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Since reading the original IC report on this fiasco I have read a number of articles on St Christopher’s Fellowship as well as their own assertions following the report being produced. It seems clear that St Christopher’s Fellowship is very well organised and has a history of doing a good job of helping children in need.
This is in stark contrast to Croydon Council, possibly on both counts.
On that basis it suggests that the council is probably to blame for this mess, possibly in setting incorrect expectations and that they are trying to pin the blame on St Christopher’s Fellowship to save face. Although I may stand to be corrected, from previous experience this would neither surprise me nor be out of character for Croydon Council, particularly those in senior positions.
We are presumably all hoping for the day Croydon Council actually starts acting with integrity.