Improve staff wellbeing support in children’s homes to reduce turnover, research suggests

The St Christopher’s Fellowship, which runs children’s homes and semi-independent accommodation, found that staff scores on a questionnaire for those working with people who have experience of trauma showed both risk of burnout and secondary traumatic stress.

The surveys were carried out by staff between April 2020 and April 2021.

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Across the organisation, the average score for risk of burnout was 23.6 out of 50.

The average score for risk of suffering secondary traumatic stress was 21.5 “but the score decreased steadily throughout the year, from 22.5 in June 2020 down to 20.5 in April 2021,” results show.

St Christopher’s therapeutic team used the results to improve interventions for staff, the charity said, including introducing one-to-one support for staff.

"Eighty per cent of high-scoring individuals took up the offer and reduced their scores by the time of the next survey. This led to them remaining in their role, showing how this initiative could tackle staffing issues in the sector,” Rhiannon Thomas, UK therapeutic manager at the St Christopher’s Fellowship, said.

The organisation has also introduced reflective practice and increased training on working with children suffering from trauma.

“When individuals increase their psychological understanding and take part in more conversations about wellbeing, they become more psychologically resilient; their risk of secondary traumatic stress reduces, as they are aware of what is going on and learn to defend their mental health,” Thomas added.

“Stability is vital for children and young people in care,” Thomas said. “Initiatives stemming from this research will help St Christopher’s to provide those all-important consistent relationships for children and young people.”

Meanwhile, Haringey Council, in north London, has announced that children’s services staff will be offered support from a psychotherapist and priority access to the Thinking Space programme to support mental wellbeing, run by Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust, after a social worker was stabbed during a visit to check on a child’s welfare earlier this month.

Sulai Bukhari, 33, of Noel Park Road, Wood Green, appeared at Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court on Monday 9 August charged with one count of attempted murder and two counts of attempting to causing grievous bodily harm with intent. 

He has been remanded in custody to appear at Wood Green Crown Court on 6 September.

Haringey said it was reviewing risk assessment procedures, along with its lone working policy.