Children's Home run by Sandcastle Care Limited in Blackpool

Unique reference number SC065313 Inspection date 19/02/2013 Inspector Malcolm Stannard Type of inspection Interim Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 01/08/2012 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Brief description of the service

This home is operated by a private organisation. It is registered to care for up to three young people of both genders with emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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The inspection judgements and what they mean

Good progress The children’s home has demonstrated continued improvement in quality of care and outcomes for children and young people and where appropriate has addressed all requirements and the large majority of recommendations that were raised at the previous inspection. Satisfactory progress The children’s home has maintained quality of care and outcomes for children and young people and where appropriate has addressed all requirements and the majority of recommendations that were raised at the previous inspection. Inadequate progress The children’s home has failed to address one or more requirements and/or has not met the majority of recommendations and/or the quality of care and outcomes for children and young people have declined since the last full inspection.

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Progress

Since their previous inspection the service is judged to be making satisfactory progress .

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Progress

At the last inspection in August 2012, the overall effectiveness of the home was judged to be adequate. At that inspection eight recommendations for improvement were made. Appropriate action has been taken to address all of these.

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Progress

The home has not had a registered manager since October 2012. However a proposed manager is now in post and an application for registration has been made to Ofsted. This is currently being processed.

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Progress

Managers of the service have worked to secure improvements and ensure support for the staff team in their work. Young people who previously pushed the boundaries of acceptable behaviour within the home are challenged and now engage with the support and opportunities provided by staff. The home offers a calm, warm and welcoming environment. There has been no occurrence requiring physical intervention by staff since the last inspection.

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Progress

Young people are able to fully communicate their views on all aspects of their care. They can express their thoughts in young people's meetings and during key work sessions. Additionally, they are invited to comment each time there is a change in their care plan. Young people therefore have the opportunity to contribute towards the running of the home and their individual plans for the future. They are invited to sign the minutes of all meetings, key work sessions and care plans and in the majority of cases do so.

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Progress

Staff actively encourage young people to read their individual files. On a monthly basis key workers offer to go through the file with them and young people sign to state that they have seen their file or do not wish to do so on that occasion. This allows young people to correct any errors contained in information and the opportunity to add comments of their own should they wish to add these to the records.

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Progress

Progress plans have been introduced for all young people. This enables staff to have a clear view of young people’s identified needs, the actions required to meet these and who is responsible to do so.

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Progress

Physical intervention record forms have been amended so that is now possible to record that young people have been routinely offered the opportunity to see a medical professional. Additional information, such as any injuries or treatment required can also be entered here. The completion of expression sheets and the possibility for young people to sign and comment on records such as sanction logs has also been enhanced. This ensures that young people are able to have their views and comments considered following any behaviour management occurrence.

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Progress

The young person’s guide to the home has been amended to contain up-to-date details of people outside the home who young people may contact if they wish to raise a concern. This includes information relating to Ofsted and the Children's Rights Director. A young person confirms that they received a copy of the guide and that it is kept in their room. Arrangements are also now in place which enable staff to provide a translated copy of the guide within a short time should this be required.

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Progress

The baseline assessment carried out for young people who the home proposes to admit has been reviewed. Much more detail is now required for the assessment, including education checks as well as information from a range of professionals who have previously worked with a young person. This enhanced assessment allows the manager to consider the impact of an admission on other young people already in the home, as well as ensuring that individual needs can be met. The information enables the manager to make a more informed judgement on a proposed admission. However, there is little evidence available as to how the decision is reached or an analysis of why a certain decision was taken.

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Progress

Young people are supported to achieve to the highest level they can both in their educational and social abilities. All young people attend school on a full-time basis. Staff assist young people to obtain part-time work during school holidays. The behaviour of young people at the home has improved and the opportunity for positive outcomes for them has increased. The home is much more settled than at the time of the last inspection and positive relationships exist between staff and young people. The provision is making satisfactory progress and increasingly structured practice continues to embed. An example of this progress is the reduction of occasions young people go missing from the home, as they engage fully with the incentive of earning ‘free time’.

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):

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Recommendations

 ensure that the home only provides admission to young people whose assessed needs they can reasonably expect to meet. Specifically, evidence should be provided of the analysis undertaken which informed the decision to admit or decline the admission of a young person. (NMS 11.2)

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About this inspection

The purpose of this inspection is to assure children and young people, parents, the public, local authorities and government of the quality and standard of the service provided. The inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service and to consider how well it complies with the relevant regulations and meets the national minimum standards.

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About this inspection

The report details the progress made by the provider since the last full inspection, identifies any further strengths, any areas for improvement and makes judgements as outlined in the Inspection of children’s homes – framework for inspection.

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