Children's Home run by Sandcastle Care Limited in Blackpool

Unique reference number SC363398 Inspection date 14/11/2013 Inspector Sharon Lloyd Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 09/01/2013 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

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Brief description of the service

This is a privately run children's home. It provides care for up to six children and young people with learning disabilities, physical disabilities and sensory impairment.

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The inspection judgements and what they mean

Outstanding : a service of exceptional quality that significantly exceeds minimum requirements Good : a service of high quality that exceeds minimum requirements Adequate : a service that only meets minimum requirements Inadequate : a service that does not meet minimum requirements

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Overall effectiveness

The overall effectiveness is judged to be adequate .

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Overall effectiveness

The home provides good quality care for young people who, through effective, strong and supportive relationships with staff, make good progress in all areas of their development. They reduce risk-taking and dangerous behaviours and develop self-confidence, independence and social skills. They demonstrate an increasing awareness of and attention to the needs of others, so that they increasingly become well-rounded, resilient, caring individuals. Their mental and physical health improves and they make good progress in education. Young people feel well cared for and safe and thrive on the consistent and effective care provided. The staff team is highly committed to the young people and are knowledgeable about their particular disabilities. This enables them to provide highly personalised care to individuals.

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Overall effectiveness

The leadership and management of the home are inadequate. The registered manager left in July 2013 and the interim management and staffing arrangements are not sufficiently robust. Shortfalls noted by the provider during the period of the previous manager's registration have not been fully addressed. The recruitment of a new manager and two new staff members has taken several months and no Registered Manager application has yet been submitted to Ofsted. The home is not run in accordance with its conditions of registration or its Statement of Purpose and a young person with emotional and behavioural difficulties is currently living there. Serious incidents and concerns about staff members have been appropriately dealt with, but have not been notified to Ofsted. Not all staff are fully trained and the staff induction and qualification programme does not meet the national minimum standards. Shortfalls in children's case records and other records mean that staff do

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Overall effectiveness

not have access to all the information they need to ensure a comprehensive assessment of young people's needs and good care planning. The young people's guide to the home is not suitable for young people with learning disabilities and there has been delay in addressing a health and safety matter.

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Overall effectiveness

The layout of the home meets the needs of the young people placed but is not suitable for young people with physical disabilities. The impact of these shortfalls has been minimal, because the home has a core team of well-trained, well-established and competent staff who continue to work effectively with young people.

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Overall effectiveness

A new manager has been recruited and intends to take up post and submit an application to register with Ofsted in the immediate future. New staff have also been recruited and have begun induction and training, so the home is now fully staffed. The provider has an effective monitoring system, so is well aware of the home's shortfalls and has begun to make improvements.

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Statutory Requirements

This section sets out the actions which must be taken so that the registered person/s meets the Care Standards Act 2000, Children's Homes Regulations 2001 and the National Minimum Standards. The registered person(s) must comply with the given timescales.

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) give notice of the name of the person appointed to manage the children's home and the date on which the appointment is to take effect (Regulation 7 (2)(a) and (b)) 15/12/2013

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure that if any of the events listed in Column 1 of the table in Schedule 5 takes place, the registered person notifies without delay the persons indicated in respect of the event in column 2 of the table (Regulation 30 (1)) 15/12/2013

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure that all staff receive appropriate training, supervision and appraisal (Regulation 27 (4)(a)) 31/12/2013

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) maintain in respect of each child accommodated a permanent record which includes the information, documents and records specified in Schedule 3, is kept up to date and is signed and dated by the author of each written entry (Regulation 28 (1)) 31/12/2013

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure that all parts of the home to which children have access are so far as reasonably practicable free from hazards to their health or safety. In particular, ensure that bedrooms are appropriately lit (Regulation 23 (a)) 30/11/2013

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure that the children's home is at all times conducted in a manner which is consistent with its Statement of Purpose (Regulation 4 (6)) 30/11/2013

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) revise the Statement of Purpose and the children's guide, notify HMCI of the revision and supply a copy of the children's guide to each child accommodated in the home (Regulation 5) 31/01/2014

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Reg. Requirement Due date

4 ensure the children's guide is produced in a form appropriate to 31/01/2014 (2001) the age, understanding and communication needs of the children accommodated in the home and supply a copy of the children's guide to HMCI (Regulation 4 (4) and (5)) 17B (2001) ensure that within 24 hours of the use of any measure of control, discipline or restraint, a written record is made in a volume kept for the purpose which shall include all the matters listed. (Regulation 17B (3) and (4)) 30/11/2013

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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 new staff commence the Children's Workforce Development Council's induction programme within seven days of starting their employment and complete this within six months (NMS 18.3)  ensure that new staff who do not hold a qualification in the Children and Young People's Workforce Diploma (or equivalent) enrol on a suitable qualification programme within six months of confirmation of employment. (NMS 18.5)

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people make good progress in all aspects of their development. This is recognised by young people, parents and professionals. One parent said, ‘I’ve seen a big difference in him since he’s been there’ and a teacher said, ‘we are really pleased, he has made a massive improvement over the summer. We see a huge difference in him.’

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people develop good self-esteem and social skills and reduce their anti-social and offending behaviour. Young people reduce their risk-taking behaviours such as drug misuse and going missing from care.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people’s health and well-being improves and they become confident in their own abilities and as they learn self-care and independence skills. For example, young people learn to manage their finances, decorate, use public transport and prepare nutritious meals. An independent reviewing officer commented: ‘I was struck by the young person's increasing levels of independence and growing confidence and by the quality of relationships he was experiencing with staff members, for whom he has developed respect and trust.’

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Outcomes for children and young people

Whenever possible, young people re-establish and maintain constructive relationships with their families so they develop a positive sense of identity and emotional resilience. Engagement with education and employment is good and young people have 100% attendance and engagement at school and college. This increases their future life chances. Those not in work or education develop confidence and skills from participating in voluntary work and making an effective contribution to the community.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people enjoy a range of individualised activities which help them to engage successfully with peers in the community. They develop good social interaction and learn to value themselves and others so that they begin to build meaningful relationships.

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Quality of care

Young people are extremely positive about the quality of care they receive and say that staff ‘go the extra mile’ for them. They say they are well cared for and safe. One young person said, ‘staff here are the greatest people I have ever met. They don’t ever give up on you.’ A social worker commented, ’they provide a warm and nurturing home and the young person thrives in their care.’

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Quality of care

Staff build very good partnerships with other professionals. For example, by maintaining effective communication with teachers, they ensure consistency of approach to young people. Parents and professionals express confidence in the staff team and comment on the ‘great strides forward’ that young people make. One social worker said, ‘the home communicates well with me and keeps me in the loop at all times.’ A parent said, ‘he has settled down really well since being there. He’s a lot calmer and happier and chirpier. The staff really care about him.'

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Quality of care

Staff consult young people on a daily basis about some aspect of their lives and meet with them each week to review recent events and plan the week ahead. Young people make significant contributions to their daily living and future plans, which they know well. Staff use alternative and individualised communication systems with young people who experience communication difficulties. This ensures that their voices are heard and their care is tailored to meet their individual needs and wishes. For example, staff use a pictorial communication system to assist a young person to choose activities, express views, understand plans and follow routines. By providing a safe and well-structured environment, staff help young people to remain relaxed, calm and comfortable.

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Quality of care

Young people say they know how to complain, but are completely happy with the care and support they receive. They learn to deal with conflict in a constructive way and develop positive and meaningful relationships with staff, each other and with their family and friends.

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Quality of care

Young people have access to psychological support services and a range of health professionals and this promotes the development of good mental and physical health.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The service is good at keeping children and young people safe and feeling safe.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people feel safe at the home and say staff provide a safe environment for them all. The views of the young people are summed up by one young person who said, ‘it’s a lovely place to live. It’s a really safe place.’

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Safeguarding children and young people

Staff know how to respond to an allegation or disclosure of abuse and the whistle- blowing procedure has been effectively implemented to address concerns about poor or unsafe practice. The provider works in partnership with the Local Authority Designated Officer so that concerns are appropriately investigated and action is taken to ensure young people’s safety.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Staff follow good procedures which actively protect and promote the welfare of young people who are absent without authority or missing. They ensure young people are made comfortable on their return and interview them with a view to ensuring their future safety. The incidence of young people going missing reduces over time as young people become increasingly settled in the home and aware of the dangers of their behaviour.

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Safeguarding children and young people

All staff receive training in restraint management before starting work at the home. Restraint is used rarely and only to prevent harm to a young person or others. Restraint records are held on young people’s individual files but those held in the home’s permanent record are not fully detailed so that they do not give a full picture of the event.

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Leadership and management

The leadership and management of the children's home are inadequate .

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Leadership and management

A core team of experienced and highly skilled care staff provides consistent, well- planned care to young people. As a result, shortfalls in the leadership and management of the home have not had a significant impact on outcomes for young people. Concerns about the performance of the former Registered Manager and two other members of staff have been appropriately dealt with and all have now left the home. The home has been without a Registered Manager since 23 July 2013. Interim management arrangements have not been wholly successful but a new, experienced and qualified manager has been recruited and is in the process of submitting an application for registration to Ofsted. Shortfalls in practice have included a failure to notify HMCI of serious incidents. This has impeded the regulator from fulfilling its duty to monitor and oversee the home's response to safeguarding concerns. Although the provider has notified Ofsted of the appointment of a new manager, he

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Leadership and management

has not provided the details required by law.

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Leadership and management

Some staff are highly competent and very well qualified; several have been at the home for a significant period of time and know practices and procedures well. A few staff demonstrate a high degree of professional curiosity which has enabled them to develop effective skills to meet the individual needs of the young people. However, new staff do not routinely undertake the Children’s Workforce Development Council’s induction standards. Nor do they always enrol on an appropriate qualification in children’s social care within six months of their start date. This means that not all staff have the skills and understanding they need to provide the best quality care.

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Leadership and management

Effective monitoring of the home on behalf of the provider has highlighted some shortfalls in staff training and has identified a need for improved recording. The home has begun to improve these areas. For example, first aid training dates have been set for the very near future and the training officer has planned refresher training across other areas. An audit and updating of records is currently taking place. Small changes to improve practice with particular young people are not always recorded so do not demonstrate the good work that is happening. For example, there has been a significant reduction in a young person's challenging behaviour as a result of changing bed time routines but the acting manager acknowledges that records do not show these changes or that they have been carefully implemented and reviewed.

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Leadership and management

The quality of young people's personal files is variable. Some placement plans, risk assessments and health plans are comprehensive and provide evidence of high quality assessment and clear plans, which staff know and follow. Records for other young people provide significantly less detail and local authority care plans and pathway plans are not always held. Shortfalls in the case records mean that staff do not always have access to all of the information necessary to meet the full range of young people’s needs. Regular progress updates are provided to placing social workers; however, some documentation is not signed or dated so it is not clear when plans have been reviewed and the record does not always demonstrate that social workers have been involved in planning.

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Leadership and management

The home is not operating in accordance with its current conditions of registration or its Statement of Purpose. This is because it is looking after young people for whom it is not registered. The young person's guide is written in a format that is not suitable for the young people currently living at the home or for the category of young people for whom the home is registered. This matter has been raised with the manager and plans are in place to review it in the immediate future so that it is available in different formats to meet the individual needs of each young person.

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Leadership and management

For the most part the home is well maintained. However, light bulbs have not always been replaced promptly and this has resulted in a young person's health and safety being at risk.

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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 main strengths, any areas for improvement, including any breaches of regulation, and any failure to meet national minimum standards. The judgements included in the report are made against the Inspections of children’s homes – framework for inspection and the evaluation schedule for the inspection of children's homes.

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