Children's Home run by Sandcastle Care Limited in Blackpool

Good

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

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The children’s home provision is good because:

 Young people make progress from their initial starting points. They have thrived and benefited significantly from living in the home.  Staff know the young people well. They have very good relationships with young people and this adds to the stability and security that young people feel in the home.  Young people new to the home settle quickly. They are warmly welcomed and there is extensive consideration of their needs.  Young people learn about their physical and mental health, and various ways that these can be improved.  Young people are making steady progress with their education. Effective partnerships with teachers, therapists and other professionals improve young people’s engagement with services that are beneficial to their longer-term prospects.  Consistent staff practice is central to the care provided. Staff encourage, value, listen to and act upon young people’s wishes and feelings. Young people have a

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The children’s home provision is good because:

voice, and their views influence and shape their care.  Staff manage the behaviour of the young people well and demonstrate a good understanding of their past disrupted lives and previous criminal activities. They are good role models and assist young people to quickly reflect on and change their behaviour.  There are sound arrangements in place that support young people’s safety. Young people feel safe in the home and identify different individuals whom they would turn to at times of crisis. Staff are confident in implementing safeguarding procedures, including reporting processes.  The registered manager is enthusiastic and, supported by team leaders, inspires the staff team to make a positive difference in young people’s lives.  Staff feel well supported in their roles. They receive good training and development opportunities and work consistently as a team. Staff use their skills well and support young people to improve their confidence and emotional well-

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendations:

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Recommendations

 Staff should be familiar with the home’s policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective, and clear recording. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, paragraph 14.4, page 62)  Staff should continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. Where there are safeguarding concerns for a child, their placement plan and risk assessment, agreed between the home and their placing authority, must include details of the steps the home will take to manage any assessed risks on a day to day basis. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, paragraph 9.5, page 42)  The registered person should actively seek independent scrutiny of the home and make best use of information from independent and internal monitoring

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Recommendations

(including under regulations 44 and 45) to ensure continuous improvement. This relates specifically to the homes development plan. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, paragraph 10.24, page 55)

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Information about this children’s home

 The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for three young people with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.  The home is privately owned.  As written in the home’s statement of purpose, ‘Our ethos of care is one of immediate acceptance, irrespective of presentation. It is flexible and responsive, determined by the unique circumstances of the individual at the time, without detracting from the need for children to experience a safe, warm, nurturing, stable and consistent living environment, however short or long their stay with us.’

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 24/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 18/01/2016 Full Good 12/02/2015 Interim Improved effectiveness 18/06/2014 Full Adequate

p.5

Good

Young people are making good progress and are comfortable living at the home. A young person said, ‘I would rather be here. I am safe, out of trouble and want to stay in this house.’ An independent reviewing officer said, ‘I am very impressed so far. Engagement with the young people is instrumental and is having a positive impact to allow them to make decisions and change their ways.’ Another local authority representative complimented staff for their ‘hard work, dedication and commitment in providing such care and support that is delivering positive outcomes for the young people’.

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Good

These positive outcomes are being achieved through consistent messages and strong relationships between young people and staff. Relationships are formed prior to or on admission to the home. The home is welcoming and provides a family environment. Collectively, young people say how well they get on with staff and enjoy living in the home. Staff show a high awareness of the differing needs of the young people, the relevant support they require and how to provide this to them. Young people and staff are positive about their achievements and developments while they have been living and working in the home.

p.6

Good

Young people are in good health, are registered with the local medical centre and receive the health services that they require. Proactive monitoring of their health needs ensures that health service provision remains in line with their needs. Robust procedures are understood and followed by staff, ensuring that any medication brought into the home is stored securely, administered properly and recorded. Staff demonstrate their good knowledge of young people’s health needs and how they will meet and support these needs.

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Good

Individual therapy sessions are tailored around young people’s emotional needs and interests, as outlined in their placement plan. Sessions are carried out by an experienced and qualified professional therapist. The home’s therapy service regularly assesses the needs and impact of young people’s behaviour. They offer a variety of therapy services that promote young people’s emotional well-being. Staff evaluate the intervention and impact for young people, with plans adjusted as required. Staff work closely together, sharing information that promotes practice and a positive approach for each young person.

p.6

Good

Staff understand the barriers and challenges young people face that are linked to previous life experiences. This insight enables them to support young people to manage their behaviour, social interactions and education. Young people work well with their youth offending workers, and this work is supported by all staff. This is having a positive impact on young people and they have reflected on and changed from their previous chaotic lives, and their criminal activities have ceased.

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Good

Young people, prior to living at the home, had experienced multiple placement moves, had a history of very poor school attendance and had a negative attitude towards learning. Staff highly value education. In doing so, they help young people to overcome barriers to learning. As a result, young people now regularly attend school, have arrangements in place to commence training as an apprentice, are making educational progress and are enthusiastic about their own learning and future prospects.

p.7

Good

Young people have detailed care plans, which do support the progress young people make, and these plans help staff in being able to support young people with all aspects of their lives; the plans are regularly updated by key workers. However, the evidence trail of young people’s involvement is limited within their plans. As a result, a recommendation is raised: to ensure that young people’s care and placement plans are individual and that young people’s opinions are detailed in care plans, evidencing their progress and journey in the home.

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Good

Young people are involved in different activities, primarily led by their own interests but supported by the staff team. They have local friends who often visit the home, stay for tea and join the young people and staff on outings and activities. This increases young people’s feelings of self-worth and shows them that the staff support their relationships with their peer group. Staff and young people have organised a five-a-side football match, planned and designed a gym in the outbuilding in the rear garden, been to theme parks and participated in their preferred hobbies. The manager is planning a holiday, taking in young people’s preferred location and interests. The sporting activities the young people take part in have a positive impact on their overall health and well-being.

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Good

Contact, while supported by staff, is unrestricted between young people and their families. Young people make their own arrangements and keep in touch with their families. Distance and transport are not issues, as the home has the use of a fleet car to transport young people, whatever the distance, should they choose to visit their family or see their friends in their home town.

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Good

It is evident, and young people confirm, how much they feel involved in the day-to- day running of their home. Young people have an active input into matters that affect them within the home. There are frequent key-worker sessions, informal meetings and daily discussions with the registered manager and staff team. These arrangements help build confidence and improve young people’s social skills, such as negotiating, compromising and listening. Young people are regularly consulted; they engage well in their statutory reviews and other meetings to discuss their care and future. Judgement grade

p.7

Good

The home provides a safe environment for young people, with each stating that they feel safe and secure and happy to request help and guidance when needed. Young people are able to talk openly about their individual difficulties and worries and all state that they have no issues in approaching any of the staff or the manager. Young people confirm that they know how to make a complaint, and who to make it to, should they need to.

p.8

Good

Staff demonstrate a good understanding of safeguarding and they have completed relevant training in a wide range of protection topics. Training strengthens their awareness of electronic safety, bullying, grooming, child sexual exploitation and radicalisation. Young people and staff confirm that there are no concerns nor any suspected issues in relation to safeguarding matters.

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Good

Risk assessments help staff to identify risks and to carefully consider what action needs to be taken in the best interest of protecting young people. This helps to ensure that young people are protected from most risks which have been categorised as high. However, some young people’s risk assessments lack strategies. As a result, a recommendation has been made: to ensure that all risk assessments must include details of the steps that the staff will take to manage any assessed risks on a day-to-day basis and that these are agreed with young people’s placing authorities and are in line with their placement plan.

p.8

Good

Young people rarely go missing and this is a significant improvement from previous placements they have lived in. Good planning and partnership working have helped to decrease the risks of young people being missing or absent from the home. For one young person, living in this home has meant a return to his home town, so any risks of going missing to be with friends have diminished. Another young person has had their risks significantly reduced by disrupting previous negative friendships and influences that had the potential to criminalise the young person. Young people say that they are benefiting from, and progressing as a result of, moving to and living in this home.

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Good

Positive behaviours are promoted consistently well by staff, with young people being proud of rewards that they have achieved. Arrangements for short- and long- term rewards have resulted in trips to theme parks, go-karting, paintballing and involvement in and watching sport. Young people decide on their rewards and are involved with how these can be achieved, through setting individualised targets that relate to areas they wish to improve on. Individualised behaviour management plans provide practical advice and guide staff on how and what is required to support young people to de-escalate, self-regulate and manage their behaviour if it reaches crisis point. Young people, staff and records show that restraint or sanctions have not been used.

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Good

Staff have a sound understanding of health and safety, and checks are regularly completed. All routine servicing and monitoring checks are up to date. Young people are involved in fire drills. A fire risk assessment has been undertaken and all recommendations have been actioned. There is a comprehensive environmental and local area risk assessment to look at potential issues within the home and its locality. These robust safety measures protect young people, staff and visitors in the home.

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Good

There is a robust recruitment procedure in place with evidence on staff files that all checks have been completed and verified prior to staff starting to work in the home, ensuring that only appropriate staff are recruited and young people are kept safe.

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Good

The manager meets and explores the needs of young people prior to admission. The assessments completed clearly state whether need can be met and what is required to meet needs. Staff evaluate the impact of risk on the young person and others in the home and prepare young people living in the home for the arrival of a new admission.

p.9

Good

An effective registered manager leads this home. He is suitably qualified, having achieved his level 5 diploma in leadership and management of residential childcare. Alongside this, he has 10 years of childcare residential experience. He demonstrates a commitment to providing high-quality care, and his child-centred ethos shapes the practice of staff. The registered manager has the support of two qualified team leaders, and delegated responsibilities, such as supervisions, auditing administration systems and health and safety checks, are shared.

p.9

Good

Under this leadership, a full, permanent staff team is trained and equipped to meet the needs of young people living in the home. Training provision is proactive and in line with the needs of the young people. Four staff have completed their diploma, with four staff being in the process of completing their level 3 diploma in residential childcare, within the timescales set by regulations.

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Good

Staff feel well supported by the management team and highlight the registered manager’s ‘hands-on’ approach as being especially positive in their working relationship. They confirm that there are detailed and clear induction processes in place. They also say that they feel ‘highly valued and extremely happy’ in their roles. Supervisions are completed monthly and are well recorded. Appraisals help staff to assess their own working practice and look at ways in which they could develop further within the home, increasing their responsibilities. Staff meetings help staff to share information, reflect on their practices and maintain a good level of support for the young people.

p.9

Good

The home has a development plan in place, setting out the aims and objectives for the future. The plan is currently being reviewed and updated by the registered manager, although it is not complete. As a result, a recommendation is made. This is to ensure best use of information from independent and internal monitoring to ensure continuous improvement. And, to consider the views of young people and staff about what they feel should be included in the development plan. This will further strengthen the inclusion and voice of young people and staff.

p.10

Good

The independent visitor makes monthly visits. Their reports are detailed and provide clear recommendations for the management team as to what improvements or changes in practice need to be considered. The registered manager collates information each month with a view to pulling this together to create his six-monthly report on his review of the quality of care in the home. These good systems ensure that a good level of support is provided to the young people.

p.10

Good

The statement of purpose document reflects the ethos of the home and the aims and objectives it is setting out to achieve. Staff know and understand the statement of purpose document, and it underpins the care provided. Alongside this, a purposeful children’s guide, designed by young people, provides them and any future young people with information about the services they can expect to receive in the home.

p.10

Good

There are good working relationships with other agencies, such as independent reviewing officers, schools, police and placing social workers. This helps to ensure effective joint working to meet young people’s needs. The registered manager will challenge other agencies if he feels they are not fulfilling their responsibilities in meeting the young people’s needs.

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What the inspection judgements mean

The experiences and progress of children and young people are at the centre of the inspection. Inspectors will use their professional judgement to determine the weight and significance of their findings in this respect. The judgements included in the report are made against ‘Inspection of children’s homes: framework for inspection’. An outstanding children’s home provides highly effective services that contribute to significantly improved outcomes for children and young people who need help and protection and care. Their progress exceeds expectations and is sustained over time. A good children’s home provides effective services that help, protect and care for children and young people, and have their welfare safeguarded and promoted. In a children’s home that requires improvement , there are no widespread or serious failures that create or leave children being harmed or at risk of harm. The welfare of children looked after is safeguarded and promoted. Minimum requirements

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What the inspection judgements mean

are in place. However, the children’s home is not yet delivering good protection, help and care for children and young people. A children’s home that is inadequate is providing services where there are widespread or serious failures that create or leave children and young people being harmed or at risk of harm or that result in children looked after not having their welfare safeguarded and promoted.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people living in the children’s home. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the difference that adults make to the lives of children and young people. They read case files, watched how professional staff work with children, young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care given to children and young people. Wherever possible, they talked to children, young people and their families. In addition, the inspectors have tried to understand what the children’s home knows about how well it is performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the children and young people whom it is trying to help, protect and look after. This 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 Children’s

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Information about this inspection

Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’. the guidance ‘Raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted's website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

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, workbased learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It inspects services for looked after children and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, 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,

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Information about this inspection

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

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

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Information about this inspection

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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