Children's Home run by Sandcastle Care Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report children's home: 1240572 1 Registered provider: Sandcastle Care Ltd Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children's home

The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for four young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home is privately owned.

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Information about this children's home

Enforcement action since last inspection: None

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged good at the last full inspection. At the interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has improved effectiveness.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

This is the home’s second inspection following registration in November 2016. None of the young people who were living here at the last inspection have moved on, and there have been no new admissions.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The young people living in the home are receiving good care that is suited to their individual needs. Both of the young people living at the home are making remarkable progress in respect of their educational and social development. The registered manager and staff have sourced and supported creative educational opportunities in order to support all areas of development for the young people. In this environment, both young people are thriving and making excellent progress.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people continue to receive support for their educational needs. Both young people are going to school or college. One young person confirmed that he enjoys college and has aspirations to be a joiner. Both of the young people are participating in Inspection report children's home: 1240572 2 extra tuition, either at school or at college. In addition, the staff are encouraging the young people to complete mathematics, English and science GCSE workbooks. These arrangements will support the young people to pass or improve their grades, which will benefit them in the future.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff continue to support young people with their hobbies and interests. Young people and the staff enjoyed a summer holiday abroad. There are plenty of physical and sporting activities that the young people engage in and enjoy. For example, football, dry ski slope, karting, ghyll scrambling in the Lake District, tobogganing in Wales.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people continue to enjoy very positive and supportive relationships with the staff and with each other. The staff work meticulously to capture the young people’s interests and support them during a time of change and uncertainty. A young person told the inspector, ‘I can stay in this home until I am 18. I like it here, I like the staff and I have come a long way and made progress.’ Both young people’s initial plans have now been agreed as permanency by their placing authority. This provides the young people with certainty, stability and a sense of belonging in the home.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Relationships between the young people and the staff are constructive and helpful. Staff remain skilled in encouraging positive behaviour, and when this falls short of the expected standards, they de-escalate potentially difficult situations well. This is achieved through discussion, role modelling and providing support to the young people from outside professional agencies, for example, the drug advisory service.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people grow in confidence and develop an improved sense of personal worth. This is due to the dedicated staff team and the excellent work that is done to support young people’s emotional well-being and attachment difficulties. Staff have regular briefings with the organisation’s psychotherapist who oversees the therapeutic intervention model used in the home. She visits the home each week and young people are engaging with and benefiting from the therapy provided to them. Detailed analysis of each young person’s needs is undertaken by the psychotherapist. This enables the registered manager and staff to monitor the progress made by each young person, and detailed recording and monitoring systems clearly evidence the young people’s progress.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people are safe in the home and know how to be safe in their local community. The safety of the young people is at the centre of the staff practices despite the challenges this presents. Young people are protected from abuse and all other forms of significant harm. Staff are trained in safeguarding and internet usage so they know how to recognise, respond to and report suspected abuse. There have been no allegations of abuse or child protection concerns since the last inspection. The young people’s individual risks are clearly defined and their risk management plans have clear strategies for staff to follow. This ensures that young people’s risks are minimised and that they are able to engage in age-appropriate activities.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Behaviour management is not an issue in the home. The young people respect each other and their staff. There are no issues of bullying or intimidation and restraint has not been used. Sanctions for inappropriate behaviour are agreed by the young people and Inspection report children's home: 1240572 3 signed for by them in the records kept in the home. Young people do not go missing from the home and staff know the actions to take should a missing-from-home incident take place. Significant incidents are rare and the home is very settled. The young people do know how to complain. There have not been any complaints from the young people or the neighbours since the last inspection.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager monitors staff practice effectively. He takes actions to swiftly address practice shortfalls. The two recommendations have been met from the last inspection. As a result, young people’s risk assessments and behaviour management plans are individual to their specific needs. Also, there is now a record in the home showing that supervision has been completed for all staff, including the registered manager.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager is not afraid to challenge authority to improve the experiences of the young people. For example, he has challenged a local authority about its support to one young person and about the timeliness of replacing a young person’s social worker, who left for maternity leave. This ensures that the young people receive the support and services in line with their plan of care agreed by their local authority.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Improvements since the last inspection have been effective and have contributed to the progress the young people have made. For example, the home has a dedicated therapy liaison worker who acts as a facilitator, ensuring that the staff know, understand and follow the work set by the psychotherapist to support the young people. Young people’s life story workbooks are creative work in progress, well presented and include photographs, captions and comments handwritten in calligraphy. New flooring has contributed to the high standards of décor and furnishings that the home provides for the young people, staff and visitors.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

No requirements or recommendations are made at the inspection.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

19/06/2017 Full Good Inspection report children's home: 1240572 4

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the differences made to the lives of children and young people. They watched how professional staff work with children and young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care provided. Wherever possible, they talked to children and 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.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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Information about this inspection

Using the 'Social care common inspection framework', this inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, and to consider how well it complies with the Children's Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the 'Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards'.

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Children's home details

Registered provider: Sandcastle Care Ltd

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Children's home details

Registered provider address: 49 Whitegate Drive, Blackpool, Lancashire FY3 9DG

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Inspector

Mark Kersh, social care inspector Inspection report children's home: 1240572 5 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, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children's services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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