Children's Home run by Sandcastle Care Limited in Blackpool

Inspection report children’s home: SC065313 1 SC065313 Registered provider: Sandcastle Care Ltd

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home offers a service to young males who would benefit from a placement in a smaller, single-gender residential setting. The home is underpinned by a philosophy of therapeutic care. Children receive support from a psychotherapist .

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report children’s home: SC065313 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

15/08/2017 Full Good 22/02/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 12/09/2016 Full Good 24/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC065313 3

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Recommendations

 The ethos of the home should support each child to learn, emphasising the value of independent study and reading for enjoyment. The home must make available suitable facilities, equipment and resources for learning. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 29, paragraph 5.18) In particular, ensure that each child receives an educational daily routine and has access to educational resources during the school day if they are not accessing full-time education.  The registered person should ensure that staff continually, and actively assess the risks to each child and make sure that the plans in place to manage these risks are clear. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5) In particular, that all children’s risk-taking behaviours are assessed and that clear plans are in place to reduce these risks.

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Recommendations

 Ensure that staff are 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’, page 62, paragraph 14.4) Specifically, that records reflect the therapeutic environment that the child live in.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children’s progress is outstanding. Children make extremely good progress in a very short space of time. Risk-taking behaviours reduce considerably, consequently children are safe and happy.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The home is nurturing and homely. Children say that they like living here. Children and staff have excellent relationships. They also get on with one another. Children who have left the home speak fondly about the time that they lived here. One child said that it was the best children’s home that he had lived in. Another child said that heloved living here.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children benefit from having regular access to a therapist. The therapist supports children at their own pace, allowing them to work through their thoughts, worries and hopes. The therapist also supports staff to practise in a therapeutic way. Both children and staff speak positively about this support.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children can identify with the progress that they have made. They are proud of what they have achieved. They say that the staff have really supported them in making changes to their behaviours. Inspection report children’s home: SC065313 4 Staff advocate on behalf of the children. They ensure that children have access to a range of services that will support them to make positive progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Professionals from other agencies speak highly of the home and the progress that children make living here. Parents are also complimentary about the home. One parent said that she was very happy with the progress that her child had made. She said that it was clear to her that he was being well looked after and that he was loved.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff are nurturing and passionate about the care that they provide to children. They ensure that they provide a therapeutic environment where children can thrive. The atmosphere in the home is calm and children say that they feel safe.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staffing levels are good. Children have access to good levels of support, which is in line with their individual care plans.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff are clear about their roles and responsibilities. They work within policies and procedures to keep children safe. However, staff do not routinely monitor and review all presenting risks. Consequently, some risk-taking behaviours continue without a plan in place to reduce them. When risks do receive the required assessment, staff analyse them well, and the plan is clear.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff manage safeguarding concerns in a timely and effective manner. They follow procedures well. Recording is clear and provides the reader with a good understanding of the situation, and the actions taken.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff help children to understand their behaviours and support them to manage and regulate these. Children speak positively about this and say how much it has helped them. Children’s attendance in education improves when they come to live here. They start to engage and make good progress.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

However, children begin engaging in education by having a reduced timetable. In these instances, they do not have a structured daily educational routine. Consequently, they are not benefiting from a full educational programme.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager is qualified and has a wealth of experience. The management team is passionate and committed to delivering the highest standard of care and support for children. Its members lead by example and demonstrate good leadership and management knowledge and skills.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The responsible individual is also passionate about the children achieving positive outcomes, offering good support to the home. The home benefits from this leadership.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The quality of care practice at the home is excellent. Practice is well informed by Inspection report children’s home: SC065313 5 research, good assessments and clear planning.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The help and support that children receive is excellent. However, the records do not always reflect the therapeutic discussions that take place. Consequently, some records lack insight into the child’s wishes and feelings.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff receive regular supervision and effective training. This enhances their practice. Staff say that they like working here. They show commitment to the children and want them to achieve their full potential.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The management team and staff strive to promote positive outcomes for children. They recognise the individual needs of the children, and they empower them to believe in themselves. As a result, children grow in confidence and make excellent progress.

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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

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’. Inspection report children’s home: SC065313 6

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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

Lisa Gregoire-Parker, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC065313 7 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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