Children's Home run by Sandcastle Care Limited in Blackpool

Inspection report children’s home: 2508153 1 Registered provider: Sandcastle Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is a privately run children’s home that provides care and accommodation for up to two children and young people. The organisation has an integrated therapy service available to the children and young people. The registered manager commenced his role at the home on 25 February 2019. He is experienced and has completed his level 5 qualification in leadership and management.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

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

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Recent inspection history

Not applicable Inspection report children’s home: 2508153 2

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Recommendations

 Children should be given a choice about how their personal space is decorated in accordance with Regulation 7 (2)(a)(i). (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 16, paragraph 3.19)  Staff must help each child to prepare for any moves from the home, whether they are returning home, moving to another placement or adult care, or to live independently. This includes supporting the child to develop emotional and mental resilience to cope without the home’s support and, where the child is moving to live independently, practical skills such as cooking, housework, budgeting and personal self-care. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 17, paragraph 3.27)  Ensure that staff continually and actively assess the risks to each young person and the arrangements in place to protect them. This includes ensuring all relevant information is contained within their risk assessments. (‘Guide to the

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Recommendations

children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

This is the first inspection of the home following its registration with Ofsted in February 2019.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home provides a stable and nurturing base for the children and young people, who quickly settle into the home and have a sense of belonging. Children and young people have made good progress from the time they came to live in the home. They are confident and have aspirations for their futures.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children and young people develop positive and trusting relationships with their staff. Staff are consistent in their approach and they are creative in building relationships with the children and young people. This is particularly relevant for the children and young people who have previously experienced considerable change. One young person said, ‘Staff have helped me to sort my life out. This home is great.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children’s and young people’s views are sought as part of daily life. They are able to effect change. A strength of the home is the involvement of the children and young people in their support and key-work sessions. The children and young people told the inspector that they feel listened to and that their staff act on their requests.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Education is positively encouraged. Considering the children’s and young people’s previous disruptive experiences in education, their progress has been very good. Inspection report children’s home: 2508153 3 Attendance is excellent. One young person has successfully completed his GCSE exams and another child has increased his hours in education.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

From the time the children and young people arrive at the home, they are encouraged to engage in daily independent living skills. However, their developing skills are not part of an independence plan and are not assessed. As a result, a recommendation is made. This is to ensure that information is available for the next placement move to demonstrate the children’s and young people’s ability to manage budgets, to shop and to cook.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children and young people have an active social life, which includes socialising with friends and each other. They enjoy trips to the cinema, trampolining, bike rides, fell walks and attractions at the seaside. The children and young people told the inspector that they are looking forward to their summer holiday in Spain.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

A strength of the home is the difference that staff make in supporting the children and young people to repair relationships with their families and friends. As a result, there have been more successful visits with children’s families and agreed overnight stays with friends. One social worker said, ‘Staff have gone above and beyond to support the contact plan to work out for my young person.’

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

Children and young people told the inspector that they feel safe in the home. They have staff they can go to if they are worried or upset. Staff are trained and confident in their roles in safeguarding children and young people. They demonstrate well how they would respond to any concerns.

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

Children’s and young people’s risk assessments consider their vulnerabilities. However, one specific risk lacked sufficient details of the strategy that staff must follow. As a result, a recommendation is made. This is to ensure that the staff always have the most current information to help them to respond to the specific risk that children and young people pose.

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

Staff are trained in the home’s preferred method of behaviour management. They have been committed to, and successful in, managing the children’s and young people’s behaviours. The home is very settled and there have been no incidents in which physical intervention was required. Records of sanctions for inappropriate behaviour are clear. Children and young people are asked to reflect on their behaviour and they respond positively to the advice given by the staff.

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

Incidents when children and young people go missing have significantly reduced. This is significant progress considering the high number of incidents in their previous placements. Children and young people are provided with structure and routine, and staff strike a good balance between enforcing boundaries and rewarding positive behaviour. Inspection report children’s home: 2508153 4 The registered manager takes an active lead in the home’s safe recruitment processes. The staff confirm that there is a thorough induction that includes the responsibility for delivering safe care. These arrangements prevent unsuitable people from working in the home and they help to protect the children and young people.

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

Health and safety and fire evacuation arrangements ensure that the children and young people live in a safe environment.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

An experienced, well-trained and qualified manager manages the home. The inspirational registered manager is passionate about improving the children’s and young people’s experiences and outcomes. This ethos is embraced by the responsible individual and the staff. Together, they have succeeded in helping the children and young people to make positive changes.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager and senior leaders provide staff with excellent support. Supervision sessions are regular and of high quality. They help staff to generate ideas and to reflect on their practice. Staff are qualified, and they are provided with a range of training that informs their practice and meets the children’s and young people’s individual and diverse needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Partnership working is effective. The registered manager and staff consistently work well with parents, carers, children, young people and other professionals to ensure that everyone is working towards the same goals.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Efficient monitoring systems support the registered manager in the ongoing development of the home. The registered manager is clear about the strengths and continued areas for improvement for the home. He uses the external monitoring reports provided by an independent person to make improvements and he is working towards the home’s first quality of review report.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children’s and young people’s case records are very thorough and well organised. They clearly detail work which is undertaken. Children’s and young people’s care plans are individualised and they show the goals and the progress that the children and young people make. Information is communicated so that all staff and other professionals are working together effectively to help the children and young people to achieve.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is comfortable and warm. Children and young people have been consulted and have made suggestions on the style and decor for their bedrooms. This work has yet to be completed so that the children’s and young people’s bedrooms are personalised. Inspection report children’s home: 2508153 5

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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: 2508153 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Sandcastle Care Limited

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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: 2508153 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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