Children's Home run by Sandcastle Care Limited in Calderdale

Inspection report children’s home: 2509280 1 Registered provider: Sandcastle Care Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is run by a private organisation and provides care and accommodation for up to two young people. The young people require care to support their emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered since the home opened. He has relevant experience of working with young people and is near to completing a level 5 qualification in leadership and management.

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Information about this children’s home

This is the home’s first inspection following registration.

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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

Date of last inspection: This is the home’s first inspection since registration.

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 2509280 2

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Recommendations

 Staff need to have the knowledge and skills to understand each child’s education and training targets and their next steps for learning. If a child’s progress is not in line with their agreed targets or next steps, staff should seek expert advice from education professionals, such as the Virtual School Head, SENCO, learning mentor or teacher. Staff must challenge the child’s education or training provider if the child does not receive sufficient support to progress as outlined in their relevant plans. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 27, paragraph 5.11)

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Recommendations

In particular, all staff should be aware of children’s individual education goals and targets to be able to support their progress.

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Recommendations

 Children’s homes should work closely with the placing authority to understand the child’s relationship history and the impact that the child’s arrival may have on the group living in the home. Staff should understand, for each child, what the placing authority has recorded in the relevant plan as an appropriate level of contact with family and friends. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 27, paragraph 5.11)

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Recommendations

In particular, organise regular FaceTime or Skype sessions to facilitate routinely scheduled contact.

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Recommendations

 Whenever possible, staff in day-to-day contact with children should include staff from the different gender groups. Where the home’s Statement of Purpose makes it explicit that the home uses staff of one sex only, clear guidance will need to be in place and followed as to how children are enabled to maintain relationships with people of a different gender. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 10.22)

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Recommendations

In particular, ensure that the staff team has a balance of male and female workers to support positive role modelling.

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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. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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Recommendations

In particular, ensure that all records are specifically detailed and updated when changes occur, and are signed and dated by the staff and the young people. Inspection report children’s home: 2509280 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young people benefit from the strong and secure relationships with the staff team. The positive established relationships with the staff help the young people to listen to and respond to the guidance given to them. One young person said: ‘I get on with all the staff. [X] is the person I go to, if I have a problem. The staff do fight my corner and listen to me.’ The young people are settled and happy living at the home. They informed the inspector that this was the best children’s home that they had lived in.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young people access all necessary health services. These include routine check-ups and accessing therapy sessions to support their emotional well-being. The young people are now more able to regulate their emotions. They have a greater interest in and understanding of how to keep physically fit and follow a balanced diet. As a result, the health of the young people has improved.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young people have excellent attendance in school and alternative placements. This assists them to increase their learning. They have responded to the staff’s support and encouragement to attend. Meetings have taken place to devise a personal education plan that will include targets to support their continued progress. A young person has attended a taster course for college and is looking forward to starting in September. A young person said: ‘I didn’t used to go to school. I am now, and I’m doing a lot of maths and English. I like art the best.’ However, not all staff are aware of the young people’s education goals and targets. If this is not addressed, this could reduce the young people’s educational progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young people receive support to rebuild relationships and enjoy regular contact with some family members. This maintains positive support networks for the young people. However, one young person has not seen a relative who is very important to them. This relationship needs to be re-established.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff support the young people to gain the daily living skills that will assist them to live independently as young adults. These skills include taking part in everyday chores around the home such as cooking, learning to use public transport, and developing budgeting skills.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is decorated and furnished to a high standard throughout. The young people enjoy and make great use of the full-size snooker table and the table tennis facilities. They have personalised their own bedrooms. Photographs of trips to the coast and other outdoor activities are on display, which helps to make this feel like a home for the young people.

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

Both young people said that they felt safe living in the home. Inspection report children’s home: 2509280 4 The proactive actions of the staff keep the young people safe. These actions have resulted in reduced risk-taking behaviour. This includes risks such as going missing from the home.

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

A professional said: ‘[X] has made such amazing progress. Previously having multiple placement changes and presenting risky behaviour, [X] has had no missing from care episodes. This is due to the secure relationships, the care and the mentoring [X] has had.’ There is continual review of the care and support strategies, which involve other professionals when required. As a result, there are effective safeguarding measures in place. These help to keep the young people safe from harm.

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

A young person said: ‘It’s up to me to make good choices. These guys give me good advice. I have not made good choices in the past. I’ve not gone missing while I’ve lived here.’

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

There are routines and boundaries that are consistently delivered. The young people respond well to the constant giving of praise, incentives and rewards. The staff work tirelessly to support the young people to learn how to manage their own behaviour better. There is no reported bullying. The work of the staff on behaviour management aids the progress of young people and supports them to follow appropriate rules and boundaries at home and in other arenas such as school and in the community.

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

Behaviour management strategies work well, with the young people being able to manage their feelings better and over time becoming more emotionally resilient. This is because of the staff team’s positive approach and its skills in de-escalating difficult situations. The staff listen, explain matters to the young people, and give the young people specific tactics to use. This works effectively. The young people now engage well in daily life activities. These include going to school and seeing their families and friends. Consequently, there have been no physical interventions or sanctions since the home opened.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager demonstrates strong leadership skills. He has quickly developed a staff team that is able to deliver consistent care to the young people. This has supported the young people well to have positive experiences and good outcomes since living at the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Robust partnership working with professionals and supporting agencies is a real strength. This makes certain that the young people receive specific care and assistance to meet their individual needs. A professional said: ‘Communication from the staff is spot on. They prepare reports and attend meetings supporting [X] well. [X] is happy to be there.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staffing levels and communication between the staff are good. There are detailed shift handovers, regular staff meetings and formal supervision. These provide the staff with clear guidance, support and structure. The staff are clear about the therapeutic Inspection report children’s home: 2509280 5 approach being used in the home. This approach is supported by qualified psychologists and therapists. Staff work together to carry out their care work competently with the young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Several of the staff team members hold the level 3 diploma in caring for children and young people. The remaining staff are undertaking this training. The manager recognises the importance of training and invests in the staff. All the staff team have undertaken an induction, mandatory training, and more specialist training. Examples include county lines and child sexual exploitation. However, not all staff have undertaken drugs awareness training. Overall, the staff are equipped to meet the needs of the young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The monitoring systems in the home are effective. This assists in detecting deficits in the care provided and ensuring that the children’s homes regulations are met.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The regulation 44 monthly visits and several auditing systems support the continual development and improvement in the quality of care provided. However, not all records are as specific and detailed as they could be. Some records are not dated or signed by the young people and staff.

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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: 2509280 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

Debbie Foster, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 2509280 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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