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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Information about this children’s home

The current manager was registered with Ofsted on 1 August 2016 and holds the relevant qualification.

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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 requires improvement to be 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: outstanding

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC065313 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/07/2018 Full Outstanding 15/08/2017 Full Good 22/02/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 12/09/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC065313 3

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’. The registered person(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that the health and well- being needs of children are met; children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being and children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c)) In particular, staff adhere to the policies and procedures regarding children smoking tobacco. 06/09/2019

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child; help each child to understand how to keep safe; have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm; understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person; take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies; that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from

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Requirement Due date

harm. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)) 06/09/2019 Inspection report children’s home: SC065313 4

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Recommendations

 Where children placed in a home are not participating in education because they have been excluded or are not on a school roll for some other reason, the registered person and staff must work closely with the placing authority so that the child is supported and enabled to resume full-time education as soon as possible. In the interim, the child should be supported to sustain or regain their confidence in education and be engaged in suitable structured activities. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 28, paragraph 5.15) In particular, that children benefit from a structured educational day that is meaningful to the child’s needs and interests.

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Recommendations

 Children should have access to a computer and the internet to support their education and learning, unless there are specific safeguarding reasons why this would be inappropriate. In such cases, the home should consider whether and how it can support the child to access a computer and the internet safely. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 29, paragraph 5.19)

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Recommendations

 Staff should understand factors that affect children’s motivation to behave in a socially acceptable way. Staff should encourage an enthusiasm for positive behaviour through the use of positive behaviour strategies in line with the child’s relevant plans. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 39, paragraph 8.13) Furthermore, staff should follow the policies and procedures in place relating to calling the police for assistance with behaviour.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff can access appropriate facilities and resources to support their training needs and that the training available meets the needs of the children in their care. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.11)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should plan staffing levels to ensure that they meet the needs of children and can respond flexibly to unexpected events or opportunities. Staffing structures should promote continuity of care from the child’s perspective. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 10.15)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should develop and implement an internal quality assurance monitoring and reviewing system to ensure that practice is consistently good and ensure the continuous improvement of practice. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 55, paragraph 10.24) In particular, the quality assurance of practice should be regularly monitored to identify shortfalls and enhance practice.

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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. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes Inspection report children’s home: SC065313 5 between fact, opinion and third party information. 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) In addition, records must be accurate and not ambiguous.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children live in a home that is nurturing and supportive. Children enjoy living here and have good relationships with staff. Children can identify with the help and support that they receive. Furthermore, they can see that this helps them to achieve better outcomes. Staff know the children well and help them to achieve good outcomes. Consequently, children make good progress living here.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When children arrive, they are not always engaged in education. Staff are proactive and endeavour to secure educational provision. However, not all children have a clear structured educational day. In these instances, educational plans drift and decisions are not made in a timely way. When children do have a good educational routine, they enjoy learning and begin to thrive. They achieve positive milestones that they are proud of. This encourages them to continue learning.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff provide good care and support to the children. This has a positive impact on their progress. However, this is not always consistent. This is particularly in relation to behaviour management. When staff are consistent in their approach, the children respond well to this, de-escalation is effective and behaviours improve.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have access to a range of activities, including holidays. They have the opportunity to explore their interests and experience new things. These opportunities enrich children’s lives. Furthermore, they support them to develop their social skills and grow in confidence.

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improvement to be good

Children’s risk assessments and plans are not always accurate. They lack analysis and do not always consider the wider implications of the risk-taking behaviour. In these instances, the assessments, plans and strategies do not provide the insight needed to keep children, staff and the community safe. In addition, some risk assessments contradict one another. Thus, plans are ambiguous and open to interpretation.

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improvement to be good

In some instances, children are not wholly safeguarded. This is particularly evident in the investigations of allegations. These investigations do not always follow policy and procedure and thus the issues raised are not fully explored and addressed. When allegations are responded to correctly they are fully investigated, and the outcome and plan is clear. Inspection report children’s home: SC065313 6 Children do not always receive the continual support and help that they need to meet their holistic health needs. This is particularly in relation to smoking tobacco. As a result, children do not have the correct plans in place to reduce this risk-taking behaviour.

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improvement to be good

Staff do not consistently adhere to safeguarding practices and procedures relating to the access to the internet and electronic devices. While there are parental restrictions in place there are no monitoring arrangements.

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improvement to be good

When staff understand the risks, they manage these well. They work in a proactive way with partner agencies and multi-agency safeguarding plans are clear. As a result, children reduce their risk-taking behaviour and their outcomes improve.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The managers and staff have high aspirations for children. They are passionate and committed to the work that they do. They provide a safe and nurturing environment for the children. The children respond well to this and are happy and content living here.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and staff work well with other professionals involved with each of the children. Professionals speak positively about the partnership working and the progress that children make.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There have been some changes in staffing over recent months. This has had an impact on the consistency of practice. Several practice issues have been identified in this inspection as a result of these changes, and indeed the circumstances surrounding them. Managers identify with this and have plans in place to address the shortfalls and further improve the practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have access to mandatory training and complete this in a timely way. However, staff have not undertaken training that is specific and focused in meeting all the children’s needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Management oversight is not yet consistent across all areas of practice. Recording standards are also not consistent. In some instances, information is incorrect, missing and contradictory.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers and staff are committed to developing the home and enhancing their practice. They are able to reflect and learn from their experiences. This provides them with the opportunity to develop their knowledge, skills and abilities further. Inspection report children’s home: SC065313 7

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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 8

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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 9 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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