Children's home run by Sandcastle Care Limited

Inspection report children’s home: 2534580 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 one of several children’s homes operated by a private company. The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to two female children or young people who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

If required, children and young people can access the organisation’s therapy department.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since the home opened in August 2019.

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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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Enforcement action since last inspection:

None. Inspection report children’s home: 2534580 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

First inspection Inspection report children’s home: 2534580 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

This is the first inspection of the home since it was registered with Ofsted in August 2019. Two children have been accommodated in this time. Both are making notable progress relative to their starting points. A professional said, ‘Everything has changed for [Name of child]. She is a different girl and has improved in so many ways since moving to the home. Staff have got it right.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Relationships between children and staff are affectionate and warm, and have certainly contributed to children feeling safe, secure and well cared for. Both children appeared relaxed and at ease with staff. The children said that this is a good place to live and that the manager and staff care a great deal for them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have a good understanding of each child’s needs, behaviours, risks and vulnerabilities. They work closely with parents and professionals, and ensure that each child receives a bespoke package of support that is responsive to their known and emerging needs. The manager acts as a strong advocate and is persistent in challenging professionals who do not provide children with the services and support they require.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff make sure that children are healthy, and that they get the medical advice, treatment and therapeutic support that they need. Staff work closely with a therapist who provides children with one-to-one sessions, as well as advice, support, guidance and training for staff. This ensures that each child receives effective care that is responsive to their individual needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Education is valued and promoted. The manager will do everything in her power to ensure that the right education placements are sourced as quickly as possible. Interim plans are put in place for those children who are hard to place. This means that the disruption caused by placement moves is minimised.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are encouraged to pursue their individual hobbies and interests. They each participate in a range of fun and purposeful activities, such as walks in the park, swimming, horse riding and spending time in the community with friends. One child was keen to tell the inspector about her voluntary work at a local charity shop.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is furnished and decorated to a high standard, and feels welcoming and homely. Children are encouraged to personalise their bedrooms by choosing decor and furnishings and putting up photographs and posters.

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

Keeping children safe is integral to all aspects of care practice. Individual risks and vulnerabilities are captured in detailed risk assessments that are fully understood and implemented by staff. Staff encourage children to reflect on past behaviours and Inspection report children’s home: 2534580 4 learn from current experiences. The effectiveness of this approach is evident in children making better choices about keeping themselves safe.

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

Staff make every effort to balance the need to keep children safe against allowing them to take age-appropriate risks. Staff make every effort to understand behaviours, such as going missing from home, and work with the children to agree ways of reducing these types of incident.

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

The manager and staff have a good understanding of safeguarding. They take their responsibilities seriously in this respect. Staff know what action to take should any safeguarding concerns or allegations arise. The manager can identify key safeguarding agencies, and knows how to access these should their specific support be required.

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

Children benefit from living in a structured environment that is based on clear expectations and boundaries, and planned daily routines. Staff act as responsible parents and are good role models for the children. Staff look for opportunities to acknowledge, praise and reward positive behaviour. Staff take a supportive and proportionate approach when managing challenging behaviour.

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

The use of physical restraint has been necessary on a small number of occasions. This has been to ensure the safety of children and staff. In all cases this has been as a last resort, with staff demonstrating patience and resilience when managing incidents, some of which have included staff being assaulted.

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

The manager has failed to inform Ofsted of a serious incident requiring police involvement. Records indicate that calling the police was a necessary and proportionate response to challenging and unsafe behaviour. The failure to inform Ofsted has not had any impact on the care of the child. However, it does limit Ofsted’s ability to undertake its regulatory duties.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is run by a suitably qualified registered manager. Although this is her first management post, she has been highly effective in modelling a child-centred approach that is fully embraced by the staff team. A social worker wrote, ‘The staff team is very nurturing and welcoming. The home environment is calm and cosy which has helped [Name of child] to settle really well.’ Another social worker wrote, ‘Thank you for the support given to [Name of child]. She is the most settled she has been for some time. [Name of child] is happy and that is thanks to the nurturing and therapeutic parenting from staff.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has a good understanding of her team’s strengths and has a clear vision of the type of service that she wants to develop. She has taken a planned approach to developing this highly effective team. This has established a good foundation on which to build effective leadership and management. Inspection report children’s home: 2534580 5 All staff have been inducted well into the home, and receive purposeful supervision that supports professional development. A good range of mandatory and needs-led training opportunities are available to the staff team. Appropriate arrangements are in place to ensure that unqualified staff can attain a relevant qualification.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager maintains good oversight through the effective use of a range of quality-assurance processes. Monthly scrutiny by the independent person further strengthens this monitoring activity. This ensures that shortfalls are identified and addressed. However, it is not yet custom and practice to seek the views of third- party stakeholders. Inspection report children’s home: 2534580 6

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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, the 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 registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40(2)(b)) 01/04/2020

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Requirement Due date

When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person—

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Requirement Due date

if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires. (Regulation 44(2)(a)) 01/04/2020 Inspection report children’s home: 2534580 7

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, 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: 2534580 8

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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

Paul Scott, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 2534580 9 to 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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