Children's home run by Sandcastle Care Limited

Inspection report children’s home: 2490998 1 Registered provider: Sandcastle Care Ltd Interim 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 females 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 22 November 2018 and is working towards the relevant qualification.

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Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report children’s home: 2490998 2

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged good at the last full inspection. At the interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has declined in effectiveness.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The inspection identified shortfalls relating to care planning, safeguarding and leadership and management. These shortfalls have had an impact on children’s progress.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The recommendations from the last inspection have been met. However, training and development of staff need further attention. This relates to staff having the required knowledge, skills and experience that reflect the needs of all the children.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The experiences and progress of children living here vary. In the first few months of the home opening, the experiences and outcomes for the children were good. Children made excellent progress and flourished in a caring and supportive environment. Children received good support and as a result, they achieved good outcomes. These children made positive and planned transitions to new placements.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Placement matching is good. However, the care planning of the children moving into the home is inconsistent and requires improvement. Staff do not always have the relevant information they need to assess all the children’s risks and needs. This means that safeguarding plans are weak and this impacts on children’s progress. For example, at the time of the inspection, one child had been moved to a holiday cottage to keep them safe.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Records vary. Some recording is to an excellent standard. However, there are areas that are poor. In these instances, records are unclear, ambiguous and unhelpful for the child.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children are aware of the complaints policy and use this to express their concerns. However, when children make complaints, the investigation is not transparent. Furthermore, the actions taken are not clear enough.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The managers and staff have high aspirations for children. They are passionate and committed to the work that they do. However, recent decisions have resulted in care plans not meeting children’s needs. This is because staff do not have the required information about the child when they arrive at the home.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff have good relationships with children. They support children to understand their thoughts and feelings. This helps children progress. However, recent changes in staff have affected these positive relationships. Consequently, children have disengaged with the home and placements have ended. Inspection report children’s home: 2490998 3 Managers have an insight into the shortfalls of this inspection. They understand that there are lessons to be learned and are aware of what they can do to improve practice. Inspection report children’s home: 2490998 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

08/05/2019 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: 2490998 5

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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 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; and that the premises used for the purposes of the home are located so that children are effectively safeguarded. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i)(c)) 31/03/2020

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose; ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate; ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child; demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received. (Regulation 13 (1)(2)(a)(b)(c)(e)(g)(ii)) 31/03/2020

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose; that arrangements are in place to ensure the effective induction of each child into the home; manage and review the placement of each child in the home; and plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move 31/03/2020 Inspection report children’s home: 2490998 6 into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child’s placing authority and that each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14

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Requirement Due date

Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home. The registered person must maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4. (Regulation 37 (1)(2)(a)) 31/03/2020

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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 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 14.5)

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Information about this inspection

This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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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: 2490998 7

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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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Children’s home details

Registered manager: Carrie Murray-Thompson

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Inspector

Lisa Gregoire-Parker, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 2490998 8 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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