Children's home run by Aspris Care North West Limited

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1262657 1

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Sandcastle Care Ltd

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is operated by a private company. It is registered to accommodate up to four children or young people with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home’s manager was registered with Ofsted in November 2019 and has the relevant Level 5 qualification.

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This monitoring visit

The monitoring visit, which was carried out remotely, was undertaken to establish how the home is keeping the children safe. Since the last inspection in January 2020, two children have moved in and one child has moved out of the home. Two children currently live at the home.

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This monitoring visit

The monitoring visit included discussions with the manager, staff members, external professionals and a child. Training records, risk assessments and incident reports were reviewed. A recommendation made at the last inspection has been met.

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This monitoring visit

One child moved in to the home in December 2020. She had difficulty settling in and displayed a number of behaviours that compromised her safety. The child is vulnerable to exploitation and requires close supervision from staff to keep her safe. Staff have not consistently taken effective action when the child has been in crisis. This has led to some incidents escalating unnecessarily, which has increased risk to the child.

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This monitoring visit

Overall, the risk assessments outline the children’s primary risks. However, reduction strategies to reduce harm do not consistently reflect information from previous incidents. Therefore, opportunities are missed to increase safeguards around the child. Although staff were clear on what to do to reduce risk, this gap in recording creates an opportunity for error. The impact of this shortfall is reduced as staff know how to manage the children’s risk-taking behaviours. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1262657 2 The manager is highly thought of by the staff. Staff said they found the manager to be approachable and supportive, both personally and professionally. Management monitoring includes a wide range of internal monitoring activities. Despite this, the manager failed to identify a staff practice issue, which compromised a child’s safety.

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This monitoring visit

When the children go missing, staff ensure that the relevant protocols are followed to promote the children’s swift return. Despite the manager requesting placing authority representatives to carry out independent return-home interviews, these have not taken place. The manager has been undertaking these checks in the absence of independent interviews.

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This monitoring visit

The staff benefit from training and supervision that enables them to improve their practice. The staff provide children with lots of opportunities to talk about matters that are important to them. When children display risky behaviours, staff ensure that they discuss these issues with them. This helps to educate and inform the children and encourages them to make more positive choices.

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This monitoring visit

A child said that she enjoys living at the home, although this was not her view when she first arrived. She said she could speak with any of the staff if she had a concern. The child said, ‘There is always something to do; the staff keep me fully occupied.’ As the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic has placed numerous restrictions on the staff’s ability to amuse the children, they have found various creative ways to keep the children entertained. The staff have created an on-site gym, hold special theme nights and take the children to singing and music workshops. These activities help to build relationships and improve the children’s confidence and self-worth.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 07/01/2020 Full Outstanding 11/12/2018 Full Outstanding 06/02/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1262657 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 protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that risk assessments accurately reflect children’s risks and reduction strategies. 31 March 2021

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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.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. (Regulation 12 (2)(vii)) 31 March 2021

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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 that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— 31 March 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1262657 4 use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that there is effective monitoring to identify areas for practice development.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that when a child returns to the home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission, the responsible local authority must provide an opportunity for the child to have an independent return-home interview. Homes should take account of information provided by such interviews when assessing risks and putting arrangements in place to protect each child. (Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30)

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000.

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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

Lianne Bradford, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1262657 5 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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