Children's Home run by Sandcastle Care Limited in Blackpool

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC065313 1 SC065313

p.1

Sandcastle Care Ltd

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home is one of a number of children’s homes operated by a private provider. The home is registered to care for three children who may have social and/or emotional needs.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager completed the formal registration process with Ofsted in January 2021. She was previously the deputy manager in this home.

p.1

This monitoring visit

The home was last inspected in July 2019. At that time, the overall experiences and progress of children were judged to be good, with help and protection judged to require improvement. This visit was undertaken due to concerns relating to a number of children moving on from the home earlier than planned.

p.1

This monitoring visit

This visit was on site. It included examination of records, as well as discussions with children, staff, and the registered manager.

p.1

This monitoring visit

Some children have moved into the home without their needs and risks being fully understood. The process of accepting new referrals is not robust. Managers were unable to locate the documentation relating to the referral of one child. Documents reviewed showed that impact risk assessments lack important detail. They do not evidence that the manager has consulted with previous carers or explored the reasons why children have moved from previous placements. These crucial assessments do not clearly demonstrate why the manager feels able to meet the needs of the child and manage their behaviour. Furthermore, impact risk assessments do not adequately refer to the needs and behaviour of children already living in the home, and the impact that proceeding with the placement of the child is likely to have on them. This has resulted in a number of children having to move on Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC065313 2

p.1

This monitoring visit

from the home earlier than planned. This will have a negative impact on children’s ability to invest in future placements and, ultimately, in achieving positive outcomes.

p.2

This monitoring visit

Children’s risk management plans do not always contain details of strategies to manage known risks or concerns. One child had a history of fire setting and was known to smoke. However, the arrangements for staff to manage children’s access to lighters was not clear. Some children’s records do not present an accurate picture of their current situation and what behaviour staff need to be alert to, in order to manage risk safely.

p.2

This monitoring visit

Staff take appropriate action when children are missing. Staff keep in contact with key individuals known to the child. In response to children going missing from care, the manager has increased the number of staff on duty. This helps to ensure that children are located quickly and welcomed back to the home.

p.2

This monitoring visit

The home has created its own gym space to support children to keep healthy during the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic and the relating restrictions. Children requested this space and the manager acted swiftly, providing them with a positive focus during this difficult time. Children have also benefited from additional learning opportunities, such as a cooking course, helping to develop their independence and social skills. One child told inspectors that he liked living at the home, saying, ‘Staff are caring and supportive.’ He commented that he would not change anything about the home.

p.2

This monitoring visit

Staff report that they feel supported by the manager and work well as a staff team. Generally, children live in a small and homely environment. Children are involved in choosing the décor of the home and personalising their bedrooms. However, during the visit, inspectors identified that one child’s bed was broken, and no action had been taken to replace this. This detracts from the homely environment that the manager is seeking to provide for children. Action was taken to address this during the visit.

p.2

This monitoring visit

Shortfalls were identified at the last inspection concerning management oversight and record keeping. Concerns are still evident in this area. Ofsted has not always been notified about serious incidents, as required by regulation. This hinders the regulator’s ability to ensure that the provider has taken the necessary actions to safeguard children. Similarly, the home’s admission and discharge register does not contain the required information. The current manager acknowledges these shortfalls and is eager to improve the home.

p.2

This monitoring visit

Social workers have provided some positive feedback to the home. One commented: ‘Staff are very supportive and nurturing. I think the staff genuinely care about the young people. The home has a warm and friendly feel, and communication is very good.’ Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC065313 3 One requirement relating to children’s health is repeated from the last inspection, as this was not explored as part of this visit. Similarly, a number of recommendations are also repeated, as these issues have not been explored as part of this visit.

p.2

Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 18/07/2019 Full Good 11/07/2018 Full Outstanding 15/08/2017 Full Good 22/02/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC065313 4

p.3

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.

p.4

Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

p.4

Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

p.4

Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

p.4

Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

p.4

Requirement Due date

In particular, staff adhere to the policies and procedures regarding children smoking tobacco. 30 April 2021

p.4

Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

p.4

Requirement Due date

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

p.4

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;

p.4

Requirement Due date

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 harm.

p.4

Requirement Due date

(Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(b)) 30 April 2021

p.4

Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

p.4

Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and 30 April 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC065313 5 have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

p.4

Requirement Due date

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

p.5

Requirement Due date

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.

p.5

Requirement Due date

Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home.

p.5

Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4;

p.5

Requirement Due date

ensure that the records are kept up to date.

p.5

Requirement Due date

(Regulation 37 (1) (2)(a)(b)) 30 April 2021

p.5

Requirement Due date

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

p.5

Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

p.5

Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious.

p.5

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure the children’s home is a nurturing and supportive environment that meet the needs of their children, they will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

p.5

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure children 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 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC065313 6 and the internet safely. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 29, paragraph 5.19)

p.5

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure staff 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. Furthermore, staff should follow the policies and procedures in place relating to calling the police for assistance with behaviour. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 39, paragraph 8.13)

p.6

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)

p.6

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. In particular, the quality assurance of practice should be regularly monitored to identify shortfalls and enhance practice. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 55, paragraph 10.24)

p.6

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure staff are 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. In addition, records must be accurate and not ambiguous. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4) Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC065313 7

p.6

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.

p.7

Information about this inspection

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

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Sandcastle Care Ltd

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Sandcastle Care Ltd, 49 Whitegate Drive, Blackpool FY3 9DG

p.7

Inspectors

Mandy Williams, Social Care Inspector Genevieve O’Reilly, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC065313 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.

p.7

Inspectors

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.8

Inspectors

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.8

Inspectors

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.8