Children's Home run by Aspris Care North West Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2595021 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 home is one of a number operated by a large private organisation. It is registered to provide care to up to two children who may have emotional or behavioural needs.

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Information about this children’s home

The children were spoken to during the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

Due to COVID-19, at the request of the Secretary of State, we suspended all routine inspections of social care providers carried out under the social care common inspection framework (SCCIF) on 17 March 2020. We returned to routine SCCIF inspections on 12 April 2021.

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Information about this children’s home

We last visited this setting on 22 March 2021 to carry out a monitoring visit. The report is published on the Ofsted website.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2595021 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

Not previously inspected Inspection report for children’s home: 2595021 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

At the time of the inspection, two children were living at the home. There is a registered manager who has been in post since July 2020. Children who live in the home have developed a real sense of permanence and belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children said that staff care about them and listen to them if they are upset or worried. Children have developed positive relationships with the adults caring for them. Children’s bedrooms are personalised and their interests and hobbies are actively promoted by staff. Staff spend time talking to children about their home and any changes they would like to make. This means that children feel a sense of belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home has a warm, relaxed atmosphere, and is a nurturing environment where children feel safe, comfortable and secure. Staff support children to make memories through activities and capture the memories in personalised memory books. The staff team and manager ensure that positive memories are made with all children by celebrating special occasions together.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff work closely with families and important people in children’s lives. Due to the support provided by the staff team, children’s relationships with family members have improved. Children have opportunities to spend quality time with family members.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Education is central to the culture in the home. As a result, children have made significant progress with their educational achievements. One child has successfully transitioned to a local mainstream school and is completing national qualifications. This opens opportunities for the children’s futures. Recent transition plans for education are clear and effective in helping children to settle.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are in good health. All children have access to primary care services and health plans are personalised and updated. The physical health of children is supported in the home. Staff have made prompt referrals for additional health services when needed. This means that children get the support when they need it most.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children build healthy attachments with their carers. A wide range of direct work sessions are carried out with children to help them understand their behaviours. Exploring feelings and behaviour in key-work sessions helps children to build healthy relationships with each other and encourages them to make good choices.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have opportunities to explore a wide range of activities and interests. Children play in football teams and go the gym regularly. One child was delighted when he went on a young driver course and experienced driving a ‘real’ car. Children are encouraged by staff to try new things and enhance their skills; one child is going Inspection report for children’s home: 2595021 4 on a skiing holiday abroad next year. This helps to broaden children’s range of interests and enhances their social and emotional learning, as well as creating happy memories for the children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have regular consultations to ensure that they are listened to and their views are understood. A recommendation has been made to ensure that plans and records are accessible to children of all ages so that children can understand their individual plans.

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

Children are supported to keep safe. Staff follow risk management plans and individual support plans to ensure that they are consistent in their approach. They carry out direct work to educate and help children reflect on their behaviours. Children told the inspector that they felt safe and happy.

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

Safeguarding concerns are reported without delay and dealt with appropriately. The manager and staff work with other professionals to minimise risk. This ensures that there is a consistent and calm approach and freedom for children to express any worries.

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

Children are rarely reported missing from home. When children have gone missing, staff have reported and recorded this in a timely manner. Staff take appropriate steps to help to locate children. Children who have moved to the home after previously being known to the youth justice service are no longer known to this service and are no longer at risk in the community.

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

A therapeutic approach on the part of the staff team and the company therapist helps children to self-regulate their emotions. Therapeutic interventions have led to a reduction in incidents and children are now able to express their feelings and emotions within secure boundaries.

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

Positive behaviour is promoted by caring staff. Staff regularly add positive comments to each child’s file, for example when they achieve something, feel proud of something or when they manage a difficult situation well. This level of positive feedback increases children’s self-esteem and self-worth.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager registered with Ofsted in July 2020 when the home opened. He displays strong leadership alongside the responsible individual and the deputy manager. Staff said that the management team is supportive and readily available.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

At the time of the inspection, the registered manager was absent. The responsible individual had taken on the role of supporting the staff team and overseeing the running of the home. This has ensured that the quality of care remains consistent while the manager is off work. Inspection report for children’s home: 2595021 5 Managers and staff have an in-depth understanding of the needs of children in their care. The manager and staff team are passionate and encourage children to make progress and achieve positive outcomes. This means that all children are very settled in their home and their behaviour is extremely good.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Social workers report excellent communication with the staff in the home. One social worker told the inspector that the ‘Staff go above and beyond. [name of child] feels safe, loved and well cared for and that is more than anyone could ask for.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff adopt a therapeutic and warm approach. The stable and secure environment supports the well-being and progress of children. Safeguarding measures are understood by all staff and are used to promote the safety of all children. There is evidence of good challenge to key stakeholders to support the best interest of children. This has led to improved outcomes for children’s health and education.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is suitably staffed. Staff receive a comprehensive induction and regular supervision. Staff are up to date with mandatory training and have completed courses relevant to the needs of the current children, their known risks and how to administer medication safely.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Safeguarding incidents are recorded on the electronic system and any actions are generated as a task automatically. On occasions, managers have not completed an overall evaluation of the event and reviewed the steps taken by staff. This shortfall in monitoring reduces the opportunities for reflection and learning.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and responsible individual use internal and external monitoring systems effectively. Any recommendations are actioned in a timely way. However, during the inspection, the responsible individual was not aware that the last three independent visitor reports had not been submitted to Ofsted. The responsible individual actioned this during the inspection. Inspection report for children’s home: 2595021 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, 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 leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that children are encouraged by staff to see the home’s records as ‘living documents’ supporting them to view and contribute to the record in a way that reflects their voice on a regular basis. In particular, children should be actively encouraged to read their records and to add further information to them. They should be regularly reminded of their rights to see information kept about them and be given information about how they might be supported to access their records in later life. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 11.19)  The registered person should ensure that staff continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’ page 42, paragraph 9.5)  The registered person should ensure that children are consulted regularly on their

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Recommendations

views about the home’s care, to inform and support continued improvement in the quality of care provided. Children should be able to see the results of their views being listened to and acted upon. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 22, paragraph 14.11)  The registered person should ensure that children’s home staff take reasonable precautions and make informed professional judgements based on the individual child’s needs and developmental stage about when to allow a child to take a particular risk or follow a particular course of action. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.7) Inspection report for children’s home: 2595021 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 for children’s home: 2595021 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 FY3 9DG

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Inspector

Jessica Higginson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2595021 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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