Children's Home run by Sandcastle Care Limited in Westmorland and Furness

Inspection report for children's home: 2559023 1 Registered provider: Sandcastle Care Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned and managed by a private organisation. It is registered to provide care for up to two children who may have emotional and/or social difficulties. The home is registered for single gender occupancy only.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in June 2020.

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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 10 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: not applicable Inspection report for children's home: 2559023 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home has had mixed success since opening, with two children leaving the home prematurely shortly after the home opened. However, the children currently living at the home, one for over a year, are settled and thriving. One child said, ‘It’s the most amazing home I’ve ever lived in, with the best staff and manager ever. It’s nice when you are struggling and they help you.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are provided with excellent opportunities to learn and participate in the local community. They have enjoyed raising money with staff for local charities and have had fun taking part in a wide range of activities along the way. These have included sponsored walks, cake sales and entering local vegetable growing competitions. These have been instrumental in developing children’s confidence and self-esteem.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Despite an age gap between the children, they get on well with each other and share extremely positive relationships with staff. Staff are nurturing and supportive and include children in the day-to-day running of the home. Children are encouraged to make choices, and their activities and routines are planned around their wishes.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

During the COVID-19 pandemic, staff have been proactive in supporting children’s education. Staff were creative in sourcing and providing additional learning opportunities to develop children’s resilience and social skills. One educational professional commented, ‘The home is very enabling and empowering and helping him to develop his social skills. He hosts all his reviews. He’s respectful and humorous.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health needs are well supported, and their emotional well-being is a clear priority. Children benefit from time spent with the home’s therapist, who works individually with the children as well as providing regular guidance to the staff team to ensure children receive consistency in their care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Overall, the home is maintained to a very high standard. However, one bedroom carpet clearly needed to be replaced as it was causing an unpleasant odour and was identified as perhaps not the most suitable floor covering for the child concerned. A recommendation has been made concerning this.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff promote children’s understanding of their own culture and identity, ensuring that they have good role models to inspire their development and growth. For one child, this has made a significant contribution to his confidence and self-esteem and provided him with a unique opportunity to convey his thoughts and feelings through music lyrics. Inspection report for children's home: 2559023 3

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

Children feel safe and genuinely cared for at this home. Their relationships with staff are based on mutual respect and fondness for each other, which is evident to those visiting the home. One professional commented, ‘I can see that there is huge warmth for [child’s name] from [name of staff]. He is thriving in their care. He has boundaries there that are clear, and he respects these.’

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

During the pandemic, children have been kept safe and free from infection. The home has ensured that strict infection control measures have been followed to ensure the safety of all at the home and those visiting it.

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

Children’s individual vulnerabilities are well understood, and robust planning ensures that risks are minimised and well managed. Children do not go missing from this home and there have been no significant safeguarding concerns since the home was last visited.

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

The use of restraint is a last resort and has only been used infrequently since the home opened. All incidents are well documented and provide a good account of how these have been managed and dealt with.

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

Children are encouraged to reflect on any negative behaviour and take time to consider how they may deal better with situations in the future. Sanctions rarely feature in this home as staff prefer to resolve issues through restorative discussions.

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

Children say that they know how to complain should they feel unhappy and can identify varies ways within the home to have their voice heard. One child said, ‘I don’t call them staff. They are like my family. Other homes didn’t feel like my home. It’s like having 10 mums and dads here.’

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

Practice and arrangements within the home increase children’s sense of security and safety. For example, safer recruitment practice reduces the likelihood of children being cared for by an inappropriate adult.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is led and managed effectively by a registered manager who is intuitive and eager for children to experience a home that is as close to being a family home as possible. Staff share this expectation and work closely together to create a home with strong emotional warmth.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and staff share high expectations for the children they care for. Staff are ambitious for children. They know them well and have a firm grasp of their needs and how these should be met. They are good at advocating for the children in their care and, because of this, children make good progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff share a commitment to and passion for their role and the quality of care they provide. They feel well supported and say that they enjoy working at the home. Inspection report for children's home: 2559023 4 Regular supervision, training and annual appraisal processes are successful in ensuring that staff have the development opportunities they need to meet children’s needs and further their own professional development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is working in accordance with its statement of purpose. Internal and external monitoring arrangements are effective and successfully informing the continuous development of the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff work in cooperation and partnership with social workers and other professionals to ensure that children receive the coordinated care and support they need. One social worker commented, ‘This is one of the best residential homes I’ve worked with. Their involvement with the community is fabulous.’ Inspection report for children's home: 2559023 5

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that children should be given a choice about how their personal space is furnished and decorated, in accordance with regulation 7(2)(a)(i). (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 16, paragraph 3.19)

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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: 2559023 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Sandcastle Care Ltd

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Children’s home details

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

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Jacqueline Titterington

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Inspector

Gillian Walters, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2559023 7 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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