Children's Home run by Sandcastle Care Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report children’s home: 1244283 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

This is a privately run children’s home. The service provides care for up to three children who may have emotional and/or social difficulties.

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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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Inspection date: 22 December 2021

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 1244283 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.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

At this interim inspection, the home was ‘not judged’.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home has been closed since the last child left in August 2021.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager made the decision to relinquish her responsibilities and return to a different position in the organisation. The home does not currently have a manager and the staff team has been redeployed across the organisation.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The provider has made the decision not to move any new children into the home until a new manager is recruited and there is a stable staff team.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The requirements from the last inspection were not considered as part of this visit and will be reviewed at the next full inspection. Inspection report children’s home: 1244283 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/03/2020 Full Good 16/10/2018 Full Good 31/01/2018 Interim Improved effectiveness 22/05/2017 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: 1244283 4

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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—

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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—

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Requirement Due date

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(g)(ii)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that there is robust oversight and monitoring of record-keeping. Records must be accurate and accessible, and demonstrate that the processes and practice of the home are consistently followed, and that any lessons learned are identified and acted on.

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Requirement Due date

The feedback obtained from children should be used to inform the manager’s review of the quality of care and continuous improvement. 13 January 2021

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Requirement Due date

The policies for the protection of children standard is that the registered person must prepare and implement a policy which—

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Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard children accommodated in the children’s home from abuse or neglect; and 13 January 2021 Inspection report children’s home: 1244283 5 sets out the procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect.

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Requirement Due date

The procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect must, in particular—

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Requirement Due date

provide for the prompt referral of an allegation about current or ongoing abuse or neglect in relation to a child to the placing authority and, if different, the local authority in whose area the home is located;

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Requirement Due date

provide for records to be kept of an allegation of abuse or neglect, and the action taken in response. (Regulation 34 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(b)(d))

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

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Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry involving a child—

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Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e)) 13 January 2021

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must produce a report about a visit (“the independent person’s report”) which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether—

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Requirement Due date

children are effectively safeguarded; and

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Requirement Due date

the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being. (Regulation 44 (4)(a)(b)) 13 January 2021 Inspection report children’s home: 1244283 6

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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: 1244283 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: Sandcastle Care Ltd, 49 Whitegate Drive, Blackpool FY3 9DG

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Suzanne Grocott-Waters

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Inspector

Michelle Edge, Social Care Inspection Manager Inspection report children’s home: 1244283 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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