Children's Home run by Sandcastle Care Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2590732 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 privately owned home provides care for up to two children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

There is a registered manager in post. He registered with Ofsted in July 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 inspections on 12 April 2021.

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Information about this children’s home

We last visited this setting on 18 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: 2590732 2

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Recent inspection history

Not previously inspected Inspection report for children’s home: 2590732 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are positive about their home and the care they receive. Comments made by children reflect the quality of the relationships between staff and children. Children clearly benefit from a skilled and dedicated team that establishes open and honest relationships with them. This fosters mutual respect and trust and enables children to develop reciprocal relationships with others.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are physically fit, and their emotional well-being is improving. All children are registered with relevant health services, and they confirm that they are supported to attend routine and specialist appointments.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Access to in-house therapeutic support enables children to begin to address past experiences and current concerns around their emotional health, relationships and behaviour. The therapist also provides support and guidance to staff, enabling them to reflect on, and understand, children’s needs and the reasons underpinning their behaviours.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Managers and staff place great value on education and fully promote the importance of learning. Expectations about attendance are clear, and good routines facilitate good levels of engagement. However, managers and staff are not aware of the local offer setting out the support available for children with special educational needs or disabilities. This is a missed opportunity to access resources for children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive care from staff who are committed and enthusiastic. Consequently, they are supported to engage in a wide range of activities. As a result, children enjoy different experiences and are supported with hobbies and interests. They are provided with opportunities to develop new skills and build their self-esteem and confidence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Introductions to the home are largely well managed, and practice is reviewed to ensure improvements are made where necessary. However, assessments that consider whether children can be placed in the home need to be strengthened to ensure that all children’s needs are considered alongside the skill base of the staff team.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The levels of consultation and communication are high. Staff and children were observed discussing issues and planning events together throughout the inspection. Time is set aside to allow for more formal consultation. For example, one-to-one sessions take place regularly, and family meetings are held weekly. Consequently, children can make choices about menus and activities and contribute to discussions and decisions about care planning.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff work hard to build positive relationships with children’s families to promote and maintain positive and safe family time. Arrangements can be complex, and staff are Inspection report for children’s home: 2590732 4 sensitive to this. A child’s carer commented, ‘The staff are really good. They go out of their way to make sure that we all have a fun time during contact.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The physical environment is maintained to a good standard and has a homely feel. However, there are locks on the communal living room doors. This detracts from the family home environment the registered manager works hard to achieve.

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

Children say they feel safe and they are safe living in this home. They can identify a trusted adult they can talk to should they have any concerns. Children know how to complain and are confident that when they do this they will be taken seriously. One complaint has been made, and records demonstrate this was robustly addressed.

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

The selection and recruitment of staff is rigorous and prevents unsuitable adults from being able to work with children. Staff are well trained, and clear about their roles and responsibilities in keeping children safe from harm. As a result, any safeguarding concerns are promptly responded to.

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

All risks are clearly identified and underpinned by robust assessments. Individual support plans in place minimise the risk of situations escalating and provide outline strategies to follow when incidents occur.

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

Staff understand the risks associated with children who go missing from home. When children do go missing from home, staff take the appropriate action to locate them and ensure their safe return home. Key-work sessions are carried out with the children to highlight the risks to them and the strategies in place to safeguard them. These minimise risks to children, as the sessions give them the strategies to keep themselves safe.

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

Children report that any sanctions imposed are fair. A restorative approach enables children to recognise the effect of their behaviour on themselves and others. A system of praise and reward ensures that the focus is not solely on negative behaviour.

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

Occasionally, physical intervention is necessary to prevent significant damage to property or assaults on staff. All incidents are well managed and records are detailed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has been in post since July 2020. He is suitably experienced and qualified, with a level 5 qualification in management.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is well managed and organised in children’s best interests. The manager demonstrates strong leadership. Professionals describe him as ‘committed’, ‘supportive’ and ‘an asset to his team’. Consequently, there is a clear ethos in the home which is based on high expectations and aspirational care. Inspection report for children’s home: 2590732 5 Staff retention has been an issue since registration, with several people leaving the service. Managers do not routinely consult with those leaving to determine their reasons for doing so. Consequently, this does not enable managers to identify any negative trends.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Swift action is taken to recruit new staff, ensuring good staffing levels are maintained to meet children’s needs. A core staff team has remained consistent for children. Staff are highly complimentary about the support and guidance they receive from the registered manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Regular individual supervision and team meetings, which focus on children’s needs and progress, provide opportunities for staff to reflect on their practice. The manager uses supervision well to monitor performance and support individuals to be solution-focused and understand their responsibilities.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A comprehensive training plan is in place that is varied and meets the individual and collective needs of staff. A good training programme means staff are equipped with the necessary skills to meet the complex needs of children in their care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

When partner agencies fall short in their delivery of services to children, the registered manager challenges this. He has escalated concerns within the local authorities and advocates strongly for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager and staff have an excellent understanding of the individual needs of each child and keep placement plans under regular review. As a result, children receive highly individualised care. When there are concerns about progress or significant events occur, the manager liaises effectively with placing authorities to ensure the situation is addressed. When decisions have been made to end a placement, there are clear safeguarding reasons for doing so.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Internal and external quality monitoring takes place regularly. The registered manager is taking account of recommendations made by the independent visitor, and this is helping to continually improve the service.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Appropriate systems are in place to notify Ofsted and other relevant persons of significant events that occur. The quality of information provided is good. This allows the recipient to analyse risk and understand what action is being taken to minimise this. Consequently, people are well informed and this means that children’s welfare is promoted. Inspection report for children’s home: 2590732 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 care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home;

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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

that children are admitted to the home only of 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. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered manager must ensure that robust pre-admission risk assessments are completed which address all children’s known risks and needs and staff’s skills to manage children’s individual needs. 31 March 2022

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff 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. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)  The registered person should make sure that managers and staff are aware of the local offer setting out the support available for children with special educational needs or disabilities. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 26, paragraph 5.4)  The registered person should monitor and review the patterns and trends of turnover of staff and be able to understand and address any negative trends.

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Recommendations

Specifically, to identify, where possible, people’s reasons for leaving and to act Inspection report for children’s home: 2590732 7 when necessary. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 10.19)

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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: 2590732 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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Inspectors

Michelle Edge, Social Care Inspection Manager Elaine Allison, Social Care Inspection Manager Inspection report for children’s home: 2590732 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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