Children's Home run by Sandcastle Care Limited in Blackpool

Inspection report for children’s home: 2523028 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

The home is owned and managed by a private company. It is registered to provide care and support for one child with social and emotional needs.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered 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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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: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2523028 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

03/03/2020 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2523028 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

A child who is currently living in the home and the two children who have moved out built positive, caring relationships with the staff team. The staff team listens to children and provides encouragement, positivity and guidance. Children who have moved out of the home remain in contact with the staff. One child said: ‘The staff are lovely and bubbly and I would recommend this home to other children. Rob is more like a dad to me.’ Another child said: ‘This is the best home I have lived in. I know the staff really care and want me to do well and don’t give up on me.’ As a result of the good-quality care and role modelling that are given, children learn to appreciate others’ views and to share their thoughts and feelings in an acceptable way. Children learn to trust the adults who care for them and, through this, they begin to talk about what is difficult in their lives. A child said: ‘I can talk to all the

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

staff. They really do listen and although I sometimes don’t like what they say, I know they just want me to do well.’ Staff ensure that children receive the necessary advice to keep themselves and others safe within the government’s COVID-19 guidelines. Strict protocols were followed during national lockdowns and each child received support to understand the restrictions in place. The staff carefully considered the safety of each child and limited the number of people entering the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Care, encouragement and attention to detail are given to all aspects of children’s health, including attendance at appointments and access to professional services. Children who have previously refused medical treatment have been supported to attend planned appointments. Close working relationships with the company’s therapist are supporting the child currently living in the home to develop her self- esteem and confidence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The importance of education and training is consistently promoted in the home. Staff work closely with education professionals and never give up, despite children’s reluctance to attend education provisions. For all children who have lived in the home, educational outcomes have improved. Small achievements are consistently celebrated by the staff team. This encourages children to be proud of their achievements and they aspire for their future careers. One child said: ‘For the first time, staff say “What does your future look like?” They push me to want to do well and they believe that I can.’

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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. This is in accordance with local authority care plans. For children who live a long distance from their families, staff continue to actively support and encourage regular contact. One child said: ‘They [staff] ring me when I am at home to check I am safe. If we don’t answer, they turn up and knock on the door.’ This ensures that each child is safely supported to maintain contact with important people in their lives. Inspection report for children’s home: 2523028 4

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

Children said that they are safe and protected from harm. They can identify an adult they can talk to in the home about any worries or concerns and they understand the complaints procedure. Children confirmed that staff help them understand the risks that they can face in society and in and around the home.

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

Staff are confident about managing risk. High levels of staff supervision mean that each child is safe in their home and in the community. However, risk management plans and risk assessments are confusing about the current and historical risks. Furthermore, when children are moved from one home to another within the company, new plans are not implemented. This causes confusion about the individual progress and experiences for each child.

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

Children who have experienced significant trauma and who present with complex behaviours grow in self-confidence and can express themselves positively. They are treated with respect and are enabled to channel their skills into achievement and significant improvement. This has led to a decrease in behaviours that can place children at risk in their lives. One social worker said: ‘The staff are good at managing risk and they are pragmatic in their approach. Some children’s homes can be risk-averse. However, the staff here manage it well and try to minimise risks, while promoting independence.’

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

Staff have used physical intervention on occasions to support children who are experiencing a period of crisis. The techniques applied are in line with the training provided. However, on one occasion, the registered manager was involved in the incident that led to the intervention. He then conducted the debrief with the child and staff. During the inspection, he recognised how this could have been improved through the involvement of an independent person.

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

Consistent safe recruitment practice is ensuring that all staff are rigorously vetted before they start to work at the home. This ensures that only suitable adults work with each child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A motivated and committed registered manager, who has high expectations and aspirations for children, leads the home. He has recently completed the level 5 diploma in leadership and management for residential childcare.He leads by example and is actively involved in the day-to-day care of each child. This enables him to monitor everyday practice in the home as he works alongside colleagues and each child. Children, staff and professionals speak highly of the manager. The registered manager receives ongoing support from a committed responsible individual. The registered manager and staff were highly complimentary about his input and involvement in the home and his supportive approach. The members of the staff team are consistent in their approach and work hard to cover any shortfalls in the rotas. This ensures continuity of care in the home. Staff Inspection report for children’s home: 2523028 5 demonstrate both perseverance and determination to work through challenging

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

times with children. One staff member said: ‘We are strong as a team. If one says no, we all say no. This helps to prevent confusion for children.’ Another staff member said: ‘I’m proud of the people I work with; we all have the same goal. We work through the difficulties as we want our children to succeed.’ Regular individual supervision, training opportunities and team meetings, which focus on children’s needs and progress, provide opportunities for staff to reflect on their practice. The manager and team leaders use supervision well to monitor performance and support individuals to be solution-focused and understand their responsibilities. The registered manager and staff are not aware of the local offer setting out the support available for each child with special educational needs. This is a missed opportunity to access a range of specialist resources for children. The registered manager and staff work well with external agencies, including

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

education professionals, health professionals and placing social workers. Positive feedback was provided to the inspector about the work and commitment of the staff team. Inspection report for children’s home: 2523028 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 protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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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

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.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(b)(d)(e))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, that risk management plans contain appropriate strategies to minimise risks to children’s safety. 25 February 2022

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Recommendations

 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 education needs or disabilities. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 26, paragraph 5.4)  The registered person should ensure that records of restraint are kept and should enable the registered person and staff to review the use of control, discipline and restraint to identify effective practice and respond promptly where any issues or trends of concern emerge. The review should provide the opportunity for amending practice to ensure that it meets the needs of each child. The registered manager needs to seek an independent review if he is involved in the incident. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 49, paragraph 9.59) Inspection report for children’s home: 2523028 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: 2523028 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

Michelle Edge, Social Care Inspection Manager Inspection report for children’s home: 2523028 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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